Even though I was a casual fan of the show that has since become a global phenom, I always appreciate behind-the-scenes glimpses into a smash hit with stories you never heard.

In this article from a British newspaper, several of the show's former writers dish on everything from that odd Chandler habit of stressing the wrong word, to one of the peripheral characters getting a role solely because he knew how to operate a coffee machine. 

And then there's the reason Jennifer Aniston almost never played Rachel.

"She was already committed to another show, Muddling Through, and would have had to ditch Rachel to work on it if it got picked up. “We had to schedule around her,” says Stevens. “Luckily, Muddling Through did not muddle through successfully.”

It all shows just how much serendipity is involved in creating a hit show. Worth a read if you watched it. 

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