19 Famous Relationships From TV Shows That Could Have Evolved Completely Differently
Ros and Rachel, Monica and Chandler, Carrie and Mr. Big...
What makes a good television couple? Is it the chemistry between the two actors?
Are the characters helping each other become better people, or are they simply looking fantastic together?
It's always a mix of variables that draws you into a fictional couple—something between them just clicks! That is certainly the case with these 19 well-known television couples.
Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mr. Big (Chris Noth), as well as Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), are just a few of the famous and beloved names on the list. We dug deep into the history of pop culture to find combinations that broke new boundaries on television and gave fans something to cheer for each week.
But what viewers don't know is that all of these couples were never meant to be. The ideas for these relationships were conceived during the making of the show, based on the great chemistry the two (sometimes three) actors had.
For instance, did you know that Monica was supposed to get together with Joey in Friends? It was the chemistry she had with Chandler that made the creators change their minds.
What's more, the creators initially imagined it as a fling, but once they saw how positively the audience reacted, they turned them into a couple.
1. Up until the last episodes of Gossip Girl, it was debatable whether Chuck and Blair would end up together.
While Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage always knew Chuck and Blair were destined to be together, the writers debated whether or not to make it happen during the final season.
The CW2. While Ross and Rachel were destined to be together, the show's creators almost ended Friends without them finally getting together.
NBC3. The creators originally intended for Monica and Joey to be together.
NBC
4. Luke and Lorelai were almost never a couple in Gilmore Girls because Luke was initially going to be a woman named Daisy—Luke and Lorelai's relationship was built on the chemistry of Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson.
WB
5. Leslie was planned to date several different men throughout the duration of Parks and Recreation, and Ben was supposed to be just one of several boyfriends, not her spouse.
NBC
6. On Grey's Anatomy, George and Callie were briefly married; however, George was supposed to be with Dr. Bailey.
ABC
7. Preston Burke was meant to be married when he met Cristina, so their romance would have never happened.
ABC
8. Jim Parsons originally auditioned for the role of Barney on How I Met Your Mother. Robin and Barney would have never been a couple if he had been cast because Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders' chemistry was the only reason they were made a couple.
CBS
9. Joey almost chose Dawson over Pacey in Dawson's Creek's legendary love triangle.
WB
10. While Buffy and Spike became a well-known relationship in later seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the show's creators nearly included another love interest for Buffy: Xander.
WB
11. Despite the fact that Carrie and Mr. Big wind up together at the end of Sex and the City, they weren't supposed to be together.
Creator Darren Star said he didn't envision Carrie ending up with anybody. He stated, "I think the show ultimately betrayed what it was about, which was that women don't ultimately find happiness from marriage."
HBO
12. Xander was planned to come out as gay, and Tara and Willow would have never been a couple.
WB
13. Rick and Michonne would never have been together if the producers of The Walking Dead had followed the comic books—Rick's love interest in the comics is Andrea.
AMC, Skybound
14. Caroline ends up with Stefan in The Vampire Diaries, but it was originally planned for her to end up with Klaus.
The CW
15. Raven was intended to be Finn's mother in The 100; hence, their love relationship would have never happened.
The CW
16. While Seth and Summer were a popular pair on The O.C., Fox wanted the show's creators to kill Seth—the duo wouldn't have existed.
According to creator Josh Schwartz, Fox was hesitant to cast a nerdy guy as the other main character.
Fox
17. Brant Daugherty previously auditioned for Ezra and Toby on Pretty Little Liars, which means Ezria or Spoby would have been completely different—Brant went on to portray Noel Kahn.
Freeform
18. Spencer and Toby were made a couple on Pretty Little Liars because of Troian Bellisario and Keegan Allen's on-screen chemistry.
Freeform
19. While Allison and Scott ended their romance with a final "I love you" before her death on Teen Wolf, that moment almost didn't happen, and their relationship would have been completely different.
Crystal Reed said at PaleyFest, "I kept insisting on saying it...The moment I felt the most grief was when she said that."
MTV
Well, what do you think? How different would these shows be if these famous couples didn’t exist?
Would they be better or worse? We have to praise one thing—these shows are actually interactive.
When you think about it, the creators feel the audience’s pulse and change the script accordingly. It kind of alters their vision of the show, but it makes us happy knowing that we’ve actually created these couples.