Major Friends plot that wasn't meant to happen

One of the masterminds behind Friends has revealed the last-minute change writers made to Ross and Rachel's relationship. Photo / File

"We were on a break!" is easily one of the most famous quotes in the entire 10-year run of Friends.

Quick refresher, for those who need it: Rachel told Ross in season three that his jealousy issues were becoming a big problem and they needed to "take a break", at which point Ross immediately went out, got drunk, and slept with The Copy Girl — the speed of which was later perfectly summed up by Chandler: "I mean, bullets have left guns slower." Of course, when Rachel found out, she dumped Ross.

But according to Friends producer Kevin S. Bright, the whole breakup was not part of the original plan.

Speaking to Metro, he revealed the show's writers had decided to couple up Ross and Rachel, and then keep them together — but they quickly realised that was kind of boring.

"When we got them together when the first kiss happened we go, 'Wow, the air has kind of gone out of the balloon.'" Bright said. "There wasn't that sexual tension anymore."

Ross and Rachel's breakup scene was excruciating. Photo / File

Bright went on to explain that their season three breakup "wasn't planned that way — that came a little later".

"It allowed us to have fun with the show and give people something to root for," Bright said.

During the interview, Bright also dropped the bombshell that there'd been recent conversations about bringing Friends back for a reunion.

"Oh yeah … We had a meeting a month ago where I had hopes it would come back," he told the publication.

But ultimately, the idea was put to bed.

Once the couple finally hooked up, writers on the show realised they needed to break up to keep the fire alive. Photo / File

"I love David Crane's quote that '50-year-olds hanging out in a coffee shop would be pathetic'," Bright said, crushing fans' dreams.

"If we did come back it would be the same characters but wouldn't be the same show.

"They're at different places in their lives, potentially divorces and so we feel just like letting them go off into the sunset is one of the things which keeps them going in people's minds … I think that's best left to the audience."