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Minnesota almost became a major part in the "Friends" legacy.

In Saul Austerlitz's new book, "Generation Friends," he reveals how the writers discussed a plot twist that would have had Chandler Bing transferring to Minnesota for work. The other five characters would end up joining him for the second half of the fifth season.

"They would discover a magical Midwestern respite from New York, with cheap apartments, friendly neighbors, and subzero temperatures," writes Austerlitz, a professor at NYU. "Everyone knew you could not relocate an iconic show to a frigid destination 1,500 miles away, which was precisely why many of the writers argued they should do it."

There was even talk about reshooting the opening sequence to have the cast frolic around a frozen fountain.

But co-creator David Crane thought the whole concept was nuts; the characters stayed put.

The book was released Tuesday.