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Courteney Cox May Star in a New Friends! (Sorta)

ABC's Cougar Town might get a name that reminds people of a certain NBC show they used to love

By Kristin Dos Santos Jun 28, 2010 6:08 PMTags
Cougar Town, Courteney CoxABC/MICHAEL DESMOND

What could be better than a Friends reunion with Joey, Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe and Ross?

Well…not much. But how about a Friends star in a show that has Friends in the very title? It could happen, Central Perk lovers! Here's how:

ABC might rename Courteney Cox's series Cougar Town by putting Friends in the title.

Or Neighbors. Or Neighborhooding—though I'm pretty sure that's not a word.

In case you hadn't heard, they are considering renaming the sophomore comedy series, and are currently testing out new names via marketing research. I'm told these are the current contenders:

  • Friends and Family
  • Friends and Neighbors
  • The Cul de Sac
  • Neighborhood Jules
  • Neighborhooding
  • The End of the Street
  • The Neighborhood

You likey? Any of them?

One thing seems clear: They're trying to move away from the cougar reference (since Courteney's character Jules doesn't really pounce on young prey anymore) and up the neighborly/Friendly connection. As executive producer Bill Lawrence has joked to us, he'll do anything to get Jennifer Aniston on the show. So maybe this'll do the trick? Or how about Neighborhooding With Jennifer Aniston?

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

While doing press at the Monte Carlo Television Festival, Busy Philipps (Laurie) told us this of Cougar Town's name change: "It's true, they are considering it. Bill Lawrence and Courteney are talking about it and I know that Steve McPherson, who runs ABC, has said whatever they decide to do he's on board with. I think they just feel like the name Cougar Town is not indicative of what the show became at the end of the series. And I agree with them."

She adds: "I think that the change is just a natural progression of any creative process and the show just naturally moved in a different direction. Premise shows can only take you so far, and at the end of the day you tune in because you love the people you're watching."

Now that has a nice ring to it: Friends You Love Watching.

No?

OK, fine. Jennifer Aniston Neighborhooding it is.

Any ideas for the new C-town name? What do you think of the ones listed above...better or worse than what it is now?
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