The official Friends YouTube channel released the first two episodes of Joey, the spinoff series that follows Matt LeBlanc’s beloved character, Joey Tribbiani. This marks the first time the show has been available since its 2004 debut.
Starring LeBlanc alongside Drea de Matteo, Paulo Costanzo, Jennifer Coolidge, and Andrea Anders, Joey follows the character as he moves from New York to Hollywood to further his acting career. The show also focuses on Joey’s relationships with his high-strung sister Gina (Matteo) and his 20-year-old genius nephew Michael (Costanzo), according to the official description.
Joey ran for two seasons from 2004 to 2006, with 46 episodes. Created by Shana Goldberg-Meehan and Scott Silveri, the pilot episode drew an impressive 18.6 million viewers. However, ratings dropped significantly in the following seasons. Initially airing on NBC’s Thursday night time slot, which was previously occupied by Friends, the show was later moved to Tuesday nights before being canceled in 2006.
Eight episodes never aired in the U.S., though they were shown on international networks.
After the show was canceled, Friends co-creator Kevin S. Bright discussed why Joey struggled. In an interview with The Age, he explained, “On Friends, Joey was a womanizer, but we enjoyed his antics. He was a solid friend, a guy you knew you could count on. However, in Joey, he became a man who couldn’t get a job and couldn’t ask a girl out. He became a pathetic, mopey character. I felt he was moving in the wrong direction, but I was not heard.”
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