Joey was a Syndication network sitcom series and spin-off series of "Friends", created by Scott Silveri & Shana Goldberg-Meehan, starring Matt LeBlanc in the lead role.
The series aired from September 9, 2004 to August 23, 2006, lasting for two seasons & 38 episodes (leaving 8 episodes unaired)
Summary[]
After his friends go their separate ways, Joey Tribianni leaves New York for Hollywood, California to pursue a full-time acting career where his sister Gina buys him an apartment and Joey finds a new roommate in his 20-year-old nephew, Michael, who is literally a rocket scientist.
Cast[]
- Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani
- Drea de Matteo as Gina Tribbiani
- Andrea Anders as Alexis "Alex" Garrett
- Paulo Costanzo as Michael Tribbiani
- Jennifer Coolidge as Roberta "Bobbie" Morganstern
- Miguel A. Nunez as Zach Miller
Production[]
After the series finale of "Friends" in 2004, Matt LeBlanc signed on for the spin-off series "Joey" following Joey's move to Los Angeles, California to pursue his acting career.
However, "Friends" producers Marta Kauffman & David Crane were not interested in the spin-off, although Kevin S. Bright agreed to be executive producer along with the show's creators, Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan (the latter of whom left the show after the first season and was replaced by Jon Pollack).
The pilot episode of "Joey" was released in screener for test audiences and members of the entertainment industry to preview the show and drum up business. The screener was subsequently leaked on the Internet and thus has received a much wider critical review process than initially conceived
There were few differences between the unbroadcast pilot and the version that was broadcast. Ashley Scott played the role of Allison in the unbroadcast pilot, but she was replaced by Andrea Anders and the character's name was changed to Alex.
Reception[]
During its first season, "Joey" did well in the Nielsen ratings in its first season and was subsequently renewed for a second season. In the second season, Miguel A. Núñez Jr. was added to the show as a series regular and Jennifer Coolidge had a more prominent role in the show.
NBC heavily promoted "Joey" and gave it Friends' Thursday 8:00 pm timeslot. The pilot episode was watched by 18.6 million American viewers, but the ratings continually decreased throughout the series' two seasons, averaging 10.20 million viewers in the first season and 7.10 million in the second season.
In December of 2005, "Joey" was pulled from its Thursday-night timeslot and NBC returned the show in a new timeslot (Tuesdays at 8:00 pm) on March 7, 2006. Due in part to being in competition with FOX's "American Idol", it was the lowest-rated prime time program of the week for NBC.
Syndication pulled the series after the first Tuesday broadcast and its cancellation was announced on May 15, 2006; the remaining episodes have never been broadcast by Syndication, but have been shown on various other networks around the world.
The show's final broadcast episode aired on March 7, 2006 and was watched by 4.1 million viewers.
Bright blamed the collaboration between Syndication executives, the studio and other producers for quickly ruining the series.