Early 2000s NBC sitcom quietly releases never-before-seen episodes nearly two decades later
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In an unexpected turn of events, eight unaired episodes of the sitcom “Joey” have quietly been uploaded to the “Friends” YouTube channel.
The YouTube channel, which is managed by HBO Max, began uploading never-before-seen Season 2 episodes starting Oct. 28. The final episode was uploaded to the platform on Nov. 18. These episodes are free to watch on the channel along with the rest of the episodes from Seasons 1 and 2.
“Joey,” which aired from 2004 to 2006 on NBC, starred Matt LeBlanc and was a spinoff of “Friends.”
Due to low ratings, it was pulled from its timeslot during its sophomore season, then later cancelled. The last “Joey” episode to air on NBC was Season 2, Episode 14, despite the show filming 22 episodes.
LeBlanc reprised his role as Joey Tribbiani in the subsequent series, which followed his character as he moved from New York City to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career.
The show’s cast consisted of Drea de Matteo, Paulo Costanzo, Jennifer Coolidge, and Andrea Anders. None of his “Friends” co-stars appeared on the series, though David Schwimmer, who played Ross on “Friends,” did direct two episodes.
In one of the newly released episodes, Robert Costanzo, who played Joey’s dad on “Friends,” reprised the role.
Shana Goldberg-Meehan and Andrew Reich, who were writers and executive producers on “Friends,” created “Joey.” According to Variety, the premiere of “Joey” in 2004 pulled an impressive 18.6 million viewers. However, the show quickly dwindled in popularity.
Kevin S. Bright, a producer and director who worked on both shows, shared his two cents on why “Joey” flopped in a 2006 interview with The Age.
“On ‘Friends,’ Joey was a womaniser, but we enjoyed his exploits. He was a solid friend, a guy you knew you could count on. ‘Joey’ was deconstructed to be a guy who couldn’t get a job, 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.”
All 10 seasons of “Friends” are streaming on HBO Max. All two seasons of “Joey” can be streamed on the “Friends” YouTube channel.
