In a surprise move for television fans, a piece of sitcom history long thought lost has finally been unearthed. Nearly two decades after its cancellation, the complete series of Joey, the Friends spinoff starring Matt LeBlanc, is now available to stream on YouTube, including its final eight episodes that never aired on American television.
The Long-Awaited Release
This week, the official Friends YouTube page made a landmark addition to its library. For the first time ever, viewers can watch both seasons of Joey in their entirety. This release is particularly significant because it includes Season 2's final eight episodes, which NBC pulled from its broadcast schedule when the show was officially canceled in 2006. The first two episodes had been uploaded as a test in March, but the full collection of 46 episodes only went live this Wednesday, just before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Recalling the 'Joey' Era
Created by Shana Goldberg-Meehan and Scott Silveri, veteran writers from the original Friends, the series followed the beloved character Joey Tribbiani as he moved from New York to Los Angeles to seriously pursue his acting career. The cast was a notable ensemble, featuring Drea de Matteo from The Sopranos as Joey's sister, Gina, and the iconic Jennifer Coolidge as his Hollywood agent, Bobbie Morganstern. The show ran on NBC from 2004 to 2006.
Despite its prestigious pedigree, Joey received a mixed critical reception from the start. While some outlets, like Variety, found it to be a polished and likable half-hour, others were less kind. Newsweek bluntly stated, Let's be honest: 'Joey' is no 'Friends,' though it did praise LeBlanc's adorably dense performance. The show premiered with decent ratings but ultimately failed to capture the massive cultural footprint of its predecessor, leading to its cancellation during the second season.
The Aftermath and Legacy
The show's failure had a profound personal impact on its star. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Matt LeBlanc revealed that the immense pressure and the show's inability to live up to the Friends phenomenon led him to step away from Hollywood. He explained that the incredible pressure made it clear the show could never perform like Friends did. Following the 2006 cancellation, LeBlanc took a planned one-year break that extended into six years. He did not return to television until 2011, when he starred in the Showtime series Episodes, playing a fictionalized version of himself.
This new availability on YouTube offers fans a chance to rediscover and reevaluate this curious chapter in television history, finally providing closure by showcasing the previously unaired episodes and completing the story of Joey Tribbiani's solo adventure.
