As one of the greatest shows in the history of television, there is simply no way of looking past what Friends was able to achieve in its prime. Focusing on 6 20-somethings in New York, the show found the right blend of comedy and drama en route to conquering television. Yes, Living Single was Friends before Friends, but the latter show took off and never looked back.
Matt LeBlanc starred on the show as Joey Tribbiani, and eventually, he was given his own spin-off project. Instead of finding success, however, the spin-off sputtered out the gate and went down quickly.
Let’s take a look at what happened with Joey.
‘Joey’ Was A Spin-Off Of ‘Friends’
At this point, there are few shows in history that come close to matching what Friends were able to do on the small screen. It was truly the sitcom for an entire generation, and unlike many other shows from its era, Friends has continued to remain as popular as ever. Because of its success, many thought that a spin-off project could work, which gave way to the series, Joey.
Debuting back in 2004 on the heels of Friends coming to an end, Joey focused on Joey Tribbiani, which sounds like a solid idea. After all, he was one of the most loved characters from Friends, and focusing on the popular character could have given way to some hilarious moments for his own show. Naturally, fans were hoping that this would lead to other Friends characters making an appearance.
Most fans assumed that, after 10 seasons and over 200 episodes of Friends, a spin-off would be an instant success, but it didn’t take long for fans to realize that Joey was simply not going to work. Not only did the fans see it, but so did the people working on the show, as well as the network.
The Show’s Tone And Character Shift Sank It
Soon after its debut, it became clear that Joey was going to be nothing like Friends, and even the character himself was changed from the lovable guy people came to know when he was hanging out at the Central Perk. This, in turn, left a sour taste in the mouths of fans that they never quite shook.
When speaking about some of the problems with Joey, Executive Producer, Kevin Bright, said, “It didn't allow Matt [LeBlanc] to have this carefree kind of lifestyle, and it tried to make Joey grow up – and I think that was a huge mistake.”
“Joey, in my mind, should have been a kid for life, until he found the right woman that was willing to take care of this kid – and accept him as who he was. I think the transformation of Joey into a guy who doesn't know how to get a date, who doesn't have any friends – I think that made the audience go away,” Bright continued.
These problems were never handled correctly by the production team, and soon, Joey was skating on thin ice.
It Didn’t Last Long
After less than two full seasons, Joey was canceled by the network, ultimately going down as a huge swing and a miss. Clearly, the success of Friends was not enough to save this show from getting in its own way, which is a shame when considering the potential it had. There were great pieces in place, but making too many changes sank it. Despite this, Bright believes that the show would work in this day and age.
“If the show was on today, I'd bet you we're in the top 10... with the ratings that we were cancelled with at that time! But yes, [looking back], I would have definitely done it differently,” said Bright.
Despite it failing, LeBlanc would do it again with some changes, saying, “I would do that again; I thought that it was a good show. I just think that we were telling stories that emasculated the character. They wrote a guy who became very doubtful of himself in this new place, in Hollywood, no friends, can't meet girls - and that's not who Joey was. He was always, always, always, the consummate optimist. Always. And that's not who they wrote. That was very frustrating for me.”
The recent Friends reunion and the incredible following that it retained certainly has people buzzing about the show once again. Who knows, maybe another spin-off project will come down the line that won’t make the same mistakes that Joey did back when it was on the air.