Fans of Friends can now watch the long-awaited conclusion of the short-lived NBC spinoff Joey, nearly 20 years after its cancellation. The final eight unaired episodes from Season 2 which never broadcast in the U.S. after the series was pulled in 2006, have been officially released on the Friends YouTube channel, completing all 46 episodes of the sitcom.
The series, launched in 2004 and led by Matt LeBlanc as the beloved Joey Tribbiani, followed the character as he “leaves New York for Hollywood in order to take his acting career to the next level.” In Los Angeles, he reconnects with “his high-strung sister Gina (Matteo)” and “Michael (Costanzo), his 20-year-old genius nephew,” according to the show’s description. The cast also featured Drea de Matteo, Paulo Costanzo, Jennifer Coolidge and Andrea Anders.
Developed by Friends producers Shana Goldberg-Meehan and Scott Silveri, the series premiered to a strong 18.6 million viewers but saw ratings decline throughout its first and second seasons, ultimately leading to cancellation.
Reflecting on the show’s struggles, Friends executive producer and director Kevin S. Bright told The Age in 2006: “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.”
Source: Variety