‘Friends’ Spinoff ‘Joey’ Releases Lost Episodes After 20 Years

Fans of Friends finally have a chance to see the ending of the spin-off series Joey, nearly 20 years after it first aired.

The last eight episodes of the NBC sitcom, which starred Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, never aired in the U.S. after the show was canceled in 2006 during its second season.

Now, those episodes are available to watch on the official Friends YouTube channel, alongside the other 38 episodes that make up the complete series.

Joey followed the character as he moved from New York to Hollywood to pursue his acting career.

In Los Angeles, he reconnects with his high-strung sister Gina, played by Drea de Matteo, and his genius 20-year-old nephew Michael, played by Paulo Costanzo. Other cast members included Jennifer Coolidge and Andrea Anders.

The show was created by Friends producers Shana Goldberg-Meehan and Scott Silveri. Its pilot episode drew 18.6 million viewers, but the ratings dropped throughout the rest of the series.

Kevin S. Bright, executive producer and director of Friends, shared his thoughts on why the spin-off struggled.

He 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.”

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