Hey Friends! its JOEY the TV series! A-hyuk!

Ugly · 07-25-2003, 10:27 AM

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...005784,00.html

NBC pins hopes on Friends spin-off

******* Timms
Friday July 25, 2003

The US broadcaster behind the hit comedy Friends is hoping to emulate the success of Cheers spin-off Frasier with a new comedy starring Matt LeBlanc, who plays struggling actor character Joey Tribbiani.

NBC has been desperate to find a new comedy to replace the long-running series when it finally ends next year.

The new show launches in September 2004 and will be called simply Joey.

It is being written by long-time Friends writer-producers Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan, who are expected to executive produce the series alongside director and executive producer Kevin Bright.

The NBC Entertainment president, Jeff Zucker, compared the launch of Joey with the successful spin-off of Frasier from Cheers 11 years ago.

"You never would have predicted it when the show began in 1994, but Joey has emerged as the character that America roots for and loves," he said.

In Frasier, Kelsey Grammer's grumpy character moved from Boston to host a radio therapy show in his home town of Seattle.

In Joey, the struggling actor played by LeBlanc will move from New York to California where he will be surrounded by a new group of characters.

However, just as former Cheers stars such as Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson appeared on Frasier, it is expected some former Friends stars will also appear in episodes of Joey.

Mr Zucker said he thought Joey would help NBC continue its dominance of Thursday night TV.

"Clearly the announcement we made today will go a long way to securing our continued stranglehold on Thursday night", he said.

Friends finishes its ninth season in the US next May.

Despite each earning around £700,000 an episode, Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox Arquette, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and LeBlanc decided earlier this year not to continue for a tenth series.

But not all NBC's spin-offs have been a success.

Prior to launching Frasier, NBC executives commissioned a series based on Cheers' barmaid Carla's low-life husband Nick Tortelli, but were forced to abandon it after it proved a turn-off with viewers.

------------

Honestly I knew they were gonna spin it off. And I'm glad they picked the best one to do it with (The Chandler and Monica show could have gotten old pretty quickly. but I think an old-school Chandler might have worked.). Hell now you don't have to put up with Monica or Pheboe.

In opinion-- even though I'm not the biggest Friends fan in the world, I really like LeBlac as Joey, he has it down to a science. I'm saying, full speed ahead!

Elvis The Fat Years · 07-25-2003, 10:29 AM

mother of jesus, mary and joseph.

ukes:

shaniqua · 07-25-2003, 10:45 AM

yeah, it makes the most sense. he's the friend with the worst movies, yet still with enough star power to carry his own tv show. i had a feeling that joey would move to california for the movies. bet he'll have a gay roommate or something.

Desi · 07-25-2003, 10:50 AM

good god

07-25-2003, 10:50 AM

i was hoping phoebe would be the spin-off but i never even heard that mentioned. depending on the quality of the show's writing, joey should pull decent ratings for a few years, especially considering the current state of sitcom world. oh well. i can continue to enjoy my numero uno guilty pleasure for at least two more years.

shaniqua · 07-25-2003, 10:54 AM

kudrow and aniston will do lots of movies still
cox-arquette and perry will keep doing garbage movies
no one cares about schwimmer

neopryn · 07-25-2003, 01:22 PM

Yesterday I watched a Friends rerun for the first time, and I enjoyed it. Then I killed myself.

beef curtains · 07-25-2003, 02:18 PM

Blah. They shoulda chosen Chandler or something. But made him divorce Courtney Cox. I can't even think of her characters name.

Joey is too unreal of a character. No one's going to enjoy a show based entirely on his stupid antics.

07-25-2003, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by So very sad about me
No one's going to enjoy a show based entirely on his stupid antics.

I'll at least give it a chance cuz i'm a creature of habit and it's gonna be on at the same time and it will still remdind me of college, which the only reason i like that show anyway. But man it should be "Phoebe."

Spaceboy917 · 07-25-2003, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shaunna

no one cares about schwimmer

Yeah. I hope he enjoys infomercials.

machinaddict · 07-25-2003, 02:52 PM

Does anyone other then me notice the similarities between idea this and the horrible Seinfield spinoffs?

Ugly · 03:37 PM

There were no Sienfeld spin-offs. George, Jerry, Elaine and Kramer went to jail because of the new “Good Samaritan” law and that was the last time we saw them. Remember? “Hey where are you from?” “Cell block D” “Cell block D! Ohhhhhhhh!!”

Mad props to Shaunna for spotting the “probably have a gay roommate” thing. I mean, he’s already had Chandler who wasn’t actually gay (but everyone thought he was) and he’s already had a chick. Time to throw in a wacky gay character for Joey to just be all in awe of. I can picture it now: “What do you mean, you don’t like chicks? But they have so many curves!” “I’m more of a fan of cracks than curves!” (Cue canned “Whoo-hooosss!!” on the laugh track) Also this’ll attract the “Will and Grace” audience. Hell, Joey’s roommate might even be Jack.

Dollars and cents wise, NBC freakin NEEDS this show. “Friends” is getting much too expensive to keep on the air with all the salary demands and the castmates are getting restless. They made an Americanized version of “Coupling” (the British version of “Friends”) but apparently the show isn’t testing very well. They were all gun ho about grooming that as a “Friends” replacement but if they stick it in “Friends” old slot its gonna bomb cuz ppl will see it as the cheap-knock off that it is.

So they grab Joey, one of the more likeable characters and even though only have to shell out a lot of money to LeBlanc its still a hell of a lot cheaper than keeping “Friends” running. It’ll keep the fans watching, and heck, its on at the exact same time and day!

This all stems back to NBC has dominated Thursday nights since, well, CHEERS and THE COSBY SHOW, SIENFELD and FRIENDS for the past two decades. Survivor is nipping at its heels (maybe American Idol too, but I don’t know if its on Thursdays). They take their Thursday’s personally and they really want to win and keep charging those extravagant “NBC THRUSDAY” ad dollars.

Hence, JOEY!

Eventually it will decline. Frasier was ridding the coat-tails of Cheers for a really long time but now, in its 10th or 11th season the audience is dropping off fast (yet they keep renewing it?!). Joey may even have a shorter life-span cuz a lot of it also depends on how much longer LeBlanc can keep up the beefcake factor to woo the ladies.

All that aside: I still think Joey was the best character to spin-off. (even though the creators of “Friends” aren’t behind this. They’re dead-set against spin-offs.) I mean, Ross alternates between neurotic and creepy. Monica is annoying. Chandler could have been a possibility, but in the words of the immortal Stiffler, ever since hooking up with Monica he “needs his balls reattached”. Rachel is just a ditz. And Pheobe is a stupid tree-hugging hippie. Joey is the most likable of the cast that people can relate too and frequently LeBlanc is the best thing about the show.

As for afterwards, I think Aniston is going to make the jump to “movie star” (marrying Brad Pitt increased her cred a lot). Cox is going to go nowhere and fade into obscurity. Kudrow can suck my left nut cuz I could care less aboot her. Perry is going to keep making “The Whole ___ Yards” for decades (which is fine by me, I like that movie). I actually hope that Schwimmer gets back to acting in small cuz I dug him in the bit parts he had in Band of Brothers and Apt Pupil.

/end TV critic moment.

machinaddict · 07-25-2003, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ugly
[b]

There were no Sienfeld spin-offs. George, Jerry, Elaine and Kramer went to jail because of the new “Good Samaritan” law and that was the last time we saw them. Remember? “Hey where are you from?” “Cell block D” “Cell block D! Ohhhhhhhh!!”

right right. I meant the shows that came afterwards, not specifically involving the same characters.

Ugly · 07-25-2003, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by machinaddict

right right. I meant the shows that came afterwards, not specifically involving the same characters.

Yeah but those shows failed cuz, A) they were crappy shows B) they weren't playing the same characters. I can't think of ANYONE in sitcom world who found success playing two different characters.

Alot of TV, esp. sitcoms is just more of the same packaged again and again. If you get big character on TV you should stick with it, ala Archie Bunker, The Fonz, Fraiser and now Joey.

Quote:

Originally posted by So very sad about me
Blah. They shoulda chosen Chandler or something. But made him divorce Courtney Cox. I can't even think of her characters name.

Joey is too unreal of a character. No one's going to enjoy a show based entirely on his stupid antics.

No way, I think this show is gonna be a huge hit right out of the gate. I agree that a Chandler show would have been good but he's been ruined by hooking up with Monica. Joey was the best choice out of 'em all. His "stupid antics" are gonna mean bank fo sure.

Ugly · 07-25-2003, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Ace of Aces

I'll at least give it a chance cuz i'm a creature of habit and it's gonna be on at the same time.

I don't mean to be picking on you, but this is totally the reason why the show is going to hit.

Fattening Ass · 07-25-2003, 03:59 PM

friends suck.

yeh the show.

07-25-2003, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ugly

I don't mean to be picking on you, but this is totally the reason why the show is going to hit.

Ya aint picking. And nice tv critic moment. I actually read that shit and it was alright.

shaniqua · 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ugly

As for afterwards, I think Aniston is going to make the jump to “movie star” (marrying Brad Pitt increased her cred a lot). Kudrow can suck my left nut cuz I could care less aboot her.

yes, jennifer aniston will be in movie-star type movies.

kudrow will be in the more festival-type movies and comedies (Marci X looks and sounds like a funny concept). i like her

joey doing movies/tv in la will be funny! we'll get to see him hit on the extras, interact with crew & co-stars and all that stuff. could be some good satire too. who knows?

and of course, the whole relocating is classic tv fish-out-of-water. how will joey adapt to the california lifestyle? health food and artifice. hehe.

co-stars/recurring characters: his agent, his (gay) roommate (who becomes his best friend)... EVENTUALLY a girlfriend (he's gotta keep up the ladies' man thing for a few seasons) and who else?

07-25-2003, 05:01 PM

can you guys to tv talk more often? i'm digging it.

shaniqua · 07-25-2003, 05:04 PM

dude, you KNOW joey doing movies in la makes for a lot of guest star appearances!

Ugly · 07-25-2003, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shaunna

co-stars/recurring characters: his agent, his (gay) roommate (who becomes his best friend)... EVENTUALLY a girlfriend (he's gotta keep up the ladies' man thing for a few seasons) and who else?

There's gonna be a black guy as a regular member of the cast for sure. Friends took alot of shit for not having any black regulars in New York so they're gonna do that on the spot for Joey.

Hopefully they'll keep up the struggling actor bit for awhile, but I did like when he was Dr. Drake Ramorey and then they had to kill him off. "Well Dr. Drake the elevator is here for you!" "No its ok! You step on!"

shaniqua · 07-25-2003, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ugly

There's gonna be a black guy as a regular member of the cast for sure. Friends took alot of shit for not having any black regulars in New York so they're gonna do that on the spot for Joey.

GAY BLACK ROOMMATE!

KILL 2 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE!

Ugly · 07-25-2003, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shaunna

GAY BLACK ROOMMATE!

KILL 2 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE!

That's pure genius! You're gonna go far in this business kid, I tellsya.

I get the feeling they'll be a chandler clone for a friend. And Joey will say "Woah!" and "How you doin'" in, like, the first 3 minutes of the pilot episode.

Season cliffhanger: is womanizer joey tribiani actually falling in love? Stay tuned!

07-25-2003, 10:27 AM	#1
Ugly Immortal Location: Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed Posts: 21,249	Hey Friends! its JOEY the TV series! A-hyuk! http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...005784,00.html NBC pins hopes on Friends spin-off ******* Timms Friday July 25, 2003 The US broadcaster behind the hit comedy Friends is hoping to emulate the success of Cheers spin-off Frasier with a new comedy starring Matt LeBlanc, who plays struggling actor character Joey Tribbiani. NBC has been desperate to find a new comedy to replace the long-running series when it finally ends next year. The new show launches in September 2004 and will be called simply Joey. It is being written by long-time Friends writer-producers Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan, who are expected to executive produce the series alongside director and executive producer Kevin Bright. The NBC Entertainment president, Jeff Zucker, compared the launch of Joey with the successful spin-off of Frasier from Cheers 11 years ago. "You never would have predicted it when the show began in 1994, but Joey has emerged as the character that America roots for and loves," he said. In Frasier, Kelsey Grammer's grumpy character moved from Boston to host a radio therapy show in his home town of Seattle. In Joey, the struggling actor played by LeBlanc will move from New York to California where he will be surrounded by a new group of characters. However, just as former Cheers stars such as Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson appeared on Frasier, it is expected some former Friends stars will also appear in episodes of Joey. Mr Zucker said he thought Joey would help NBC continue its dominance of Thursday night TV. "Clearly the announcement we made today will go a long way to securing our continued stranglehold on Thursday night", he said. Friends finishes its ninth season in the US next May. Despite each earning around £700,000 an episode, Friends stars Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox Arquette, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and LeBlanc decided earlier this year not to continue for a tenth series. But not all NBC's spin-offs have been a success. Prior to launching Frasier, NBC executives commissioned a series based on Cheers' barmaid Carla's low-life husband Nick Tortelli, but were forced to abandon it after it proved a turn-off with viewers. ------------ Honestly I knew they were gonna spin it off. And I'm glad they picked the best one to do it with (The Chandler and Monica show could have gotten old pretty quickly. but I think an old-school Chandler might have worked.). Hell now you don't have to put up with Monica or Pheboe. In opinion-- even though I'm not the biggest Friends fan in the world, I really like LeBlac as Joey, he has it down to a science. I'm saying, full speed ahead!

07-25-2003, 03:34 PM	#12
Ugly Immortal Location: Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed Posts: 21,249	There were no Sienfeld spin-offs. George, Jerry, Elaine and Kramer went to jail because of the new “Good Samaritan” law and that was the last time we saw them. Remember? “Hey where are you from?” “Cell block D” “Cell block D! Ohhhhhhhh!!” Mad props to Shaunna for spotting the “probably have a gay roommate” thing. I mean, he’s already had Chandler who wasn’t actually gay (but everyone thought he was) and he’s already had a chick. Time to throw in a wacky gay character for Joey to just be all in awe of. I can picture it now: “What do you mean, you don’t like chicks? But they have so many curves!” “I’m more of a fan of cracks than curves!” (Cue canned “Whoo-hooosss!!” on the laugh track) Also this’ll attract the “Will and Grace” audience. Hell, Joey’s roommate might even be Jack. Dollars and cents wise, NBC freakin NEEDS this show. “Friends” is getting much too expensive to keep on the air with all the salary demands and the castmates are getting restless. They made an Americanized version of “Coupling” (the British version of “Friends”) but apparently the show isn’t testing very well. They were all gun ho about grooming that as a “Friends” replacement but if they stick it in “Friends” old slot its gonna bomb cuz ppl will see it as the cheap-knock off that it is. So they grab Joey, one of the more likeable characters and even though only have to shell out a lot of money to LeBlanc its still a hell of a lot cheaper than keeping “Friends” running. It’ll keep the fans watching, and heck, its on at the exact same time and day! This all stems back to NBC has dominated Thursday nights since, well, CHEERS and THE COSBY SHOW, SIENFELD and FRIENDS for the past two decades. Survivor is nipping at its heels (maybe American Idol too, but I don’t know if its on Thursdays). They take their Thursday’s personally and they really want to win and keep charging those extravagant “NBC THRUSDAY” ad dollars. Hence, JOEY! Eventually it will decline. Frasier was ridding the coat-tails of Cheers for a really long time but now, in its 10th or 11th season the audience is dropping off fast (yet they keep renewing it?!). Joey may even have a shorter life-span cuz a lot of it also depends on how much longer LeBlanc can keep up the beefcake factor to woo the ladies. All that aside: I still think Joey was the best character to spin-off. (even though the creators of “Friends” aren’t behind this. They’re dead-set against spin-offs.) I mean, Ross alternates between neurotic and creepy. Monica is annoying. Chandler could have been a possibility, but in the words of the immortal Stiffler, ever since hooking up with Monica he “needs his balls reattached”. Rachel is just a ditz. And Pheobe is a stupid tree-hugging hippie. Joey is the most likable of the cast that people can relate too and frequently LeBlanc is the best thing about the show. As for afterwards, I think Aniston is going to make the jump to “movie star” (marrying Brad Pitt increased her cred a lot). Cox is going to go nowhere and fade into obscurity. Kudrow can suck my left nut cuz I could care less aboot her. Perry is going to keep making “The Whole ___ Yards” for decades (which is fine by me, I like that movie). I actually hope that Schwimmer gets back to acting in small cuz I dug him in the bit parts he had in Band of Brothers and Apt Pupil. /end TV critic moment. Last edited by Ugly : 07-25-2003 at 03:37 PM.

07-25-2003, 10:29 AM	#2
Elvis The Fat Years 007 373 5963 Posts: 31,408	mother of jesus, mary and joseph. ukes:

07-25-2003, 10:45 AM	#3
shaniqua Minion of Satan Location: that's my prerogative Posts: 7,420	yeah, it makes the most sense. he's the friend with the worst movies, yet still with enough star power to carry his own tv show. i had a feeling that joey would move to california for the movies. bet he'll have a gay roommate or something.

07-25-2003, 10:50 AM	#4
Desi Apocalyptic Poster Location: smartly attuned to the latest cutting-edge clichés Posts: 3,890	good god

07-25-2003, 10:50 AM	#5
Boner Posts: n/a	i was hoping phoebe would be the spin-off but i never even heard that mentioned. depending on the quality of the show's writing, joey should pull decent ratings for a few years, especially considering the current state of sitcom world. oh well. i can continue to enjoy my numero uno guilty pleasure for at least two more years.

07-25-2003, 10:54 AM	#6
shaniqua Minion of Satan Location: that's my prerogative Posts: 7,420	kudrow and aniston will do lots of movies still cox-arquette and perry will keep doing garbage movies no one cares about schwimmer

07-25-2003, 01:22 PM	#7
neopryn let's see your penis! Location: i had a few beers, but i'm cool to drive Posts: 31,862	Yesterday I watched a Friends rerun for the first time, and I enjoyed it. Then I killed myself.

07-25-2003, 02:18 PM	#8
beef curtains Immortal Location: I like me so much better when you're naked Posts: 21,752	Blah. They shoulda chosen Chandler or something. But made him divorce Courtney Cox. I can't even think of her characters name. Joey is too unreal of a character. No one's going to enjoy a show based entirely on his stupid antics.

07-25-2003, 02:52 PM	#11
machinaddict Apocalyptic Poster Location: Wolfville, NS Posts: 4,617	Does anyone other then me notice the similarities between idea this and the horrible Seinfield spinoffs?

07-25-2003, 03:59 PM	#16
Fattening Ass Just Hook it to My Veins! Location: Planet Nintendu 64 Posts: 30,825	friends suck. yeh the show.

07-25-2003, 05:01 PM	#19
Boner Posts: n/a	can you guys to tv talk more often? i'm digging it.

07-25-2003, 05:04 PM	#20
shaniqua Minion of Satan Location: that's my prerogative Posts: 7,420	dude, you KNOW joey doing movies in la makes for a lot of guest star appearances!