Joey may have only been on for two seasons, but it actually wound up gaining something of a cult following that stems from the love and passion behind the diehard fans of Friends.
It continues the journey of Joey Tribbiani following his trip from New York City all the way across to the other side of the United States in Los Angeles, California. Nobody quite knows one way or another how it would’ve gone if it had been given a proper shelf life, but that probably has something to do with the fact it was canceled due to dwindling ratings.
Today, we want to make the case for why they should’ve kept it on the air.
Los Angeles Setting
There are visuals that make a show what it is, and the visuals surrounding Los Angeles made Joey feel so, so different to New York City.
That was important because the Big Apple was such a vital part of the narrative with Friends, and separating that made the show what it was. LA is a hub of culture, art and all things wonderful, and it made sense for Joey to move out there.
From his apartment to the quick shots of the city it was an entirely different aesthetic, and it was one that we were really happy with.
Teaching Michael
The idea of Michael learning from his Uncle Joey wasn’t always going to be a slam dunk, but one we saw it play out throughout the first and second seasons of the show, it worked.
The two had a fantastic dynamic with one another and while it wasn’t exactly evident from the very first episode, they made it work and they were able to build on it as time went on.
Michael was a key component of the show, and he grew into his role perfectly. If only we could’ve seen more.
Joey’s Comedy Still Worked
From the one-liners to the bizarre comments and gestures that he’d come out with, Matt LeBlanc made the character of Joey work in a manner that few others could’ve managed.
He spent ten years in the role during Friends and that understandably had a lot of fans worried regarding what he’d be able to produce on Joey itself – but in the end, they needn’t have panicked.
People still laughed, the audience still shared that affection, and it was an easy watch. You can’t ask for much more than that with a sitcom like this.
Friends Cameos
There’s no escaping the fact that there would be no Joey if it wasn’t for Friends, which is why so many fans made the initial transition over.
Aside from Joey’s father, though, nobody else from the initial show appeared. Two of his sisters featured in Friends and in Joey but were played by different actresses, and that’s about it.
Friends was iconic and if we had seen another season or two, we’re convinced that we could’ve seen quite a few of the main cast make an appearance.
All we wanted was to see Chandler pop up out of the blue. Just once.
The Rise of Howard
Howard was a slapstick character at best, and yet, he was one of the most entertaining things on the entire show. Who knew?
There are some major misconceptions about what it takes to find success on a sitcom because sometimes, doing the simple things is what gets you ‘over’ in pro wrestling terminology.
Howard was the ultimate goofball but it was clear from day one that Joey was going to get on great with him. Sure, not all of his jokes landed, but he was still funny enough to pull it off.
Joey’s Success
While he was a struggling (for the most part) actor in Friends, Joey Tribbiani was able to really come into his own on the spin-off.
From movies to TV shows he was achieving way more than he ever did in NYC, which makes sense, given that the same sort of trend is true in real life.
We’d seen Joey struggle for around a decade and while it may seem silly to have an emotional attachment to a character that isn’t even real, we felt a need and a desire to see him thrive.
Zach
Zach was just a funny character played by a funny guy, and no matter how questionable the writing is, that’s always going to be a winning combination.
He was the sort of buddy that Joey needed to have in a show like this and while Jimmy filled that role to an extent, we still couldn’t escape the fact that the very same actor played the role of Eddie on Friends.
Zach’s impact on the series sort of went off the edge of a cliff in the end, which is another sign of NBC not really committing to the cause.
Joey & Alex
Alex didn’t seem like she was ‘all that’ upon being introduced in the first season but as time went on, we really grew to love her.
She had a specific comedic niché that catered to some fans but not all, and that divisive nature certainly changed as we progressed through the episodes. She wound up converting a lot of people, to the point where fans were really, really excited about the prospect of seeing Joey and Alex get together once and for all.
Now, we want to see them get married and have kids. That’s all.
Bobbie The Agent
Ah, Bobbie. The inappropriate agent.
She was quite clearly in love with Michael who she wanted to make her toyboy, but above all that, she was able to be even funnier than Estelle.
That sounds like an overreaction, but she just seemed to work really well in the role. Whether it was the voice or the comedic timing, she was always on the money.
Joey needed someone to bounce back and forth with in regards to his career and when push came to shove, this wound up being the perfect casting imaginable.
Carrying On The Friends Legacy
We all missed Friends in a big way when it went off the air in 2004 because for ten years it had been such a significant part of our lives.
It was never going to replace the show in the manner that everyone would’ve wanted because that’s kind of impossible, but it made us care about a group of characters that didn’t exist, for the most part, before Joey.
People can hate it all they want but if NBC had really given it a chance, they could’ve built something special.
