Joey

"Joey" is better than I thought it would be but still not a great show like "Friends." The main problem is that they took the show's dumbest character, Joey, and have turned him into the lead of a major sitcom.

Joey and Chandler were my favorite characters on "Friends" and their subplots allowed the show to take on a new humorous edge, so that the "main plot" (almost always focused around Rachel and Ross) could be spliced with scenes involving Joey and Chandler.

Their chemistry is what made the show so great, but having just Joey in a show is a bit of a problem since, well, to be honest...he's stupid. I.e. he is so stupid that it's hard for us to imagine him succeeding at anything.

The problem with this is that in "Joey" they change his character very much. He's smarter, a bit different. Still dumb, but not as dumb. And I just felt like I was watching an entirely new person. It wasn't Joey. It was Matt LeBlanc saying funny things every now and then.

To be fair the show is watchable and entertaining. It has some good jokes. But it's a bit too obvious. The lines are too explosive and, yes, unrealistic. Every line of dialogue has a witty comeback remark, or is a setup for a joke.

Like when Joey says he's too old to go to bars any more. "Plus, I have a problem telling if they're gay bars or not. By the way, if Ramone calls, I am not here!" It's too sudden, too obvious. Instead of feeling as if Joey's just stupid and innocent (as he was in "Friends"), I felt as if here he was really stretching to be obvious and make people laugh, which is actually a pretty big problem.

Overall, a good show, but you can tell just by the opening credits that it's in a whole other world apart from "Friends."

I was obsessed with FRIENDS. I counted down the hours until the next show would come on. I've seen every episode and own every DVD. When the last episode premiered I almost cried myself to death. When Joey came on I felt like the show was reincarnating. I had to watch it so I could keep FRIENDS in my heart. I did and it was great. I now love the show. I think Joey in LA is a great idea, and Paulo as the nerdy nephew trying to be a lad's man is brilliance. I like Gina a lot. But I think her character needs to chill out a little. You know, I love the whole-Jerk strong women but I think it needs to slow down a bit. Also I would say they need to get going with something. Someone has to meet someone. It just seems as if the show is going nowhere. Every episode there's a new girl. (I know thats what Joey's all about but still.) At least with Friends You had the same boyfriend/girlfriend on/off thing going. Monica/Richard, Rosa/Rachel. The show has perfect chemistry, and I think it could go far, but only if the writer's stay on their game.

What the guys at NBC have done is take the most laugh-out-loud character from friends and tried to give him his own character. Lets not forget that in Friends he had 5 other main characters to fall back on and countless others. A lot of whats happened in Joey has been a reflection to what happened in the earlier seasons of Frasier. 1) A big move to a new city 2) Previously unseen family members crawl out of the woodwork 3) A new unavailable love interest.

It is obvious to me that the writers have looked to Seattles finest for inspiration, but i don't think so far that they've looked hard enough. When Frasier left Boston he had a change of direction in career which gave us the often hilarious radio phone-ins, the double act with Ros and a score of other brilliant minor characters (Bulldog, Kenny etc.)

Joey on the other hand has the same life more or less just without Chandler and the others. Sequences of Joey on set which once took about 5 minutes of a Friends episodes these now are the basis for whole episodes. His contemporaries extend to his sister, nephew and neighbour and occasionally his agent(played by a horrifically over-the-top Jennifer Coolidge) this means he is continually conversing with the same few characters which can draw repetition.

I only refer to Frasier so much as it it the benchmark for all spin-offs as it became arguably better than the original show Cheers. And for Joey to carry on it needs to flesh out its characters and its story.

However i find no fault in the enthusiastic acting from the regular cast. Joey is the same lovable fool and Drea Di Matteo is brilliant in her role as Gina. Although i criticised the show quite heavily i enjoy every episode and really wish that Joey will be around for a long while. I just know how fickle audiences are and don't want joey to fall into the category of shows that could have done great but got cancelled.

Sean

OK, if your like me, and your a fan of Friends, you might be expecting something similar in Joey. When the Pilot was released I was lucky to find a copy of it some time before the series started, and to be honest, I was not to happy. The jokes in the first few episodes about Joey tended to be a bit unfunny, with most of the jokes being aimed at Joey's sexual habits or his stupidity or Drea De Matteo's Breats.

Many of the jokes are similar to Friends, yet these just didn't feel right. However, having seen the first 10/11 Episodes now, the show seems to be finding its feet. In fairness to the show, the casting is great, with each of the actors being well placed in who they are.

It seems quite strange that none of the Friends cast has made cameos yet, although I have noticed that a number of episodes have been directed by David Schwimmer.

Despite being about its title character, Joey, I cant help but feel that some of the episodes should have some emphasis should be on the other characters similar to how 'Frasier' does this with their characters, with sub plots that happen over the episodes.

All in all, its been a rocky start to Joey, and although its getting better, I still feel as if it should get funnier, as compared to other sitcoms, the jokes do not come so thick and fast. Whether this series will last as long as friends is yet to be seen, but on the whole, this is turning out to be an enjoyable series, if not as great as others.........Yet.

One thing needs to be remembered that a spin off can never be compared with the original show. Similarly, Joey could not be compared to Friends. When Friends was over, Joey came as a lifesaver. I don't understand why people hate it, the show wasn't half bad. The ensemble cast for Joey worked just as well as Friends'. And Matt LeBlanc looked as adorable as ever. Loved the entire cast as well. Having said that, the second season doesn't work as good as the first, but it could have been better. But the story line was pretty good and was heading towards a definite ending. Another episode and Joey could have had a finished with a satisfying end. Give this show a try. It does preserve the spirit of Friend to a large extent, if not completely.