Chandler and Phoebe were the funny ones, but the “Joey” pilot maintains the “Friends” wit, and the actors who play Joey’s sister and nephew are funny and likeable. As spinoffs go, it already works better for me than “Frasier” ever did - but without Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow it sure ain’t special enough to pull me away from “Survivor” and “The O.C.”!
(For the record, I’ve no idea why they replaced Ashley Scott, whom I thought adorable as Joey’s married neighbor. Maybe the actress is a pain in the hinder to work with?)
TV Guide says:
TV Guide says:
… settles too easily for boob jokes … Regardless, LeBlanc is as endearing as ever. …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… writing that, while far from brilliant, is sharp enough and has enough heart to please the vast majority of former "Friends" viewers. … Here and there, however, a good punchline trumps character consistency. For example, when Gina says how glad she is that she had Michael when she was young, Joey replies: "You rarely hear the argument for teen pregnancy." Funny? Sure, but that's a line for Chandler, not Joey. …
Variety says:
… a polished and likable half-hour … plenty of amusing lines and a breezy tone, laying the requisite groundwork while still making it feel as if the show's been on the air for a couple of years. …
Entertainment Weekly says:
[Autumn’s] best new comedy …
USA Today gives it 3.5 stars (out of four) and says:
… Neither AfterM*A*S*H disaster nor complete Frasier triumph on the spinoff scale, Joey is a well-cast, well-structured, solidly funny sitcom. …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… The pilot is not horrible, and "Joey," like "Frasier" after it spun off from "Cheers," retains the tone and patter (and some of the writers) of the mother ship series. Still, my immediate suggestion is that they bring in more people for Joey to hug. Or something. For as it stands the series feels kind of bereft — a subplot cast into the world and left searching for its main story …
“Joey”: 8 p.m. Thursday. NBC.
“The Apprentice 2”: 8:30 p.m. Thursday. NBC.
