Friends spinoff Joey a groan-filled wasteland

Friends spinoff Joey a groan-filled wasteland

By Special Correspondent - The Chronicle-Journal

September 29, 2004

By Hubert O'Hearn

What would life be without a little disappointment? Doesn't the discovery of that pack of sensible athletic socks under the Christmas tree rather than opening up a new bike; now really, doesn't that make us better people in the long run? No, you're right - it just makes us bitter and depraved.

But there are disappointments and then there are disappointments. Finding out that a heavily-hyped and -promoted new television show is a groan-filled wasteland really isn't too crushing an experience. In fact, it can be positively refreshing, as one realizes that one is a heck of a lot smarter about comedy than a fleet of Hollywood writers and producers.

I am referring to Joey. Oh my gosh, what a horrible waste of a beloved character. It was always going to be a bit of a struggle to transform a supporting character into a central character (and Joey on Friends was a support - how many plots were really centered on him?) but there are more difficult tasks. I mean, people seem to think that the nearly bankrupt casino operator Donald Trump actually is someone worth watching. But . . .

Let me just give you one example of Bad Series Design. Why is the former Sopranos star Drea de Matteo, age 31, playing the mother of a college sophomore? That would make her 12 when the boy was born and did anyone go to jail for this act of indecency?

And more Bad Series Design: Joey moves to L.A. to succeed as an actor, with a bright new agent and a series pilot. Well, the series is killed in the first episode, the agent is a reptile and the question begs itself: Why doesn't Joey just move back to New York and resume his soap opera career? Why not? Because that would have made SENSE, that's why not!

Of all the things that really aggravate me about TV, the one that most frosts my pop tarts is when characters do or say things that make zero sense. Take Joey's nephew. He wants to move in with Uncle Joey and away from Mom. Why? Is life with Mom hell? Does the boy even know Uncle Joey? How is the boy going to pay rent? Wouldn't it make sense to establish some of these details before moving the nephew pell mell into Joey's incredibly lavish flat? And by the way, that is one heck of an apartment. How can Joey afford it?

But the producers clearly thought that none of this would matter. We'll watch Joey because it's the closest thing to Friends. It's the same logic that propelled all the series by the Seinfeld alums into solid ratings hits and . . . uh oh.

Joey: It's Must Miss TV. Be seeing you.

Inside Television appears Wednesdays in CJ Living.

Although I agree with the "cadence" of the article it is wrong on many aspects. Gina is according the story 36. The fact that the actress is younger doesn't mean shi� ehh I mean anything. Lisa Kudrow was in her thirties when she started Friends, while she played a Phoebe in her early twenties...

The article suggest that there's no reason for Michael to move. The pilot clearly states why Michael wants to move and that he has no money to pay rent. So again the writer of the article misses the nail by a mile.

Looks like the writer hates this sitcom and finds reasons to justify that. It should be the other way around.

"Lambik" wrote in message news:[email]...

I agree. Look at the Golden Girls, Bea Arthur is older than Estelle Getty and Estelle Getty was the moither. Age means nothing.

I agree

I agree

I don't know what the "Chronicle-Journal" is, or Hubert O'Hearn is, but his criticisms are essentially meanlingless. He's nitpicking on things like de Matteo's apparent age or why Joey doesn't move back to New York. I mean, c'mon, those are things we can easily overlook. One could make similar observations about Friends and tear it to bits over things that seem illogical. And how, pray tell, would Hubert O'Hearn attempt to explain the success of series like Third Rock From the Sun that had completely illogical premises? Joey is not supposed to be a realistic series about a struggling actor and his relationship with his sister and adult nephew. It's a sitcom; unrealistic situations are inherent in the premise.

For me, the problem with Joey is that you can't take an actor out of an ensemble and expect him to stand on his own. The reason that shows like Frasier and The Lou Grant Show were successful is that they took characters out of ensembles and put them in *new* ensembles. Frasier gained a father, brother, live-in nurse, and producer, all with interesting and unique personalities that played off of the main character beautifully. That kept us interested and involved long after Cheers had faded into memory.

Joey, so far, has a supporting cast that in not particularly engaging. A nephew, sister, and married neighbor, none of whom excite me. Drea de Matteo has loads of talent and isn't being allowed to utilize it, instead being forced to play the tired cliche of the overprotective mother. Ugh.

The other major problem I see is impetus, something that draws us back week after week. In the first episode of Friends, we got to see hints of Ross and Rachel as a couple, something that made us interested to see more. We quickly saw new interesting plotlines, like Ross's ex-wife being pregnant. Things that were recurring themes that made us want to see the outcome. So far, I see absolutely none of that in Joey. Nothing that makes me curious about what's going to happen next week.

It's not too late to turn things around. Many shows start off slow and then pick up speed - Cheers was a famous example of this. If the writers can find time to develop a solid setting for LeBlanc and allow him and his supporting cast to grow into it, then the show will have potential. As it is, I find it a major disappointment so far and don't expect it to last past the first season. We'll see.

-Richard

I agree with everything you said.

The Chronicle Journal is a newspaper and Hubert O'Hearn is the TV reviewer

"Richard Lawson" wrote in message news:[email]...

"Dan Sgambelluri" wrote in message news:...

ROFLMAO. This is the one thing that I really agreed with in this article. Jennifer Coolidge IS a reptile! LMAO. A reptile that can't act, at least in Joey. (She was okay in Legally Blonde 1) I'm no oil painting myself, but I can't help laughing at the metaphor. LOL As for the other points, I agree with the other replies. And I like de Matteo and the nephew's characters fine. Alex isn't exactly a hottie but maybe she will grow on me. LOL