When Joey was a major flop that set LeBlanc’s career back several years. That is, until he found a new calling, playing himself in the best post-Friends sitcom with a direct link to the show.
The sitcom in question is Friends character in Episodes, he does play a fictionalized version of himself that’s suspiciously similar to Joey Tribbiani. The show is all the better for it, putting right much of what went wrong with Joey during its two lackluster seasons before cancellation in 2006.
Episodes Is The Best Sitcom With A Direct Link To Friends
Cougar Town & The Comeback Are Other Great Candidates, But Ultimately Not As Funny
There have been several sitcoms starring the main cast of Friends over the past two decades, including Lisa Kudrow’s acclaimed two-season show The Comeback, and Courteney Cox’s undeniably funny and moderately successful Cougar Town. But Episodes is ahead of the rest, with its wry, self-deprecating humor and hilarious send-up of the TV industry.
Matt LeBlanc’s narcissistic and uncouth onscreen persona in Episodes is the perfect foil for Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig’s quick-witted British sitcom writers.
David Krane’s decision to cast Matt LeBlanc as himself in a new sitcom may have raised a few eyebrows back in 2011, but it proved to be an inspired move. LeBlanc’s narcissistic and uncouth onscreen persona in Episodes is the perfect foil for Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig’s quick-witted British sitcom writers, who balk at the corporate charade they encounter once they arrive in Hollywood.
In Episodes, Matt LeBlanc Plays A Version Of Himself Similar To Joey
The Fictional Matt LeBlanc He Plays In Episodes Has Many Of Joey’s Worst & Funniest Traits
If Matt LeBlanc’s role in Episodes as a dim-witted, self-serving womanizer who’s overly proud of his acting career sounds familiar, that’s because the actor has simply applied a sophisticated meta twist to his portrayal of Joey Tribbiani in Friends. Joey is more likable than the fictional LeBlanc we see in this sitcom, primarily because he’s a more grounded character, despite his relative success as an actor in the later seasons of Friends.
Friends: 10 Things We've Never Understood About Joey Tribbiani
Joey Tribbiani is one of the most beloved characters in the sitcom Friends. However, some things about him are confusing even for the biggest fans.
Episodes operates on a slightly higher level than Friends does with LeBlanc’s character, however, by playing on the public perception of Hollywood stars as self-absorbed and morally bankrupt. Friends primarily derives humor from Joey Tribbiani by making him the butt of jokes about his lack of intelligence, voracious appetite, or crude objectification of women. While LeBlanc plays himself in a similar vein in Episodes, there’s a little more nuance to the portrayal of his character.
What Went Wrong With Matt LeBlanc's Official Friends Spinoff
Joey Took Away The Most Likable Aspect Of His Friends Character
In a certain sense, it feels as though Joey failed at trying to do what Episodes later achieved by spinning a self-aware Matt LeBlanc sitcom set in Los Angeles off Friends. The official Friends spinoff is even namechecked in Episodes, when LeBlanc wryly observes that research had suggested Joey would be a hit. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t, because the character of Joey Tribbiani just didn’t work as a successful Hollywood movie star.
1 Forgotten Joey Detail In Friends Completely Changes His Story After The Show
Joey had a different ending from that of the rest of the group in Friends, but one forgotten detail in the main series completely changes it.
Keeping Joey grounded as a small-time actor who still barely covers his rent in a small New York apartment was what made him so appealing as a character in Friends. By removing the most relatable aspect of his character, Joey set itself up for failure. The key to the success of LeBlanc’s character in Episodes is precisely that he’s not supposed to be relatable.
He’s an out-of-touch A-lister living in his Hollywood bubble, despite having many of the same characteristics that made Joey such a hilarious comedy character at his best. Episodes might not be a patch on Friends in the grand scheme of things, but at least it knows just what to do with its biggest star. Joey, on the other hand, arguably did more harm than good to Joey Tribbiani and the actor playing him.
Episodes (2011-2017) Key Facts |
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Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score |
80% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
90% |
Seasons |
5 |
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Episodes is a comedy series that follows British TV writers Sean and Beverly Lincoln as they move to Hollywood to adapt their successful show for American audiences. Their lives are thrown into disarray when the lead role is recast with Matt LeBlanc, who plays a satirical version of himself. The series explores the challenges and absurdities of the entertainment industry. Starring Matt LeBlanc, Tamsin Greig, and Stephen Mangan.
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Friends is the popular sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, released back in 1994 and ran for ten seasons. The show follows a group of six twentysomethings through their lives in New York City and their time spent between their two apartments and their local coffee shop. The show features the group navigating tricky relationships with one another and comical misadventures.
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Joey is a spin-off of the hit sitcom Friends, which followed Matt LeBlanc's beloved character, Joey Tribbiani, as he navigated the next stage of his life. In the series, Joey moved to Hollywood to pursue his acting career. Joey aired for two seasons from 2004-2006.
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