Joey Gets It Right! (The Plan Was To Make An Unfunny Sitcom, Yes?)

Miscellaneous TV

By B-Side | Friday, September 10, 2004 | 12:13 am | 9 Comments

joeyTo all the Hollywood writers who complain about the increasing presence of reality programming on network television, I say screw you. What do you expect? It seems as though in every Variety or Entertainment Weekly article you complain that classless reality shows are taking over, and yet what do you do in retaliation? You offer up mindless dreck like Joey, the unnecessary and completely laugh-free spin-off from Friends. Is it any surprise that we opt for the natural comedy of Julie Chen on Big Brother or Mose on Amish in the City?

Yes, tonight was the much heralded premiere of Joey, a show which many critics had warmly praised all summer long. This once again proves that the television critics in this country have gone soft. I suppose it’s not their fault totally. Sitcom quality has slowly declined over the past ten years, and for every Seinfeld that shone brightly, there was a Yes, Dear, a Drew Carey Show, a Still Standing, or a George Lopez Show that quietly sat down on the toilet of pop culture and took one long poop. The critics have been worn down by the mediocrity, and now if a show is merely inoffensive or charming, it’s considered funny. That’s the only explanation I can give for why Joey received such favorable advance notices. So just because Marc Berman at Mediaweek might think highly of the show, let me tell you something, people. It sucks.Joey is just further proof that under the aegis of Jeff Zucker, NBC has completely lost its title as the home for hip, urbane, and funny comedy. This was a network that since the eighties churned out hit after hit – and not just in succession. There would be funny shows on two or three times a night, multiple nights a week. Under Brendan Tartikoff and then Warren Littlefield, NBC’s development machine linked up great ideas with smart writers, leading to classics such as The Cosby Show, Cheers, Family Ties, Alf (okay, skip that one), Seinfeld, Golden Girls, Night Court, Diff’rent Strokes, Facts of Life, Frasier, and Friends (although, I really don’t like Friends). In the past four years, Zucker has presented us with… Coupling?

Watching Joey is a reminder of just how far this network has fallen. Yes, even in its glory days, NBC – like any network – had its misses, but when Joey represents the best of the freshmen class, it’s just sad.

As for the show itself, the only bright spots seem to be Drea De Matteo and Jennifer Coolidge – who can make almost anything funny, or sort of funny at least. Matt Le Blanc as Joey is unable to carry the weight of this show. I’ve always felt like he overacts, and with the Joey character front and center, it’s glaringly apparent. There have been worse shows, no doubt. I used to work on a little doozy of a sitcom which shall go unnamed, but let’s just say I’ve had way more Dyan Cannon in my life than I ever wanted. Nevertheless, Joey had a decent moment with a talk show audition that went wrong, but the payoff was predictable and the comedy didn’t build to anything. As for the rest of the jokes, they were just flat.

I suppose there will be Joey defenders out there, which is fine. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions. But if you’re looking for real comedy, watch Reno 911!, Chappelle’s Show, or any single camera Fox show that looks like Middle America might scratch their head at (that disqualifies Oliver Beane).

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9 Comments

  1. 1
    Jason
    Posted September 10, 2004 at 12:41 am

    I haven’t watched Friends for the last 2 years but I was curious so I tivo’d Joey tonight and watched it after my long nap.

    The jokes don’t hit. I didn’t even really find Jennifer Coolidge as all that funny.

    The unable to get the right camera bit was amusing and there were a couple good lines/sight gags but overall…I don’t care.

    And it’s Los Angeles! Now, with fewer minorities!

    Meh.

  2. 2
    b-side
    Posted September 10, 2004 at 12:48 am

    I completely agree with you Jason. The jokes just don’t hit. Sometimes I wonder if it’s because of the writing or because of the performances.

    Plus Joey’s character seemed a bit all over the map. He’d be an idiot one moment and then thoughtful and witty another. Overall, it felt like a first draft.

  3. 3
    Crystal
    Posted September 10, 2004 at 6:17 am

    Although I was not a fan of Friends for the past few years, I thought Joey was hilarious! Sure, there are still some dumb typical Joey moves that get old, but for the most part, I was laughing.

    I hope there are some other Joey fans out there – otherwise Joey will get canceled–just like all the other shows I like…Good Girls Don’t anyone???

  4. 4
    Genevieve
    Posted September 10, 2004 at 7:15 am

    “Matt Le Blanc as Joey is unable to carry the weight of this show. I’ve always felt like he overacts, and with the Joey character front and center, it’s glaringly apparent.”

    Totally agreeing with you on this one. I mean, he does dumb pretty good, but who wants to watch a whole show of dumb?

  5. 5
    jash
    Posted September 10, 2004 at 7:27 am

    major suckage going on here.

    i was forced to go between BB5 and Joey here in NYC. luckily i set tivo for bb5 and went to m-ruvs for joey. boy what a WASTE of time that was.

    the only thing great about Joey is when it ended, i was able to capture the icy stare of caroline on the apprentice!

  6. 6
    Julie
    Posted September 10, 2004 at 8:53 am

    I completely agree with you that “Joey” was awful, and I’ve never been a fan of “Friends.”

    However, you completely skipped over one of the best new comedies of our time from NBC that has gone highly undetected and hasn’t been given the credit it deserves: “Scrubs.”

    If NBC could get its act together and keep this amazing show in one decent time-slot, maybe they could finally get Scrubs the following it deserves.

  7. 7
    b-side
    Posted September 10, 2004 at 9:51 am

    Yes, Scrubs is literally the only good show that’s aired on NBC since Zucker took over. I was going to mention it, but dammit, it would have diluted my argument!

  8. 8
    Jenn
    Posted September 10, 2004 at 5:26 pm

    I agree that Joey was really bad, but most shows are pretty bad during the first few episodes. Even Friends blew goats when it first started. I think the first few episodes will be all about character introduction and then hopefully Joey will lay down the laughs.

  9. 9
    bobby
    Posted September 12, 2004 at 7:54 pm

    Are you people f’d in the head? This show was really funny. Way better than most pilot episodes (including friends AND seinfeld pilots). The jokes hit big time (especially the romeo bit). If you don’t think this will be a big hit, you better not be a gambler. If frasier can last, this will.

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