Customer Reviews

Joey - The Complete First Season

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Despite the average ratings produced by the sitcom, "Joey" is a a surprisingly funny show. Matt LeBlanc is great in his reprisal role of Hollywood wanna-be Joey Tribbiani, and if you take the show on its own merits you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Don't make the mistake of comparing this show to the original "Friends" because it just doesn't stack up, and that kind of comparison is just unfair. The supporting cast doesn't measure up, and this show is about Joey, not an ensemble of six. However, if you're looking for a few cheap laughs or if Joey has always been your favorite "Friend" than be sure to pick up a copy of this show as soon as it hits the shelves. I know I will.

Oh and by the way, "How you doin?"

It is next to impossible not to compare Joey to Friends, and as far as I'm concerned there is nothing wrong with that.
To start with, the first episode of Joey produces unsettling feelings; if you are a fan of Friends you really want to like it, but you can't and you're left... well... feeling numb.
This is a one-man show with 2-3 supporting characters vs the 6 main characters of the original series.
That can become a bit of a problem when you are used to having six great actors depicting six great characters vs having only one who gets relegated to being just "good" because the others are dragging him down. The two (his sister and nephew) are not that likable. His neighbor and his agent seem out of place. As for the minor roles cast, they are very weak indeed.
Simply put, the show (in the beginning) is not so funny (the humor is indeed poor), and what is worse is that Joey, the character, is too weak; he is down on his luck, he is not confident, and he does not even seem to be dating (!), among other things (you get the picture...).
Too make matters worse, during this time of difficulty (both for the show being new and for the character being bummed out), there is no mention of anyone from Friends! How come he doesn't mention their names? How come he doesn't talk on the phone with them??? (Especially with Chandler for crying out loud!)

And then, around the eighth episode or so, there is the major turnaround! AMAZING TRANSFORMATION!!! Something kicks into gear and everything falls into place. The humor, the dialogues, the acting, the stories, the chemistry, it's all there! It's as if the addiction we had with Friends had never left! You want more and more and more!

There are a few guest appearances, Christina Ricci and Lucy Liu most notably, but some of the old characters should definitely make guest appearances. It would be incomprehensibly bordering on ludicrous if they all do not eventually appear.

In conclusion, Joey is "an acquired taste" and it needs some getting used to; the new theme song, the new setting, and the new characters. It is well worth it though, and in the end you will not be disappointed. BRING ON THE NEXT SEASON!

I'm gonna miss Joey. It was a good try, but, ultimately, it wasn't given enough time on air to come out from under the shadow of Friends and become its own entity. Shame on the NBC network. Shows like Joey need time to ferment and to grow on the viewers. I thought that by halfway thru Season One and for most of Season Two the cast and the storylines were on point. Joey was never gonna be another phenom hit like Friends, but it was on its way to becoming a solid comedy sitcom. And the uncatchy theme song, by the way, did not help.

Joey: The Complete First Season tells of Joey Tribbiani's adventures in L.A. as he tries to get serious with his acting career. As he attempts to transition from a New York lifestyle to a more laidback City of Angels existence, he meets up with his transplanted family and new support group: sister Gina, nephew Michael, and also cute neighbor/lawyer/apartment complex super Alex.

You could tell the cast was new to each other, as the first episodes were unveiled; the actors weren't seemingly on the same page, the chemistry not there initially. The first episodes were awkward and stilted, with mostly LeBlanc holding down the fort. The show didn't begin to truly take on personality until the episode "Joey and the Big Audition," which set the stage for Joey signing on for the nighttime TV drama Deep Powder. The show took off from there. Other neat episodes were "Joey and the Taste Test" (Alex and Gina in The Lasagna War! and Lauren's "When you knock, I have to knock."), "Joey and the Premiere" (where Alex is unknowingly set up with a lesbian and Michael has to choose between a girl and Star Trek's Data), "Joey and the Assistant" (if nothing else, for the hilarious personal assistant robot-dance-off at the end), "Joey and the Valentine's Date" (where the age of Joey's date steadily climbs as the episode progresses), "Joey and the Fancy Sister" (where Christina Ricci plays Joey's spoiled kid sister and assumes Alex is the maid), and the season finale episode "Joey and the Moving In."

Even episodes which I didn't think were of high quality still contained little moments of Joey fun in 'em. I remember Joey tying a memory string on his wrist but still forgetting to return a rental car, from which he ultimately accrued $1200 in parking tickets; Joey finally, successfully performs a Shakespearean monologue on stage, only to discover that the play was a cowboy musical; Joey getting Christmas elves confused with gypsies...

After more than a decade, Matt LeBlanc knows his character Joey (or "J-Bird" as he dubs himself in one episode) in and out. Joey Tribbiani comes into his own series with the same endearingly comedic qualities which made him so beloved by the fans: his dazed and befuddled double-takes, his half-wit but oh-so-hilarious exploits and comments, and his born-to-lose-as-an-actor aura. His heart, loyalty, and sense of doing the right thing are still very much present, although, as ever, there's an APB out on his brain.

Paulo Costanzo, I thought, was pretty funny as the skinny, cerebral, nerdy Michael. The delivery of his one-liners was timely, while his painfully uncomfortable encounters with the opposite sex made for some good comedy. Meanwhile, Drea De Matteo is pretty hot stuff, but talk about overkilling the stereotype! Her Gina was the quintessential New York Italian girl - brash, cocky, and just a tad sleazy. Still, Gina had several moments in which she made me root for her. Andrea Anders as the pretty, ditzy, repressed, but lovable Alex was a plus, and one wonders how her relationship with Joey would have evolved. I was kinda rooting for those two as a couple. Jennifer Coolidge, who was so good in the Friends' episode "The One with Ross's Tan," and who, in this series, played Joey's quirky, over-the-top agent Bobbi, was a bit too much to take in as a semi-regular cast member. But a welcome recurring character was Joey's strange, lonely, boot-licking neighbor Howard (Ben Falcone), who badly wants to be Joey's pal.

Guest stars of varying effectiveness were: OCD-laden series producer Lauren Beck (nicely played by Lucy Lui), Kelly Preston, Bob Saget, Brent Spiner (as himself), Jay Leno, Christina Ricci, Madchen Amick, and Carmen Electra (as herself).

What really sucks about this dvd set was that there aren't any special features. Not one. No episode commentary, no featurettes, nothing. How incredibly sad is that? Warner Brothers, what are you doing? Ironically enough, the only extra feature is on the 4th disc and is a promo for the Friends dvd collection.

So, for various reasons, three and a half stars for Joey. Here's hoping the show has a long, healthy dvd life. Now, I'm waiting for some kind of Friends reunion TV special (maybe guest-starring the cast of Joey?). Couldn't hurt to dream, could it?

Before I begin my review, I will start this with an inquiry or a discovery.
According to the technical data, this Compilation of 'Joey - Season 1' is presented in an Aspect Ratio of "(1.33:1) or (4:3)". That can't be right, can it? The British Version, of "Joey - Season 1" was presented it it's original 1.78:1 Widescreen Ratio. Well, I don't know, if that's just a typo. Now to the material. About 1 year after the British release, 'Joey - Season 1' is now also available in the United States. Some people may have thought, that WB would use this time to spruce this puppy up a little. Sadly, though, it comes in the same pitiful layout, as the British Version did. They changed from the High Quality packaging that the 'Friends' Seasons came in and just put 4 Discs in Slim Cases. Without any extras whatsoever.

Now to the Show:
After a few episodes, in which it takes a bit getting used to, having only 1 of the 6 Friends Characters left. It really turns out to be a pretty good show and I still don't understand how NBC could cancel it. The humor is great. There are a bunch of very interesting supporting players. Well, I can't go on here and describe every episode to you, but if you liked 'Friends' and if you liked the Character of "Joey" you sure can't go wrong with buying this disc-set.

They have a lot of the exec. producers of Friends on 'Joey' too, a lot of the writing staff. If you haven't already, check it out. It's really a great show. Some episodes are even better, than some of the 'Friends' episodes were.

In conclusion: If you like light comedy and if you like "Joey" you can't go wrong here.

Yes, "Joey" was a victim; a victim of impossible expectations and the annoying lack of patience commonly shown by the networks these days. I never expected it to be the juggernaut "Friends" was & I figured it would take a little while for the writers & cast to find their voices and the tone of the show. I think they were just hitting their stride when the network pulled the plug. A cast w/ great comic timing, their own set of foibles and a brand new setting in which Joey could "find" himself. Switching coasts would've been a comic gold mine for future episodes - Joey was always limited in NYC and this opened up a whole new world for his cluelessness. I especially enjoyed his interactions w/ his agent & his nephew;laugh-out-loud funny stuff! Also, Adam Goldberg's appearance as Gina's ex (and possibly Michael's dad) was hilarious! I was really starting to enjoy the Tribiani (pre-"Friends") history which came out since the siblings were together. This spinoff situation worked with "Frasier" and I'm VERY disappointed it wasn't given more time to develop. "Cheers" and "Seinfeld" weren't hits right out of the box either but nowadays, if the irrelevent Nielsen numbers aren't there immediately, the axe falls. What a shame for the great cast and the writers who could've made this a solidly funny sitcom had they been given more time. Believe it or not, NBC, I looked forward to "Joey" and will mourn its premature demise - I hope someday you'll realize what you threw away.

First off, I never thought this show would be like Friends. I didn't get really excited about it untill I heard that Drea De Matteo would be playing his sister. The rest of the cast works great together also. Andrea Anders is brilliant as the addorable neighbor. Paulo Costanzo brings a little bit of "Ross" to the show. All though you don't see him in season 1, I love the addition of Miguel Nunez to the cast. He makes a hilarious new pal for Joey. I think if people try not to compare it to Friends so much, they'll like it better.
I wasn't expecting Frasier to be like Cheers and I don't think Joey is supposed to be the same as Friends.

I can't believe NBC dumped this great funny show!
NBC get your heads out of your asses! you should have
givin this show a little time to 'get legs' and grow.
Idiots!
anyway, this show so funny! watch it you'll be glad you did!

I absolutely love this show. I am a huge friends fanatic and even though Joey's character isn't the same this show cracks me up. Def. second best to Friends.

I bought this as a blind buy. Well honestly I watched a couple of episodes but with my work schedule found it hard to watch it regularly but I loved friends and figured, "what do I have to loose?" I think I watched 3 episodes on tv when it was on.

Well let me tell you this show is hysterical. I can't believe that NBC dropped it and didn't give it a fair shake. From what I remember the ratings where there, they just weren't "Friends" ratings thus NBC did what they always do with good tv and dumped it quick.

Anyway, you won't be disappointed in this purchase at all. It stands on its own and is probably one of the funniest sitcoms I've seen in a while.

Joey Tribbiani has left his friends behind to move to Hollywood in pursuit of his acting career. He moves into an apartment with his nephew Michael and his sister Gina is never too far away. The series takes us through Joey trying to enhance his career, to enhance his nephews love life and to simply be able to handle his sisters sexual adventures.

This being the character of Joey and introducing other members of the Tribbiani family, I have to be honest and say I knew this wouldn't fail. The script is just as quick and slapstick as the original series, and we are subject to the typical charm that we came to love Joey for in the Friends series.

Drea Matteo is something special in this series and she is the general female depiction of Joey. She's slow, she's clumsy, she likes sex but she has a good heart. This is a really endearing character and is someone that I believe that if Joey was given a third or a fourth season the character of Gina would have been worthy of a spin off herself.

This is something special and in some episodes I would honestly say it surpasses Friends. If you're a fan of Friends and have your doubts about a Joey spin-off, I promise you wont be disappointed.