Christmas has come early for Friends fans.
The beloved sitcom’s official Instagram account has announced that eight previously unaired episodes of the spin-off Joey have been released, 20 years after the series was canceled.
“East or west coast, Joey is still, well, Joey. Did you know that the final eight episodes of #Joey Season 2 never aired in the U.S.?” the announcement read.
“Now, 21 years later, catch the remaining episodes exclusively on the #FRIENDS YouTube channel!”
The spin-off, which focused on the naive and lovable member of the iconic group, premiered on NBC in 2004—the same year Friends ended after 10 successful seasons.
New episodes of Friends spin-off Joey have been released
It followed Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc, as he moved to Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.
However, the spin-off was canceled after just two seasons in 2006 due to low ratings. In addition to LeBlanc, Joey featured Andrea Anders, Paulo Costanzo, Jennifer Coolidge, and Drea de Matteo.
In Los Angeles, Joey reunites with his sister, Gina, and his nephew, Michael. Naturally, he develops a romantic interest in his landlady Alexis, though, true to his Friends character, he has many girlfriends throughout the show.
Image credits: Friends
The reason the series failed to captivate audiences remains a mystery. Friends showrunner Kevin S. Bright said he felt the character was moving “in the wrong direction,” but NBC executives, the studio, and other producers didn’t listen.
Meanwhile, others argued that the spin-off came too quickly—just four months after Friends ended—and didn’t give audiences enough time to miss the character. Another group believed that Joey was the wrong character to pick to lead a spin-off.
In the spin-off, Joey moves to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career
Image credits: Friends
The exciting news follows LeBlanc and his daughter Marina making a rare public appearance in California on October 16.
The sighting comes in the wake of the two attending Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour stopover in the Golden State two months earlier.
LeBlanc has been observed keeping a low profile after Joey was cancelled. At that point, Marina was only two years old and suffering from an illness that caused her seizures.
The actor decided to turn the sudden gap in his schedule into a five-year hiatus, to care for his ailing daughter.
Matt LeBlanc became world-famous for playing the dimwitted yet lovable Joey throughout the ten seasons of Friends
Image credits: Friends/Crave
Paparazzi snaps showed the star, 58, and his red-haired offspring walking side by side.
LeBlanc, a far cry from his Joey Tribbiani character, looked grizzled yet comfortable in his baseball hat, long-sleeve Ducati–branded shirt, and faded jeans, as he traipsed across a parking lot.
His daughter favored white for the day and could be seen with her phone in hand, her red hair loose, in a strappy top, jeans, and heeled boots.
According to Page Six, the two were seen entering a building with LeBlanc holding the door open for Marina.
The private actor recently made a rare public appearance with his daughter
Image credits: mleblanc
Perhaps due to the rare sightings, LeBlanc was unrecognizable to many.
“I had to look a dozen times to be sure that wasn’t Joe Rogan,” wrote one person.
“Thank God I’m not the only one,” echoed another.
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The internet had words for Marina, too.
“That is absolutely the woman version of Matt Leblanc. Can’t be a single gene from mom flowin’ in there because she looks identical to Daddyo,” wrote one netizen.
The last time they were seen out was when they took a photo with Shakira backstage in California
Image credits: mleblanc
The two documented their previous outing themselves.
A photo of Marina and her father showed them standing arm in arm with Colombian singer Shakira backstage at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
LeBlanc donned a satin black short-sleeved shirt and jeans. His daughter put more effort into her appearance for the event and sported leather shorts with a strappy sequined top.
Notably, unlike the scowls and surprised looks captured by the paparazzi recently, Marina could be seen beaming at the cameras on October 4.
LeBlanc says he was burned out for years after Marina grew out of her illness
Image credits: BACKGRID/VidaPress
Marina is the reason for LeBlanc’s long break from acting. At 11 months old, she was diagnosed with cortical dysplasia, a condition in which the brain’s cortex develops abnormally and results in seizures.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror a decade after Joey, he said: “My daughter was diagnosed with a problem with her head. It was a very dark period.”
Marina would grow out of the illness, but LeBlanc claimed that his exhaustion was ongoing.
“For years and years, I barely left the house. I was burnt out,” he said.
LeBlanc and Melissa McKnight separated in 2006 when Marina was roughly two years old
Image credits: Gregg DeGuire/Getty
“Most actors call their agents and say, ‘What’s going on?’ I’d call mine and say, ‘Please lose my number for a few years.’” LeBlanc recalled.
Marina was born on February 8, 2004, a few months before the final episode of Friends went live.
LeBlanc shares her with actress Melissa McKnight, who is known for her role in the 2001 mockumentary Triangles and Tribulations.
Image credits: Friends/Crave
The two got engaged in 1998 and were married by 2003. The marriage lasted 3 years, and in 2006, like Friends, it ended.
McKnight, who has two children from her previous marriage, and LeBlanc settled into a co-parenting arrangement.
Image credits: mleblanc
LeBlanc has no regrets. In fact, he seems to appreciate the change of pace the birth of his daughter ushered in.
Speaking to the UK’s Sunday Times in 2005, he said: “My favorite thing is not to work. I like to be with my family or my friends, to ride my bike. I do my thing, go home and live my life.
“Maybe having a daughter, maybe that’s what it was, but life’s too short to be stressing out about your career. I don’t care as much as I used to,” he concluded.
Fans said Marina is the spitting image of her father
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