Unaired Episodes of Friends Spinoff Released

Good news for fans of Joey Tribbiani of Friends fame: The eight unaired episodes of the spinoff sitcom Joey have finally seen the light, nearly two decades after NBC pulled the plug on the series, Variety reports. The episodes, shelved after the show's 2006 cancellation during its second season, are now streaming on the Friends YouTube channel, completing the 46-episode run of the Friends spinoff. It's not clear why the entire series has been made available, but NBC News reports that fans were expressing gratitude for the move on social media.

The series starred Matt LeBlanc as the beloved goofball, with Drea de Matteo, Paulo Costanzo, Jennifer Coolidge, and Andrea Anders rounding out the cast. The storyline follows Joey as he heads to Hollywood to chase acting glory, reconnecting with his high-strung sister and his brainy nephew along the way. Despite a blockbuster debut, with 18.6 million tuning in for episode No. 1, the show's momentum fizzled. Kevin S. Bright, executive producer and director of Friends, once complained that LeBlanc's character morphed from lovable womanizer into a "pathetic, mopey character."