Critic of 'Joey' by Dusty Saunders

FINAL CHANCE: NBC's Joey is similar to a disappointing NFL first- round
draft choice.
The barrage of favorable press clippings before he took the
field was there but the series hasn't produced quality episodes since premiering
in the fall of 2004.
A spinoff of the network's popular, money-making
Friends, Joey (Matt LeBlanc), was put into the Friends 7 p.m. Thursday time
period - the leading position for NBC's "must- see" lineup.
Despite a mediocre freshman season in quality, reviews and audience ratings, NBC brought Joey back last fall.
Same negative results.
So the series was yanked at the end of the year.
Joey gets one more chance to live up to its hype.
Beginning March 7, Joey shows up at 7 p.m. Tuesday with original episodes,
airing through the spring, followed at 7:30 p.m. by a string of repeats.
There's an outside chance Joey could return for a third season in the fall
if it performs well in the ratings. How likely is that?
Joey's main opposition is Fox's American Idol.