Hey! They were the stars of the show, AFAIC, so step off.
I wanted to like it, too. I liked his other show, the name of which escapes me at the moment, but this one just ain’t it. I expect “guest stars” by mid season to try and jump-start declining ratings, and a “hiatus” at the end of the first season.
I went into it without any expectations, good or bad. I just thought I’d give it a chance to see what people where raving about, or ranting about. My impression of the pilot was that it was all too familiar. I’d rather not see another ten years of Joey as the same stock character he once was. Of course, it’s just the pilot, so I’ll give it a couple more shows, but I really don’t want to see and hear all the funny gags that are so painfully obvious that it’s coming up.
It depends. I think most grad students would have enough money for apartments, especially if they took out the loans. I’m a grad student, and I don’t think many would call me ‘penniless’.
Right there, you said “It depends” and “most”. So obviously this kid doesn’t fall in either group, as described in the TV Show.
We could sit here all day waxing factual errors in sitcoms, but it’d be a waste of time as the very premise of every one of these shows depends upon suspension of disbelief. So long as the show isn’t striving for 100% accuracy, there’s no need to stress the minor implausibilities, especially with a show starring Joey, one of the most unrealistic personas portrayed in a sitcom.
Oh, and I wasn’t responding specifically to you ISiddiqui, as it may seem (it came across a bit more frank than I expected). I understand you were simply letting Cheese Monster know that there are grad students with cash.
I thought the pilot was just average. I give it a little benefit of the doubt because during the first episode there’re establishing characters, location, etc.
I think the success of the show will depend a lot on which direction the writers take it. If they make the show mostly about Joey’s career and the adventures and mis-adventures he has at auditions, rehearsals, on TV, on the stage, and stuff like that, the show could be hilarious. And it will make us viewers always curious about what’s going to happen next to Joey. But if they make it mostly about relationships and who everybody is dating, then it’ll just be the same sit-com rhythm we’ve seen a hundred times, and the show will tank.
Was there at least one “How you doin’?”
Yep. 
Joey would never ever use the word “Defecate.”
That was just wrong.
When did he say that?
When talking about why his show was cancelled. They went for a poop joke that was just way out of character.
I did like the opening joke in the taxi.
Ah, I somehow missed it. Seems it would be out of character.
Join the club. I have digital cable and taped it and the same thing happened, the hot neighbor woman said she was married and mid-sentence, the tape ended…geez I hate that.
I think fans of Friends (like myself) will like it. There certainly is no lack of situations for him to get into in LA. And ex-Sopranos sister is perfect casting. I can believe they are from the same pod.
Well there is if it takes you totally out of the show ;). It just felt off to me and tainted a little bit of the show because of that. YMMV, though.
I thought it seemed pretty true to the Joey* character but at least with Friends you only got small doses of Joey, it’s possible that too much Joey may get annoying rather quickly.
*except for him using the word “defecate”. That really seemed out of character.
I’m a massive Friends fanatic (there’s a marathon starting on TBS soon!) and it was just so-so. I liked all the new characters but they seemed too focused on joke->punchline->joke->punchline which of course they should be but they neglected everything else. The sets seemed way too sterile. I know Joey hasnt’ settled in yet but there was no warmth. The whole sister and nephew problem was such a non-problem that of course the climax was lame. There was a noticable lack of joey’s sweet goofiness a la sticking his head up a turkey. I know that can’t carry a whole show but they need to hold on to that cause that is the centre of his appeal imo.
Anyhoo, I will give it a few more episodes to let them find their sea legs before passing final judgement.