Friends Spin-Off Finally Drops 8 Long-Lost Episodes After 20 Years
After two decades in limbo, the final eight unaired episodes of Friends spin-off Joey are finally set to stream in the U.S., ending years of restricted access amid a surge of nostalgia-fueled demand.
Well, this is a surprise blast from the early-2000s TV vault: after sitting in limbo for nearly two decades, Joey just dropped its missing Season 2 episodes online in the U.S., officially finishing the show for American viewers for the first time. It is a small, nerdy milestone for the Friends universe and a win for anyone who has chased region-locked DVDs or grainy uploads for years.
So, what actually dropped
The official Friends YouTube channel released the final eight episodes of Joey this week. These installments were completed back in the day but never aired on NBC in the U.S. Now they are finally streaming here, free to watch, in full, on the channel.
How we got here
Joey premiered on Thursday, September 9, 2004 and came out of the gate hot with 18.6 million viewers. Matt LeBlanc brought Joey Tribbiani from New York to Los Angeles to keep chasing acting work. NBC renewed it for Season 2, then shifted it to Tuesdays against American Idol, which kneecapped the ratings. The network canceled the show in May 2006 and pulled it from the schedule before airing eight finished Season 2 episodes in the U.S.
Those orphaned episodes did air overseas in places like Ireland and Brazil, and a few regions got DVD releases. Stateside viewers? No such luck. That’s the gap this YouTube drop finally closes.
The plan, and the payoff
The Friends channel announced a rollout for March 2025: two Joey episodes every Tuesday. They stuck to it, and this week’s upload completes the set with the last eight. The channel also confirmed the content is free to watch, no paywall, no rental.
What’s in these episodes
The newly available entries include titles like 'Joey and the Dad', 'Joey and the Party for Alex', 'Joey and the Big Move', 'Joey and the Beard', and 'Joey and the Wedding', plus three more from Season 2 that never aired in the U.S. All eight are now up in full.
Worth noting for continuity hounds: none of the core Friends characters cameo in Joey. Jennifer Coolidge appears throughout as Joey’s agent Bobby (yes, she also played a different role in Friends Season 10). Adam Goldberg shows up as Jimmy, Michael’s estranged father. And Robert Costanzo is the lone actor reprising his original Friends role, returning as Joey Tribbiani Sr.
- Where to watch: The Friends YouTube channel — streaming now, free.
- What dropped: The eight completed but unaired-in-the-U.S. Season 2 episodes of Joey, now uploaded in full.
- Why they were missing: NBC canceled Joey in May 2006 after a ratings slide and pulled it before airing those episodes domestically.
- International oddity: Ireland and Brazil aired the missing episodes years ago; a handful of regions also got DVDs.
- Original run snapshot: Series premiered 9/9/2004 with 18.6 million viewers; Season 2 moved to Tuesdays opposite American Idol, which hurt viewership.
- Main cast: Matt LeBlanc (Joey), Drea de Matteo (Gina), Andrea Anders (Alex), Paulo Costanzo (Michael), Jennifer Coolidge (Bobby).
- Familiar faces: Robert Costanzo returns as Joey Tribbiani Sr.; Adam Goldberg plays Jimmy; no appearances by the principal Friends six.
- Episode samples: 'Joey and the Dad', 'Joey and the Party for Alex', 'Joey and the Big Move', 'Joey and the Beard', 'Joey and the Wedding'.
Bottom line
If you ever wanted to see how Joey actually wrapped on TV, this is the cleanest, most official way to do it — no imports, no hunting, just hit play. The set is finally complete in the U.S., almost 20 years after NBC shelved it.