10 TV Shows Too Big To Fail (That Did It Anyway)

4. Joey

Why It Was 'Too Big'

Friends was one of the most popular sitcoms of its generation, and the biggest on TV at the time of its conclusion. While the finale wrapped things up neatly and went out on a high note, there was still a legion of fans not quite ready to say goodbye to their Friends. And that's a breach Joey aimed to fill.

Matt LeBlanc reprised his role, taking Joey from New York to Los Angeles in search of his big break. Given the popularity of Friends as a show and Joey as a character, along with how successful another spin-off of a similar beloved NBC comedy had been with Frasier, this should've been a success on a similar level. NBC certainly thought so, with the show launching just a few months after Friends ended, given the same time slot and a big promotional push.

Why It Failed Anyway

No one told us Joey was gonna be this way. The show had no jokes, felt broke; the love? It was DOA. It's like it was always stuck in second gear, and it shouldn't have lasted a day, nevermind a week, month, or even a year.

In the end, no one was there for Joey. The premiere episode may have shown just how many people were interested, but without the other five Friends the character just didn't work. It took Joey to really hammer home just how much the strength of the show was in the six of them, and that they were far stronger together than apart.

The show did get a second season, but, with a further decline in quality, goodwill dissipating, and a change of time slots, the ratings plummeted to a series low of just 4.1million, and NBC put it on hiatus before cancelling it altogether.