Joey's 4m friends
Spin-off is ratings hit
Friends spin-off Joey has proved a ratings smash for Five.
Matt Le Blanc's sitcom attracted 4.1 million viewers to the channel, its best ever audience outside films and football.
The show cost the broadcaster a record £450,000 an episode, as the cornerstone of its drive to become known as a home of comedy.
But it seems to be money well spent, as unofficial overnight ratings say the double bill to launch the series on Sunday night was watched by 16 per cent of the available audience.
Even though the show has not been warmly received by critics, it proved most popular with 18 to 34-year-olds – attracting more than a third of that audience.Published: 14 Feb 2005
