English Entertainment
‘Joey’s’ solo run minus ‘Friends’ shows promise
MUMBAI: So how’s Joey doing? If the numbers from Nielsen media research are any indication, then not bad, not bad at all.
Joey- a spinoff of Friends – which debuted on NBC last Thursday, was seen by an estimated 18.6 million audiences. Although the numbers are lower than any original episode of Matt LeBlanc’s old series drew last season, but initial figures indicate that the spinoff would help consolidate the network’s Thursday’s night lineup.
Besides meriting glowing reviews from critics, Joey is reported to have gathered the largest audience among the advertiser-friendly 18-to-49-year-old age group of any other entertainment show since May. The show also fared particularly well with female viewers with a 9.3 rating, reports inform. In addition to that, the media reports tout it as the best-rated 8 pm comedy premiere for NBC in 14 years.
The new sitcom Joey sees Matt LeBlanc carry on the role of the lovable but dimwitted Joey Tribbiani, after Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, Rachel and Ross left to get married and bring up babies.
The show follows LeBlanc as struggling actor Joey Tribbiani, who moved from New York to Los Angeles to try and make it as a Hollywood star. Even before the opening credits appear, Joey is seen getting on the wrong flight to Dallas.
The show also stars Drea de Matteo as Joey’s sister, Gina, who is best known for her role in the gangster drama The Sopranos and Roadtrip actor Paul Costanzo as de Matteo’s son Michael.
While there is a buzz that some of the Friends cast, including Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer, have agreed to make special guest appearances on Joey, Schwimmer is also working as a director on the series.
The show’s producers hope they can repeat the success of Frasier, which took barfly psychiatrist Dr Frasier Crane from hit series,Cheers, and transplanted him from Boston to Seattle to create one of the most popular TV characters of all time. But word of caution would be the experience of the stars of Seinfeld , including Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus who flopped in a succession of failed comedies dubbed The Curse of Seinfeld.
On the home grounds, the telecast rights for the last season of Friends are still open, and it is likely that Zee English — which aired the Season 9 — is the strong contender.
Elsewhere, Channel 4 recently lost a bidding war to show Joey in Britain to Five, who are paying an estimated ?500,000 for each half-hour episode to show the series this autumn.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
