NBC is counting on ‘Friends’ spinoff

With its “Must-See TV” lineup under siege from CBS’ “Survivor” and “CSI,” NBC was eager to greet the media Thursday with the news that a long-discussed “Friends” spinoff starring Matt LeBlanc has been nailed down for a fall 2004 premiere.

Whether a spinoff can pick up where “Friends” leaves off is a tall order, but addressing reporters in Hollywood, NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker said the deal for “Joey” -- which didn’t close until Wednesday evening -- “goes a long way toward securing our continuing stranglehold on that night.”

A direction for the show remains sketchy, in part to avoid giving away too much about how “Friends” will conclude its 10-year run in the spring. Although there has been talk that the plot will involve Joey moving to Los Angeles to further his acting career, executive producer Kevin S. Bright called such speculation premature.

Bright, one of “Friends’ ” original executive producers, will continue with the new series, but co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane won’t -- a situation Zucker likened to “Cheers’ ” guiding trio anointing a new team to pluck a character from that show and launch “Frasier” a decade ago. Bright said the goal is to provide “a satisfying ending to the relationship of those six characters” on “Friends,” without the baggage of laying the groundwork for “Joey.” “Friends” producers Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan will oversee the new program.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but sources say NBC’s episodic fee to Warner Bros. Television could be in the $1.5-million range -- roughly double the freight on most new sitcoms but far less than the $10 million that “Friends” will cost in its final season, with each star earning more than $1 million an episode.

Although various scenarios were reportedly discussed, Zucker said LeBlanc was the only cast member NBC pursued (though others had made clear they were committed to their film careers and wouldn’t be interested). The network will have only 18 new episodes of “Friends” this season, compensating for that shortfall by having viewers vote for their six all-time favorite episodes, which will be spread throughout the year.