We've Kind Of Missed You, Matt LeBlanc: A Look Back

Matt LeBlanc appeared on Chelsea Lately Thursday night to promote his new Showtime series, Episodes. Confession: I've always kinda liked Matt LeBlanc. In fact, I believe that Joey Tribbiani was the best character on Friends. Unfortunately, both Tribbiani and LeBlanc became punchlines after the dismal spin-off series Joey was canceled during its second season. (OK, Leblanc's work in films such as Ed didn't help, either.) Now he's back though after a five-year absence, and dammit, I kind of missed him. Let's take a look back at some of LeBlanc's finer past work. (No, seriously.)

TV 101 (1988)

This 1988 television series about journalist who returns to his alma mater to create a news program featured a letterman jacket-wearing Matt LeBlanc at the sports desk.

Top of the Heap (1991)

Top of the Heap was a short-lived Married With Children spinoff that was...well, not very good. But it does offer us some vintage LeBlanc as a downtrodden quasi-scam artist who tries to get rich with his father by marrying into money. The show lasted seven episodes before being canceled. But, the good news: A spinoff of Top of the Heap, Vinnie & Bobby, developed from the leftover carcass. The bad news: Vinnie & Bobby also only lasted seven episodes, too.

Bob Seger's "Night Moves" video (1994)

Yep, a pre-Friends LeBlanc finds himself quite smitten with Daphne Zuniga at a drive-in movie theater. You can almost see the question "How you doin'?" about to pop out of his mouth.

Friends (1994)

"Everybody lies on their resume, OK? I wasn't one of the Zoom kids, either." (When this episode originally aired, I was in a room of 15 people and I was the only one who found this line hilarious. Probably because I was the only one who used to watch Zoom.) Again, the Friends version of Joey Tribbiani ranks as one of the best characters in sitcom history. Unfortunately...

Joey (2004)

...this happened.

[Photo: EW]