Matt LeBlanc's Best Sitcom Is Not Friends, But A Hidden Gem That Deserves Another Chance

Even the biggest Joey Tribbiani haters in the world can't stake a believable claim that Matt LeBlanc isn't TV royalty. LeBlanc's status as a small-screen great is so respected that Kunal Nayyar even reached out to him for advice while working on "The Big Bang Theory," and why wouldn't it be? After all, 10 seasons of "Friends," two seasons of the quickly canceled spin-off "Joey," four seasons of "Man with a Plan," and another four as a "Top Gear" presenter have etched his affable presence into the eyeballs of viewers across the world.

However, even his well-known résumé includes the occasional hidden gem that's worth any fan's time — and not just stuff like his role as Don West in the star-studded 1998 sci-fi adventure "Lost in Space" or his old recurring role as Vinnie Verducci on "Married with Children." Let's put it this way: What's the only series LeBlanc won a Golden Globe for?

Nope, it's not "Friends." The show in question is the oft-forgotten but important piece of the Matt LeBlanc puzzle, "Episodes." The five-season sitcom about the production of a U.K. hit comedy series' American remake ran from 2011 to 2017, and LeBlanc put everything on the table by playing a hilarious fictionalized version of ... Matt LeBlanc.

"Episodes" is a surprisingly high-concept show for an actor that's best known for, well, "Friends." This turns out to be the exact point of the series, too. Successful British sitcom writers Beverly (Tamsin Greig) and Sean (Stephen Mangan) are raking in awards for what's implied to be one of the best sitcoms of all time and get an offer to adapt their award-winning show "Lyman's Boys" for the U.S. market. However, they're immediately thrown in the deep end of the industry when studio executives Merc (John Pankow) and Carol (Kathleen Rose Perkins) strong-arm them into casting LeBlanc as the remake's version of the eponymous Lyman — who, in the U.K. version, is a considerably larger and older man.

Combining some of the best-known aspects of his on-screen persona with elements of his own career and a nuanced performance, LeBlanc plays a philandering, self-centered version of himself as someone who's so desperate for a post-"Joey" hit that he's willing to tackle a role that everyone (including himself) knows is a bad fit in search of prestige. However, unlike Joey Tribbiani at times, the show's LeBlanc is a genuine, multifaceted human being with plenty of hidden depths, and the end result has been appreciated by critics and audiences alike.

"Episodes" is a fun show with good writing and genuinely great performances across the board. Even if you think you've seen everything LeBlanc has to offer, this gem of a sitcom is guaranteed to reveal a completely new side of the actor.