Friends Star Matthew Perry's First Major Role Was In A Failed Fox Sitcom

The pre-"Friends" years were rough for the stars of that beloved sitcom, with every single one of the cast struggling their way through bit parts in films and failed sitcoms. Matthew Perry was no exception. At one point he found himself starring in a Fox sitcom that started life as "Second Chance" before transforming into "Boys Will Be Boys" and ultimately being canceled after neither iteration of the series proved successful.

After making his first on-screen appearance in TV drama "240-Robert," Perry went on to appear in a plethora of sitcoms throughout the 1980s, landing guest roles on "Charles in Charge" and "Silver Spoons" before eventually securing a recurring role on CBS sitcom "Sydney" in 1990. But there were plenty of failures along the way. Before "Friends," Perry starred in a sitcom that's impossible to watch today in the form of "Home Free," a single-season show that saw the actor portray a man who lives with his mother only for his sister to move back in and turn his life upside down. It wasn't a hit. Neither was "LAX 2194," a show for which Perry shot a pilot which almost caused him to miss out on playing Chandler in "Friends."

But "Second Chance" is a particularly odd entry in the actor's early career, mostly because it was two shows in one — neither of which were a hit. "Second Chance" was Perry's first starring role on a TV show and was created by David W. Duclon and Gary Menteer, the same duo behind the hugely popular "Punky Brewster" series. Their Matthew Perry-led sitcom was, however, nowhere near as popular. That is to say it was an outright failure despite being given a chance to overhaul its premise and being reintroduced after its first season with a whole new look.

"Second Chance" debuted as part of Fox's original weekend TV lineup on September 26, 1987 and ran until November 28 of that year. The show focused on Charles Russell (Kiel Martin) who after dying in a hovercraft accident in 2011 is given another chance at life. But rather than being sent back to his old existence, he's sent back to Earth in the year 1987 to act as a mentor to his teenage self. The teenage Charles, known as Chazz, is played by Perry, who passed away in 2023, and while he's often surrounded by his best friends Francis "Booch" Lottabucci (William Gallo) and Eugene Blooberman (Demian Slade), he's also in need of exactly the kind of father figure Martin's Russell can provide — though he has no idea this mentor is actually an older version of himself.

While Francis and Eugene continually convince Chazz to take part in their misguided schemes, Charles acts as a more mature presence, advising his younger self and guiding him through adolescence. All the while, Saint Peter (Joseph Maher) watches over Charles' efforts and ensures he's acting as a positive role model in the young Chazz's life. 

Sadly, "Second Chance" couldn't get the ratings it needed to justify its ongoing existence. At the time, the Fox network had only been in existence for less than a year and was still very much finding its place among the big boys. The network was two years away from launching "The Simpsons" which would prove to be the show that really put Fox on the map with its irreverent style. Though "Married... with Children" would ultimately prove to be the precursor to "The Simpsons" in that regard, it had only started airing on April 5, 1987. As such, when "Second Chance" debuted, Fox was still trying to ape the success of other network's wholesome sitcom fare. Unfortunately, Perry's supernatural family-focused offering just couldn't bring home the goods. So, what did Fox do? They gave "Second Chance" a second chance.

"Second Chance" wrapped up its first season on November 28 1987. Ratings weren't where they needed to be, but rather than axe the show altogether, Fox gave David W. Duclon and Gary Menteer the chance to rework the show. The result was "Boys Will Be Boys." This revamped version of "Second Chance" debuted in January 1988 and arrived without all the supernatural elements that had defined the initial iteration of the sitcom. Instead, "Boys Will Be Boys" debuted sans Kiel Martin and Joseph Maher, with the older Charles Russell and Saint Peter having been written out of the show completely.

In its new form, "Boys Will Be Boys" was primarily focused on Matthew Perry's Chazz and his buddies Booch and Eugene. After Booch moved into the same apartment over the garage that Martin's Charles had previously occupied, Chazz joins him and the two essentially become roommates while still technically living in Chazz's mother, Helen's (Randee Heller) home. Two new main characters were added in the form of Terri Ivens' Debbie Miller, who becomes Chazz's girlfriend, and Adam Sadowsky's Alex, Chazz's schoolfriend. Alongside a newly reworked theme song and multiple new time slots, these changes were intended to rescue what had been a disappointing sitcom. Alas, none of it worked and in May of 1988 Fox canceled the series after 21 episodes.

Soon after, Matthew Perry would make his film debut in 1988's "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon." After a three-episode guest spot on "Growing Pains" he continued to appear on sitcoms including a main role on "Sydney" and a guest spot on "Beverly Hills, 90210." Once he landed the part of Chandler Bing on "Friends," however, everything changed, and though he would continue to have trouble getting shows off the ground in his post-"Friends" years — such as when Perry rebooted a beloved movie as a failed sitcom — his days of trying to break through with strange and overlooked family-friendly TV comedies were well behind him.