Drea de Matteo, who plays Adriana la Cerva on "The Sopranos," has signed on to play Gina, Joey's high-strung sister.
Kevin Bright, Shana Goldberg-Meehan, and Scott Silveri -- who were part of the creative team behind "Friends" -- are working on "Joey," and the new series is expected to share the old one's comic sensibility.
Up until a few months ago, a huge burden of expectations would have come with that time slot, which leads off the prime-time schedule on what is, in terms of advertising dollars, the most lucrative night on television.
But the success of "The Apprentice" for NBC on Thursdays has taken some of the pressure off. The finale to the Donald Trump boardroom game was seen by an estimated 28 million people this week, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was the third most-watched show of the season (behind the Academy Awards and the post-Super Bowl "Survivor" episode) among the 18-to-49-year-old demographic by which NBC measures its success.
NBC has signed Trump for two more editions of "The Apprentice," which will also air on Thursdays next season.
"It clearly has become our improbable replacement for `Friends,' " Zucker said. "I could never have predicted it."
A new take on the talent show
The WB is prepping a new talent show that parrots the formula of Fox's smash "American Idol," but rewards the worst singers instead of the most talented. "The WB's Superstar USA" will debut during May sweeps.
"Bachelor" guru Mike Fleiss has been shooting the show on the sly over the past four weeks, following auditions in Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Orlando, and Philadelphia. "Superstar" will begin a seven-episode run May 17 at 9 p.m. Capitalizing on the success of "Idol" reject William Hung, "Superstar" will reward the less talented singers. Even as the more gifted Clay Aikens and Ruben Studdards of the competition are eliminated, the remaining contestants believe that they're progressing toward their musical goals.
Along the way, the contestants will come to Hollywood, receive the requisite makeovers and dancing lessons and will get to perform in front of a live studio audience.
