The series, in which Le Blanc plays struggling actor Joey Tribbiani, has been hotly contested over the past two months. The exclusive negotiating rights went to Channel 4, the UK home of 'Friends' for the past ten years.
ITV1 and Sky One also expressed an interest in the show. 'Joey' will now air on Five and marks a huge coup for the station, which is building a reputation for quality US dramas such as 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation', 'Law & Order' and 'The Shield'.
Channel 4 said it was not prepared to pay the "ludicrously" high asking price for 'Joey'. Five has not yet revealed how much it has paid for the series but it is reported to be somewhere in the region of £250,000 an episode. Other reports suggest Warner Bros was looking for as much as £500,000 an episode.
Jeff Ford, the managing editor and director of acquisitions at Five, said: "I am delighted the channel has secured the rights to 'Joey' and 'Two and a Half Men'. Five has become synonymous with quality US imports and the acquisition of these two comedy series is a great coup."
Five also picked up Warner Bros series 'Two and a Half Men' as part of the deal. The comedy, about three guys from two generations learning what it means to be a man, stars Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer of 'Pretty in Pink' fame.
Jeffrey Schlesinger, the president of Warner Bros International Television, said: "We believe these will become signature series for Five."
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