“JOEY”

Tonight at 8 on NBC/Ch. 4

* * ½ (two and one half stars)

IN one of the opening scenes of “Joey,” Joey Tribbiani’s sister, Gina (Drea de Matteo), invites her brother to feel her breasts.

Later, Gina makes a remark belittling Dominicans. And, in another throwaway line that really should have been thrown away, struggling actor Joey (Matt LeBlanc) complains about having to “defecate on a corpse” on a cop show in which he appeared.

I’ve heard of close siblings before, but a sister asking a brother to “feel her up” (Joey’s words, not mine) is a scenario that could only be conjured in dysfunctional Hollywood.

As for Gina’s low opinion of Dominicans, I have no idea where that’s coming from.

And “defecating on a corpse”? I don’t even want to think about that one, but unfortunately, I am now forced to imagine Matt LeBlanc with his pants down around his ankles squatting over some dead person and doing the unthinkable.

These are serious lapses – not only because they’re so tasteless, but also because they mar an otherwise promising debut for a comedy series that emerges from the stack of new fall sitcoms as the best of the lot.

That’s not saying much, however, since, as a group, this season’s new comedies are about as putrid as a pile of burning tires.

Still, “Joey” comes to the old “Friends” timeslot on NBC – Thursday nights at 8 – with great expectations and fulfills most of them (vulgarities not withstanding).

The show benefits from viewers’ familiarity with the Joey character, who is still the sweet-natured knucklehead they came to know and love in 10 seasons of “Friends.”

In the premiere of “Joey,” he is seen relocating to Hollywood, where he will pursue acting jobs while reuniting with his sister and her 20-year-old son and his nephew, Michael (Paulo Costanzo). The premise is fine – vague and flexible enough to go in any number of directions.

Now, if the show’s writers can get their heads out of the latrine, “Joey” might be headed for a successful run on NBC.