Impractical Jokers

***Impractical Jokers*** is an American hidden camera reality game show with improvisational elements. Produced by NorthSouth Productions, *Impractical Jokers* premiered on truTV on December 15, 2011 starring the four members of The Tenderloins: Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, Joe Gatto and Prince Herb. It also occasionally airs on TBS

A typical episode is a series of competitive games of dare, in which each joker receives either a thumbs up or thumbs down for his performance. At the climax, the joker who tallied the most thumbs down is the loser and is thereby subjected to a "punishment". The games are contrived scenarios in which one joker is challenged to embarrass himself by engaging with unwitting members of the general public, receiving commands from the other jokers who are orchestrating and surveying the bizarre scenario from behind the scenes with covert recording equipment. The most common premise is "you refuse - you lose." The intro describes the show as, "scenes of graphic stupidity among four lifelong friends who compete to embarrass each other." The games are loosely structured, relying heavily upon improvisation. The show's comedic themes range from witty dialogue to slapstick routines, with the reactions of both the jokers and the members of the public serving as punchlines.

*Impractical Jokers*' ninth season premiered on February 4, 2021. The series has been renewed for a 26-episode tenth season, expected to premiere in late 2021. A feature-length film began production in April 2018 and was theatrically released on February 21, 2020.

## Development

Brian Quinn, Joe Gatto, James Murray, and Prince Herb, four friends from Staten Island, New York, who attended Monsignor Farrell High School, formed the live improv and sketch comedy troupe The Tenderloins in 1999.

After a long and successful history, including winning the $100,000 grand prize in NBC's "It's Your Show" competition, the group went into television. In 2008, they filmed a pilot episode for a scripted sitcom for Spike TV, but the show did not go to series. TruTV announced *Impractical Jokers*, originally slated to be named *Mission: Uncomfortable*, on April 12, 2011, eight months before the show's debut. Murray explained how the hidden camera format made sense based on the jokesters' skills. "We needed to find the right format... thing is, we've been doing this for years, but when it's on camera, the embarrassment is amplified." Quinn and Herb have said when they gave their pilot episode to TruTV, it was recorded on their iPhones. At the time that they pitched the idea to TruTV, Murray was VP of Development for NorthSouth Productions, the company that has produced the series since its inception.

## Episodes

Prior to every challenge, the Jokers explain where they are, what the challenge is, and what will happen if they fail. Often (but not always) the cast member(s) performing the prank wears an earpiece, while the others have a mic in a covert location. Cameras are hidden near the area to capture the action. The challenge location is usually a public area in or around New York City such as a city park, or store. The criteria of each challenge are the same for each of the Jokers competing in the round. If the Joker cannot complete their task, they get a thumbs-down. At the end of the episode, the Joker(s) with the most thumbs down receives a punishment. Punishments are usually more embarrassing, humiliating, disgusting, painful, scary, or dangerous than any of the other challenges. Punishments cannot be refused or the Joker will be kicked off the show.

As of the 2017–18 television season, the series is syndicated to American broadcast stations by Trifecta Entertainment & Media, with a clearance rate of 85% of television homes.

## Cast

* Brian “Q” Quinn
* James “Murr” Murray
* Prince Herb
* Joe Gatto

### Frequent Guests

* Joey Fatone
* Casey Jost
* Sal Vulcano Sr.
* Benjamin Cat
* Gary Busey

## Critical Reception

*Impractical Jokers* has been well received by most critics, with Linda Stasi of the *New York Post* calling it "possibly the funniest, most ridiculous show I've seen in years."

While it has been compared to earlier hit prank shows such as *Candid Camera* and *Jackass*, critics have offered praise for its unique twist on the genre, wherein the stars' reactions to the pranks are often equally as humorous as those of the innocent bystanders. Neil Genzlinger of *The New York Times* stated that "the gag pays off twice: once in the reaction of the unsuspecting passer-by, once in the discomfort of the fellow doing the asking." He later wrote that the cast-members' occasional integrity [kept] these four clowns a little bit lovable." Dean Robbins of *The Daily Page* echoed this sentiment, stating that "the friends are jovial rather than Jackass-obnoxious, even rejecting some dares as too offensive."

The series has been generally well received, garnering 1.5 million viewers during its December 15, 2011, premiere.

The review of the show by *Variety*'s Brian Lowry was less positive, ending with this statement: "Nobody will ever confuse *Impractical Jokers* with high art, certainly, but as low-brow, micro-cost comedy in the context of truTV's programming resources, it's actually quite practical—and occasionally funny."

## Spin-Offs

* Impractical Jokers: The Movie
* Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party
* The Misery Index
* Jokers Wild

## Seasons

* Season One
* Season Two
* Season Three
* Season Four
* Season Five
* Season Six
* Season Seven
* Season Eight
* Season Nine

## Where to Watch

* HBO Max (subscription) [1]
* YouTube ($1.99/episode) [2]
* Google Play Movies & TV ($1.99/episode) [3]
* iTunes ($1.99/episode) [4]
* Amazon Prime Video ($1.99/episode) [5]