TBS Announces Joe Schmo Show Reboot

By Aaron Perine

The Joe Schmo Show is back on TBS next year after a reboot of the program was announced today. During the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfronts presentation, there were a lot of projects unveiled for both advertisers and fans. The Joe Schmo Show might not read as immediately recognizable to younger audiences. But, mid-2000s TV viewers probably remember this hapless man being led astray like The Truman Show. It was a fun experiment for people to follow in a period before social media's rise. Back in 2003, Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick had the idea for such a strange product and it paid off. Now, a new generation will follow some unexacting Schmo as Cat Dely hosts the show within a show. Check out the tease for yourself down below.

On Twitter, TBS Network posted, "You asked, we listened – Joe Schmo is back! Get ready for the same show within a show you loved 20 years ago, but with a hilarious twist making regular ole Ben believe he's competing on a reality show when he's actually surrounded by actors. The #JoeSchmo Show coming 2024 to tbs!"

"When The Joe Schmo Show launched 20 years ago, it was ahead of its time," Jason Sarlanis, President, Turner Networks, ID and HLN, linear & streaming said in a press release. "In rebooting this classic for a modern, savvy audience, it gives us the opportunity to comment on the often absurd and hilarious tropes of reality television in ways our viewers will love." 

Live-Action Impact of The Joe Schmo Show

The legacy of The Joe Schmo Show can be felt all over television. Live-action prank content has managed to withstand multiple different headwinds in broadcast TV. In fact, TBS has had one of the biggest winners in that category with Impractical Jokers. That show has been so successful that the recent 10th season made the decision to simulcast episodes across TruTV and TBS earlier this year. Warner Bros. Discovery brass was very pleased with the move.

"This is a rare opportunity to grow the reach of this fan favorite series," Julie Taylor, Chief of Content Strategy & Insights, U.S. Networks said at the time. "Giving truTV's 'Impractical Jokers' dual-network reach on TBS underscores our commitment to this long-running franchise while growing visibility and awareness with our audience."

Here's how TBS describes Impractical Jokers: "Three comedians and lifelong friends compete to embarrass each other amongst the general public with a series of hilarious and outrageous dares. When Sal, Q, and Murr challenge each other to say or do something, they have to do it… if they refuse, they lose! At the end of every episode – with the help of a celebrity guest – the episode's loser must endure a punishment of epic proportions."

Will you be tuning in for new episodes of The Joe Schmo Show? Let us know in the comments down below!

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