The team behind Joe Gatto's departure, but the remaining cast continued on strong with the show's tenth season. Brian "Q" Quinn, James "Murr" Murray, and Sal Vulcano all stayed on after Gatto left, and they've since reworked the show without making it completely unfamiliar to fans.The hidden camera show continues to find new ways to lure in viewers, but what some newcomers may not know is that the show has a few hidden secrets of its own.
The Cast's Group Name Isn't Actually The Impractical Jokers
Most people who first saw Joe, Q, Murr, and Sal on Impractical Jokers know the group by that name. What only vigilant fans may know is that they actually go by the name The Tenderloins.
According to the comedy troupe's WarnerMedia bio, they were formed in 1999 after all the comedians met in high school. Eventually, when they started Impractical Jokers, fans tossed aside the troupe name and instead opted for calling them The Impractical Jokers. However, they still prefer to be referenced by their troupe name or even as comedians over pranksters.
Impractical Jokers Originally Had A Different Title
Murr revealed in an infamous tattoo punishment (given out by Joe) which was shut down many times before it was eventually approved.
The unused pilot intro has the feel of some MTV prank shows that had increased in popularity around that time, so it's for the best that they went with the aesthetic that fans now associate the show with. However, Murr applauded eagle eye fans who pointed out similarities between the "Mission: Uncomfortable" pilot and the Impractical Jokers' final imaging in a Twitter post.
Impractical Jokers Wasn't Fully Formed Until Season 2
For viewers, it's clear to see how the show has changed in the years it's been on the air, but some can even see those differences from the show's beginnings. As with most shows, season one of Impractical Jokers only had bones of what would go on to become one of the best reality TV shows of all time.
People may think that the four lifelong friends had it all mapped out when they breached into the world of television, but a big industry secret is that some shows don't even know what they are until they are well into the filming and sometimes even after the release. Joe was pretty upfront at the Impractical Jokers 2019 San Diego Comic Con about when he believed the show really found its grove, citing it as the season two midway point.
The People Who Appear On Impractical Jokers Get Paid... Sometimes
Part of the draw to Impractical Jokers is the seemingly genuine reactions they get out of the people who unknowingly appear on their show. The unpredictability of the unsuspecting participants keeps both the comedians and the audience on the edge of their seats.
Over a decade ago, Sal took to Reddit to answer fans' questions about the show and when asked about people appearing on the show getting compensated, he let a little reality show biz secret go. While Sal remained adamant that the show does not pay people for their reactions he did reveal that "on rare occasion, if the person was gold, we try and throw them a few bucks to coerce them."
Impractical Jokers Accidentally Caught Someone Cheating
Working with unpredictable people in public also means that sometimes, the show can have an unintended effect on those that appear in front of their cameras. One particular moment was described as especially baffling by both the cast and the crew in an early episode of Impractical Jokers.
Q revealed in an interview with Get Out magazine that one of the early IKEA challenge episodes featured a very animated couple that would've been perfect for the show but after filming, they refused to sign to be on the show. When questioned further, the man told production "I would love to, but this isn’t my wife, you caught us in an affair." Truly a scandalous moment that is probably one of the worst kept secrets in Joker history.
Impractical Jokers Has Made People Avoid The Cast In Their Real Lives
One of the struggles of being on a reality TV show that's depth is hidden behind hidden camera pranks and social experiments pulled on unsuspecting people is that even when you're not filming, people can be mistrusting of you.
Sal, Q, Murr, and Joe brought up in a Q&A how they can't escape the show even in their day-to-day lives. While they may continue to occasionally pull pranks on each other when the cameras aren't on, it's not like they're running around New York just pulling jokes on people for the fun of it. Of course, those who randomly recognize them on the street don't know that and Joe even said that some will avoid helping him for fear that they will be his next victim.
One Of The Impractical Jokers Has Fake Teeth
Murr has consistently been the butt of the best jokes on Impractical Jokers. There was even a time in season three where Murr's tooth fell out during Q's turn in a selfie challenge and when Murr, self-conscious about his newly missing tooth, opted to take a loss instead of taking a selfie with a stranger, the rest of the casts decided that he'd have to do the challenge anyway as the episodes big loser.
Fans couldn't help but get invested in what could have possibly caused Murr's tooth to randomly fall out and instead of shying away from the attention, Murr faced it head-on and let the secret loose on Twitter to the show's fans that he actually has eight fake teeth.
Hidden Camera Work
When it comes to hidden cameras, just as much if not more work goes on behind the scenes as it does in front of the camera. The Impractical Jokers crew plays a huge role in the overall execution of the show and directors Andrew Hood and David Scarborough, shared more with viewers about how the show's crew make that happen.
The directors explain that the set-up of all the hidden cameras can take up to 6 hours to complete and everything on location has to be up and ready by the time the cast arrives to film. Their goal is to always capture the best and most authentic responses by remaining hidden while also capturing the shot from every angle.
Creating Impractical Jokers Is A Full-Time Gig
The cast of Impractical Jokers doesn't go around wreaking havoc on New York residents in their free time but as friends who spend a lot of time together, even when the cameras are off their brains are still on and looking for potential ways to embarrass each other.
The cast itted that they worked with the crew on several punishments that took months and even a full year to play out. Like when Q was sent to a fake courthouse for one of his punishments after having been served real legal documents, that plan took almost a year to come to fruition. Murr's season-long punishment where he had to wear a wig made out of hair that Q had been growing out for a year was yet another instance.
The Cast Has Worked To Reinvent Impractical Jokers Without Joe
By now, fans know that Joe has taken a step back from the show leaving only Sal, Q, and Murr to continue the legacy of the show. In a touching Instagram post, Joe thanked the fans of the show while also giving a little more insight into the personal reasons behind his departure.
Instead of trying to replace Joe's presence, the remaining comedians decided to completely rework and recreate the show. In recent interviews they've had about their newest season, they've remained consistent in voicing that they would miss Joe and the work he did both in front of the camera and behind the scenes but would continue to find the fun in the work they do. Sal went more in-depth about what creating the show without Joe has been like in an interview with Theo Von.