Impractical Jokers has been cranking out episodes since 2011. Each episode of the series consists of a handful of challenges, which revolve around interacting with unknowing event participants or random passersby using improvisational pranks. What follows is a hilarious punishment for whichever Impractical Jokers cast member failed in most of the challenges. To date, there have been over 166 episodes of Impractical Jokers released on truTV, as well as a full-length feature film. Fortunately for fans of the series, Impractical Jokers was recently renewed for a tenth season, though announcements surrounding the tenth season were not without a shocking bit of unfortunate news.
Since the show’s inception, it has starred a comedy troupe known as The Tenderloins. It comprises the hilarious foursome of James “Murr” Murray (Return to Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 2, The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time), Brian “Q” Quinn (The Misery Index, Star Trek: Picard), Sal Vulcano (Bones, 12 Monkeys), and Joe Gatto (Impractical Jokers Judging Joe, MacGyver). Unfortunately, this formidable foursome will enter the tenth season of their wildly popular television series sans a certain Staten Island stalwart. Citing personal issues, Joe Gatto has announced that he will not return in future seasons of the show.
Here’s what season ten of Impractical Jokers might look like without Joe Gatto.
Losing One of the Jokers
truTV
Longtime fans of the series, who in all likelihood have had the show as a constant source of comfort for over a decade of their life, we’re heartbroken to see Joe Gatto depart from Impractical Jokers. He was arguably one of the most talented members of the cast, and he had a blasé attitude which, coupled with his broad improvisational skill set, made him a formidable contender
in the show’s incredibly awkward challenges.
More importantly, Joe Gatto was a close friend to the other jokers, as evidenced by the catty repertoire the four pranksters exhibit in interviews. He has known the other comedians on the show for many years, as they are all members of a comedy troupe known as The Tenderloins, which has been churning out hilarious content since the early 2000s. The three remaining jokers are not simply lost a fellow cast member: they are losing out on working with a close friend.
Impractical Jokers Will Feature Creative New Challenges
Many of the prank challenges on Impractical Jokers are designed around a four-person cast. In a recent interview with TV Insider, James “Murr” Murray addressed these concerns, stating that the show would compensate for the lack of Gatto with a new series of challenges. At the moment, it’s unclear what said challenges will entail.
However, the impractical jokers are not averse to shaking up their tried and true formula, as evidenced by the combination of hidden camera and scripting content of their feature film, Impractical Jokers: The Movie. Though there might be some concern over the show’s formula, which has worked for nearly two hundred episodes, being subject to a major overhaul, Impractical Jokers has proven capable of coming up with consistently entertaining challenges.
Celebrity Cameos Will Help Fill the Void
ABC
Additionally, it has been announced that in place of Joe Gatto, Impractical Jokers season ten will round out its challenges with a cadre of celebrity guest stars. Said celebrities include such names as Method Man (Power Book II: Ghost, Masters of the Universe: Revelation), Brooke Shields (Jane the Virgin, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), Adam Pally (Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Happy Endings), David Cross (Arrested Development, Station Eleven), Rob Riggle (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Holey Moley), and even Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost.
Of course, these celebrity guest stars will lack the same camaraderie as the three remaining impractical jokers enjoyed with longtime friend Joe Gatto. However, it will be interesting to see how they are put into action. While some of the less recognizable celebrities may be able to compete one-on-one with the remaining cast members in the show’s games, which will round out the three-person cast and allow for sets of two to compete once again, some of the more famous actors appearing in season ten will likely be used as props in the season’s newly invented challenges.
While everyone’s disappointed to see the much-beloved Joe Gatto make his graceful exit from Impractical Jokers, fans of the show can find solace in the fact that the show isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Between whatever new and exciting challenges the remaining jokers can cook up and the addition of talented celebrity guests, season ten of Impractical Jokers promises to be just as hilarious as the seasons preceding it. Fans may have shed a tear at the loss of Joe Gatto, but they’ll be crying tears of joy at the hilarious antics of the upcoming season.
