'Joe Schmo' reality show blows?

[DaysWithoutEnd]

'Joe Schmo' duped in new reality show
Spike TV chronicles guy taken in by actors

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- It sounded like the ideal job for a college dropout-turned-pizza deliveryman in today's America: go on a reality TV show, live in a fancy house, spend time with good-looking women and vie for the chance to win a lot of money and national fame.

Except the whole thing was an elaborate hoax, perpetrated on an unsuspecting "Joe Schmo" by a cast of actors and a team of producers known for reality competition shows and irreverent, male-oriented programming.

"The Joe Schmo Show" premieres next Tuesday on the Spike TV cable channel, culminating more than a year of work creating a reality series as elaborate as any that have aired on the mainstream broadcast networks.

"I never had a question about whether we could pull it off; we had a question about whether we could find the right guy," David Stanley, one of the show's producers, told Reuters.

That "right guy" turned out to be Matt Kennedy Gould, who was delivering pizzas in Pittsburgh after leaving law school.

Enticed by the chance to appear on the show "Lap of Luxury" and compete for the chance to win $100,000, Gould signed on for what turned out to be a month in a mansion this June in southern California, competing in reality-style reward and immunity competitions and participating in evictions.

Among the competitions Gould is asked to endure: "Hands on a High-Priced Hooker," where the contestant who keeps a hand on the prostitute for the longest wins; a talent show; and a mock sumo wrestling battle.

"What we set out to do was to parody reality TV," said Rhett Reese, one of the show's creators and executive producers.

[eyeball]

I think the show looks hilarious. and it would be different..kinda freaky really.

http://www.spiketv.com/shows/joe_schmo/

I plan to check it out....

[Nullifidian]

A definite new twist to something I feel has gone stale.

For the ultimate Reality based show there's always the Science and Weather channel.:D

[IPrayForSound]

Hey, stale Doritos with a brand new flavor are still stale Doritos. I totally plan to ignore the hell out of this show.

[c-lando]

I caught a glimpse last night. It didn't suck me in.

THANK GOD.

[eyeball]

I didn't watch it. I left work all dizzy so I taped it and went to bed...something to watch later in the week I suppose.

[Bronzetree]

I meant to check it out and completely forgot. I suppose it'd be like Joe Millionaire where they only interesting thing really, will be when they tell him he's been duped.

[marstorock]

i thought it was hysterical. weird really. more of a hidden camera show than a 'reality show,' per se.

[Bronzetree]

Caught a repeat of the first episode last night. I'd have to say watching the people in the control room scramble when this kid does something they don't expect will be themost fun of the show.

One thing, these "actors" suck. Several of them have almost blown it already. I think I'll wait until he finds out he's been duped before I tune in again, though.

[mattsledge]

Awesome, awesome show!

[eyeball]

I admit I've been sucked in. the premise is brilliant.

[Trevour]

See, I bet the big twisted surprise at the end will be, that Matt has actually been behind this whole thing the whole time. I think the REAL reality of this show is to see how actors try to act regular... it just seems like Matt is always on to the 'actors'' behaviors, but not quite enough to make it look like they completely blew it. Just a thought.

[Bronzetree]

Originally posted by Trevour
See, I bet the big twisted surprise at the end will be, that Matt has actually been behind this whole thing the whole time. I think the REAL reality of this show is to see how actors try to act regular... it just seems like Matt is always on to the 'actors'' behaviors, but not quite enough to make it look like they completely blew it. Just a thought.

I've been thinking pretty much the same thing from the beginning. If he is in on it, though, he's the best fucking actor in the world right now.

[eyeball]

that is exactly what I was going to type scott. I really don't think he is in on it anymore though....I don't know. he just really seems to have fallen for it. really.

[WalterSobchak]

well, next week is the finale. my roommate's cousin knew "Joe Schmo" in his brief law school experience, so i am pretty sure he isn't in on it. I think the whole thing has been made perhaps a bit less enjoyable by the fact that Joe is such a good guy. But it is/has still been pretty damn funny.

[eyeball]

I was hoping it would be one more week....:)

[Bronzetree]

Originally posted by WalterSobchak
well, next week is the finale. my roommate's cousin knew "Joe Schmo" in his brief law school experience, so i am pretty sure he isn't in on it. I think the whole thing has been made perhaps a bit less enjoyable by the fact that Joe is such a good guy. But it is/has still been pretty damn funny.

With one final twist coming, I still say he's in on it. Somehow, some way.

[eyeball]

Maybe they told him after the votes were tabulated...or maybe during his final morning interview...or maybe he is still suspecting something and asks before the reveal. Seriously if he knows he is a god of acting.

[Bronzetree]

Well, they did say, "If you think you know how it's going to end..."

Guess we'll find out in two weeks.

[GumbyTom]

Some of the cast and producers are on other boards, swearing up and down that he's not an actor. I believe them.

I hate hate hate reality shows, but for some reason, I'm drawn to this.

But next week, going head-to-head with the season premier of 24, that'll be tough.

[Bronzetree]

Originally posted by GumbyTom
But next week, going head-to-head with the season premier of 24, that'll be tough.

Didn't realize that. Guess I won't be catching the ending to Joe Schmo.

[thelunarbee]

I caught an episode of this last night. I agree with Bronzetree that this guy seems to be in on the scam somehow. Or maybe they just edit it to seem that way. Who knows?

Anyway I wouldn't worry about missing this boring crap to watch 24 (which looks frickin awesome this season) because Spike TV will probably replay this episode at least ten times that week.

[eyeball]

so'd anyone else watch it?

[Bronzetree]

I caught bits and pieces of the finale, only because 24 was on at the time uninterrupted.

At any rate, what I did see was a bit of a letdown. The commericals that stated, "Think you know how its going to end? You're wrong", were overhyped. Nothing extravagant happened. They told him, he got the money (as expected), that was it. they had an hour's worth of him watching footage on how it was all pulled off that was pretty boring.

Blah.

[eyeball]

they repeated it in its entirety after the first airing. I loved seeing his reactions and the fact that he was actually getting pissed off a little. :)

I am glad I watched.

[c-lando]

Spike TV is re-running the series on Tuesday nights at 9. I watched the first episode last night, and I must say that I've been sucked in now. So far, he reminds me A LOT of a guy I work with in regards to his comments (outing "the gay guy" in two seconds, commenting out loud on the girls, trying to be well-liked by EVERYONE, etc.) and his mannerisms. This makes the show even more interesting to me because I'm imagining my co-worker going through the whole experience.

[Bronzetree]

Originally posted by c-lando
Spike TV is re-running the series on Tuesday nights at 9.

That was its original time slot. But that's 24 time now, baby.

[Bronzetree]

Starting tonight at 10, they're re-airing the entire season with Matt's "unrehearsed" commentary during the show. No thanks. It was interesting the first time, but now it's overkill.