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There was a time when comedy lovers thought Impractical Jokers would go on forever, with the show's fans preparing to see something amazing every time a new episode aired. However, that hasn't been the case for quite a while now, and it all stemmed from an unforeseen departure. The series had been at the top of the comedy game for more than a decade, but then cast member Joe Gatto announced his departure on Dec. 31, 2021. This decision was a personal one, and it's hard to fault Joe Gatto for leaving.

Unfortunately, Gatto's exit destroyed the popular truTV series' successful formula, and the remaining Season 9 episodes without Joe Gatto were a total failure. The remaining three members of the troupe -- James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn and Sal Vulcano -- vowed to keep the show going, but many questioned the idea of Impractical Jokers without Joe. Sal, Q and Murr decided not to replace Joe Gatto, opting instead to operate as a trio for most of the post-Joe episodes. Sadly, their efforts left a lot to be desired, with many of the episodes without Joe Gatto cementing the series as a shell of its former self.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on December 5, 2023: Impractical Jokers is still going strong, though some fans still haven't warmed up to the new format. These changes came about after cast member Joe Gatto departed the series due to personal reasons. Those reasons are now somewhat resolved, making some fans hopeful that he'll return to the show. Gatto's comedic style was a big part of why the series was successful, making his absence from Impractical Jokers quite noticeable.

Why Joe Gatto Left Impractical Jokers

Separation

Joe Gatto from Impractical Jokers smirking.
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As mentioned, Joe Gatto announced his departure from Impractical Jokers in late 2021, and the reason for his leaving was personal. He and his wife Bessy Gatto had announced their separation following eight years of marriage together. Given this situation, Gatto decided to take time off for himself to be with his children as a co-parent. Conversely, he also spent time on the road on his own comedy shows, with each member of The Tenderloins (the group's name before the start of Impractical Jokers) having their own projects.

Joe and Bessy Gatto got married in 2013, which was two years after Impractical Jokers first aired. Sal Vulcano -- Gatto's friend and co-star on the series -- is actually a licensed minister, and he officiated Joe's wedding to Bessy and co-star James "Murr" Murray's wedding to his wife when that couple was married in 2020.

Reconciliation

Impractical Jokers stars introduce Bret Michaels in a bar

In 2023, Joe Gatto announced on Instagram that he and his estranged wife Bessy had reconciled their relationship. This positive news came nearly two years after the pair had separated. During the interim, he published a book titled The Dogfather: My Love for Dogs, Dessert and Growing Up Italian in 2020. The autobiography details aspects of his life, as well as his love of delicious food and his family's many furry friends.

Another venture that Joe Gatto has embarked on is the Two Cool Moms podcast. He's also campaigned against bullying and became an advocate for the "Adopt, Don't Shop" movement for pets. That's amid his other accomplishments, including becoming an official Kentucky Colonel. It's unknown if the new lease on his marriage will see him return to the show that made him famous, but Impractical Jokers without Joe Gatto certainly isn't the same.

Impractical Jokers Without Joe Does Not Change the Show for the Better

Impractical Jokers Sal, James and Brian with Eric Andre in front of balloons
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Many fans were scared to see what Impractical Jokers would look like without Joe Gatto. It turned out that TruTV was, too. Rather than choosing a replacement for Joe, the cable channel instead used a gaggle of celebrity guests. Some of them fit in better than others, but the entire concept was a problem. Sticking celebrity guests into the void Joe left behind proved what everyone had been thinking: Impractical Jokers needed something new to survive.

It didn't help that potentially great celebrity guests such as the hilarious Eric Andre were completely wasted. The celebrity guests weren't the only new gimmick, however. When Season 9 returned, there was a different title sequence, with bright colors and new clips. While a new sequence was necessary, its design was another way to make things look flashy and different. It was like the series was trying to rebrand itself, not simply editing together a new introduction. The title update was another attempt to pull viewers' attention away from the fact that Joe wasn't there.

More importantly, Impractical Jokers' concept of comedy changed. There were a few times when the bit was designed around making one of the Jokers look like a jerk. The approach felt forced and overdone. In fact, the whole season felt forced. Everything was over-planned and had very little room for the improvisation that made the series so successful in the previous eight and a half seasons. It seemed like everyone was so worried about getting the post-Joe shows right that they confined themselves to a strict formula.

Impractical Jokers Now Leans Too Hard on Cheap Punishments

Sal Vulcano and Jillian Bell on Impractical Jokers
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Even the new punishments in Impractical Jokers have felt forced, and they were more than a bit odd. Almost all of them required one of the Jokers to be physically abused -- like a less entertaining version of the recently revived Jackass. The show made Murr eat a ghost pepper, use an adult vibrator during an interview and play a dead, nearly naked body in a murder mystery. Sal had to give a tour with shock collars strapped to his arms and legs and was kicked in his manhood by Jillian Bell. Meanwhile, Q had to endure attacks from a guard dog and a prolonged ice bath. While some of them were funny as isolated moments, they felt as if the series was desperate to pull out all the stops and show how far it could venture without Joe.

Without Joe Gatto, Impractical Jokers lacked creativity and leaned too much on celebrities and shock humor. While the remaining stars can find a way to go on without him, what audiences saw at the end of Season 9 wasn't it. Luckily, Season 10 was a welcome improvement by relying less on physically-taxing punishments and bringing on guests who fit the show's comedy style. The once-beloved series needs to continue this major revamp if it's going to survive past Season 10. Many fans are hoping that Joe Gatto will return for at least a few episodes, as this may be the one thing to keep Impractical Jokers still going.

Joe Gatto Was the Best Part of Impractical Jokers

Joe's Best Moments

Joe Gatto's Best Moments

Challenge Name

Episode Name

Episode #

Season #

Description of Segment

Scoopski Potatoes

What's the Scoop?

Everything's Just Rosie

22

2

Joe Gatto humorously dumps mashed potatoes onto diners' plates as he scats variations of the phrase "Scoopski potatoes!"

Vs. Byamba

Big Punishment

Pseudo-Sumo

11

4

Joe Gatto is punished by being dressed as a baby for a commercial, but he's then forced to fend off a professional sumo wrestler named Byamba

Massage Chair

Big Punishment

Bull Shiatsu

12

7

As a punishment, Joe Gatto is forced to disguise himself as a massage chair in a mall, with several shoppers (including Byamba) sitting on him

Skipping a Musical Line

Line Jumpers

Drawing a Blank

5

1

Joe calls out for an unseen friend named Larry, with the ruse being used to cut in line (unsuccessfully) for a musical

Eating Pocket/Floor Sushi

Fishy Business

Spider Man

23

5

Joe Gatto is told to stuff sushi in his pocket at a buffet and eat it, and he later eats the same sushi after it falls on the floor

The Debut of Cole Von Cole

That Ain't Me

Indecent Proposal

5

7

Joe Gatto affects the strange, seemingly poor-sighted persona of "Cole Von Cole" in order to fool a receptionist that he's a different person

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More than any member of the show, Joe Gatto embodied the central premise of truTV's Impractical Jokers. Initially developed as a series called Mission: Uncomfortable, the basic idea behind the show is that the Jokers engage in various tasks in a public setting. These tasks become increasingly ridiculous and uncomfortable for both them and those they interact with, hence the original name. Joe Gatto frequently engaged in shenanigans that made even the other members of The Tenderloins surprised and shocked.

His best moments include scenes which would have surely embarrassed anyone else who partook in them. For instance, a supposed punishment where Gatto was set to star in a baby commercial (complete with his being dressed in a diaper and bib) instead saw him being roughhoused by a professional sumo wrestler. This same sumo returned in another punishment in which Joe was disguised as a massage chair at the mall, with the act comforting as many as it creeped out.

There were also his tendencies to touch things and people with his prominent proboscis, affecting a strange foreign accent to confuse those he interacts with and shouting out for an unseen associate named Larry. Some saw it as comedy that went too far, but it was something that fans of Impractical Jokers looked forward to.

The Other Jokers

James Murray, Brian Quinn, and Sal Vulcano of Impractical Jokers with a thumbs down symbol
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This fearlessness and almost random reckless abandon was a large part of what made the show so popular. Unlike the other Impractical Jokers, Joe Gatto did pretty much anything he was tasked with, and there were very few lines that he refused to cross. Gatto's performances were the exact opposite of Sal Vulcano's, as he was known for being the most bashful of the Jokers. Conversely, Sal is known for constantly laughing at the show's events and falling down, with this being a common occurrence.

Compared to both of them, Brian "Q" Quinn and James "Murr" Murray are comparatively low-key in their comedy. This is especially the case with Murray, who's usually the "straight man" of the comedic group. Likewise, he's largely the butt of others' jokes, with the recurring gag being that he's constantly compared to a ferret. The physical, in your face and relentless nature of Joe Gatto's comedy is sorely missing from Impractical Jokers, and while the show has tried to adjust its formula accordingly, it's been screaming out for "Larry" ever since Gatto's departure.

Impractical Jokers Seasons 9 and 10 are now streaming on Max and Hulu.

Impractical Jokers Tru Promo
Impractical Jokers
Comedy

Q, Sal, Joe and Murr are real-life best friends who love challenging each other to the most outrageous dares and stunts ever caught on hidden camera.

Release Date
December 15, 2011
Cast
James Murray , Brian Quinn , Sal Vulcano , Joe Gatto
Main Genre
Reality
Seasons
10