Impractical Jokers (2012–2016) User Reviews

Seriously, just watch the US version.

[josephsovereigcc · 1/10 · 17 October 2017]

As a hardcore fan of the US Jokers, I am heavily disgusted of the UK version of Impractical Jokers, since there are so many discrepancies that I have with it.

One of the biggest problems I have with it is the jokes in general. Not a single pair of jokers has a good chemistry, so the jokes don't come out too fantastically. And even if they did, they're just rip-offs of the US jokes, like their own version of "Larry!" and instead of serving mashed potatoes at a restaurant, they are instead "mushed peas". Oh, and did I mention there are WAY too many dick and ass jokes?

The show's rules also don't work too well. Even when the amount of losses are tied between two jokers on the scoreboard, only one is the big loser. In the US version, both jokers become the big losers for the episode.

If you REALLY want to get a good laugh in Liverpool, then just get a black box and stream US Jokers. Don't insist on watching UK Jokers anytime soon. Sorry!

A rare case of the UK taking a US idea and failing

[bittersweet_smiler · 2/10 · 6 September 2014]

Usually when an American TV network likes a UK TV show and wants to make some money out of it, they buy it out and make a sub standard version. Red Dwarf are Men Behaving Badly are two examples of this off the top of my head (The Office being the exception). This is one of those times when it's the other way around. The US version of Impractical Jokers is fresh, original, improvisational, and hilarious. This is lacking in all those areas.

In the US, the Tenderloins are a comedy quartet who have a genuine rapport and electric magnetism in their relationships, most likely as they grew up together and have been part of a comedy group for a long time now. They're able to work off each other and know their subjects well, and it shows. The UK team of Impractical Jokers doesn't have the same electricity.

Some parts of the UK version seem to consist of the 3 jokers behind the scenes feeding lines to the person out in front, which they then repeat. It completely takes away that spontaneous element when you know exactly what the person is about to say. The thing that works about the US version is they start off with an idea and have to think on their feet, they have the confidence to let each person take that idea and run with it, and more often than not each of the 4 of them move in completely different directions. Sometimes it doesn't come off or isn't as funny as it could've been, sometimes it's laugh-out-loud hilarious. The UK version could take some tips from this.

I don't know why, but many of the setups just aren't funny. It seems like they're trying too hard to be funny and aren't letting it flow naturally. Some of the lines are downright childish. One task, for example, including convincing people to become interested in titles of shows which were based on things like faeces, urine, vomit, and rear end noises. At times the jokers end up just looking awkward and embarrassed. It needs a lot of work.