‘Impractical Jokers’ Making Big Changes After Joe Gatto’s Exit

TruTV’s Impractical Jokers is down one key member, and with Joe Gatto’s exit comes some major changes to the fan-favorite series. Now headed into its 10th season with James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn, and Sal Vulcano still signed on to serve up more hilarious pranks and jokes, Impractical Jokers Season 10 is set to break its traditional format in a way that will be surprising to longtime fans.

Quinn teased the upcoming season while discussing Gatto’s exit on his award-winning Tell ’em Steve-Dave! podcast, which he co-hosts with Comic Book Men stars Walt Flanagan and Bryan Johnson. Gatto, an original member of The Tenderloins comedy troupe, announced on Dec. 31 that he would be stepping away from the series on which he has starred since 2011 due to “personal issues,” noting that he and his wife Bessie have “decided to amicably part ways.” While Quinn admitted that he, like most fans, was “f-ing shocked” when he heard the news and was “like, ‘Can we even, is this even worth doing without Joe?’” the show has managed to move forward, with Quinn sharing that Impractical Jokers is “revitalized.”

“F- man, there are so many negatives to Joe not being there. We’re losing a comedic powerhouse. There’s nothing we can do I guess [other] than accept that it is what it is and give ourselves permission to have fun,” he said, per ComicBook.com. “Once I got through that feeling, it’s been a f–ing blast. It’s almost like a new show now. Isn’t that weird? He was so instrumental behind the scenes and that’s just gone now so it’s like this new vacuum that you can only fill in parts of it here, and there and everywhere. The show, it’s gonna be a bit weirder, the show going forward. I’m able to get a little bit more of my s— [in] … I am getting in some, like, fun weird s— now. It’s kind of revitalized the show. I think this is actually going to give the show legs that were getting tired if that makes sense.”

While Quinn said Gatto’s surprise exit was already “the biggest change,” it allowed the show to “start making little adjustments to the actual format.” Quinn didn’t provide too much past that, though he did say that there were “always things that we wanted to do but we couldn’t do because it just didn’t fit onto Impractical Jokers and the format. Now I’m just like, ‘F— it, let’s start breaking format here and there.’” He added that he thinks people are going to be “really surprised at what we end up doing. It’s going to be great. I’m more invested and more involved and having more fun than I’ve had in a long time.”

Impractical Jokers initially premiered on truTV in December 2011. The show follows the troupe of lifelong friends as they take dares to hilariously dangerous levels. The series was picked up for Season 10 back in February 2020, with the show’s stars sharing in a statement following Gatto’s announcement that they would begin “making a new chapter of Impractical Jokers in January.” A premiere date has not yet been announced.