Spike TV's "The Joe Schmo Show" puts new twist on the reality show genre, where only one contestant is real!

Television's biggest and riskiest experiment PREMIERE'S TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 2ND! We would love to be included in your website. Please contact Dawn Lach at dlach@stonestanley.com or 323-960-2599 if you have any question or need any further information.

It's the ultimate reality show...yet it isn't real at all. Spike TV, The First Network For Men, and Stone Stanley Entertainment take the reality show concept to the next level with “The Joe Schmo Show,” where only one contestant is real. This next wave in reality programming premieres with a two-hour event on Tuesday, September 2 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) and then can be seen in it’s regular time slot on Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT).

"The Joe Schmo Show" is one of television's biggest and riskiest experiments. Playing into men’s appetites for competition, humor and beautiful women, “The Joe Schmo Show” combines elements from many reality shows found on TV...except with one huge secret -- only one of the contestants is real. Everyone else on the show, from the host to the other 'players', are actors following a pre-determined outline. How would a naive reality contestant react to encountering a show filled with every outlandish element reality television has showcased? How far can producers push this 'reality,' and the ensuing ridiculous competitions? Will the actors be convincing enough? Will our unsuspecting “Joe” figure it all out? And if “Joe” does figure it out, how will “Joe” respond?

Matt Kennedy Gould is our unsuspecting “contestant” and the ultimate wildcard element that this entire show revolves around. Think middle. Middle class. Middle America and middle of the road. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Matt recently dropped out of law school and is a pizza deliveryman until he figures out what he wants to do with his life. He is the only non-actor of the house. Matt Kennedy Gould is our “Joe Schmo.”

Gould thinks he’s a contestant on “Lap of Luxury,” a new reality show in which he would live the life of the super-rich, pampered beyond his wildest dreams in a gorgeous, sprawling mansion while vying with eight other contestants for a grand prize of one hundred thousand dollars. As on many reality programs, the show features reward challenges. On “Lap of Luxury,” these challenges are called “Pampering Competitions,” games in which contestants “compete” for high-priced luxury items including flat screen televisions, vacations or simply the use of the mansion’s master suite. The show also includes “Lord of the Manor Immunity Showdowns,” in which contestants compete for immunity to avoid being “evicted” from the house. Both the “Pampering Competitions” and the “Immunity Showdowns” are parodies of similar elements in ‘eviction style’ reality shows and are completely rigged by the writers and producers.

At the end of each typical episode, the “Lap of Luxury” pseudo-reality show holds a “Riches to Rags Eviction Ceremony,” a “ritual” where castmates vote to evict one of their own. The evicted contestant's “Lap of Luxury Collectors Plate” is tossed into the fireplace, and the host deadpans: “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, (fill in name), you are dead to us!” This over-dramatic ritual pokes fun at the melodrama of every major reality show, using extreme close-ups, histrionic music, and ridiculous, gut-wrenching moments of tension.

In addition to surrounding Matt with stereotypical reality show contestants– The Buddy, The Asshole, The Grizzled Veteran, The Schemer, The Rich Bitch, The Gay Guy, The Virgin and The Quack -- series producers conspired to subject Matt nearly every over-the-top reality competition the networks have dared… along with a few too risky to have been tried before. Designed to test Matt’s moral fortitude, patience and sanity the competitions include: Hands on a High-Priced Hooker; A Meal Not Quite Fit for King; Battle of the Sexes and Money, Money, Money, Honey.

This weekly one-hour innovative new series is produced exclusively for the First Network for Men by one of television's leading independent production companies, Stone Stanley Entertainment ("The Mole," "Fame," "The Man Show"). “The Joe Schmo Show” was created by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, who also serve as writers and executive producers with David G. Stanley, Scott A. Stone and Anthony Ross. Peilin Chou is the Executive in Charge of Production for Spike TV.

Spike TV, the first network for men, is available in 86 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks owns and operates the cable and television programming services MTV: Music Television, MTV2, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, TV Land, VH1 and CMT: Country Music Television, as well as The Digital Suite from MTV Networks, a package of thirteen digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.Tom

Canadian Idol? Hmmm...that would be Bryan Adams in my book. Puuuurrrrrr. :D

While I freely admit to tv addiction, reality shows are one genre I just don't get into (other than the home & self improvement stuff like what Ginny mentioned). Tonight on 60 Minutes II was a pretty funny sample of a real "reality show". A video of two folks sitting at a table eating, going over bills, etc. It was dull as hell, and hilarious. For about 30 seconds. ;)Kim [gibknits@earthlink.net]

My husband and I have become totally addicted to those "While you were out" "Trading Spaces" "Monster House" type shows. And Andrew can build me a desk anytime, if you know what I mean! (wink)Alissa [alissa@knittingfairy.com]

I'm rather pleased that tv execs have clued in that people like to see new tv shows in the summer months instead of just reruns. There's a number of reality shows I enjoy too -- but thank your lucky stars you don't get Canadian Idol. It's done in such an amateurish fashion it's really embarassing.Pioneer Melissa [pioneermelissa@sympatico.ca]

native is the word I was going forRuth

My DH and I like the Amazing Race. We don't always get to watch though. I can't seem to knit during "A Race" it's so exciting and I like looking at all the countries they travel to along with the nstivr people they run across.Ruth [lrdennis@ev1.net]

YO fellow reality TV addict.......BB looks like it's gonna be a good one this year. BTW if ya need an in between fix they have live feed updates at www.jokersupdates.com I personally prefer the daily live feed summaries by Kimba - Here's yesterdays :)
http://www.jokersupdates.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=bbnewsandrumorsAnne [Bella34360@aol.com]

I can only confess to watching The Amazing Race, but I am completely hooked. I even tapes it when I went out to Vancouver last week. I read one review which described it as Travel P-rn, very fitting in my opinion!Sarah [sarah@drummondnews.ca]

Hi Sandy! Thanks for your kind words on my blog! :-) My toe is much better and, as a matter of fact, last night I was able to sit down and spin for a while (much to the harumphing of my DH, who thought I'd be out of spinning commission for a good bit longer than that!). ha no way!

JenJennifer [bhjtlogs@aol.com]

That's so sad... I feel for you. ;-) I personally cannot bring myself to watch any of them. The closest to reality TV I get is watching "While You Were Out" on TLC. Which is, BTW, a truly excellent show. Their carpenter Andrew is a total hunka-hunka-burnin' love.Ginny [gareid@wightman.ca]