The Joe Schmo Show: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

The Joe Schmo Show is a one-hour, 10-episode series featuring a real guy who believes he is on an over-the-top reality show looking for America's next bounty hunter and the chance to win $100k. What he doesn't know is the entire show is FAKE. For over a year his entire world was carefully planned by a team of writers, producers, and actors all performing for him. His "competitors" are actually actors representing every classic reality show cliché, including the Buddy, the Jerk, the Model, and even Lorenzo Lamas, playing a washed-up version of himself. The actors must do their best under these insane circumstances to follow a pre-determined script. One break in character or a single misspoken word could bring the entire show crashing down around them. He'll experience everything from flame throwers and stun guns to being chained to federal inmates and capturing his own fugitive. "Joe" must navigate this ridiculous world while we discover how a contestant reacts to being thrust on a show filled with every outlandish element reality television has to offer. How far can producers push this 'reality,' and the ensuing ridiculous competitions? Will "Joe's" character remain intact? And of course, will the actors be convincing enough or will our unsuspecting "Joe" figure it all out?

Series details

• Title: The Joe Schmo Show
• Format: Reality
• Language: English
• Premiere date: 2003-09-02
• Final broadcast date listed: 2013-03-05
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: Paramount Network
• Network country: United States
• Typical episode runtime: 60 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 8381
• IMDb ID: tt0377024
• TVDB ID: 81512

Cast and credited roles

• David Hornsby — 'The Asshole'
• Jo Newman — Karlee, the Deaf Gir
• Matt Kennedy Gould — Matt Kennedy Gould
• Melissa Yvonne Lewis — 'The Rich Bitch'
• Ralph Garman — 'The Smarmy Host'
• Robert Belushi — Allen, the Buddy
• Tim Walsh — Joe Schmo

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 2003-09-02; final listed air date 2003-10-28; episode order: 9.
• Season 2: premiered 2004-06-15; final listed air date 2004-08-10; episode order: 9.
• Season 3: premiered 2013-01-08; final listed air date 2013-03-05; episode order: 10.

Source and licence

Adapted from The Joe Schmo Show on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.