Some television shows exist to make a political point, while others are meant to pull at our heart strings. Some propel us toward social change, and others leave us with a cliffhanger every week. Thankfully, some shows simply exist to make us laugh, and TruTV’s Impractical Jokers does this extremely well.
The comedy troupe behind the hit show is made up of members Sal Vulcano, Brian Quinn (Q) , Joe Gatto, and James Murray (Murr). Murr took a minute to tell us about the new season and share an exclusive sneak peak of Impractical Jokers, Season 5, which begins Thursday, Feb. 11.
Paste: Now that you are in season 5, and the show has become significantly more popular, was it harder to find strangers?
Murr: It’s always easy to find strangers in New York. There’s 10 million strangers in New York. It’s harder for sure, but we’ve changed the show to kind of make up for it, you know?
We do a lot more challenges where people come into a store, so for one person that recognizes us, there are 5 people who don’t. We do less challenges like boardwalks, we do less things like that because we get recognized too much.
Paste: Here’s something you’re going to make me say because I watched your trailer: ‘crotch-watch’.
Murr: These days it’s all about wearables. You know, you got your apple watch, somebody is wearing a fit bit, it’s all about wearables, and “crotch watch” is the wearable of the future.
Paste: That was really something.
Murr: Are you saying my crotch is really something? I appreciate that.
Paste: Yes. I’m going to tell everyone I know. What can we look forward to this season?
Murr: I will say, that the season premiere punishment, did send me to the hospital. I’m fine. I’m A-ok, I promise, but I did get treated by an EMT on set, because go figure, when you’re forced to jump out of a helicopter, these kinds of things happen.
Paste: I wondered, because I saw Sal jump out of the helicopter, and you were behind him.
Murr: I don’t want to give too much away, but, first of all, there was only one seat on the helicopter and Sal got it. One of us got to ride inside the helicopter, the other one had to ride outside the helicopter on the bar.
Murr promises that the punishments this season are even more “out of control” than last year. But you don’t have to just take our word for it. We have an exclusive sneak peak of Impractical Jokers season 5. The new season of Impractical Jokers premieres Thursday, Feb. 11 at 10/9c on truTV.