by Lornna Bates
Managing editor
While I am in no way an expert on television shows or reality TV, I have discovered a channel that has captured my attention with a couple of shows that are addictive, to say the least.
TruTV, a network that supplies actual court hearings as they progress and true accounts of infamous crimes, is also creating an entertaining array of shows involving repossessions, friends embarrassing friends and “The World’s Dumbest (insert ANY topic here)” series, among others.
While I am almost embarrassed to admit this, three shows in particular keep me flipping to channel 63 (truTV at my house) most nights of the week.
First and foremost, “Impractical Jokers,” airing new episodes on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. is a new reality classic. Four friends since childhood, Murr, Sal, Q and Joe, invest a half-hour time slot solely to the mission of embarrassing each other.
Different skits are formulated by the four men to test the daring of the other cast members. At any given time, there are at least two of the cast members holding microphones, relaying instructions into an earpiece worn by the participant(s). As the man/men respond in the situation, the others are telling the participant(s) how to act, what to say and what actions to perform.
The choice is theirs: continue with the skit and repeat what is instructed or don’t. Simple, right?
Not so simple when, for example, Murr is standing in a crowded park in the middle of the day with a bull horn held to his mouth, pretending to say, “I hate all you Americans!” Unfortunately for Murr, he does not know what is being said at any time, as Q is the one speaking into the microphone while Murr is standing there for everyone to see.
The four men embark on a quest to push the limits of embarrassment and test how far they will go before they choose to save themselves from having to perform the outrageous stunt or say the shocking statement they have been instructed to do.
At the end of the show, the man who lost the most times in the show has to fulfill the ultimate embarrassment, whether it be by stopping the skit or failing to convince someone into giving them a tip while acting like a fool serving them, for example. You would have to watch the show to see the end games, but suffice it to say, the loser is not aware of what is coming and has no choice but to follow through with the matter.
And quickly becoming my all-time favorite is “Lizard Lick Towing,” the story of husband and wife team, Ronnie and Amy Shirley, and their long-time friend Bobby Brantley. The couple own the towing agency featured in the show, Lizard Lick Towing.
Shirley and Brantley, both big dudes (although big does not always imply muscle), routinely go out and tow an unsuspecting person’s vehicle (although they quit paying for it, so surely they knew that it was coming).
Shirley is mouthy and quite fond of redneck phrases but rarely has the capability to back his mouth up. Brantley, on the other hand, has Shirley’s back, serves as a distraction during the process and has an uncanny ability to grab a man by the neck and plant him on his back in less than two seconds.
Even more impressive than Brantley’s mad skill is Amy, who I have seen push a man three times her weight out the door of the shop and onto his back.
The man had the nerve to shove her because he did not agree with the policies or practices of the company, which none do in that situation. He is one of many she has bested in her quest to protect the place.
The show is nothing but drama and, in my personal opinion, is so full of ridiculousness and insanity that it soon becomes a necessity that I cannot live without. I look forward to Monday evenings at 9 p.m. for the newest installment of redneck excitement.
An example of one of Ronnie Shirley’s many words of wisdom: “That is nuttier than a port-a-potty at a peanut festival.” Now who could not be abhorred, yet strangely intrigued by a statement like this?
Finally, my least favorite is “The World’s Dumbest” series. There literally is no end to the topics that you could choose to make a show out of this. Criminals (1,2,3…), police chases (1,2,3…), dare devils (1,2,3…), crashes (1,2,3…), etc. Do you see where I am going with this?
The best part for me is the steady stream of guest hosts who are featured on the show. Tonya Harding, Todd Bridges, Leif Garrett, Amy Fisher and Danny Bonaduce, all famous for various shocking criminal activities in the past, host the show with a multitude of other guests and comedians, varying by show, commenting on the idiocy of the people caught on film.
It is rewarding on so many different levels. Sometimes you just need to watch a show that makes you laugh at the misfortune of others, due to their own dumba–edness.
As I mentioned though, this is my least favorite. I am never guaranteed a great show, or a topic that I will even find entertaining. There are times that I will fight my other half to change the channel because the stupidity is just too much to handle.
And just when I think that I am complete in my lazy, down-time entertainment, while I am writing this, another truTV show debuts for the season called “South Beach Tow” and it is hilarious.
With one episode and the promise of even more action-packed insanity and entertainment, how could I resist?