The Comedians of 'Impractical Jokers' Just Signed a First Look Deal With WarnerMedia

Almost two years after the Season 8 finale of Impractical Jokers, the Tenderloins are finally returning to the small screen on Feb. 4 for a socially-distanced season that’s unlike any other. While it seems that the jokers have found a way to capture what were once intimate encounters in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, viewers of the show want to know: When was Season 9 filmed? 

Last February, Impractical Jokers was renewed for a ninth season but shortly after, showrunners were forced pressed to press pause due to the coronavirus pandemic and weren’t permitted to film again until September. The jokers ultimately resumed production for Season 9 last fall, but a previous episode of their video chat spin-off, Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party, revealed that the crew was still filming episodes as recently as December of 2020. 

According to the Staten Island group of comedians, the events that transpired over the last year shifted the narrative of the show drastically. In an interview with the LA Times, troupe member Brian “Q” Quinn noted that finding a socially acceptable way to pull pranks during a pandemic was much more difficult than they anticipated. He explained, “We’re all very concerned about putting out a subpar show. We want to maintain what we call quality.”

Despite their previous inhibitions, Brian and the gang tease that this season is one of their most interactive yet. According to Brian, although the comedians would usually have one or two people per week refuse to participate on the show, when filming Season 9, only one person in three months refused to sign a release form. Brian explained, “People were definitely ready to interact with other people. Everybody was in a good mood and really willing to play.”

With concerts and shows canceled across the world, it’s safe to say that 2020 was a sad year in entertainment, but the best friends of Impractical Jokers seem to have had a pretty great year despite this fact. 

After the release of their feature film, Impractical Jokers: The Movie, and their work on The Misery Index, Brian "Q" Quinn, James "Murr" Murray, Joe Gatto, and Sal Vulcano recently signed a first-look deal with WarnerMedia where they will produce original content for TNT, TBS, truTV, and HBO Max.

Of the impractical jokers, General Manager of TBS, TNT, and truTV Brett Weitz said, “From the very first dinner I had with Joe, James, Brian, and Sal, I knew I loved spending time with them, and that our audiences would as well. And here we are, greenlighting a tenth season. We’re proud to be the home, where the guys can continue to flex their creative muscles, continue to evolve their comedy and build new IP that we can introduce into the larger WarnerMedia family.”

Corie Henson, EVP and Head of Unscripted Development at TNT, TBS,  and truTV also vouched for the group, even calling them “prolific.” Corie explained, “We have three networks, so we’re going to get out of their way, and give them the support and the biggest platform to do just that.”

You can watch new episodes of Impractical Jokers Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on truTV.