If you have a funny bone in your body, TruTV's hit show "Impractical Jokers" will have you in stitches. Today, two of the four hosts - Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano - joined the folks at Fox and Friends to give some insight into how their hilarious antics went from being pranks between friends to a concept for television!

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/04/01/impractical-jokers-prank-show-turns-every-episode-into-april-fools-day/

truTV's hit series Impractical Jokers is enjoying a spectacular second season. Last night, the series drew its biggest audience yet, with 2,025,000 viewers. In truTV's key demos demos, Impractical Jokers drew an impressive 1,291,000 adults 18-49 and 661,000 men 18-49. Compared to its first season Impractical Jokers is up double digits across the board, with total viewers growing by +36%, adults 18-49 by +49% and men 18-49 by +28%.

http://news.turner.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6315

It's that time of year again and holiday cheer is running through the streets of New York City, or is it? We had our friends the Impractical Jokers hit the streets to see if people would hug strangers. Check out what went down below.

http://www.1067litefm.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=416272&article=10635785#ixzz2H378T3Jw

A new mobile app for truTV pranking series Impractical Jokers gives users a chance to talk directly to the stars, along with an array of show-related content, the network said.

The Impractical Jokers app is now available on the iOS and Android platforms and can be downloaded free from the iTunes App Store and Google Play. It comes just ahead of the show's second season premiere on Thursday (Dec. 13) at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

http://www.multichannel.com/mobile/impractical-jokers-app-gives-fans-direct-line-stars/140716

Hearst Corp. continued its push to become a force in unscripted programming. The media conglomerate struck an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in NorthSouth Productions, whose television credits include "Say Yes to the Dress." Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "This partnership gives us a significantly stronger presence in cable network production, which is experiencing a steady growth in overall demand,” said Hearst Chairman Frank Bennack.

Although Hearst is still best known as a newspaper and magazine publisher, it has ownership stakes in cable networks A&E, History, Lifetime and ESPN. It also owns 29 television stations that reach almost 20% of the United States.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-hearst-northsouth-20121206,0,573723.story

Hearst Corporation has agreed a deal to acquire 50% of Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta indie NorthSouth Productions for an undisclosed sum. The joint venture agreement will see NorthSouth become part of Hearst Entertainment & Syndication, which is run by president Scott Sassa and includes ownership in cable networks including A&E, History and ESPN; and a joint venture with Mark Burnett called One Three Media, among other holdings.

“This partnership gives us a significantly stronger presence in cable network production, which is experiencing a steady growth in overall demand,” said Hearst Corporation CEO Frank A. Bennack Jr. in a statement.

http://realscreen.com/2012/12/06/hearst-takes-stake-in-yes-to-the-dress-indie-northsouth/#ixzz2EP9kRFdO

Hearst has acquired 50% of NorthSouth Productions, a major independent producer of non-scripted TV programming. NorthSouth, with shows like "Impractical Jokers," "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta" and "Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids," will become part of Hearst Entertainment and Syndication, run by prexy Scott Sassa who's has been looking to grow the division. It holds stakes in big cable networks like A&E, History and ESPN and has a joint venture with Mark Burnett called One Three Media.

"NorthSouth is right at the center of the burgeoning television 'reality comedy' category which is attracting both men and women of all demographics across a number of important and diverse networks," Sassa said. He called the newest addition a nice complement to Burnett's One Three.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118063232

Lifetime viewers are sure to see double this January -- not because of lingering effects from New Year's Eve ringing in 2013 -- rather from Double Divas, the all-new docuseries that will offer an eye-opening peek into the world of intimate apparel at Atlanta's renowned boutique LiviRae Lingerie, where the motto is: "No bust too big or small. We fit them all!"

DOUBLE DIVAS will debut with two back-to-back episodes on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 10:00pm ET/PT, following Project Runway All Stars. Viewers will also be able to catch a sneak-peek of Double Divas on January 1 at 10:30 pm ET/PT.

http://tv.broadwayworld.com/article/Lifetimes-New-Docu-Series-DOUBLE-DIVAS-to-Debut-110-20121119

Lifetime has ordered Double Divas, a new docu-series centered on an intimate apparel store in Atlanta. Double Divas will launch with back-to-back episodes 10 p.m. Jan. 10 after Project Runway: All-Stars. A sneak peek of the series will air on New Year's Day at 10:30 p.m.

Double Divas follows LiviRae owners and best friends Molly Hopkins and Cynthia Richards, as well as their apprentice, Loren. The co-owners will travel across the region on their way to fittings, bridal showers and other business opportunities.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/lifetime-orders-double-divas-series-392262

truTV has ordered a second season of the hit series Impractical Jokers, the network's hilarious hidden-camera series featuring four lifelong friends who take dares to an outrageous level. In keeping with the offbeat nature of the series, Impractical Jokers stars Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano made the announcement through a special video message to fans posted on their Facebook fan page at http://facebook.com/ImpracticalJokers.

truTV has ordered 15 episodes for the second season of Impractical Jokers, with plans to launch the new season in December 2012.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/06/21/trutv-orders-second-season-of-hit-series-impractical-jokers/138963/

Nestled in the heart of cable television, TruTV’s comedic gem, Impractical Jokers, has been sweeping the world with its hilarity. And to celebrate the Impractical Jokers season finale, we’re taking a look back at some of the most hilarious moments from this past season.

For those unfamiliar with Impractical Jokers, the series brings a completely original, unique, and always funny premise to the often stale hidden camera genre. Instead of using unsuspecting people as “victims” for their staged pranks, Impractical Jokers flips the tables and makes the hosts the butt of the joke.

http://screenrant.com/impractical-jokers-best-moments-aco-168776/all/1/

It’s that time of year once again – time to salute the 100 top non-fiction production companies operating today, as chosen by realscreen readers.

We solicited your input via realscreen.com and our daily newsletter, and received scores of nominations from international network execs, producers and distributors. Some nominations detailed the efforts of particular companies that have shown their worth as trusted partners, while others itemized particular series or feature docs that stood out for them in 2011.

http://realscreen.com/2012/03/29/realscreens-global-100-for-2011/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=realscreens-global-100-for-2011

Staten Island's Impractical Jokers, Murr, Sal, Joe and Brian Quinn

With the countless new reality shows coming out for the past decade,I thought I was sick and tired of shows that are based around embarrassment and humiliation, one would think that the shock value of watching others face awkward confrontations would be old news and seem repetitive, however, Impractical Jokers is really funny, and in many ways unique.

It’s a simple formula of four guys telling each other to say embarrassing things to strangers. As simple as the formula seems, it is very complex when one considers the editing that goes into making this show as entertaining as it is.

http://skarlet.hubpages.com/hub/Impractical-Jokers-Hilarious-New-Show-on-Tru-Tv

TLC's hit series SAY YES TO THE DRESS: BRIDESMAIDS returns with all-new episodes on Friday, April 13 at 9pm ET/PT. As the highest-rated installment to-date in the network's popular franchise, SAY YES TO THE DRESS: BRIDESMAIDS gives a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the booming bridesmaids salon at Atlanta's Bridals by Lori.

Viewers will continue to see the drama behind finding a gown that meets the expectations of a diverse group of demanding (and sometimes difficult) bridesmaids. With the help of a group of outspoken consultants, these wedding day divas must come to an agreement on a look that pleases the entire party. Unfortunately, the style disagreements, opinionated bridesmaids, and hefty price tags are enough to cause the bride's fantasy wedding to turn into her worst nightmare.

http://thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/03/13/tlcs-hit-series-say-yes-to-the-dress-bridesmaids-returns-for-a-second-season-april-13-882402/20120313tlc01/

Imagine sipping a latte at your local coffee shop, and some crazy dude in the rest room throws open the door and hollers for more toilet paper. He's perched on the bowl, hairy legs spread apart, pants down around his ankles. What would you do?

This scenario was featured on TV's hilarious new show Impractical Jokers, where four friends compete to pull off pranks on the unsuspecting public while a hidden camera rolls.

Other pranks featured: cutting the line at TKTS in Times Square, shopping straight out of another customer's cart in the supermarket, crashing on a stranger's blanket at the beach, and better stuff too complicated to explain. Set the DVR.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anastasia-rubis/idiots-guide-to-belly-lau_b_1251516.html

Every car that rolls into BS&F Auto Parts in Soundview has a tale. Now those stories are coming to the small screen in “Hard Parts: South Bronx,” a new reality show to air on SPEED.

The show, which debuts in May, will spotlight owner Joe Ferrer and his crew going the extra mile to fix such unusual cars as a custom all-electric DeLorean and a ‘57 Daimler.

“We’re talking about car parts but there are so many rich characters (in the show) that it becomes more about the person and how these cars affect the owners,” said Executive Producer Pete DeLasho.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/cable-reality-show-spotlights-bronx-auto-parts-shop-stories-behind-unusual-cars-article-1.1004567?localLinksEnabled=false

Most brides have problems finding a wedding dress they like -- but that's the least of Karina Smirnoff's worries.

In this clip from "Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta," the "Dancing With The Stars" dancer visits Bridals by Lori to look for a dress for her nuptials to Detroit Tigers pitcher Brad Penny.

As Karina steps out in the first dress -- a frothy white custom couture gown -- everyone gasps in amazement. "I absolutely love it. I love the lace detailing on the skirt," says the glowing bride-to-be. When asked what she would rate the breathtaking Lazaro dress on a scale of 1 to 10, the dancer doesn't even hesitate: "Ten," Karina says, smiling.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/06/say-yes-to-the-dress-kari_n_1189939.html

Making fun of your speed-dating partner’s boring job might not be a good way to make a first impression. But when cameras are involved, it’s a great start for a comedy show.

On truTV’s “Impractical Jokers,” friends Joe Gatto, James Murray, Brian Quinn and Sal Vulcano use hidden cameras to watch each other do everything from insulting their dates to stealing groceries from other people’s carts.

But the guys aren’t trying to be rude. Rather, they’re trying to win a series of four challenges that they face each episode.

http://www.sj-r.com/voice/x545141361/Jokers-gives-a-good-laugh

Joe Ferrer and his crew from BS&F Auto Parts on Bronx River Avenue get a turn in the spotlight as Speed Channel has scheduled Hard Parts: South Bronx, a new 13-episode reality series, for launch in May 2012.
Specializing in hard-to-find auto parts, BS&F is a family business, opened in 1980 by Ferrer and his father, who ran a shop in Manhattan for 40 years.
"What people will find is this is not a program about auto parts," executive producer Mark Hickman of New York-based NorthSouth Productions said in a Speed release. "Auto parts and cars relate to everyone's life, and the parts are really a way for us to get into ‘Why is this car important to me?' and the stories behind that."

http://www.multichannel.com/article/478368-_Hard_Parts_South_Bronx_Joins_Speed_Lineup_In_May.php

Goofy stunts are laugh-out-loud funny
Ready for the most ridiculous, funniest hidden camera show ever? Then make sure to tune in tonight for truTV’s new show “Impractical Jokers,” possibly the funniest, most ridiculous show I’ve seen in years.

Four guys from Staten Island — Brian Quinn, James Murray, Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano — who’ve been challenging each other to do the most embarrassing things since they were kids, have taken their hilarious highjinks to TV.

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/jokers_on_you_g9ldIBKemNDq9YwPUboVEO

TruTV series has four likeable guys goofing on people
When it comes to critics, comedies have an advantage over other genres. Critics can claim that a drama left them unmoved or that a horror movie left them unperturbed, but it isn’t a matter of opinion whether a comedy made them laugh. .

By that simple standard, TruTV’s new hidden-camera series “Impractical Jokers” is a success. A self-described collection of “scenes of graphic stupidity,” it will have most viewers laughing out loud. While some of us will feel a little guilty afterward, those with a tolerance for vulgar male bonding will be in pig heaven.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reviews_21/-Impractical-Jokers-laughing-out-loud.asp

It seems as if the punked-and-pranked genre of television ought to be dead by now, but four New York guys prove that it isn’t in “(Impractical) Jokers,” a gleefully idiotic show that has its premiere Thursday night on TruTV.

A mere description of this slapdash concoction doesn’t convey how funny it is, but here’s the gist of it: Brian Quinn, James Murray, Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano, who have a comedy troupe called the Tenderloins, go to public places in the New York region and give one another absurd challenges. A tally is kept of who succeeds and who doesn’t, with the loser being subjected to an embarrassing punishment at the end of each show.

http://tv.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/arts/television/-impractical-jokers-on-trutv-review.html

Impractical Jokers - New series coming in December

Since they were kids, Sal, Murr, Q and Joe have dared one another to do the most ridiculous, humiliating public pranks imaginable. Now, to find out who’s best under pressure, they’ll compete in unbelievably awkward social experiments – all recorded on camera. The loser must do the most mortifying challenge ever.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/07/26/trutv-announces-premiere-dates-including-new-series-bear-swamp-recovery-hulk-hogans-mcw-and-impractical-jokers/98940/

Fox-owned Speed has greenlit one new series for fall and two others for 2012. The cabler has ordered 20 episodes of gameshow "Pumped," a trivia contest that invites customers at gas stations to become immediate contestants. It's set for a November launch with Greg Fitzsimmons hosting. In addition, Speed requisitioned 13 episodes of "Hard Parts: South Bronx," focusing on the search for impossible-to-find auto parts. Speed is eyeing a second-quarter 2012 premiere for "Hard Parts," as well as new amateur driving competition skein, "Whipped." Speed has also ordered 13 more episodes to extend the first season of "My Ride Rules," while greenlighting "Dumbest Stuff on Wheels," "Car Warriors" and "Stuntbusters" for soph seasons.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118043819

TLC’s wedding dress decision-making reality franchise just got another boost. The network is renewing freshman spin-off Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids for a second season. TLC is picking up 18 half-hour episodes to premiere in March of next year. The show gives viewers a look at the drama of finding a gown that meets the expectations of a diverse group of demanding bridesmaids with the help of a group of outspoken consultants. The first season averaged 1.7 million viewers per episodes.

The latest chapter in TLC's franchise will offer viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the bridesmaids' salon at Bridals by Lori in Atlanta where sometimes difficult bridesmaids are searching for their perfect gowns.  TLC ordered six 30m episodes.  Prior to this new series premiere, TLC debuts the second season of Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta at 9p.  NorthSouth Productions is behind both Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids and Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta.

TLC is spreading wedding fever to the South.
As a spinoff of "Say Yes to the Dress," the cabler is moving the show to Atlanta and will shoot in salon Bridals by Lori. Twelve episodes have been ordered.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118016783

Who you gonna call? How about 911?
A&E is seeking to one-up Sci Fi's "Ghost Hunters" with a new series that blends paranormal investigation with law enforcement.

The network has greenlit a new unscripted series called "Paranormal Cops," about a group of Chicago police officers who moonlight as ghost chasers in their spare time.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/live-feed/ae-reality-show-cops-chasing-51091

I Bet You/televised poker (MOJO HD, 2007-08/every channel ever, all decade long)
In 2003, a Knoxville accountant named Chris Moneymaker parlayed a World Series Of Poker buy-in (won in an Internet tournament) into one of the most significant victories in the history of the game.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-best-reality-seriescompetitions-of-the-00s,35245/

In addition to a fourth season of "Locator," which stars Troy Dunn and focuses on reuniting lost loved ones, WE picked up second seasons of child-pageant series "Little Miss Perfect" (12 episodes in 2010, Jennifer Holbach exec producing) and teen docu skein "High School Confidential" (eight episodes in 2013, Sharon Liese exec producing).

Who you gonna call?
A group of suburban cops who call themselves the Chicago Paranormal Detectives have landed a show on the A&E television network showcasing their skills as ghostbusters.

http://jobs.suntimes.com/entertainment/television/1395687,CST-NWS-ghosts25.article

A&E sets out on a ghost patrol with the greenlight of the new original real-life series "Paranormal Cops," following a team of Chicago-area police officers who also work as paranormal investigators.

http://www.aetv.com/news/a-e-announces-new-series-%3Ci%3Eparanormal-cops%3Ci%3E-third-season-of-%3Ci%3Eparanormal-state%3Ci%3E-401916