| Just For Laughs: Gags | |
|---|---|
A gag on Just For Laughs |
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| Genre | Comedy |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Language(s) | Silent, interjection |
| No. of episodes | 2000+ |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Wild Rover Productions |
| Location(s) | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Running time | 30 minutes (including commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | The Comedy Network |
| Original run | December 26, 2002 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Just for Laughs |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Just For Laughs Gags (JFL Gags) is a Canadian silent comedy/hidden camera reality television show that is under the Just For Laughs brand. On December 26, 2002, JFL Gags began airing on CTV and The Comedy Network in Canada. Just for Laughs: Gags currently airs Weekdays at 6 pm, Just for Laughs: Gags does not airs on CTV anymore. The show also airs on Telemundo in the United States, Multishow Channel in Brazil and occupies a Summer prime time slot on SIC in Portugal.
This series' format is the typical hidden camera comedy show, playing silly pranks on unsuspecting subjects while hidden cameras capture the people's response (similar to UK hidden camera comedy shows). This show plays music in the background, but does not contain any sound and dialogue (except for brief sound effects and laughter) but you can occasionally hear the actors and victims talking. It is filmed in downtown Montreal and rural Québec although some segments are filmed in the UK or Mexico. Sound effects, music and a laugh track are added in post-production.
The hidden camera formula has previously been used on other shows, such as Candid Camera and The Tonight Show, though both of these shows were not silent form of humor. With its silent format and no translation required, Just For Laughs Gags has been purchased for use in many countries and on airlines.
Contents |
Just a few illustrative examples from the thousands of pranks filmed for the 2000+ shows include:
The silent Just For Laughs Gags hidden camera formula has been used by the BBC for UK audiences. The show was produced in Northern Ireland between 2003-2007, and was called Just For Laughs, without Gags in the title. Most of the items for that version were filmed in and around Belfast, Northern Ireland; Leeds, England and Glasgow, Scotland; however, some clips are shown from the Canadian show. The format of the show, however, is identical to that of the version filmed in Canada.
On July 17, 2007, ABC in the United States began airing a customized version of the series, simply called Just For Laughs, with slightly different graphics but retains the "Just For Laughs" logo. It is hosted by Rick Miller and shows clips from the Canadian version. In its debut the series performed well with back-to-back shows pulling in a 2.7 in its first outing, followed by a 3.0 in the second showing, according to The Futon Critic. The show's summer airings and good ratings resulted in ABC adding the show to the network lineup as a midseason replacement. It returned to the schedule on January 1, 2008, before being cancelled on May 12, 2008,[1] but was brought back for more episodes in summer 2009.[2] The relatively inexpensive program was primarily used as writer's strike filler against its more successful competition, NCIS on CBS and American Idol on Fox.
Just For Laughs Gags 1
Just For Laughs Gags 2
Just For Laughs Gags 3 and 4
Just For Laughs Gags 5 and 6
Just For Laughs Gags 7 and 8