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CNN Live Today
Reality Check
Aired September 09, 2003 - 11:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's a new show, and it's giving reality TV a reality check. The name of the series is "The Joe Schmo Show." The only thing real is one unwitting contestant. Brian Keith Etheridge is an actor and a segment producer on the series. He's in Los Angeles with details on what we're seeing, and to give us some pictures from behind the scenes.
Brian, good morning. Thanks for being with us.
So instead of reality television, this is kind of like unreality television.
BRIAN KEITH ETHERIDGE, "THE JOE SCHMO SHOW": Yes, it is. But as you'll see, as the episodes progress, it becomes very real, because we become emotionally attached to Matt Kennedy Gould, who's our Joe Schmo." And you'll see, as things unfold, it becomes pretty real.
KAGAN: Now as we mentioned, you appear as a contestant, but you're also one of the segment producers, and it would appear that as the show went on, you found it's not so easy to create this environment.
ETHERIDGE: Right, well, we knew going into it for months and months ahead, before we went in, we didn't take it lightly. We knew it was going to be a challenge. And as one of the writers on the show, it helped to kind of be in the house, because things changed. It was kind of like a choose your own adventure, where it was like, if Matt does this, we're going do that, if Matt does this -- but you can't predict it. And as you'll see as the show goes one, sometimes Matt just does stuff that we never imagined he would do. It's great.
KAGAN: And one of those things might be perhaps figuring it out. We want to show a clip right now from the show where it seems like he might know what's going on. This is the bathing suit competition, let's say, that just aired. Let's watch this clip.
ETHERIDGE: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which one?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those were yours.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAGAN: All right, well, perhaps Happen that wasn't the best example of the show there. But let me just ask you flat out, did this person, this Joe Schmo, did he figure it out before tend of the series?
ETHERIDGE: Well, that's the question of the day. And the great thing about this reality show, unlike many other shows, is that you will find all of that out by the end of the show. The question is, does he figure it out, or do we reveal it to him? And when he does find out what's going on, does he get angry? As the show progresses, you'll see when that comes around. Obviously, we don't want to give away what happens, but it's wonderful.
KAGAN: I appreciate you wanting to protect the show, but also I think there are some people that are going to look at this and say, you know what, this is just mean to set somebody up like this. Did you feel bad as you worked with this guy who looks like a nice guy?
ETHERIDGE: Yes, he's a very nice guy. And as you see, as watch the episode, you realize that he's, you know, buying into everything. So, yes, of course we tried to kind of keep it within certain parameters. And as the episodes unfold, you'll see that we do get very concerned about the degree to which we're kind of fooling this guy. And where is the line? Where's the line in terms of what's funny and what becomes, you know, not so funny? And I think that we walk it very well.
KAGAN: And let me just ask you, because Matt Kennedy Gould is not out there doing PR for this show. That could mean that you're either trying to protect the twist, or this guy is really ticked off on the joke that you played on him.
ETHERIDGE: Right, and again, that's the question. I mean, one of the beautiful things about this show is that you don't know. Is he mad? Is he not mad?
I can say this. When you get to the final episode of this show and you watch all the episodes, you will not be disappointed at the reveal. You will be very fulfilled. Every question you have, the same questions we had, as actors and writers and producers, all of those things will get answered. And it was a great, great, great ride. It was really fun.
KAGAN: We will take your word for that, since Matt Gould isn't around to answer that question. Tell us when people can see it if they want to.
ETHERIDGE: You can see it on Tuesday nights 9:00 p.m. on Spike TV. And it reairs, check your local listings, and it reairs a few times a week. I know it airs on Sunday nights.
KAGAN: All right, they can look for that. And if it turns out that Matt Kennedy Gould really isn't ticked, that you're hiding him, how about his first interview right here on CNN LIVE TODAY? Can you make that happen?
ETHERIDGE: Well, I guess we'll have to see how much he'll plug our show between now and the end of the season.
KAGAN: We had you on, didn't we? Come on.
ETHERIDGE: Yes, it's wonderful. Absolutely.
KAGAN: We will negotiate. Absolutely. OK, Brian Keith Etheridge from "The Joe Schmo Show."
ETHERIDGE: Thank you.
KAGAN: Appreciate it.
Thanks, bye.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 9, 2003 - 11:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's a new show, and it's giving reality TV a reality check. The name of the series is "The Joe Schmo Show." The only thing real is one unwitting contestant. Brian Keith Etheridge is an actor and a segment producer on the series. He's in Los Angeles with details on what we're seeing, and to give us some pictures from behind the scenes.
Brian, good morning. Thanks for being with us.
So instead of reality television, this is kind of like unreality television.
BRIAN KEITH ETHERIDGE, "THE JOE SCHMO SHOW": Yes, it is. But as you'll see, as the episodes progress, it becomes very real, because we become emotionally attached to Matt Kennedy Gould, who's our Joe Schmo." And you'll see, as things unfold, it becomes pretty real.
KAGAN: Now as we mentioned, you appear as a contestant, but you're also one of the segment producers, and it would appear that as the show went on, you found it's not so easy to create this environment.
ETHERIDGE: Right, well, we knew going into it for months and months ahead, before we went in, we didn't take it lightly. We knew it was going to be a challenge. And as one of the writers on the show, it helped to kind of be in the house, because things changed. It was kind of like a choose your own adventure, where it was like, if Matt does this, we're going do that, if Matt does this -- but you can't predict it. And as you'll see as the show goes one, sometimes Matt just does stuff that we never imagined he would do. It's great.
KAGAN: And one of those things might be perhaps figuring it out. We want to show a clip right now from the show where it seems like he might know what's going on. This is the bathing suit competition, let's say, that just aired. Let's watch this clip.
ETHERIDGE: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which one?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those were yours.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAGAN: All right, well, perhaps Happen that wasn't the best example of the show there. But let me just ask you flat out, did this person, this Joe Schmo, did he figure it out before tend of the series?
ETHERIDGE: Well, that's the question of the day. And the great thing about this reality show, unlike many other shows, is that you will find all of that out by the end of the show. The question is, does he figure it out, or do we reveal it to him? And when he does find out what's going on, does he get angry? As the show progresses, you'll see when that comes around. Obviously, we don't want to give away what happens, but it's wonderful.
KAGAN: I appreciate you wanting to protect the show, but also I think there are some people that are going to look at this and say, you know what, this is just mean to set somebody up like this. Did you feel bad as you worked with this guy who looks like a nice guy?
ETHERIDGE: Yes, he's a very nice guy. And as you see, as watch the episode, you realize that he's, you know, buying into everything. So, yes, of course we tried to kind of keep it within certain parameters. And as the episodes unfold, you'll see that we do get very concerned about the degree to which we're kind of fooling this guy. And where is the line? Where's the line in terms of what's funny and what becomes, you know, not so funny? And I think that we walk it very well.
KAGAN: And let me just ask you, because Matt Kennedy Gould is not out there doing PR for this show. That could mean that you're either trying to protect the twist, or this guy is really ticked off on the joke that you played on him.
ETHERIDGE: Right, and again, that's the question. I mean, one of the beautiful things about this show is that you don't know. Is he mad? Is he not mad?
I can say this. When you get to the final episode of this show and you watch all the episodes, you will not be disappointed at the reveal. You will be very fulfilled. Every question you have, the same questions we had, as actors and writers and producers, all of those things will get answered. And it was a great, great, great ride. It was really fun.
KAGAN: We will take your word for that, since Matt Gould isn't around to answer that question. Tell us when people can see it if they want to.
ETHERIDGE: You can see it on Tuesday nights 9:00 p.m. on Spike TV. And it reairs, check your local listings, and it reairs a few times a week. I know it airs on Sunday nights.
KAGAN: All right, they can look for that. And if it turns out that Matt Kennedy Gould really isn't ticked, that you're hiding him, how about his first interview right here on CNN LIVE TODAY? Can you make that happen?
ETHERIDGE: Well, I guess we'll have to see how much he'll plug our show between now and the end of the season.
KAGAN: We had you on, didn't we? Come on.
ETHERIDGE: Yes, it's wonderful. Absolutely.
KAGAN: We will negotiate. Absolutely. OK, Brian Keith Etheridge from "The Joe Schmo Show."
ETHERIDGE: Thank you.
KAGAN: Appreciate it.
Thanks, bye.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
