The Joe Schmo Show is an American reality television hoax show created by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. The show's premise is that a target person or people are led to believe that they are contestants on a reality television show. In reality, all of the other participants in the purported show – including the host – are actors, and their actions and the outcome are scripted in an attempt to elicit comedic reactions from the targets. The first season's hoax was conducted as a typical reality competition show while the second hoax was a Bachelor-like dating series.
The show's premise is that a target person or people are led to believe that they are contestants on a reality television show. In reality, all of the other participants in the purported show – including the host – are actors. The only constant presence in all three seasons has been Ralph Garman, who has served as the "emcee"