The Joe Schmo Show - Season One Uncensored - Region 1 DVD

The eight episodes in The Joe Schmo Show: Season One Uncensored look and sound like any other reality gimmick, though part of what makes the series fun are little risk elements that threaten to blow open the whole scheme or at least create suspicion in Gould's mind. There are several occasions in which one or another actor gets confused about a character detail and Gould wonders about apparent contradictions; once or twice, actors have to leave a situation because they are close to cracking up. For the most part, however, the tall, gullible, good-natured hero bonds with his "housemates" and keeps a smile on while participating in underwear-swapping contests, gross-out meals, and tense elimination rituals. The final episode, in which Gould is told the truth, is surprisingly moving. This DVD set includes extensive supplementary material, including Gould's after-the-fact, mixed responses to many of his experiences. --Tom Keogh