The Joe Schmo Show

Though generally a fan of reality TV, I was pleasantly surprised by this series. The conceit is that an unwitting contestant does not realize that everyone on the show, other than himself, is an actor. And he is not competing in a real contest--it is all a "joke". As it turns out, the joke is on the producers, who apparently didn't know what they were dealing with when they signed up Ben from Baltimore, an electrician who seems like your average or less-than average guy.

Ben truly is the star of this show. Along the way, he has proved to be more clever than anticipated. He has repeatedly blown up the script by challenging the "reality" presented to him. He is also more lovable than anyone probably anticipated, so the cast is fans of the boy from the bay.

It might have been fun to watch them fool Ben full-time, but it is genuinely engaging to watch what is, really, a battle of wits between the manipulators behind the scenes and good ole Ben, who is a real charmer.