Just For Laughs Gags

Infobox Television
show_name = Just For Laughs Gags


caption = A gag on "Just For Laughs"
aka = Just For Laughs
genre = Comedy
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country = CAN
language = Silent
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producer = Wild Rover Productions
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location = flagicon|Montreal Montreal
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channel = CBC Television
The Comedy Network
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website = http://www.justforlaughs.com/gags
prod_website = http://www.wild-rover.com/
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tv_com_id = 75503

"Just For Laughs Gags" is a Canadian silent comedy show that is under the "Just For Laughs" brand. "JFL Gags" airs on CBC Television and The Comedy Network in Canada, and on Telemundo in the United States. 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). 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 footage is presumably shown to a studio audience to supply a laugh track, although it may be 'canned').

The show is shown in many countries and on airlines, because no translation is required. Viewers commonly can't tell if it is Canadian or British due to the style.

The Just For Laughs Gags formula has been used by the BBC for UK audiences. However, the formula has been used before Gags did, such as Candid Camera and The Tonight Show though both of these shows used a large amount of dialogue.

A sister version of the show is produced in Northern Ireland and is called simply "Just For Laughs". Most of the show is filmed in and around Belfast, Northern Ireland 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. The British version is produced by Wild Rover Productions Ltd [http://www.wild-rover.com] for the BBC.

American Version

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. It is yet to be seen if this version will produce its own gags, but in its initial 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 [http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings.aspx?id=tuesday The Futon Critic] . The show's Summer airings and good ratings has 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. [ [http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071214abc01 From The Futon Critic (December 14, 2007)] ] . 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.

References

External links

* [http://www.justforlaughs.com/gags Just For Laughs Gags Official Site]
* [http://www.wild-rover.com/ Wild Rover Productions Site]

* "Just for Laughs - Gags: Volume 1" ASIN|B000BD1LAE
* "Just for Laughs - Gags: Volume 2" ASIN|B000C20VN2
* "Just for Laughs: Gags, Vol. 3 and 4" ASIN|B000WC39G8