Out of curiousity does anyone know anything about this? Looks like a NZ version of JS1....

• RE: Living the Dream,ParadiseLost, 01:14 AM, 08-14-04
  • RE: Living the Dream,Pascal_ly, 03:46 AM, 08-14-04
• RE: Living the Dream - Lap of Luxury,spiderbloke, 04:11 PM, 12-01-04
• RE: Living the Dream,ladro, 12:44 PM, 12-04-04
  • RE: Living the Dream,spiderbloke, 03:52 PM, 12-04-04
    • RE: Living the Dream,ladro, 10:23 PM, 12-04-04
• RE: Living the Dream,krazeguy, 05:09 AM, 01-05-05
  • RE: Living the Dream,NOZENUGGETS, 02:55 AM, 01-13-05
• RE: Living the Dream,Drive My Car, 07:13 AM, 01-14-05
• RE: Living the Dream,chefmomo, 11:10 PM, 01-14-05
  • RE: Living the Dream,ladro, 11:38 PM, 01-14-05
    • RE: Living the Dream,spiderbloke, 06:58 AM, 01-15-05
      • RE: Living the Dream,chefmomo, 06:37 PM, 01-16-05
• RE: Living the Dream,Sycophant, 09:42 PM, 06-16-05

What makes you think that?

Here's the description of the show from its website:

"What would you do if your entire world turned out to be fake? If a group of writers, producers and actors spent six months creating TV's most elaborate experiment - all around you? If they plotted your every move, recorded it 24 hours a day and put it on national television&well that's exactly what happened to Sam Chambers in Living the Dream."

Now how could you possibly confuse that with "Joe Schmo"?

Oh - one major difference -

Better looking people.

>What makes you think that?
>
>Here's the description of the show
>from its website:
>
>"What would you do if your
>entire world turned out to
>be fake? If a group
>of writers, producers and actors
>spent six months creating TV's
>most elaborate experiment - all
>around you? If they
>plotted your every move, recorded
>it 24 hours a day
>and put it on national
>television&well that's exactly what happened
>to Sam Chambers in Living
>the Dream."
>
>Now how could you possibly confuse
>that with "Joe Schmo"?

Hmmmmmmmmm......... it also says:

What Sam did not know was that the entire show was rigged. It was, in fact, an improvised drama where everyone except him was an actor.

The star nine actors are: Sarah Thomson as Tiffany, the rich #####; Stephen Hall as Mule, the ex-SAS soldier; Jason Fitch as Mick the prick; Victoria Blackman as Mary, the virgin; Awanui Simich-Pene as Rima the schemer; Jeremy Birchall as Billy, the gay guy; Charlie McDermott as Ben, the best mate; Kirsty Cooke as Betty the new age counsellor, and Mark Ferguson as the smarmy host.

WHAAAAAAAAAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!?!?!? ;)
Looks like blatent rip off! Personally I like Ashley and (especially) Molly better! ;)

The first episode of 'Jo Schmo' has just aired in New Zealand and, yes, TVNZ's 'Living the Dream' is almost an exact copy... right down to the characters (albeit different names and actors). First challenge was the same as one of ours. And even NZ's ex-military guy made a major blunder early on.

TVNZ overview at - http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tv2_story_skin/438966?format=html

OMG! I want to see it. Even the picture of the 'schmoe' has the same goofy grin as Matt.

LAST EDITED ON 12-04-04 AT 03:54 PM (EST)

LAST EDITED ON 12-04-04 AT 03:53 PM (EST)

Joe Schmo is being shown in New Zealand on TV2 Wednesdays at 10.40pm

Maybe someone will post episodes on Kazaa.com (hint)

Yep ... Living the dream was aired before the Joe Schmo Show however living the dream was produced after JS1 ... so i'd say Living the dream idea was copied from JS.

Im watching JS for the first time and thought i'd look it up as it is IDENTICAL to living the dream. Its almost as if 90% of all the lines are the same!!!

ABOUT JOE SCHMO SHOW - TVNZ

"There are nine contestants on this reality show, but only one is real. Sound familiar?

That's because it is. Utlising the same format as TV2's hit faux reality show Living The Dream is this new American series, which was acutally produced before the Kiwi version."

Blatent rip off, which makes JS show very boring to watch, guess thats why its on at like 10:30PM ...

We had much better looking actors IMO, 'Mary The Virgin' was ALWAYS walking round in virtually nothing ... and very hot.

hahhahahha OMG just watched the part where 'hutch' threw the plate in the fire, 99.9% of the lines were the SAME ... 99.9% of the actions were the same!?!?!?

This is stupid. Wonder who wrote the program first?

Can you say "lawsuit", boys and girls, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

Sounds like Joe is being rebroadcast in other parts of the world. Joe Schmoe first aired on 9/5/03 in the States, and Schmoe 2 aired last spring 2004.
Hope the information helps. If you check the older pages in this forum, you can find eposode summaries from both of the JS seasons.

Welcome to RTVW!

I saw the Joe Schmo show the other night. I sat there practically saying word for word what was going to be said. Expressions and everything were nearly exactly the same.
Do I feel ripped off with "living the dream"? Completly.... If you are going to copy a show, then at least change the format and the words. We spoke about this the other day and we were all wondering if maybe "Sam" actually knew what was happening in the show. We all fell in love with "Sam" his words his feelings, and we all felt for him. But now after seeing the Joe Schmo show some of us are wondering if it was all a lie.
So Yes, Living the Dream is a blatant COPY of Joe Schmo.
Cheers
Amanda
New Zealand

Let me see if I understand this. Are you saying that Sam (the Aussie Schmoe) parroted the same lines and actions that Matt (the American Schmoe) said and did? For example; Did Sam remove his hand intentionally as a strategic move during the "hands on high priced" hooker contest in the first episode? Or are you just saying that the 'actors' repeated the same lines?

I think there may be some confusion here!
I watched all the New Zealand shows with Sam, and have now seen all the US shows (to date) with Matt that have screened in New Zealand over the last 5 weeks or so (only one or two to go).
It's become apparent that there are some differences. The NZ show is more PG/family rated, whereas the US show is more AO/mature rated. e.g. the NZ version doesn't have topless p*rn stars, but features models in bikinis instead.
The close-ups showing Matt and Sam's facial expressions are very similar though (as you may expect). And the ACTORS' lines are almost identical at times.
Also, (NZ) Sam is quite laid-back and quiet, but (US) Matt seems to readily voice his opinion. Personally, (sorry fellow NZer's) I think the US show is better... only because Matt gets more involved and reacts with more enthusiasm. Perhaps Sam did know what was going on but chose not to say anything??

Hey Spiderbloke, it is the porn stars isnt it? hehehehe

I just cant bring myself to watch the American one, I think if I hadnt seen the kiwi one first I would, but I would definetly watch the 2nd season of the American one.
Ours(nz) is definetly PG rating, as I dont think it would have survived if it was AO. Just remember that stupid "the resort"(nz & auzi show), that was AO and it failed miserably. I think us Kiwis being so small love AO American shows but not with it being our own Kiwis.
Bring on the 2nd season.

"Living The Dream" was produced by Touchdown Television in New Zealand, and the format was licensed from Spike TV. It was run to a very tight formula, hence the strong similarity of storyline and challenges. Although due to it's improvisational nature, it obviously diverged often from the Joe Schmoe mold.

Sam was genuinely unaware of the game through out the whole production.

Due to it's timeslot and being played on public TV, it toned down some of the more adult-oriented aspects of the Joe Schmoe Show.

(I was an editor on Living The Dream)