Between horror screenwriting sessions and contract negotiations, Brian Quinn is having the kind of career crossroads moment that would make for excellent reality television—if it weren’t already his day job. The Impractical Jokers star recently completed the screenplay for ST2EAM, the sequel to Michael Leavy’s slasher Stream, while simultaneously weighing the future of the comedy franchise that made him famous. It’s a balancing act that reveals as much about television’s evolving landscape as it does about Quinn’s refusal to settle into comfortable creative routines.
Quinn disclosed the ST2EAM collaboration during an appearance on Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho podcast, revealing that he and writing partner Joe Imburgio had recently submitted their finished screenplay to director Michael Leavy. “Me and Joe Imburgio, who is one of the writers on ‘[Impractical] Jokers’ and a very close friend of mine, we wrote the script for Stream 2,” Quinn stated. “I’m so excited.”
The project originated informally following Stream’s August 2024 premiere, when Quinn and Imburgio met with Leavy for drinks. Conversation turned to sequel possibilities, and Leavy recognized their genre knowledge, inviting them to write the screenplay rather than hiring external writers. The collaboration represents Quinn’s most substantial writing credit to date, requiring him to construct narrative architecture rather than simply oversee production logistics as an executive producer.
The Jokers Crossroads
Quinn’s horror screenplay work unfolds against ongoing negotiations regarding Impractical Jokers’ future. The show currently airs its twelfth season on TBS following its 2024 network transition from truTV, with episode eleven airing January 22, 2026. Contract discussions for subsequent seasons remain active, though specific renewal terms have not been publicly disclosed.
Each season’s conclusion brings exhaustion and ambivalence about returning, yet creative satisfaction and crew loyalty consistently pull Quinn back to production. “There are days I get up to go to work with the Impractical Jokers and I’m like, ‘I don’t want to get out of bed, man. I don’t want to go,'” Quinn explained during a recent podcast. “Or you’re not in a good mood. I used to go to the firehouse and be like, ‘Oh God, I don’t want to get into this today.’ But once you get there and you’re doing everything, it’s just so much fun.”
The show has maintained remarkable longevity within unscripted television. Most hidden-camera formats exhaust their premises within three to five seasons as audiences recognize participants and scenarios become repetitive. Impractical Jokers has sustained viewership across fifteen years through format variations including celebrity guests, international adaptations, and live touring shows. Episodes still average approximately 1.7 million viewers, demonstrating consistent audience retention despite evolving media consumption patterns.
The Production Machine
Quinn’s podcast appearances have provided substantive detail about Impractical Jokers’ production complexity that contradicts public perception of the show as improvised activities. “There’s a lot of writing and crafting that goes into Impractical Jokers that people don’t realize,” Quinn explained. “All that means is we made it look easy. You know what I mean? But people, when they come to set and they see how big the crew is and how much goes into it, like network executives, they’ll come to set and they’ll be like, ‘We had no idea it was like this.’ It is a full-scale army it takes to make that show.”
He continued: “And then at the end, it comes out looking like it’s just a bunch of friends fucking around. And that’s the magic. But we got writers who’ve been with us for a decade now. And we pitch ideas. We worked for weeks with them before we even get in there. A ton of work goes into it, yeah.”
The writing team, which includes Imburgio, develops scenarios months before filming, testing concepts for comedic potential and logistical feasibility. Production coordinates hidden cameras, manages public interactions, and secures location permissions while maintaining the spontaneous appearance that defines the show’s appeal. Many production personnel have worked on Impractical Jokers since its 2011 premiere, creating familial dynamics rare in television production.
From Firehouse to Franchise
Quinn’s seven-year career with the New York City Fire Department continues to inform his professional identity despite his 2013 departure from active service. During Impractical Jokers’ first two seasons, Quinn maintained simultaneous employment as both firefighter and television performer, creating logistical challenges that proved unsustainable.
“I was still working in the firehouse,” Quinn explained. “It was very hard; there were times where I would go to a set and shoot all day, and then go to work at the firehouse overnight, and then just get back and go to set. I’d be up for 40 hours. Trying to be funny on-screen and also trying to be a good firefighter was pretty rough, so I had to take a leave of absence to continue doing the show.”
The decision to leave the department carried emotional weight. “When I had to eventually leave the department, it was heartbreaking,” Quinn stated. He has maintained connections to the firefighting community through his involvement with Friends of Firefighters, a nonprofit organization providing mental health services and support to current and former FDNY members.
Quinn’s firehouse experience includes memorable mishaps that parallel his television punishment experiences. During the Wrong Turns podcast, he recounted an incident where he set off the firehouse’s Ansul fire suppression system while preparing an Italian meal to prove his cooking abilities to skeptical colleagues. The system discharged fire suppressant foam throughout the kitchen, covering every surface and requiring seven hours of cleaning. A sign reading “Quinn’s Clamp” remained attached to the system for two years as a permanent reminder.
The Fun Standard
Quinn’s recent statements emphasize selective project participation based on sustained enjoyment rather than career expansion for its own sake. “I don’t want to do anything that’s not fun,” he has stated in multiple interviews, establishing a threshold for professional commitments that prioritizes creative satisfaction over financial considerations.
This philosophy explains his horror genre involvement. His appearance in Adam Green’s Victor Crowley (2017) alongside Kane Hodder established relationships within the independent horror community, leading to subsequent work in Screamboat (2025) and now the ST2EAM screenplay. The screenplay includes a role written specifically for Chris Jericho, demonstrating Quinn’s collaborative approach with friends and trusted collaborators.
Quinn’s January 25, 2026 Twitter response to questions about potential “Next Generation” concepts revealed ongoing consideration of franchise longevity. “Yeah, I can see Impractical Jokers: The Next Generation,” Quinn wrote. “We’d have to be involved to make sure it is done right, but sure. But we’re not handing it off just yet. Still having fun.”
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