STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Spinoffs have a bad rap for taking something successful — and diluting it for the masses. On the rare occasion, though, a formula actually can become more potent.

So, it's with a wary cautiousness we prepare for "Jokers Wild," the new sketch-comedy spinoff of the wildly popular hidden camera series "Impractical Jokers."

The show was created by Staten Island best friends Joe Gatto, Sal Vulcano, Brian "Q" Quinn and James "Murr" Murray. In it, the guys challenge each other to ridiculous — but tasteful for the most part — pranks, all while secretly filming onlookers' aghast responses.

"Impractical Jokers" averages more than 1.5 million viewers per episode in the coveted 18-49 advertising demographic. It's also spawned several international versions, from the French Canadian "Les Jokers" to a U.K. reboot also called "Impractical Jokers." It was just renewed for a fourth season on truTV and the guys are looking at filming a movie with roughly the same concept.

Now, the quartet's new show, "Jokers Wild," premieres Thursday, Sept. 25, at 10 p.m. on truTV. But instead of taking the jokes too far with a stale re-imagining of the show, the spinoff will take a step back to what put them on the map in the first place — improv and sketch comedy.

Going back to their early early days at Monsignor Farrell High School, these members of the class of '94 originally started out doing live routines and viral videos. They formed an improv group, The Tenderloins, which is still touring colleges and comedy clubs.

Improv works for the jokers because they can step into each others' worlds and anticipate what the other is thinking, Murray said.

"Even though it seems like we're throwing each other under the bus we're really helping each other out," he said of the skits. "Our goal is to just make each other laugh."

"Jokers Wild" will air after a new "Impractical Jokers" installment. It features sketch routines like inviting a doctor to do Sal's blood work, then having the rest of the jokers guess his cholesterol. In another, the guys are video gaming when the doorbell rings.

They answer to find a baby in a basket.

In one of those moments where the joke could either go flat or become crass, the guys find a humorous medium.

"There's only one thing to do," the guys agree.

They delicately shove the baby to their neighbor's doorstep and ring the bell.

"Good luck with your endeavors," Sal whispers to the cooing baby as he and the others shuffle back inside.

Most of the show is filmed in a studio, but the jokers will continue to appear around Staten Island for field skits.

"We want to make Staten Island a fifth character on the show. With everything we do, we try to present Staten Island in a good light," said co-star Brian "Q" Quinn, the former NYFD firefighter and self-proclaimed Rosie O'Donnell doppelgänger who played a Monster in 1986's cult cinema classic "Class of Nuke 'Em High"

"So, in this show, we're giving the borough its own personality instead of (showcasing) a bunch of fist-pumping guidos in traffic."



In the "Jokers' Wild" universe, Quinn said the borough "is this weird place with Yetis, mythical creatures — anything crazy that you could imagine can happen on this Staten Island."

One episode takes place in Joe's back yard, where the guys have an "old school slumber party like we always did," Murr said. "We're prank calling people, playing cards, playing video games, telling ghost stories in a tent."

Another reason Murr believes the new show will be a success is that the chemistry between the jokers has remained solid. The guys have been friends for 25 years now.

They're about to go on tour in a large yellow bus with their faces plastered on the surface.The concentrated time will be a new experience for them. But if something were to destroy their friendship (and by default their comedy's secret sauce), by now, it would have, Murray said.

"We wanted to put our friendship on display," he said. "That's the underlying element of all shows."