Wildboyz is the Jackass spin-off worth revisiting

Jackass was an instant pop culture phenomenon. But its success also brought about its demise. In 2001, former senator Joe Lieberman called for Jackass’ cancellation after a teenager sustained second and third degree burns in an attempt to recreate the show’s fiery “Human Barbecue” segment. MTV didn’t want to lose its most popular series, so instead, it introduced new safety regulations, a contributing factor to star Johnny Knoxville’s eventual departure.

When production of new Jackass episodes concluded, it left a void filled by a pair of spin-offs. Headlined by Bam Margera, Viva La Bam drafted off of its Jackass pedigree (and added a dash of Punk’d) to deliver a more juvenile variation on the “celebrities at home” reality shows that proliferated on MTV in the wake of The Osbournes. Wildboyz, meanwhile, was truer to the spirit of its parent program. It hailed from one of the creators of Jackass, Jeff Tremaine, and starred Steve-O and Chris Pontius in a globetrotting, wildlife-focused variation on the “don’t try this at home” stunts-and-antics format.

Though Wildboyz ran longer than the original Jackass, it was eclipsed by the success of Viva La Bam: While the latter grew into a franchise-within-the-franchise with its own series of spin-offs, Wildboyz was shuttled off to sister channel MTV2 for its third season, and concluded with its fourth in 2006. In his memoir Professional Idiot, Steve-O wrote about the decision to end Wildboyz, saying the show probably could’ve kept going after its fourth season but “it just didn’t seem like there was a point” because it had “essentially evolved back into Jackass.”

But the series didn’t turn out to be a step backward for Steve-O, Pontius, and Tremaine. What were once perceived as weaknesses now look like strengths, and 15 years and three movie sequels later, it’s clear that Wildboyz paved the way for the future of Jackass.

The restrictions that sealed Jackass fate didn’t apply to Wildboyz: Stunts like kissing rattlesnakes and swimming with great white sharks couldn’t be replicated in America’s backyards. Each episode featured multiple instances where the show’s hosts were stung, bitten, and scratched by wild animals—under the supervision of local wildlife professionals and the occasional guidance of Manny Puig, an expert on predatory animals and a Jackass regular.

Wildboyz had an impact on the making of the Jackass movies, too. Tremaine has noted that the spin-off contained “some of the most amazing stuff [they] had ever made.” According to him, one of the goals for 2006’s Jackass Number Two was to recreate some of the best moments from Wildboyz.

Most of those scenes didn’t make the theatrical version of the sequel, and were instead rolled into the expanded cut, Jackass 2.5: a snapping turtle biting Pontius on the nose, a venomous snake popping an inflated condom that’s stuck to Steve-O’s butt, and a return visit to the Aghoris of India. In addition, Jackass Number Two featured some footage that was originally meant for Wildboyz—including Knoxville, Steve-O, and Pontius “milking” a horse—which, according to Tremaine, would’ve been too risqué for MTV.

There are also references to stunts pulled on Wildboyz in Jackass 3D and Jackass Forever. The segment in the fourth film that pits a meat-covered Jason “Wee Man” Acuña against a vulture pays homage to both a first-season Wildboyz bit and Steve-O and Pontius’ encounter with Tasmanian devils in Australia.

In addition to what it carried over (and later contributed to) Jackass, Wildboyz thrived on offering something different. The show didn’t feel the need to be a relentless thrill ride, balancing out its derring-do with the lightheartedness of Steve-O and Pontius prancing around gorillas in banana costumes, duetting with wailing otters, cuddling with sloths, or participating in Eskimo-Indian Olympics games. These moments of bliss are just as enjoyable as seeing the Wildboyz get hurt, and allowed Steve-O’s and Pontius’ personalities to shine onscreen.

They were also generous with the show’s spotlight, allowing locals to show off their own Jackass-like feats. In the first Wildboyz episode set in India, two men named Chotu Lial and Gauri Shankar eat light bulbs, dance on glass, and perform fire tricks. In Thailand, Wee Man, Pontius, and Steve-O hang out with professional alligator wrestlers, and are awestruck as one of the men puts his hand inside an alligator without causing the reptile to flinch. These guests produced some of the series’ greatest hits, proving that buffoonery is a universal language.

Wildboyz hasn’t aged perfectly, but it still holds its own as the Jackass spin-off with the strongest Jackass essence. Pontius recently said in a Reddit AMA that he would love to reboot Wildboyz with Knoxville. Considering its influence on the ever-growing Jackass cinematic universe, it’d be perfect timing.