Impractical Jokers' Brian Quinn Is Feeling All The Love For The Shark Doctor After Almost Losing His Hand

Brian Quinn during Shark Week on Discovery
(Image credit: Discovery)

Spoilers ahead for The Impractical Jokers Shark Week Spectacular in Shark Week 2022.

Shark Week is underway on Discovery, and while fans expect wild stories about serial killer sharks and celebrity appearances, I’m not sure anyone could have guessed what was coming with the latest goofy crossover. The Impractical Jokers Shark Week Spectacular was possibly the greatest culmination of laughs, pranks, and sharks in human history, and it was also maybe a little more dangerous than it looked. Following the special, Brian “Q” Quinn had all the love in the world for the shark expert who apparently saved him from losing a hand. 

News of the incident first surfaced on Twitter, when Q shouted out the expert for the special, Dr. Craig O’Connell. Q showed some love to O’Connell (whose Twitter handle is @TheSharkDoctor), and the doctor hilariously wasn’t humble in accepting it:

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Now, it’s not surprising to hear that there was some element of danger during The Impractical Jokers Shark Week Spectacular with sharks in the mix, but to hear that Brian Quinn might’ve lost an appendage during his underwater excursion is pretty intense. And yet, Q confirmed that was the case, and that the hilarious special could've gone sour had the good doctor not been there: 

This is true. That shark almost took my hand off. #SharkWeek

The moment might’ve happened when Brian Quinn went on his shark dive with Dr. Craig O’Connell and was hit by a shark. After the hit, Q started to wave his arms around to make a silly gesture to the camera. During that moment, a shark came up to Q from behind, but Dr. O’Connell knocked it away by hitting its snout. Not long after, he instructed Q to keep his hands tucked closer to his body, possibly because his hand motions attracted the shark to him. 

Luckily, everyone came out of the encounter no worse for wear, including Sal Vulcano, who faced his fear of sharks. Vulcano’s bravery, paired with James Murray’s (Murr) efforts to decipher dolphin language, resulted in a comedic special that also felt educational. Brian Quinn gave props to Dr. Craig O’Connell for keeping up with the jokes and rolling with the shenanigans as they came: 

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Is this the beginning of a beautiful partnership? Obviously, the Impractical Jokers are still working to fill the shoes of Joe Gatto after he left the show, and have invited actors like Eric Andre to fill the void and even comedians like David Cross, who hates prank shows. Fans suggested bringing back Dr. O’Connell as a guest star on the TruTV series, and Brian Quinn wasn’t against it: 

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I’ll look forward to any future collaborations between Dr. O’Connell and the Impractical Jokers crew. Given the number of guests they welcome on the show for pranks, I believe we'll see him again. If they can justify having a pro wrestler on the program, I feel like a shark expert wouldn’t be too hard to get for an episode, especially if they’re doing something by the water. We’ll just have to wait and see, and be thankful that Q has all of his body parts after swimming with sharks. 

Shark Week is swimming along on Discovery, with new specials beginning each night at 8:00 p.m. ET. After Saturday, be sure to check out the new shows to see what else is coming to television in the coming weeks as we inch ever closer to the fall season. 

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.