In 1986 Joe Bob was asked to be a guest host on Drive-in Theater, a late-night B-movie show on The Movie Channel (TMC), a sister network of Showtime.

Joe Bob went over so well that he was eventually signed to a long-term contract. Joe Bob’s Drive-in Theater became the network’s highest-rated show and ran for almost ten years, and was twice nominated for the industry’s Cable ACE Award. He appeared on some 50 talk shows, including The Tonight Show (twice) and Larry King Live. He was also a commentator for a Fox TV news magazine for two seasons. He also appeared in episodes of the eighth season of Married… with Children as Billy Ray Wet Nap, co-owner of Pest Boys Pest Control.

Joe Bob’s Drive-in Theater ended when TMC changed its format in early 1996. He was off the air for only four months before joining the TNT network, where he hosted MonsterVision for four years.