Anyone who has been to the DMV has some thoughts about the experience, probably thought the jokes write themselves. Turns out, they do.

So much so, CBS is about to debut a new comedy about the DMV.

Actual DMV workers have a good sense of humor about the new show, including the man at the top, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. 

They say perception is reality, and CBS is about to highlight many of the perceptions about the DMV in a new comedy.

How do you make things better at the real DMV? Giannoulias had some suggestions.

Donlon:  A bar right here. The DMV — daquaris, margaritas, vermouth ...

Giannoulias: You know, people come here for their 'driving' tests, right?

DMV worker Lisa Campos has been with the DMV for 28 years. She's all in on the show, and so is Guannoulias.

"I always thought it would be a great sitcom to have a DMV show. I think it's hilarious. I love it, actually," Campos said.

Donlon: You get the jokes, right?

Giannoulias: I get it, it's funny, but we take tremendous pride in changing the customer experience, so I see it from two sides.

The reality is, since taking office in 2023, Giannoulias has been relentlessly changing almost everything — including modernization, creating efficiencies, and eliminating wait times, just to name a few.

He said moving to an appointment system changed the game. No more taking a number and waiting to be seated. There are new facilities, even satellite offices at grocery stores. Mobile DMV trucks and fast lane kiosks that can handle many customer needs in minutes. 

"There's like disbelief. I had such a great experience. I wasn't expecting it," he said.

Ebony Murray just celebrated 25 years at the DMV and recalled the time she noticed something odd.

"And I happened to look in the testing area, and there was a set of teeth on the floor," she said.

Some might prefer a root canal over a trip to the DMV, but this?

"low and behold, the next day he showed up asking us did we find a pair of teeth," she said.

Giannoulias can point to other victories. As the largest secretary of state's office in the country, they've scheduled nearly 5 and ½ million appointments over the last two years. They've also seen a 140% increase in online driver's license and vehicle renewals, which cuts down on those long lines. 

"How do we modernize and continue to transform the entire experience and make people's lives just a little bit easier?" he said.

Murray, 14 years ago, helped a man who had been waiting patiently to take his written test.

"he looked familiar to me, and it dawned on me who it was. Turns out to be Tim Meadows," she said.  

Meadows is now one of the stars of the new CBS show.

Giannoulias said he will watch the show and said it's funny because it depicts what the DMV used to be.

"The character of what a DMV used to be, but we've transformed that in Illinois. I'm proud of that. So, you're right, I'm going to watch this show with two different lenses," he said.   

Giannoulias says more big changes and announcements are coming, including mobile IDs and mobile driver's licenses.

The new workplace sitcom "DMV" debuts Monday at 7:30 p.m. on CBS.