5 Unique Prank Shows
The history of TV prank shows runs the gamut from playful to edgy to, shall we say, hilariously tasteless. Ten years ago, MTV’s Punk’d, created by actor Ashton Kutcher, was the hot ticket. Kutcher focused on pranking his Hollywood pals, like singer Justin Timberlake, who nearly broke down in tears when actors portraying government agents convinced him his house was being repossessed. You just got Punk’d! Last year, comedian Howie Mandel launched Deal With It, a game show on TBS in which contestants earn cash for accepting his dares to embarrass their unsuspecting friends in public.
The original inspiration for all prank shows—some using hidden cameras, others not—is Candid Camera, which has had multiple TV incarnations dating all the way back to 1948. Leaning far more on the side of playful (Smile! You’re on Candid Camera!), the show has been revived in its seventh iteration by TV Land beginning this week. It’s co-hosted by Mayim Bialik of The Big Bang Theory and Peter Funt (shown above), son of original creator, Allen Funt.
Here are the five most unique prank shows in TV history.
1. Candid Camera (Syndicated, 1948–2004; Comedy Central, 2014– )
It’s a classic. Period. Rooted in a more innocent time, Candid Camera has maintained a style and class that all the descendants wish they had. Plus, the sheer volume of imaginative pranks is breathtaking. The above clip, from the late 1960s, stars a young Woody Allen!
2. Da Ali G Show (HBO, 2003–2006)
The Ali G character, played by comedian Sasha Baron Cohen (Borat, Les Miserables) was a mock British talk show host visiting the U.S. to interview politicians and other well-knowns. G was so outrageous and seemingly dim that you swear his marks had to be in on the joke. And yet, people like Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich would earnestly try to answer his questions. Baron also played two other characters on the show, Borat, and Brüno.
3. Nathan For You (Comedy Central, 2014–)
A newcomer to the genre, Nathan for You is so fresh and smart (and oh so droll) that it makes our list in just its second season on air. Canadian comic Nathan Fielder pulls imaginative publicity stunts on behalf of real businesses to gain them attention. In “The Ghost Realtor,” he sets out to elevate the status of a realtor in the hyper-competitive Los Angeles housing market by bringing in an exorcist to rid the house she’s selling of demons.
4. Crank Yankers (Comedy Central 2002–2005)
Created by Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Corrolla, and Daniel Kellison, Crank Yankers was weird and unabashedly obscene. Bizarre character puppets from “Yankerville” mouthed the dialogue of actual crank phone calls placed to real people by gleefully foul-mouthed comedians like Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, and Tracy Morgan. Warning: the above clip is for mature puppet fans only.
5. Punk’d (MTV, 2003–2007, 2012 )
The major appeal of Punk’d was seeing celebrities caught off guard in their everyday lives. (Sort of like TMZ does today.) Kanye West, Jessica Alba, Halle Berry all fell prey to the show’s hidden camera setups. In time, celebrities themselves began punking other celebs, making for a series of curious meta moments.
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