User reviews

Bravo to Ashton Kutcnher for making "punk'd" a household name now and adding a semi-celeb version of Candid Camera. However, Punk'd is fun to watch when you are home bored and want something interesting to watch. It's not for people who want to be shocked and amazed and on the edge of your seat type action. It's predictable and not as edgy as it's protégé Candid Camera, but entertaining none-the-less. I think it would be better if some A-list celebs were punk'd like Brad Pitt, Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, etc. Until then, it'll just be another MTV show that people watch when bored. It's mainly B-list celebs that are punk'd on here.

Punk'd is actually a pretty funny show. The situations these people are put in are funny. The actors playing along with all these ridiculous farcities are really great. The fact that the viewing audience knows more than the celebrities is quite a thrill. The main problem with this show, is the host, Ashton Kutcher. He is not funny at all. The host segments are goofy, and Kutcher sits there talking in funny voices and acts like an idiot. I'd almost prefer no host and just to be left in the dark then to listen to his stupidity.

For those who don't know, Punk'd is just a show where people pull pranks on celebrities. The pranks usually have some humor in them, but they are often just too mean. Sometimes these people are brought to tears, only to then be humiliated that this happened to them on a television show. If you like pranks, and don't feel embarrassed for others, this show's probably for you, otherwise, this is good for an occasional viewing.

My rating: ** 1/2 out of ****. 30 mins. TVPG

Ashton Kutcher is a genius.The show is amazing and you enjoy it when you watch it. If you can punk celebrates and get away with it, you know it's going to be funny because watching your favorite celebrates make fools of themselves is entertaining. hey they are real people, who would know?!?! hey, who doesn't like to see Justin Timberlake ball his eyes out on national TV and have no idea what is going on? It's funny,it makes us see that they are real people and it makes you laugh. It's en-lighting from all of the other reality TV shows, (let's face it we can get sick and tired of watching American Idol) and it brings a whole new meaning to the word, i just got punk'd. So all you haters out there you need to lighten up, and enjoy good TV. So Ashton keep doing what you're doing.

If you can stomach Ashton, then enjoy. He's beyond annoying and not funny.

This was funny the 1st time I saw it, but now just like "Survivor" which is in it's 18th season, this is tired & dumb. In fact it's obvious Ashton doesn't care anymore, because his CREW are the only ones that say the now old "Am I getting Punk'd?" He probably has a room in his giant one of his houses, (remember to thank Demi In love or not a brilliant PR move on your part) the check you get every month from "That 70's Show" syndication, the fact that people still go see cliché' ridden PG-13 fare like "What Happens in Vegas." Can anyone believe that did over $219 million worldwide? Yep look it up it's unfathomable! What's a shame is that C list & even D list So-called celebrities we've never heard of & Kutcher doesn't know or has even heard of pop up in the show now. It's a joke & extremely sad & I bet the all the people involved in this originally created wannabe show, (Yes kids he isn't brilliant he didn't come up w/the idea it was called "Candid Camera" & it was on originally 1948!!) I bet he his told while brushing his teeth or putting on his clothes, here is who were Punking this is this person he says who they say this is what they are famous for go say a couple dumb lines and collect your millions. Skip this unless you've seen this before because now it's a joke of a joke & totally dates anything referencing this.

"Punk'd" was a popular American hidden camera-practical joke reality television series that aired from 2003 to 2015. Created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, the show featured celebrities being pranked by elaborate and often outrageous scenarios, with Kutcher serving as the mastermind behind the pranks.

Each episode of "Punk'd" featured a different celebrity target, who would be lured into a fabricated situation designed to provoke a humorous or surprising reaction. The pranks ranged from seemingly innocent misunderstandings to elaborate setups involving fake accidents, bizarre encounters, and even fake arrests.

The success of "Punk'd" relied heavily on the reactions of the unsuspecting celebrities, who were often caught off guard and left bewildered by the elaborate pranks. Some of the most memorable moments from the show include Justin Timberlake being tricked into believing that his possessions were being repossessed and Beyoncé being scared by a fake fan who pretended to attack her.

Throughout its run, "Punk'd" became known for its clever and inventive pranks, as well as its ability to attract high-profile celebrity guests willing to participate in the fun. The show's blend of humor, suspense, and celebrity culture made it a hit with viewers, and it remains a beloved classic in the realm of reality television.

C'mon, guys-ya gotta know that it's all fixed!! You really think these celebrities are unaware of what's going on? If you ask me, most of these so called reality shows are staged, and this one definitely is. I saw a recent episode-the one with one of The Backstreet Boys and a girl named Trishell from MTV's Real World. They were trying to enter a security building, and the security guard kept harassing them-making them take off their shoes, raise their arms, scanning all between their legs-the Backstreet dude even pulled his pants down several times! Now, what celebrity do you know is going to allow themselves to be humiliated like that in public? They all have this-"Don't you know who the hell I am?!" attitude, so I just knew that this was all staged for the fun of MTV's gullible audience.

And, c'mon, even if it weren't staged, wouldn't you think that the celebrity would have at least HEARD of this show or SEEN it on television already?!!!

The only one who's PUNK'D is the audience.

I like hidden camera shows and "Punk'd" is really funny, but the host and creator -- Ashton Kutcher, a.k.a. Demi's Boyfriend -- is painfully unfunny.

He tries too hard, he interrupts pranks occasionally to talk to the camera and you feel like slapping him.

That said the pranks they pull on this show can be quite funny at times and it's interesting to see the stars' reactions. The episode with The Rock was great, and it's really fun when the stars overreact or embarrass themselves (the Tommy Lee car accident prank is the best).

I like "Punk'd" overall, I just wish Ashton Kutcher would calm down and get a new routine, because his current shtick is really unfunny - and, to be frank, obnoxious.

Do I ever miss Candid Camera. That show actually showed some imagination in regards to the pranks they pulled. Of course if I was 10 years or younger, I might find Punk'd a good show. But now that I think about, I would still have to pity myself.

Believe me, I am an immense fan of the practical joke. Having had many pulled on me as well as coming up with some good ones myself, so I can't understand how anyone can take the fine art of practical joking and reduce it to something so lame and pathetic. I think the makers of this show forgot that practical jokes are supposed to be funny and fun for all involved. Not just for themselves without including the audience or victims.

Hopefully with all this DNA and stem-cell research going on, someone will be able to bring Allen Funt back. Until then I can't stand watching this lame second-rate sitcom reject trying to mug it up for the camera when there is really nothing to mug about at all. Truly sad.

... back when it was called "Candid Camera," or "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes."

I suppose there's a lot of kids watching "Punk'd" who don't remember those older shows, so the whole concept is probably fresh to them. For me, though, a half-hour of Ashton Kutcher setting up people for pranks and then bragging out it gets really old. He reminds me of the kid who makes prank phone calls and brags about the next day at school. What fun.

Seriously, Kutcher -- you have a supporting role on a sitcom, made a few moderately successful films, you're dating Demi Moore... don't you think your fifteen minutes are almost up?

I believe that punk'd is a really good show, and that Ashton Kutcher has awesome ideas. The show itself isn't funny, but seeing the celebrities reaction to the pranks is classic. I mean, come on, is it not funny to see Justin Timberlake or Avril Lavign or any one of the rest of the celebrities be tortured? I doubt celebrities like the show, but it is a good show for the regular people who watch it & like it. If I had to rate this,I would rate it five stars. You get to see what happens to celebrities when they get annoyed, and boy do they get annoyed! Someone who wrote about Punk'd said that it's illegal to do what they do. No matter what people say, I like Ashton and I like the show.

This has to be one of the most funniest shows ever. It shows celebrities getting pranked on and embrassing them. In some cases u can even get a celebrity to show there true side. So I highly recomend this show,

I find it humorous that a lot of people think this is some kind of great new hip show. Sorry kids, but this same thing was done 20 years ago by a bunch of old guys, Dick Clark and Ed McMahon. It is the same damn thing. And though I don't know for sure, I am guessing the Bloopers and Practical Jokes wasn't the first to do this sort of thing either.

It was tolerable in the 80s because it was the only show doing that sort of thing. Now it is just sad. People have lost their senses of humor. Comedy is no longer about laughing with someone. It is laughing at them. It is a pretty sad commentary that some people actually think other people's embarrassment is funny.

It is not. And neither is this show. But I guess Ashton Kutcher needs to strike now while the iron is hot. I don't look for much of a post That '70s Show career for him. Thanks MTV. You've given us all another reason to laugh at the joke that was once a decent channel.

In this show Ashton Kutcher and his team of practical jokers screw some celebrities. Why not, but this show is not very funny, because these guys lose the point how to entertain the audience. Instead of pulling the people into clever-absurd situations their ideas are very plain (naked guy in a shop, security test, a guy smashing a fake one celebrities car with a baseball bat). Its boring, because these jokes are so simple that you always think youve already seen them on another practical joke test. The only exciting is how some of the victims react and so is this show more like a psychical stress test for stars than an entertaining show. Really on my nerve went the in-between comments of Ashton Kutcher, which showed that he has a very primitive sense of humor.

Network: MTV; Genre: Reality, Comedy; Content Rating: TV-14 (for language); Available on Uncensored DVD and MTV2; Perspective: Classic (star range: 1 - 5);

Seasons Reviewed: 2+ seasons

Ashton Kutcher has parlayed his looks, teenage girl appeal and "That 70s Show" capital into his own MTV series. Given the opportunity, what he put together is a "Candid Camera" for a new, star worshiping generation. This is "Punk'd" and it has become not just an amusing practical joke show, but part of our language and popular culture.

I never got the appeal of Alan Funt's "Candid Camera" and the idea of watching everyday people get upset and angry over contrived situations, but not really doing anything funny or scandalous.. The "Punk'd" twist gives the jokes a purpose. Kutcher appears in rapidly cut black-and-white introductory monologues and conveys himself as nothing more than a good old farm boy screaming at us about how things are "where he comes from" as opposed to the pampered celebrity world he is immersed in now in L.A. "Punk'd" gives us the opportunity to see rich and famous Hollywood types get a squirming that they so richly deserve (often involving their cars). Well, some of them, like Fankie Muniz, Shaquille O'Neil, and Kelly Osbourne deserve to get knocked down to size, while others like my poor dears Eliza Dushku and Rachael Lee Cook, do not so much. Mandy Moore on Crib Crasher is a classic, as is an epic bit involving Beyonce Knowles and a Christmas tree.

Some of the pranks can be repetitive and uninspired. When the time comes for Kutcher to drop the hammer and let the victim know they've been punk'd, what you'd think would be the big punchline reaction we're all waiting for, it is over before it began. So really, for me, "Punk'd" works best as an improv comedy with a clueless celebrity caught in the middle of an elaborate free-standing piece of theatrics.

And the more elaborate and nonsensical they are the better. Seth Green being punk'd with a raid on an illegal craps game isn't as funny as the detail that Kutcher's phony FBI agent does a Hollywood barrel roll as he crashes through the window. It isn't that Hilary Duff gets punk'd with a driver's ed lesson from hell that is as funny as the detail that her teacher attacks another driver with a bat and a smoothie. It isn't that Kutcher makes Tommy Lee think he's hit a women, but that he piles it on even higher with a bus of Asian tourists pulling up to watch the spectacle. The show is also available on an unrated (read R-rated) DVD, which may be your only chance to hear Hilary Duff say the F-word, at least for a while.

Kutcher is having an unending blast here. He boasts that he can't be punk'd and that he can punk anybody, but it is never quite clear when the punking begins and ends because often the celebrity will look completely unfazed and occasionally will figure it out, but Kutcher still claims victory. But it is still smarter than you'd expect from MTV. At the end of the 2nd season Kutcher hangs up his hat in another effort to stay one step ahead of the smart-alec celebrities and delivering the ultimate punk - this time on the audience.

The show continues for at least 6 more seasons. As it does "Punk'd" evolves. Kutcher is just too nice a guy and becomes too immersed in the Hollywood crowd himself to keep the show without mercy. Very soon it becomes hip to be punk'd by Kutcher. We see it being treated like a right of passage when Kutcher comes out after the prank and gives the young starlet a big hug to let them know that they have arrived. It becomes a sickening Hollywood love-fest of celebrities "passing the punk" on each other. It also becomes repetitive, there are so many L.A. themed-pranks Kutcher can think of.

Kutcher keeps his cast oscillating so that any celebrity watching won't be able to spot them. All are on the same page, including B.J. Novak and Kaitlin Olsen, and pile on the conversation as serious as it should be. "Punk'd" is a mixed bag of work, splitting down the middle between the dull bits and the truly funny ones. Whether it is still a show for and by Hollywood outsiders is very debatable. But as a reality show, a practical joke show and an MTV show it is better than you'd expect.

* * * / 5

^palmer-4, Punk'd isn't really a show thats "funny" or "comedic" in the traditional sense (like traditional comedy like Friends or a Jim Carrey movie "funny").

It's about taking celebrities and putting them in uncomfortable situations (shoplifting accusations, thinking someone stole your car, having unwanted family guests over) AND seeing how they react to the situation.

Do they loose their cool? Do they react calmly?? Sometimes this can be funny in what they say and do in the situation and sometimes it's just plain fun watching them squirm (fun in a good way, not malicious mind you).

And it's better and more enjoyable to watch if you actually know the celebrity. For example, that celebrity you mentioned about the shop lifting incident (the "girl on some WB show") was Eliza Dushku who is in Buffy and Angel. Fans of hers would have enjoyed the clip more because they know her and her work. You on the other hand had no idea who she was (i take it you don't watch Buffy, Angel or any teen movies....too bad...anyway)....so fans or people who know who the actress is, would enjoy the clip more.

True, that Eliza Dushku clip wasn't "funny" in any traditional sense, but watching her react to each situation, and how she got defensive and squirmed and tried to get out of the situation was fun to watch....because we've never seen these people in these situations before. It's just another side to the actor that fans would enjoy seeing.

And that's the main premise of a show like Punk'd. If your not into celebrities and want to watch something that's traditionally "funny", then this show isn't for you. If you want to see your favorite celebs in uncomfortable situations and see how they would react (funny or not) then go see this show. Even celebs that you hate are fun to watch on this show (for instance, I HATE boy-bands and seeing Justin Timberlake (N'SYNC) and Kevin Richardson (Backstreet Boys) squirm and get "Punk'd" was SO much fun and satisfying to watch).

I've never enjoyed these "Candid Camera" type shows, and that's the ground-reason I despise this. Never you mind the fact that the show simply isn't funny, I think that the only people who think this sort of rot is funny are vicarious sadists. Avoid this one, unless you really enjoy laughing at someone else's torment.

If that's the case, enjoy.

Once again MTV brings us another great look into the life of famous people and their houses that take huge collective dump all over ours. This tried to be like a candid camera meeting Jackass, only with celebrities that we have heard of and have come to love or hate. And who is at the middle of this whole thing? Ashton Kutcher.

At the time of writing this, his first real attempt at dramatic acting in the movie called 'The Butterfly Effect' was laughed off screen at the Sundance and is critically bashed. But that really has nothing to do with this, other than the fact it is a nice and most likely spot on assumption that in 3 or 4 years that Ashton will be nothing than a fading annoyance of memory. The ribs he pulls are really meant hearted and he laughs at his famous 'friends' as it happens. Frankly, if I was 'Punk'd' and saw this show with this twirp laughing at me... I'd have to knock his skrawny ass all the way out of the business.

So in the end all that was given was a short lived, mean spirited show starring a talentless punk pulling harsh pranks on his 'friends'. Thank you television for making everyone just a little more dumber.

While it's true that MTV hasn't produced a decent non-music show since the 1980s, Punk'd takes the cake as the worst show they've ever bothered to air. Igonoring, for the moment, that Ashton Kutcher is an annoying idiot's idiot, the "pranks" that they pull often look like real sting operations or whatever "official impersonation act du-jour" they're pulling this week. Personally, I'd love to see the entire cast and crew arrested and jailed for imitating law enforcement officials.

I was totally ambivalent towards this brain-melter until the subject was Pink, one of my favourite people, so I admittedly have had a bias against it since then. If I was ever the subject of this festering mound of compost, I would sue MTV and the makers of this show within the hour I found out that it was all staged.

Unfortunately, since the whole show is so intellectually devoid, that problems means that it'll be around forever and ever due to the high ratings that corn-fed suburban trash-o-philes that watch it.

Whoever said that this show is cruel by putting people down is wrong, because its only teasing...what do celebrities care...they're getting on TV more! It's a funny show, and everyone should watch it...its awesome!

Okay, i've seen this show SO MANY TIMES it's not even funny. And i love every one of the episodes that i've seen. Punk'd is not about torturing people or watching people get tortured or anything like that...it's just funny stuff! even the celebs have a good laugh once the punk is over with... and so should the audience. I KNOW I DO! I think that anybody who's anybody should watch this show...i love it!! And Ashton Kutcher and his cast play the most original pranks...i think it's awesome how they decide to use their creativity. I think that the show is the BOMB (along with so many other shows on MTV like punk'd, such as boiling points! that's another good'n)