Punk'd (MTV)

In MTV's PUNK'D, host Ashton Kutcher creates and pulls elaborate pranks on other celebrities.

The setups in Punk'd are often clever and require a talented team of actors and impressive, synchronized behind-the-scenes work. In one episode, for example, Beyonce was invited to put the star on top of a giant Christmas tree as underprivileged children cheered her on. As she reached for the tree, it went crashing down, and the kids (who were in on the prank) blamed her for ruining Christmas. In each episode, carefully staged scenarios like that one grow in intensity until Kutcher and crew rush in and joyously reveal that the celebrity in question has been "punk'd." But if you suspect there's something a little, well, cruel, about this MTV fave, you wouldn't be too off-base. Many subjects are picked -- and picked on -- because Kutcher thinks they deserve to be punk'd, or that it would be a hoot to humiliate them. Consequently, he comes off as a brat with a lot of leisure time on his hands, a poor role model for young viewers.

Sometimes the stars' reactions are of such extreme relief or amusement that watching the surprise is irresistible. Other times, the camera cuts away quickly, ending the episode, as if to avoid showing a star's negative reaction. For instance, Lara Flynn Boyle was punk'd into thinking she got to take home thousands of dollars of free clothes from a boutique. The camera caught her vainly modeling outfit after outfit, then crumbling when told how much she owed for the clothes -- far more than she could afford. The episode didn't generate laughs, just pity. Whether funny or not, the pranks on Punk'd are typically a lot of work for a few cheap laughs.