Shraman Mitra
ABC’s ‘The Prank Panel’ is a hilarious reality show that follows Johnny Knoxville, Eric Andre, and Gabourey Sidibe as they meet pranksters from around the states. Once these pranksters describe the gag they plan to pull on unsuspecting family members, acquaintances, or others, the three on the “Prank Panel” help them with the planning and execution stages.
Moreover, with the final result and reaction being quite unpredictable, the show is sure to make one’s stomach hurt from laughter. While it is pretty natural for viewers to doubt the authenticity of a pranking show, fans have wondered if the “targets” are in on the plan. On top of it, there have been questions about the originality of the pranks presented on the show. Well, let’s dig deep and find out if ‘The Prank Panel’ is scripted or real, shall we?
Is The Prank Panel Scripted?
A show can only be considered unscripted if it does away with all pre-planned and pre-determined actions. As the cast members aren’t allowed to rehearse and enact a script in front of the cameras, the production team is expected to be a silent bystander as it cannot influence the narrative. Besides, the people featured on the show should have complete freedom to be themselves when filming, and their behavior cannot be directed or specified by a third party. Hence, viewing ‘The Prank Panel’ in the context of these laws makes us believe that it is as unscripted as the network presents it to be.
‘The Prank Panel’ makes a pretty strong argument for its authenticity right out of the gate by presenting Johnny Knoxville, Eric Andre, and Gabourey Sidibe as the all-star panel of “pranxperts.” While all three have gained quite a bit of fame as TV celebrities, they are also experienced in stunt performances and comedy, which makes them the perfect trio to plan the pranks presented on the show. Not just that, sources claim that the “pranxperts” have no idea about the kind of pranks people might ask them to organize, so pre-planning of any sort is somewhat impossible.
Furthermore, we are happy to report that most pranks presented on the show are original ones conceptualized by everyday people. Even though the producers vet every aspiring prankster before inviting them onto the show, the public can call a phone number from the comfort of their homes and pitch an idea, which will eventually get picked up if it is interesting enough. Additionally, since cameras document the planning and execution that makes a prank successful, the “pranxperts” often include celebrity guest stars, making things even more hilarious.
It is also quite apparent that the actual “victims” of the prank remain in the dark until the very last moment, and their reactions documented by the cameras are as genuine as can be. Apart from that, these victims have a real-world connection with the original prankster, which makes the ultimate reveal quite interesting. In fact, the pranks are so authentic that a handyman named Khalil Khan filed a lawsuit against the show in 2022 and insisted that being the victim of a prank left him completely terrified.
That said, readers should note that most reality shows are conceived for profit, and networks benefit massively from increased viewership. Thus, even though the final product might contain a few finishing touches in the form of minor post-production tweaks and edits, it rarely affects the narrative’s authentic nature. Accordingly, ‘The Prank Panel’ is a genuinely unscripted reality show.
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