Punk’d: 5 Things Quibi’s Remake Does Better Than The Original (& 5 It Doesn’t)

Quibi’s new version of Punk’d stars Grammy award winner Chance the Rapper in the host role made famous by Ashton Kutcher from the original 2000s MTV iteration. With a new structure and media output plan, Punk’d 2020 is very distinctive when it comes to comparing it to its original.

After so many remake attempts throughout the years failed to live up to the glorious fame of the original, including a 2012 version on BET with hosts and guest stars Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, it’s no wonder fans are feeling skeptical about Quibi’s bold new attempt. Taking after the millennial era’s social media fads, such as TikTok prank videos, Quibi’s new platform and shorter prank clips will either redefine the prank show format or reiterate that the classic formula is still superior.

10 Better: Prank Clips Are Only About 6 Minutes Long

As part of the new style of Punk’d, each episode averages about 6 minutes in length. One thing that comedy viewers consider a drag is the lengthy explanations and the awkwardly long aftermath of the whole affair. Getting to the good stuff for the immediate kick and moving on to the next one has a much better appeal.

As fans of the original Punk’d can attest to, sometimes things just went on a little too long and with too many different twists. Host Chance the Rapper made a great first impression with the first victim, Megan The Stallion, in her short but hilarious Punk’d experience.

9 Worse: Less Censorship Throws Kid-Friendly Options Out

MTV’s Punk’d was a made for TV program and required censorship. This made it possible for anyone to watch episodes without any edgy backfire. Most concerned parents didn’t have to worry about extreme or inappropriate language and so the show could be enjoyed even during family time.

On the contrary, Quibi’s Punk’d does not require language censorship so episodes will have profanity that some might deem not suitable for young audiences. This is a mark down for the 2020 Punk’d considering that many entertainers from today such as Donald Glover (Community) and Rebel Wilson (The Hustle) were influenced as young children by TV comedy.

8 Better: New Structure Can Inject Life Into A Tired Format

Quibi’s new system for streaming gives Punk’d 2020 an entirely new vibe and a much needed revamp of an old comedy take, transforming a two decades old idea for the new generation.

Other streaming platforms such as TikTok have popularized the concept of quick bites, and Quibi is following suit.  For host Chance the Rapper and executive producer Robert Michael Kelly, it can open up an entirely new set of ideas for short but impactful viewer content.

7 Worse: Chance Might Not Have What It Takes To Pull Off Effective Pranks

According to the man himself, Chance told Entertainment Weekly that he felt bad performing pranks on celebrities that he didn’t know well because he had to lie. For avid comedy viewers, it’s important to know that the host presenting the scheme is confident in what they are doing and a significant part of the viewer’s enjoyment is knowing that the host doesn’t care much about the consequences.

It’s all a part of the exhilaration of the prank. Comparing wild host Ashton Kutcher to Chance the Rapper, perhaps ethics could get in the way of the latter’s hosting success. Ashton Kutcher was relentless in his pranks and didn’t even let tears and breakdowns stop him. His memorable first episode of Punk’d, pranking Justin Timberlake, is proof of that.

6 Best: The New Platform Offers Downloading/Offline Viewing

One thing that fans love to do is save media content for later viewing or for sharing with friends. This proved difficult when the original series was out in 2003 as one had to search for specific content extensively. A useful perk of streaming on Quibi is the user’s ability to save and download content for sharing and offline viewing.

After watching a favorite episode, simply save or download it and it’s at one’s immediate reach. This would have definitely been useful for Chance when he was watching what he told Entertainment Weekly was his favorite episode on the original Punk’d involving Kanye West.

5 Worse: The New Platform Can Only Be Used On Mobile Devices

The new Punk’d was released with the launch of Quibi in April 2020, which had many anticipated fans excited to try out the new app. Unfortunately for viewers who want or need a bigger screen to enjoy videos and clips, that option is not available for the time being. For on-the-go, this app is giving comedy fans a way to enjoy quick clips and videos.  For stay at home quarantiners, looking at a small smartphone screen isn’t the most enjoyable of circumstances.

4 Best: The Pranks Are More Innocent Than The Original Content

Finding a gorilla caged up in your driveway is a lot more prankish than deception by having the fake IRS come to your home to confiscate everything that you own. Also in the list of drastic pranking is the original Punk’d episode with Shaun White who causes a major explosion during his photoshoot and Kim Kardashian who gets involved in a gas station robbery-explosion.

Quibi’s Punk’d, on the other hand, has taken the original prank guides and watered them down to keep them quick and extreme while still maintaining excitement every minute.

3 Worse: Quick Clips Make The Pranks Too Fleeting

Imagine not having seen the entire build-up, prank, and after-effects of one prank followed by another. The chain reaction keeps the thrill alive and one doesn’t have to go searching for content.

In the original Punk’d, a series of three videos plays back to back for a total of about 23 minutes. The new Quibi series are quick and separated 6-minute clips. As soon as one clip ends, the user must search and load the next content. It may not be such a big deal, but still a losing factor for the new release.

2 Best: Keeping Jason Goldberg Is A Major Key To Success

As fans are very well aware, Ashton Kutcher, along with Jason Goldberg, were the creators, directors, and developers of the original 2000s Punk’d. Keeping Jason Goldberg on board with the new 2020 revival is a huge plus due to his invaluable experience and guidance on what works and what doesn’t.

Punk’d also isn’t all Goldberg is known for. He also produced the films Guess Who and The Butterfly Effect, as well as creating the show Beauty and the Geek. His interest in social experimentation definitely gives him an edge in successful comedy.

1 Worse: Chance Pranking His Friends Takes Away From The Thrill

As new host Chance has mentioned before, he felt bad about lying to people and so decided to make his first season pranks on his own personal friends. This sounds very comfortable for the new host as he doesn’t have to worry about extreme altercations or overreactions.

For the audience, though, it’s a different story. Knowing that the host of a prank show is choosing friends takes away from the anticipation of danger. It might have been better for the audience to feel that anything is a possible outcome when pranking celebrities at random.

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