After four years of prankster antics,
Punk’d comes to an end. Unfortunately, this is not a practical joke. MTV already made public Monday that season eight of the celebrity trick series would be its last.
Punk’d, an American television series on MTV, is produced and hosted by
Ashton Kutcher, actor popularly known for his inclusion on the series
That 70’s Show. Since 2003, it “punk’d” celebrities like Jessica Alba, Tyra Banks,
Adam Brody,
Rachael Leigh Cook,
Simon Cowell, Kirsten Dunst.
3 years ago, Kutcher pulled a trick on his
Punk’d viewers when he announced that he was ending the show after the second season finale. He said in a statement at that time, "We have had an incredible time doing the show and have decided to stick with the old adage of 'leave 'em wanting more,'" Aside from playing a practical joke on the viewers, it was actually a strategy to lower celebrity defenses, which garnered positive results during its third season in April 2004. This time however, the show is closing its curtains for real.
MTV Entertainment president Brian Graden announced, "We decided to make an event out of it. We're looking to experiment with many alternate programming and premiere models as a way for things to take hold in an age of technology."
Punk’d’s final episodes will showcase popular celebrity victims like
Evangeline Lilly, Magic Johnson, Hilary Swank, Jewel and Nelly Furtado. In addition, there will be a “sneak peek marathon” on April 7 featuring bits of all eight episodes of the upcoming season. The final season is scheduled to launch on April 10 and will culminate in early June with the Punk’d Awards, paying tribute to the most memorable moments from all eight seasons. Despite the show’s ending, Kutcher is still bound to collaborate on future endeavors with MTV.
-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: E! Online