Punk'd

This often results in some highly entertaining, enlightening footage. Watching Justin Timberlake crumble when he thought his house had been swiped by the government for back taxes - well, that just brought a tear to my eye. [3 Apr 2003, p.E1]

It's more fun than most hidden-camera shows: Kutcher keeps his in-your-face energy from boiling over into obnoxious-ness.

You may hate yourself for laughing--just don't be too surprised if and when you do.

OK, watching celebrities get taken down does have its nice side. [20 Apr 2003, p.N5]

Mildly rewarding. [30 Apr 2003, p.2]

Punk'd accomplishes something you might not have thought possible: It makes you miss Ashton Kutcher.

The voyeuristic thrill of watching the unguarded reactions of people--in this case, famous people--to outrageous situations has worked ever since Candid Camera, but I'll admit the only moment that brought me joy in the first episode is when one of Bieber's marks refuses to fall for the set-up, insisting, "Are we on Punk'd?"