Things I Hate: Crank Yankers (TV Series)

Crank Yankers TV Series Comedy Central poster

Crank Yankers is one of the most memorable shows to air on Comedy Central, but that doesn’t mean it’s actually a good one.

KFC employee Kentucky Fried Chicken Crank Yankers TV Series Comedy Central

The show has a pretty simple concept, and I’m sure Viacom (now Paramount) at the time really appreciated it (I assume) having one of the lowest budgets of their programs. Each episode starts with real prank calls to actual people.

Old man with Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket on top of his head Crank Yankers TV Series Comedy Central

The people making the calls include Tony Barbieri, Adam Carolla, Susie Essman, Jim Florentine, Jimmy Kimmel, Tracy Morgan, Kevin Nealon, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, and Biz Markie. Most of them are very funny comedians.

Creepy puppet Crank Yankers TV Series Comedy Central

But I never found the program very funny myself. I blame the creepy looking puppets. The show definitely has its fans, having been around for almost a quarter of a century. It has even been revived twice since its original cancellation in 2005. But it’s not for me.

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