Crank Yankers (2002–2022) User Reviews (59)

reboot episodes getting a little bit funny and better

[ericCpotter · 7/10 · 24 April 2020]

I say at least the first 5 or so episodes started off really slow and kind of boring but I think they've picked the ground up and gotten back into the old comedy

and I seen season 5 episode 14 and that's a lot better than season 5 episode 2

I would have rated this a 10 if Special Ed was in the reboot, but since there's no Special Ed it's not getting 10 sorry

my feelings about this reboot or mediocre-at-best but it's not the worst reboot in history unlike: >>>>>

the Powerpuff Girls reboot, Teen Titans reboot, Beverly Hills 90210 reboot, Celebrity Ghost Stories reboot, Forensic Files reboot, Magnum PI reboot, MacGyver reboot, one day at a time reboot, Veronica Mars reboot, DuckTales reboot

i can name a lot more others but I dont want to be spamming so yeah I think you get the picture.......

Very Funny Prank Call Show

[michael_the_nermal · 7/10 · 7 July 2006]

This is one of the few Comedy Central shows I like. There's no rhyme or reason to this program, except to bug people with prank calls. Unlike the prank calls you might make, these guys are actually talented and skilled comedians, and the characters they have crafted are memorable. This stuff is far superior to the prank call phenomenon that likely inspired it, "The Jerky Boys." My favorite is, of course, Special Ed, whose voice and mantras are simply hilarious. Other good characters include the perverse yet exaggeratedly upper-crust Niles Standish, the old man Elmer, and Birchum, the Vietnam vet. Kimmel, Carolla, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, and even "Family Guy's" Seth McFarlane lend their voices to these roles. All of these guys are gifted mimickers and put their acting talents to the fore for a simple childish game of prank calls. If you want to watch a funny Comedy Central show, watch this.

The most disgusting show I have ever seen

[arielsiere · 5/10 · 5 June 2022]

Come on this show contains too much toilet humor just like Breadwinners, Sanjay And Craig, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, Fanboy And Chum Chum, i would say that Crank Yankers is the worst show ever from 2002 because it makes some people vomit just like King Star King and Secret Mountain Fort Awesome.

This show would be depressing,if it wasn't so funny

[DarkVulcan29 · 9/10 · 22 June 2006]

A cool edgy puppet show, which is made so well detailed. A real life prank phone call show created from the insane minds of Adam Carolla, Jimmy Kimmell and Daniel Kellison. The puppets are used to give the calls more liveliness. This show created some memorable characters since Family Guy. The bitter war vet Dick Birchum(Adam Carolla), Mean spirited Hadassah(Sarah Silverman), Drunk pot smoking slacker Bobby Flecther(Jim Florentine), The Incredible nauseous Danny(David Alan Grier), OCD Ken(Kevin Nealon), sex crazed Cammie(Lisa Kushell) and The one who seems to be the most memorable is Special Ed(Also Jim Florentine). It is the magic of the comedic voices, and the puppeteers,that give the show its magic touch. I'll understand if it is cancelled, I mean how long can you on with a prank call show. But it is still fun to watch.

Crank Calls + Puppets = Funny in my book!

[syllavus · 29 May 2003]

How can someone not find this show funny? The complaints about "lack of plotlines" are just ludicrous. Since when are crank calls supposed to have plots? The whole premise of the show is a wide range of comedians call up unsuspecting individuals and crank call them in a variety of hilarious ways, these calls are then acted out with puppets playing the roll of the cranker and the crankee. Some of the bits are funnier than others of course, but the same thing happens with any type of comedy program with sketches, and it doesn't stop the funny sketches from being fall-on-the-floor-hold-your-buns-in-place funny. Some of the crankers are completely hysterical in their dead-pan delivery of the crank calls. Kevin Nealon's performance as a man suffering from OCD who is looking to join a dating service and Wanda Sykes who calls someone to try and free her ass from her toilet are two of my personal favorites. One has to wonder if the people who received these calls ever heard themselves on Comedy Central afterwards and slapped their foreheads in agony. Crank Yankers definitely isn't for someone who has a problem with low-brow humor, as most of the jokes do hinge around making fun of other people or toilet humor. But if you're someone who enjoys a good laugh, even if it's at the sake of someone else, give Crank Yankers a try.

Still boring

[HorribleDrBones · 1/10 · 30 September 2019]

This show wasn't funny at all back in the day. It comes back 12 years later and is even less funny. Number of times I laughed: 0.

Disappointing

[greg-goremykin · 10/10 · 12 December 2019]

I loved the original series, there was barely a call that I didn't laugh watching, and I was so pumped that it was coming back. But through this entire 2019 series I only laughed once (one of the Niles Standish calls), a single laugh from an entire series. I don't think it's just me as I still watch the originals once in awhile and they are still hilarious. It feels like hooking back up with someone you used to love and finding out how disappointing that can be as well... once the magic is gone, it's gone.

This format just doesn't work well with out edginess, and that's what's been missing. I don't chalk that up to poor writing as much as the fact that they just couldn't get away today with the calls they did in the original run because the climate is different, political correctness has to be a huge consideration without creating a scandal (which, honestly, probably isn't a bad thing in general, but is terrible for a show like this specifically).

I'll still watch it if it comes back in 2020 hoping it improves, but I think maybe this is one of those shows that only worked in a certain time period which is now long gone.

Teeerrrrible

[iamerror · 2/10 · 22 September 2004]

I remember this show looking really funny when it was first advertised. "Crank calls, puppets, and comedians," I thought. "How could you go wrong?"

The first thing that went wrong with this show was the Special Ed character. Because we all know how funny mental retardation is, right? There's not many things funnier than mental retardation, except maybe repetitive jokes that weren't even funny the first time. But this show has tons of those so I guess I really lucked out, huh? "Hey, this guy burps a lot. Isn't that funny?" "This guy was in Vietnam and he's craaaaaazy. Are we funny yet?" "Oh, wait. We got an unfunny English character, too." "We also got a guy that throws up. Throwing up is funny, right? No? Well, maybe if we do it over and over it will be."

Of course, there's been some funny calls on here. Most of them are pretty terrible, though. All of the returning characters seem to reach some sort of turbo-charged level of badness. Even comedians that are normally funny (David Cross comes to mind) seem to lose their funny powers on here.

All in all, this show is pretty bad. But what do you expect when it was created by Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel, two of the unfunniest people on the planet. The Man Show was one of the most pathetic shows ever put on TV. "Well, we could make a whole show with midgets and fart jokes. Maybe we could do a whole episode with midgets and then we could do one with fart jokes. Then, maybe we could do a whole episode with farting midgets."

Special Ed......Yay!!!

[I_luv_BradPitt · 8/10 · 21 October 2004]

Actually not a really big fan of Crank Yankers, but some of the characters make it worth watching. Special Ed is absolutely hilarious even when he's obnoxious. The special guest appearances by people such as Wanda Sykes, Dennis Leary, and a few others are worth watching. And of course any show with Tenacious D has to be worth seeing. Mushoo is an awesome character as well. I guess it's kinda like an adult version of muppets. Definitely not something for the children and something to watch when there's no one around to question your sanity! Comedy Central puts it out there and the child in all of us adults enjoys it. Have a stressful job? Watch Crank Yankers and it will all go away. Or maybe not, depending on why your job's stressful. Customer service workers can imagine the people they speak to and really relax. What more is there to say? I've said it all.

It was a show of its time

[stefstars · 2/10 · 26 October 2019]

I don't understand why they brought this show back. I remember when it had first come out, back in the early 2000's. Those were very different times. The show was funny and yes it wasn't keen on political correctness; many comedy shows and movies from this time weren't. This is why the show should've stayed as a show from the early 2000's, it doesn't work in today's world. Not even because it's politically incorrect, if anything it's so obvious how careful they're being with not crossing the line too far - which doesn't do the original version of this show any justice. I've watched 2 episodes and it's just not funny, I haven't laughed once. Whereas in the original series they had me laughing, most of the time - mind you I was an elementary school child so that's probably why I found it so funny. If you want to give this show a try, I'd visit the original series from the early 2000s. Going from the latest season wouldn't be fair because it isn't what it used to be at all.

On a side note, I don't understand how the character that's an old eccentric rich guy with a trans-Atlantic accent was considered funny by some people, enough to bring him back on the reeboot. He wasn't funny then and he's not funny now, his calls were boring and trying too hard to push the envelope.

Just cancel the series and leave it as it was, a memory from a time gone by.

My thoughts on the show

[Vermin_Empire · 7 April 2004]

IT'S ABOUT TIME someone made a crank-call show. The Jerky Boys have been around since the early '90s and it's taken this long to put the premise to a show. Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Corolla have pulled it off brilliantly. Using puppets to add visualization to the phony phone calls is a stroke of genius. This way, the producers can add to the "story" by personifying the victims and extrapolating possible reactions to the calls, or simply by poking fun at the "prankee". I can't stop laughing every time I watch this show. I especially enjoy the varied "celebrity yankers" who make the calls. It's interesting to try to put the voice to a name, and see if you were correct at the end of the show when they list the "yankers." Bottom line: if you liked The Jerky Boys albums, you will love Crank Yankers.

As funny as i remembered it

[montjaskie · 10/10 · 23 July 2020]

Season 5 is a little weak, but its not that bad the OG episodes seasons 1-4 were filled with laughs, i wish Special Ed was in season 5 though lol, but other wise still a hilarious show. Niles Standish, Spoonie Luv, Bobby Fletcher ( burping-guy), & Elmer (old-guy) are still my favourite characters.

Great kids entertainment not suitable for kids and not entertaining for adults

[jesselukecox · 3/10 · 22 April 2020]

I used to watch this show on comedy Channel in Canada when I was a kid. Who come on after South park or something and it will seem like a good bridge between adult cartoons and real live action comedy.

I scarcely found it funny then and 15 years later I find it even less funny now. I don't know I guess I'm just not a fan of Jimmy Kimmel's brand of tongue in cheek over the top funny.I didn't like the man show, and I don't really like his late night show either.it really feels like kids TV and I hate the cliche backgrounds for the scenarios that are set up in the show. I don't know I just can't get into it,I know on the spectrum it's probably pretty relatively cheap to produce for however much that costs is still probably too expensive for the quality and the air time that it eats up.

Watched this as a kid and I thank god I did

[repipenremodel · 10/10 · 10 April 2020]

Probably the reason I have no limits when it comes to a laugh. Idk how you can't like this show it's absolutely hilarious I still have the dvds from when I was a little kid and still watch them. yeah a call a few episode might be kinda bland. every show has bad episodes if you have the chance to watch it I defiantly recommend it!

This has to be the worst show ever made

[vinnied-27883 · 1/10 · 14 December 2019]

You will not laugh once. Not even chuckle. Not even crack a smile

Can only comment on OG Crank Yankers

[jmorrison503-405-458359 · 10/10 · 7 June 2020]

Holy Christ, the user reviews were absolutely horrible to read after about the third one, at least the ones written by people who the show clearly wasn't made for - you know, people with a soul and sense of humor. Not to mention you have to remember the original episodes were created almost two decades ago.

Not funny at all

[RickSC137 · 1/10 · 10 June 2020]

If you are 12 years old or have an iq under 60, this is for you. If you are at an age where prank calling someone at work is funny, then you will love this show. For everyone else, this show is not funny whatsoever and will actually make you feel sorry for the people at work that they are bothering.

Hilarious

[maggagie1 · 11 July 2002]

This show is funnier than you would think it would be. Real phone calls with some well known comedians with real people on the other end of the line. It is one of the funniest shows I have seen in a long time! The puppets they use to animate the callers are hilarious. Comedy Central scores another hit in their line-up of shows. You have to watch it to see just how great it is!

Such a funny show unless the SNL actresses are on it :/

[xletsgetbrootal · 10/10 · 16 May 2021]

Melissa doing the Jennifer Lopez skit was so cringe and hard to watch , she and her SNL girls should all be ashamed , all these clowns from aturday night live are so unfunny. I'm sorry but the ladies in this new season suck. They just aren't funny at all. Earlier seasons with Sarah Silverman and Wanda Sykes made me laugh til I cried. Why is no one funny anymore? Saturday night live is cancer and their af free bring crank Yankers now.

Cancel This Show

[RickSC137 · 1/10 · 4 December 2019]

This is a great show for anyone 12 years of age or younger but not for adults. Comedy Central could put any show on instead of this and would be funnier.

U kant go rong !

[cekadah · 10/10 · 28 November 2019]

This seasons series is as funny and brilliant as years past. To those who 'don't get it' -- you never will!

The genius of this show isn't so much the conversations the puppets are having it's the background action that supports the conversations.

One of my favorite shows. Too bad the series has way too much time between.

Thanx CC for bringing it back ! ! !

Never has been funny....

[pbann-55423 · 2/10 · 2 July 2022]

Was not very funny in the past and continues to be less than funny today. The premise is just not relevant and most of the celebrity yankers just dont have the funny in them....

Good Ol' Crank Yankers

[romeoshow · 9/10 · 29 May 2021]

Glad they brought this back I watched the original four Seasons growing up. I ain't even know they had a season 5 lol gotta catch back up now. I like how they kept the gag of someone doing something silly and crazy in the background LOL.

Made by bullies for other bullies

[Zorya_Beryl · 1/10 · 28 June 2021]

I like puppet shows but I hate bullies and their prank calls. It's not funny. Made for bored, immature lowlifes to enjoy. 1/10.

How could you hate this show?

[FerrisBueller · 7 October 2002]

This show is so amazingly funny. It's done by the Man Show people, but even people who hate the Man Show love this show.Even my grandparents like it. The calls are really funny and the celebrities who do the voices(Adam Corolla, Jimmy Kimmel, Denis Leary, Dave Attel, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, Tracy Morgan, Kevin Nealon, etc.) fit perfectly. There's a really great CD of some of the calls.

Moral: Watch The Show!!!!