The series, which originally ran from 2003-07 with host Ashton Kutcher, will now feature a rotation of celebrity guest hosts.
What a way to ring in the new year.
During its New Year's Eve telecast, MTV revealed the premiere date (or more appropriately the return) of hidden-camera prank reality series Punk'd. The new incarnation, the franchise's ninth season, will launch Monday, March 19.
But instead of just one host leading each week's episode, Punk'd will feature a new celebrity host each week. Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Kellan Lutz, Bam Margera and Dax Shepard, who appeared in the original series, are the first Hollywood talent to guest host an episode. (A sneak peek of Cyrus and Kelly Osbourne "punking" Khloe Kardashian can be seen below.)
"What better way to ring in the New Year than to let our audience know that Ashton and MTV are bringing back Punk'd in a big way," said Van Toffler, president of MTVN Music Group, LOGO and Film. "There's a new generation of unsuspecting suckers just waiting to be Punk'd by their famous friends, and fans will once again have a front row seat to see the shock on the faces of their favorite celebs."
MTV confirmed plans in December to bring back the show, which originally ran on the network from 2003-07 with former host Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher, who currently toplines CBS' Two and a Half Men, will be back as an executive producer, along with producing partner Jason Goldberg.
When it first ran on MTV, Punk'd featured successful practical jokes made on the likes of Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Beyonce. Published reports suggest that one episode of the show's second iteration will feature Bieber punking Taylor Swift.
