Punk'd is a groundbreaking American hidden camera practical joke reality television series created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg. Debuting on MTV in 2003, the show revolutionized the traditional prank show format popularized by Candid Camera by targeting high-profile Hollywood celebrities, recording artists, and athletes instead of the general public. Through elaborate, high-stakes, and often absurd scenarios, the production pushed its famous targets to their emotional limits before Kutcher emerged with his trademark trucker hat to reveal that they had been "punk'd". Each episode features several orchestrated setups designed to induce panic, bewilderment, or outrage. The pranks ranged from fabricated government property seizures and auto accidents to overzealous fans and fake police investigations. Kutcher coordinated the actions behind the scenes via two-way radios and hidden monitor banks, orchestrating a troupe of improvisational actors and accomplices who steered the target into increasingly impossible and awkward situations. Over the course of its run, Punk'd became a pop culture phenomenon, introducing lasting catchphrases and showcasing the unfiltered, genuine human reactions of major stars stripped of their public relations armor. The show launched or advanced the careers of several comedic talents who served as accomplices, including Dax Shepard and B.J. Novak, and solidified Kutcher's status as a major television producer and tastemaker in the early 2000s.