Crank Yankers



Crank Yankers is a puppet series (aimed at mature audiences, though rated TV14 usually) originally broadcast on Comedy Central and now on MTV2 in which the characters (voiced by professional comedians) make prank phone calls. The calls are then dramatized via puppets and sets.

Crank Yankers uses the slogan "The calls you are about to see are real. The names have not been changed. Screw the innocent." The calls dramatized on Crank Yankers are often of a somewhat adult nature. Some of the more risque calls have related to drugs or sex. Some, however, are of a more humorous or irritating nature, such as a woman who has her phone call to UPS hijacked by people who are intent on giving her anything but service.

Though originally broadcast on Comedy Central, Crank Yankers was acquired by MTV2 and now airs on that network. New episodes are slated to premiere in 2007.

Veteran Muppeteer Rick Lyon designed and puppeteered many of these puppets during the first season.

Muppet Mentions

 * Short insert: Camera zooms left to a building that says 321 with a trashcan nearby and at the far end is a Big Bird parody smoking a cigarette. He notices the camera and remarks in his typical friendly voice, "Oh, hi!" until he's bothered by an itch on his bottom.


 * Crank Call: At the begining of Special Ed's phone conversation with a man in a swamp, a Kermit parody is sitting on a log playing the banjo until the hillbilly's wife throws a soda can at him. He then yells out "Ow! Damn it!"


 * In Elmer's "crank call" segment, a Big Bird parody can be seen on a chicken wing bucket.


 * Short insert: At the same building where Big Bird was before, Kermit and Miss Piggy parodies are seen mating on top of a trashcan.


 * One skit taking place in a dump ends with a trashcan thrown onto a pile of garbage bags, out popping a beat-up Oscar pardoy.


 * One insert from possibly season 3, showed a dark city alley with graffiti art of Ernie & Bert parodies with machine guns with R.I.P. on the bottem on them. Then it pans to a character beating up Oscar the Grouch. As soon as the character leaves, Oscar moans, quickly pulls out a tissue or handkerchief and crys out loud until the camera pulls away from him.