A second series of ten episodes was commissioned in June 2007 which went on air on BBC1 from the October 2007 in its own slot on Tuesdays.
Series 3 has been filmed over the summer and autumn of 2009 and is on air on BBC-2 on Saturday mornings .
For series 3 editorially, we created stronger scenarios builds and pranks, tapping into the imagination and humour of our target audience. Please scroll down for the episode details!
The production team was recruited entirely from local talent based in the North West, as were the vast majority of the freelance specialists. The three series have injected around £1.95m pounds into the local economy. The commission was a huge vote of confidence in Bakermedia who, as a comparatively new production company, did not have a track record in children's TV production. To have won the second and third commissions in an intensely competitive commissioning process was a ringing endorsement of Bakermedia's professionalism, creativity, and talent and a huge vote of confidence in their ability to produce top-rated children's shows.
Our design and pyrotechnics experts have had a far more challenging brief for Series 2 & 3, having to construct in a limited time and on a limited budget, astonishing and believable props and sets. Prank HQ - our Studios in Newton Heath and Reddish - had a full design makeover, making it more colourful and interesting, plus has had a full professional lighting rig and dolly track installed. The picture quality of the show improved dramatically as we made more use of full specification cameras and true widescreen minicams, while the two audio recordists used digital recorders on each isolated channel.
The success of each episode of Prank Patrol is down mostly to the incredibly ingenious prank ideas, the high production values, the programme structure and the empowerment, creativity, tensions, jeopardy and eventual relief the narrative brings across.
Prank Patrol is a really superb format which has truly captured the imagination of the UK's children. The infamous Prank Van turns heads wherever it is seen, and at present it is featured in the BBC Studios Tour at Television Centre in London. We have featured diverse landscapes and locations - including city centres, rural areas, lakes, zoos, Royal Northern College of Music, museums, and sports centres.
We are inundated with requests from children all over the UK who want to appear on the programme as pranksters, or targets, and offering suggestions for pranks. The series continues to enjoy ratings success and are regularly repeated in the BBC schedules. The format has now been sold to Australia and Bakermedia's Dave Beardsell directed the initial episodes.
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Programme Synopsis
Series 1 Episode 1 "Art auction"
Our prankster, Josh, has two brothers who think that his art is rubbish, and are always playing jokes on him. Presenter Barney Harwood helps Josh create some wonderful but utterly worthless art that is "sold" at a fake art auction…and the brothers get their come-uppance when some priceless art gets smashed!
Series 1 Episode 2 "The mummy"
This episode, Freddie Watkins wants to prank his friend big time! Both the boys are into Egyptology, so when Freddie calls his friend to say they can set up a new exhibition, he jumps at the chance. He'll jump a little more when the mummy disappears and comes to life chasing them out of the gallery!
Series 1 Episode 3 "HAUNTED HALL"
Three girls do everything together and are really close so they tell each other secrets, but they are always scaring Helena, so she wants to get her own back! At Prank HQ, Barney helps Helena create a scary 3-D apparition behind a trick mirror and gets inside a suit of armour to really give the girls a fright of their lives!
Series 1 Episode 4 "Computer game comes alive"
James loves playing games on the computer so much so that it drives Joe mad. It's payback time! The blueprint for Joe's prank is, one fake motion capture suit to control our made up character Colonel Combat, who will be inside a 3D computer universe that we project onto one giant breakaway wall. It all goes wrong and the Colonel himself comes crashing through to teach young James a lesson!
Series 1 Episode 5 "Giant spider"
The blueprint for Eric's prank is, a terrified caretaker, a trashed laboratory, a fridge full of growth serum, an empty cage and one giant spider on the loose! Yes the Prank Patrol once again create an astonishing scenario; using actors propos and good planning, we create the prank of a lifetime for our young prankster!
Series 1 Episode 6 "Karate kid"
Jake thinks it would be hilarious to prank the whole of his karate class as they would never suspect little ol' him! They think he isn't very strong and cant do his moves very well. So with the help of Prank Patrol, we create a "new" energy drink called Ker-Pow and we pretend to film a TV commercial at his class. Of course, Jake drinks to much "by accident" and manages to smash bricks (fake ones of course) and flip over beefy security men!
Series 1 Episode 7 "Cheeky chinese"
Krissy's dad is always singing silly songs in public areas which is really embarrassing for her! She has tried doing lots of tricks but they never work. Her dad likes going out for meals with the family, so this episode, we really stitch up her dad at a Chinese restaurant. With our fake waiter and staff and ever worsening food and service, when will he finally break and complain?!! Not even when the Peking Duck comes alive?
Series 1 Episode 8 "Mere monster"
Ciera and Alice like kayaking together so it's a good theme for Alice to payback her pal for teasing her over being scared of silly things! So, the blueprint for Alices prank is one crazy diver, wearing a scary "mere monster" costume, emerging to grab hold of one unsuspecting kayaker! We fake up the whole deal with actor reporters, blurred pictures of the monster and howls from a speaker.
Series 1 Episode 9 "Rap star"
Sick and tired of his cousins always embarrassing him, Shallon Yusif asks Prank Patrol to make out he is a huge rap star, with a newly awarded record contract! A new video is about to be made so he asks his cousins to take part. Funny how they have to dress in crazy outfits and when it all goes wrong, they know they are well and truly pranked!
Series 1 Episode 10 "Aliens exist"
Harry Young is this episode's prankster! His best mate Jordon Carrington and Katie Batty, his sister's best friend are the targets who get to be invited to Harry's farm, when all of a sudden the power goes off and there's a bright light and weird noise outside! Of course, it's all been put together by Prank Patrol, even the fake news report, for as they go to investigate the "flying saucer" Barney as the alien jumps out and scares them!
Series 1 Episode 11 "Dinosaur dig"
The blueprint for Ozzie's prank is billion year old dinosaur bones, a nest of fresh dinosaur eggs, one of which will move, a big egg that hatches and a curious little baby dino that comes poking out to scare his pals!
Series 1 Episode 12 "Space station"
This is one heck of a wild episode as Ella, our prankster convinces her friend Louise she's talking to a real cosmonaut on the video phones at Jodrell Bank - in fact our actor is next door with floating bottles round his head! We organise a fake press conference about a fake spaceship and the grand finale sees her pal really believe she has been launched into outer space!
Series 1 Episode 13 "Bad news bakery"
Oliver wants to prank his friend because she always pranks him So Prank Patrol take over a huge bakery for this episode! The blueprint for Oliver's prank is a spewing cream mixer, a sped up conveyer belt, a nightmare boss, a crying bride and a finger pointing friend. All adding up to a part time job that's going to make Holly never want to do work experience again!
Series 1 Episode 14 "Monkey mayhem"
The location for Olivia's bananas prank is at the Knowlsey Safari Park one made up safari film shoot, featuring creepy crawlies, a splashing sea lion and an intelligent gorilla; OK , it's Barney in a suit!) who bursts out of his cage to scare our unsuspecting presenter.
Series 1 Episode 15 "Magic show"
The blueprint for Chloe's prank is two mind blowing magic tricks, followed by three spell cards, to send several books a-flying, and a crystal ball a-smashing! Then a wizard appears from nowhere, leaving a bedazzled best friend to wonder what in the world just happened!
Series 1 Episode 16 "Dream machine"
Hannah and Olivia always have sleepovers; they have been friends for ages, but Hannah can be really bossy, so Olivia wants to get her own back! Prank Patrol builds an entire "sleep-lab" staffed by actors. Olivia has weird "dreams" which are projected onto the huge lab screen, but Hannah's turn into a frightening reality!
Series 1 Episode 17 "Lousy launderette"
The blueprint for Liz's prank is one crazy launderette, one weird launderette owner, a celebrity soccer star's wash that's definitely not premier league, and out of control washing machine that spurts suds everywhere! And of course we make sure it's all Liz's friend's fault! A great prank to get a friend back!
Series 1 Episode 18 "BONKERS BOWLING"
Once again Barney and the Prank Patrol team help out a prankster create a prank of a lifetime! The blueprint for Hannah's prank is one bowling ally and a bowling crazy friend, one clown of a clumsy maintenance man and one smoke filled bowling lane with bowling pins that explode!
Series 1 Episode 19 "Calamity carwash"
Lewis's brother Robert is annoying - he always copies what he does and he is always pulling daft pranks on him! It's payback time! We set up a work experience day at a car wash, with a car that gets "accidentally dented" and another one that totally falls apart, a visit from Prince Harry who gets a good soaking, then ends up having his car stolen - and it will all of course seem like Roberts fault!
Series 1 Episode 20 "Best of series 1"
As well as featuring the best hits from the first series of Prank Patrol, there's new footage with Barney behind the scenes discovering which if our targets in the series could actually payback…in other words we prank the prankster! In the end it's Joe Barrett from the computer game episode who gets well and truly pranked by his younger brother in a spoof theatre audition that brings the house down!
Series 2 Episode 1 - "Calamity Cop Shop"
A visit to a police HQ turns out to be disastrous for our target, as the Prankster devises an ingenious method to "frame" him for a crime using a rigged lie detector machine, then he gets chased by the police's new high tech "Robocop" who won't take "no" for an answer!
Series 2 Episode 2 - "Mission Invisible"
Can you really convince a friend that a new science lab has really devised a way to make someone fully invisible? Come on now, nobody would be THAT gullible?! With Prank Patrol's help you can! Our hidden cameras capture the fun and mayhem as the prank unfolds.
Series 2 Episode 3 - "Talent Showdown"
One of our most spectacular episodes, we create a glossy new but spoof TV talent show where our Target fully believes they are a judge. The experience turns from a dream to a nightmare as a spilt drink over a fake designer coat and the Prankster's rigged buttons turn the show upside down!
Series 2 Episode 4 - "Meteor Mayhem"
Oh dear, Dad has bought home a plant covered with "radioactive" meteor dust, and the whole family is unfortunately contaminated! Our "government specialists" - OK, actors in white overalls from the DIY store - screech round to their house to sort it out. Watch the fun as the Target has to do the craziest things to get "clean"!
Series 2 Episode 5 - "Forest of Fear"
This episode sees our Prankster create a very scary scenario at a camp site. They make their friend believe a weird "Cat Monster" is at large in the forest. There's even an American TV crew there investigating, and so many curious clues. This is one howling success of a prank!
Series 2 Episode 6 - "Fortune Teller"
Wouldn't it be weird if you put a coin into one of those retro "Fortune Teller" machines and it knew every detail about you? Not if you knew it was actually Barney Harwood dressed as the Turkish sage and he had an earpiece listening to the answers from the Prankster! Wait till the final scenes as the "jinx" is taken away!
Series 2 Episode 7- "Spy Dad"
We convince the Target that their dad is a spy - a secret agent; our Prankster creates strange phone calls, a mysterious DVD message, and a spooky hi-tech helmet that blows up everything the wearer thinks about! Shame dad's new car gets blown up by mistake!! Another spectacular episode from Prank Patrol!
Series 2 Episode 8 - "Ice Scream"
Barney and the Ninjas help another Prankster to do their dream prank. It's great to help out at the launch of a new product from "Captain Super Slushy", but our rigged ice cream van goes wild splattering the girls in slush and goo, making for a very messy end for another super prank!
Series 2 Episode 9 - "Sounds Stupid"
Our Prankster uses a recording studio and radio station as the basis for their prank, as they persuade their friend to "accidentally" destroy a master CD then sets off the fire alarms and the water sprinklers! This is one very wet end of another spectacular prank!
Series 2 Episode 10 - "Crock Shock"
We're at the zoo for this crazy episode in which the Targets truly believe they are helping the vet during an operation of a massive crocodile. It's actually made of latex by our FX experts at Prank HQ! Disaster strikes when the croc escapes then scares the pair as it jumps out of a bush in the final scenes! This is one for watching from behind the sofa!
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 1 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 16th January 2010
Shark Shenanigans
Barney and the Ninjas are back! In this first episode of a brand new series today’s prankster gets her teeth into planning to give her best friend the fright of his life by bringing him face-to-face with a great white whilst at a shark-infested aquarium. But will he take the bait? How will it all fin-ish?
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 2 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 23rd January 2010
Wacky Wedding
Barney and the Ninjas unveil more mischief and mayhem to make today’s prankster’s dream prank come true. What is our target doing in a bridesmaid’s outfit at the wedding of someone she doesn’t even know? Its not only the wedding cake that might end up in tiers?
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 3 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 30th January 2010
Football Crazy
Our newest member of the Prank Patrol enlists the help of Barney and the Ninjas to tackle his friend on the pitch. Will our coach give the target a red card? Why is the target getting so crabby? Will he duck and dive out of it?
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 4 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 6th February 2010
Space Spoof
Ninja surveillance? Aliens form outer space? A crash-landed spaceship? Join Barney and the Ninjas as they help Joe to prank his best mate as he stars in an out-of-this-world experience of galactic proportions. But what else is on the radar?
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 5 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 13th February 2010
Rodent Revenge
A fake vet, a dopey rat-catcher, and a truck full of rat rubble? It can only be Prank troll where people like you pull off the prank of their lives. With help from Barney and the Ninjas what else could it be but a complete rat-astrophe?
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 6 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 20th February 2010
Ghostly Gallery
A day out at the local museum for our prankster and his target turns out to be far from normal; more paranormal as they encounter ghostly goings-on..And just who was our target talking to – has she gone mad? It’s going to be a spine-tingling prank with some smashing moments.
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 7 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 27th February 2010
Fishy Business
Will Barney and the Ninjas be able to help out=r prankster reel his target in to believing that there’s a scary lake lizard on the loose. Will Ben take the bait and fall for it hook, line, and sinker or will it leave him angling to get his revenge?
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 8 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 6 March February 2010
Delivery Disaster
Can Barney and the Ninjas help our prankster deliver a prank that causes an international incident? It looks like it could be a very explosive situation in the customs warehouse full of rampant reptiles, priceless porcelain, dozy delivery drivers, and crazy customs officers. But will the boys destroy the evidence?
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 9 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 13th March 2010
Bollywood Bedlam
Prank Patrol’s newest recruit wants her best friend to believe that they are starring in a new music video with a Bollywood star. But will it take more than a stroppy superstar, crazy costumes, and glammed-up dancing before our target is in tune with the mayhem. This prank is set to collapse around her.
PRANK PATROL SERIES 3
EPISODE 10 – Tx 9:30am BBC-2 Saturday 20th March 2010
Car Chaos
Barney revs up for this prank which could put our prankster into poll position as a stunt driver. Or maybe the target will end up throttling him. Our prankster gets behind the wheel of a prank that will drive his best mate mad. Don’t let him near the Prank Van!
