Trigger Happy TV premiered in 2000 and is one of the first pranks show to exist. I’d even argue that it’s the best prank show of all time due to the mindset behind it, the pranks themselves, and Dom Jolys understanding of comedy.
Why are Pranks Funny?
All comedy comes at the expense of something, whether it’s a person, language, or social norms, and is delivered in a set-up and punchline format, with the punchline normally being a logical extreme or a payoff (especially in media). It’s the same for pranks however the payoff is the reaction to the set-up and not usually the set-up itself.
For example, let’s look at the classical “Prank Call” where someone calls someone else with the intention of annoying, confusing, and generally getting a reaction out of them. Whilst the premise of the call itself can be funny, the bulk of the comedy comes from the reaction to the call, which will normally be in the form of anger.
You’ve experienced this several times yourself, whether you’ve received the call or been involved in making the call. If the other end doesn’t react at all, especially if they play along with the joke, then it isn’t funny because you’re not getting a reaction.
The reaction is where the comedy comes from in pranks, especially in real life situations where the other party isn’t part of the set-up so their reaction is genuine and will come from their personality. Some people will be confused, and some will become confrontational which add variety and comedy to each prank.
What does an Episode of Trigger Happy TV Look Like?
For those who haven’t watched it, Trigger Happy TV is a prank show featuring members of the public and actors dressed in costumes. Pranks will range from directly involving the public, such as someone dressed as a burglar asking a shopkeeper about the security measures of the shop, to pranks that are designed to be witness but not involving the public, such as a zookeeper fighting someone in a gorilla costume.
Each prank lasts around 45 seconds to 2 minutes and is filmed by a secret camera crew. The comedy will often come from the reaction to the prank, or in rare cases, solely the actions of the actors which relies on absurd situations in a public setting.
The Mindset Behind Trigger Happy TV
Dom Joly, the creator, and star of Trigger Happy TV has done several interviews where he’s shared the secret to the shows success. In his words “my goal was to create a moment that someone would go home and say to their partner “Yano, the weirdest thing happened today” and they’d talk and ruminate on it”.
I believe that this is the key to why Trigger Happy TV is so funny and why no prank show has been able to match it since. He’s not creating a joke for the camera, but instead creating a moment for the individual themselves that they’ll never forget. We, the audience, then get the witness that moment as a 3rd party with the knowledge that it’s all a prank.
How Trigger Happy Creates Comedy
Trigger Happy TV will often use absurdity mixed with a 3rd parties reaction to the absurdity to create comedy. Each prank has several layers going on, with the set-up usually being quite funny on its own too, which leads to hilarious clips almost every time.
For example, the infamous Big Cell Phone prank involves Dom receiving a call on a MASSIVE cell phone (half the size of him) and answering by screaming “HELLO” before loudly having the rest of the conversation. This often takes place in a quite or otherwise peaceful location such as a library or café.
There are several layers going on here that come together to create something truly hilarious. The first is the premise which takes after the weirdly annoying situation of someone loudly talking into their phone and you overhearing their entire conversation. This is then expanded on by using a massive phone to create a bit of confusion and is sometimes expanded further by the conversation itself, such as the businessman being obnoxious.
The second layer is the reaction which plays off our natural fear of loud noises. Everyone will look, or even be startled, if they hear a loud noise so naturally everyone looks over to see what’s going on when Dom starts screaming. The reaction then turns into confusion as people start looking at their friends with a “what?” look before looking back at Dom.
The final layer is the location which doesn’t have to be quiet place, even though that usually gets the best reaction, but does have to be somewhere where everyone else is at peace. This could be a park, a shop, or an observation point overlooking a landmark. The comedy here comes from the break of societal norms, which immediately creates humour because someone is acting in a way that’s not expected, or sometimes acceptable, in that setting.
How Trigger Happy Tv uses Music to Create Comedy
Trigger Happy had a unique twist on music because it often used sad or depressing music during it’s scenes. Footage of 2 foxes fighting will be slowed down and then slow music would play which creates a contrast of emotions between the actions onscreen and the music. This adds a lot of comedy to scenes that otherwise wouldn’t stand on their own.
This was actually something that Dom Joly fought for as the producers wanted to use “funny music” for these scenes. Dom argued that the sad music makes the show stand out against the crowd (which, being honest, there wasn’t much of a crowd at the time), and the producers eventually agreed.
Music can be used to create a lot of comedy in any format by either complimenting or contradicting the events on screen. For example, if you create content that mocks someone, then circus or childish music will reinforce the idea of mockery by calling the subject a joke.
Overview
- The comedy of pranks are for a 3rd party
- Trigger Happy aims to create a moment that will then be shared
- Triger Happy breaks norms to create comedy
