Japanese Prank Shows Are The Best In The World

Maybe it's the superstitions there, but Japan has the best catalog of prank shows on Earth. It's like netting fish out of a barrel, too easy. The premise is always real far fetched, but the over-the-top reactions are just too genuine to be fake... Unlike most of the "prank" shows on American TV... Looking at you fake-ass Carbonaro Effect...

As the more and more people abandon traditional TV and explore more of what is available on the web, it's no wonder that we find better programming. This is their best version of reality TV. Genuinely shock someone, their reaction, reality. Simple. But more and more, no matter how far and wide you look, reality TV is everywhere because it's cheap to make, easy to write, and people lap it up. Almost every developed country has a set of Kardashian type of shows in their lineup. Talent competitions too... Every country has their own ________ Idol or _________ Has Talent...

While those are at least palatable when there's nothing else on, it only makes me miss the days of documentaries. Believe it or not, TLC, History, and Discovery used to make incredible learning films that would teach the viewer about something new and exciting. Science Channel and PBS still tries to hit that standard, but the "good" programming is limited.

Luckily for all of us, there are smart-tv apps out there for every taste. I found an app that only contains documentaries from the past. It's not limited to any specific network, so the list of topics is nearly endless, but there is a catch... Almost every single app works on subscription. Even the PBS app costs money for the good stuff (though technically it's a mandatory $5/month donation). Luckily YouTube still offers a ton of stuff for free, so long as you're willing to sit through an ad once in a while. Sure, they have their premium "pay" content too, and I'm sure one day that price will be worth the content, but it isn't just yet.