Practical jokes can be hilarious if they land — the more complex, the better — but arguably, pranks that appear on TV are funnier than pranks in real life, because the TV ones don’t have any consequences and the fact that they’re staged by writers, directors, and actors means they can be far more elaborate than any real-world prank ever could.
The two greatest pranksters on TV are The Office’s Jim Halpert, who pranks his deskmate Dwight to escape from the monotony of life as a paper salesman, and The Simpsons’ Bart Simpson, who pranks anyone and everyone in sight because he’s a 10-year-old kid who enjoys causing trouble.
Jim: He Can Improvise
For all the planning that goes into Jim’s pranks, he can also think on his feet and improvise new parts of a prank on the spot. When he impersonated Dwight, he accidentally answered a call from his mom.
Thinking fast, he decided to tell Dwight’s mother (as Dwight) that he’d gotten married without telling her, then hung up the phone. All of a sudden, one prank evolved into a new one and Jim adapted to it.
Bart: If He Has A Failing, It’s That He’s Always Demanding Perfection
In The Simpsons episode “Bart’s Comet,” Principal Skinner releases a weather balloon and Bart pulls a string to reveal his own additions that make the balloon look like a mooning Skinner.
As the balloon floats away and Skinner chases after it, Bart says, “I don’t think I really captured the eyes.” Milhouse tells him, “Bart, if you have a failing, it’s that you’re always demanding perfection — if you have a failing.”
Jim: His Pranks Are Hilariously Elaborate
Bart has pulled off some elaborate pranks, but Jim takes his to another level. An actor friend, played by guest star Randall Park, took his place for a day just to convince Dwight that he’d been Asian the whole time he knew him.
Jim ran a mysterious wire through the office park and up a telephone pole. He pretended to be dead in his trashed Tallahassee hotel room and scrawled, “It was Dwight,” on the wall.
Bart: He’s The King Of The Prank Call
Bart’s early-season prank calls to Moe’s Tavern are the go-to example of prank calls. If anything, prank calls went out of fashion after The Simpsons gained popularity because the show turned all the well-known ones into clichés.
Weird Al sampled one of Bart’s prank calls to Moe in “Phony Calls,” his prank call-themed spoof of the TLC hit “Waterfalls.”
Jim: His Final Prank Was An Act Of Kindness
Jim pranked Dwight a lot throughout The Office’s run, but his final prank against Dwight in the series finale was an act of kindness. Dwight had chosen Jim to be the best man — or “bestest mensch” – at his wedding, but Jim said he was too old and they’d need to find an older person.
Then, Michael appears in the doorway. A teary-eyed Dwight says, “Michael... I can’t believe you came.” Michael quips back, “That’s what she said.”
Bart: He’s The Elusive “El Barto”
All across Springfield, Bart has tagged walls and bridges with his alias “El Barto.” As far as the town is concerned, “El Barto” is an elusive criminal whose identity will forever remain a secret.
It wouldn’t be too difficult to deduce that “El Barto” is the alias of Bart Simpson, but adults ranging from Homer to Principal Skinner have failed to put the pieces together.
Jim: He Literally Wrote An Entire Book For A Prank
In season 8’s “Garden Party,” Andy becomes so jealous of his dad and brother’s viral duet from a garden party that he throws his own garden party at Schrute Farms and tries to recreate the duet with himself in his brother’s place.
Since Dwight was determined to get the party right, Jim wrote an entire book full of outlandish traditions called The Ultimate Guide to Throwing a Garden Party under the pen name James Trickington.
Bart: He Pranks So Much That He Has To Write Lines Every Single Day
One of the recurring gags in The Simpsons’ opening credits is that Bart is always writing lines on Mrs. Krabappel’s chalkboard. He’s been writing lines every day for over 30 years.
Whereas Jim can get away with any prank under Michael’s leadership, as a kid, Bart has to face severe punishments for his antics.
Jim: He’ll Go To Any Extreme To Serve A Prank
There are some lines that Bart won’t cross for a prank because he doesn’t think it’s worth the effort or he can’t figure out a way to do it. Jim, on the other hand, will go to any extreme to serve a prank.
He and Pam spent months learning Morse code on top of raising a family and holding down full-time jobs just to mess with Dwight by clicking their pens and blinking their eyes with coded messages.
Bart: He Has Several Arch-Nemeses
Bart doesn’t just have one arch-nemesis; he has a few. Jim’s only arch-nemesis is Dwight, but Bart has Moe, Principal Skinner, Mrs. Krabappel, the kids of Shelbyville — the list goes on.
Occasionally, Jim will target other people with his pranks — like Andy or Todd Packer — but those are always one-offs. Dwight is his only regular prank target.