Penn & Teller: Bullshit! 

The comedy illusionist duo explore various topics and debunk what they consider misconceptions about them.

Creators:

Randall Moldave, Eric Small

Stars:

Penn Jillette, Teller, Shera Pollins

Nominated for 13 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Penn Jillette	...	Self - Host 89 episodes, 2003-2010
Teller	...	Self - Host 89 episodes, 2003-2010

Storyline

Using a combination of set ups, descriptions, rants and film of practitioners, Penn & Teller show the bullshit that's everywhere. The initial show covers mediums or Talkers to the Dead. Penn Jillette explains in the first program that while calling someone a liar or a con man is actionable, "bullshit" is safe. Each show has a topic such as Mediums, Feng Shui, Medical devices or Penis Enlargement. Using humor and experts, they debunk the bullshit.

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Plot Keywords:

satire | libertarianism | propaganda | 2000s | 2010s | 

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Taglines:

Magic's an illusion. This Bullshit is for real!

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Genres:

Comedy | Documentary

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Trivia

Penn has stated that those they ask to be on the show to interview know in advance what the name of the show is, what kind of show it is and even generally knowing what side Penn and Teller will be on. Not only this, the interview subjects are even given past shows, with the exception of season one.

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Quotes

Penn Jillette: Sure, we're smug, self-righteous, pompous and self-important assholes, but damn it, we're right!

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Crazy Credits

Disclaimer at the end of episode 2.6: "The characters and events depicted in the damn bible are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental."

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Connections

Referenced in Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010)

User Reviews

Hilarious and Informative

When I say this is hilarious and informative, I mean it informs you of how stupid some people are. Penn and Teller do such a good job with this show, and do an even better job of de-bunking con-artists. Everything from Feng Shue to Magnet Medicine and these people who communicate with the dead (such as John Edward) are de-bunked. I just watched an episode where Penn and Teller got people to try out a "Mucas Mask". This was a supposed be a beauty treatment/facial massage in which people actually let somebody put snails all over their faces. You then see these people who have faces covered with nasty slime giving testimonials on how much better their wrinkles looked and how relaxed their face felt. This was something P&T set up just to show that these testimonials for other cons are not reliable. People can be so stupid, and Penn and Teller do a hilarious job of pointing out how gullible some people are. I reccomend this show to anybody.

Details

Official Sites:

SHOWTIME

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t!

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Network Television, Penn & Teller, StarPrice Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Color:

Color