If prank shows are your guilty pleasure, you are in for a treat. “The Substitute” is an excellent pick for a binge-watch sesh if you find delight in absurdist situations.
You can watch this rib-tickling hidden camera prank show on Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Apple TV. Unfortunately, it is not available on Netflix as of now. BuddyTV will keep you updated if that changes.
“The Substitute” is a reality prank show that features influencers and celebs who are metamorphosed into substitute teachers. These celebs are transformed with prosthetic makeup done by special effects artists and donned with fool-proof costumes, all for surprising classes of unsuspecting students.
At the end of the prank, the school the kids belong to receives a donation of $25,000. Sure, “The Substitute” is entertaining but equally heart-warming. It is produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation, Eli Holzman, and Aaron Saidman (“Undercover Boss”), along with Mike Harney (the showrunner).
In this article, we discuss this hilarious prank show, details about seasons one and two, and whether there will be a season three or not.
About “The Substitute” on Nickelodeon
Ever had that giddy feeling when you were witnessing an unsuspecting person fall for a practical joke? Particularly, when they realize that all the while they were being filmed to capture the surprised and weirded-out reaction on their face?
Hidden-camera reality shows have paved the way into their own realm of comedy, and they are entertaining, to say the least. “The Substitute” belongs to that sub-genre.
Quite evident from its name, “The Substitute” is a prank series where various celebs and social media stars pose as substitute teachers. They visit schools to teach kids between the ages of four to 11. Only a few moments later the kids realize that the substitute teacher isn’t a regular substitute teacher, but actually a celeb or social media star. There’s no end to humor in this show, thanks to the amazing acting by the guest stars.
“The Substitute” is jam-packed with creative and crazy prank ideas that will keep you intrigued till the end. As a concept, it is quite wonderful because it caters to a broad range of audiences like kids, parents, and — of course — teachers too.
At the end of each episode, the celebs do a grand reveal of themselves, and the reactions on the faces of kids is priceless. Imagine getting to meet your celebrity hero in real life!
Nickelodeon was launched on April 1, 1979, and to celebrate April Fool’s Day as well as its 40th anniversary, it premiered the pilot episode of “The Substitute” on April 1, 2019. It hit off amongst the audiences immediately and was claimed as one of the top programs amongst kid viewers belonging to ages six to 11, across all TV channels.
Rated TV-G, “The Substitute” is a show that makes for a perfect watch with kids on a Friday night to share laughs and have a great time together.
Is “The Substitute” On Nickelodeon Real?
“The Substitute” is an unscripted reality TV show where celebs and social media stars disguise themselves as substitute teachers.
Season one stars the following:
- Jace Norman
- Lilly Singh
- John Cena
- Ne-Yo
- The Bella Twins
- Rico & Raini Rodriguez
- Asher Angel
- Shaun White
- JoJo Siwa
- Johnny Orlando
- Cooper Barnes
- Kel Mitchell
In season two, the guest stars include:
- Baby Ariel
- Chloe Kim
- Chris Paul
- Gabriel Iglesias
- The Miz
- DeAndre Jordan
- Peyton List
- Zedd
- Lele Pons
- Why Don’t We
- Ty Dolla $ign
About Juanpa Zurita as the Host of “The Substitute”
Originally from Mexico, 26-year-old Juan Pablo Martínez-Zurita Arellano or Juanpa Zuria is a social media star, content creator, comedian, and social activist. He stars in season two of “The Substitute” as the host. In one of the episodes, Juanpa Zurita is in for a surprise when he has to become a substitute. Zurita takes the kids on a magical ride into the realms of meteorology and fights the crime of grime. His quirky antics add fun to the episode.
Juanpa’s influencer journey kicked off when he uploaded his first comedy video in 2013 on the vine app. To date, he has accumulated over 30 million followers on Instagram and 18 million subscribers on YouTube. Through his social media channels, he encourages his viewers to always believe in themselves and work hard to fulfill their dreams.
In 2015, MTV Latin America announced him as the “icon of the year.” In the year 2018, he starred in a TV series called “Luis Miguel” where he played Alex Basteri, Luis Miguel’s brother. Zurita’s hard work and perseverance have led him to win and be nominated for various awards. During the 10th Annual Shorty Awards, he was amongst the few finalists who qualified as “YouTuber of the Year.”
How Many Episodes and Seasons of “The Substitute” Are There?
Season one premiered on April 1, 2019, and has a total of 12 episodes. Season two premiered on October 31, 2020, with a total of 12 episodes also. A special episode called “Top 10 Wildest Pranks” aired on May 9, 2020, which features the top pranks of the entire series.
In season one, John Cena goes undercover at the Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills in Monrovia, California, where he pranks the campers by portraying himself as a quirky environmentalist, a CPR instructor, and a fearful fire safety expert who has a weird best friend. Oh, and he eats trash from the ground!
We also get to witness Zedd who is a famous DJ and Grammy Award-winning music producer — along with everyone’s favorite, Lily Singh, who visits the Woodrow Wilson Middle School and pushes the kids to their limits with her bizarre antics.
In episode five of season one, The Bella Twins pull off a crazy prank show. Nikki Bella goes undercover as three characters: a dog trainer who has turned into a gym teacher, a bridesmaidzilla, and a clown who doubles up as a career counselor. Her twin sister plays the role of a puppet master.
In season two, actress and recording artist Ariel Martin also known as “Baby Ariel,” went undercover at a haunted house to pull off ghoulish pranks on kids. We also get to witness Miz and Maryse, a popular couple from the world of WWE, in season two.
As per WWE, “Miz goes incognito as a flashy, hyper-confident astronomy teacher who conflates astronomy with astrology, a dinosaur expert who has some very strange theories on dinosaurs — many of which contradict each other and none of which make sense — and a high-energy fundraiser representative looking to get the kids excited about an upcoming fundraising push which has set aside candy bars in favor of selling… mayonnaise! Meanwhile, Maryse directs traffic from the control room.”
And the most hilarious of all, Lele Pons features in episode nine of season two. She plays the role of a pretentious lunch lady and a super intense bandleader who finds balance doing yoga by the sea.
Will There Be a Season 3 of “The Substitute?”
Unfortunately, season three of “The Substitute” has officially been canceled by Nickelodeon. However, you can watch seasons one and two and all the special episodes on Prime Video, Vudu, and Apple TV.
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Nothing is better than binge-watching TV shows that make you roll on the floor with laughter, like “The Substitute.”
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