MTV'S HIT SERIES "PUNK'D," THE POP CULTURE PHENOMENON, RETURNS ON MONDAY, MARCH 19, FOR AN ALL-NEW SEASON, FEATURING BIGGER LAUGHS AND MORE SHOCKING SURPRISES FROM YOUR FAVORITE STARS

In A New Twist This Season, Ashton Kutcher Will Hand Over The Reins To A New Celebrity Host Each Week, Including Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Kellan Lutz, Bam Margera And "Punk'd" Alum Dax Shepard, Among Many Others

New York, NY (January 1, 2012) - Get ready for bigger and better laughs and surprises, when MTV's groundbreaking hit series "Punk'd" returns for an all-new season on Monday, March 19. The series, which became a pop culture phenomenon, is back, revealing the vulnerable and fun-loving side of Hollywood's A-list celebrities as only MTV can. This season, Ashton Kutcher is passing the torch to a different celebrity host each week, including Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Kellan Lutz, Bam Margera and "Punk'd" alum Dax Shepard, among many others, who will punk their unsuspecting famous friends. Be on the lookout for more of your favorite stars, who will serve as celebrity hosts this season as well, to be revealed soon. Click here for a sneak peek.

"What better way to ring in the New Year than to let our audience know that Ashton and MTV are bringing back Punk'd in a big way", said Van Toffler President MTVN Music Group, LOGO and Film. "There's a new generation of unsuspecting suckers just waiting to be Punk'd by their famous friends, and fans will once again have a front row seat to see the shock on the faces of their favorite celebs."

"Punk'd" is taken to a whole new level this season, with more complex, hilarious and fun punks than ever before. For the first time in the series' history, the curtain will be pulled back, giving viewers an inside look at what goes on behind-the-scenes to pull off these elaborate pranks. Get ready for some real outrageously fun moments that you wouldn't expect from your favorite stars!

"Punk'd" is Executive Produced by Katalyst's Jason Goldberg and Ashton Kutcher. Lauren Dolgen, Colin Nash, Kristina Edwards and Jennifer Russakoff are the Executives in Charge of Production for MTV.

About MTV

MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy(R), Grammy(R) and Peabody(R) award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

About Katalyst

Katalyst is a new breed of studio developing innovative content for TV, film and the web. Founded in 2000 by partners, Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, Katalyst film credits include The Butterfly Effect, Guess Who, Spread and Killers. Television property credits include the hit series Punk'd, Beauty and the Geek, and True Beauty. Digital Media properties include programming for major brands such as the Levi's Curve ID campaign, winner of the 2011 OMMA Award for Best Integrated Online Fashion Campaign, Nikon "The Chase", Mountain Dew "DEWmocracy," United Nations "Malaria No More." In 2010, Katalyst was named one of the year's Top 50 Most Inspiring Innovators by Ad Age and one of Fast Company Magazine's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies.