Whose Line Is It Anyway

[navar100]

By coincidence I had recently finished rewatching the 7 main seasons online. Now the CW is relaunching the show with a new host but still starring Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, and Ryan Stiles. Still funny, but wow, they've aged. I'm waiting for Colin to make the joke he now has more hair than Wayne Brady. You know everyone is waiting for Brad Sherwood, Chip Esten, Greg Proops, and Kathy Greenwood to return. Of course, everyone also wants Drew Carey, but even if he wants to make an appearance there might be contract restrictions with The Price Is Right even though Wayne is on the show and doing Let's Make A Deal. Even Laura Hall and Linda Taylor returned in the second episode.

[Fri]

Man this show. I still remember first time I watched it. Thought of it as the funniest possible show in the universe.

[DigoDragon]

I used to watch that show a few years back. Hilarious stuff, and Wayne had the best skills to just pop off a song from nothing.

[Traab]

I was honestly shocked to see wayne there considering his own show. But as long as ryan and colin are on it, it should still be pretty damn funny. Wayne does great with the songs, and pretty good with the general jokes, but those two I think were the big guns.

[Dienekes]

YES!

That is all.

[Flickerdart]

I liked that there were two hair jokes just in the first episode. The Walking Dead shoehorning, not so much. Pretty sure that the Walking Dead girl got more screen time than the fat black guy.

[BWR]

Yet another English original adopted and made less funny in the US.
Not bad, mind you, just not as good as the English.

[Dienekes]

Yet another English original adopted and made less funny in the US.
Not bad, mind you, just not as good as the English.

I grew up on both and must respectfully disagree. Original was funny but Ryan and Colin really hit their stride in the US version. That and while Clive Anderson may have had some good moments, Drew Carry being the butt of numerous jokes was much funnier.

Though admittedly, I think that makes it the only US remake I like more than the original.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Yet another English original adopted and made less funny in the US.
Not bad, mind you, just not as good as the English.

It was about equal, really. When I was working in the US (Atlanta...) I was watching a steady diet of Whose Line is it Anyway, as it was a show I was familliar with. I saw a mix of the UK and US episodes, and over all there really wasn't much difference.

Even in the UK original the comedy was rather hit and miss (as with all improv) - when it was good it was very good, but when it was poor it... wasn't.

[navar100]

I tried watching the UK version online, but I was soon getting bored. They were terrible performing and guessing Party Quirks. They were unimaginative with Props. They did not maintain scene consistency in Film Styles. The only regular performers I liked were Josie Lawrence and Paul Merton. On a funny note, Colin Mochrie had hair.

[Flickerdart]

I didn't find anything in the UK version to be worth watching. There's no energy or spontaneity to it. The British are great at all kinds of comedy (Mitchell & Webb, Armstrong & Miller, the Pythons, Fry & Laurie) but this is not one of them.

[josienoms]

I liked that there were two hair jokes just in the first episode. The Walking Dead shoehorning, not so much. Pretty sure that the Walking Dead girl got more screen time than the fat black guy.

I have to agree with this. What's the point of having four people, if you're just going to shove the "special celebrity guest" into every other sketch and completely ignore anyone who's not Ryan, Colin, or Wayne?

I do still think it was good, though. Not as good as it used to be, but still good. I'm going to keep watching. :smallbiggrin:

[Lateral]

I have to agree with this. What's the point of having four people, if you're just going to shove the "special celebrity guest" into every other sketch and completely ignore anyone who's not Ryan, Colin, or Wayne?

I do still think it was good, though. Not as good as it used to be, but still good. I'm going to keep watching. :smallbiggrin:
To be fair, the old show did that a couple of times (Richard Simmons episode, I'm a-lookin' at you). Problem is, from what I can tell, they're doing it every episode. As long as the main cast (a.k.a the actual comedians) are given enough facetime, I'm still cautiously optimistic- I've seen enough here to know that the dynamic between the three still works.

And yeah, I don't have anything against Aisha (and I think she's doing a decent job so far, but we're only one e, but I definitely miss Drew as host. Really, the self-mocking and constant prods at his weight, glasses, money, supposed ugliness, and starring role in Geppetto was one of my favorite elements of the old series. I really can't see them poking nearly as much fun at the new host.

I have to say, though, that scene from a hat about the hair commercial? Classic gold.

[EmeraldRose]

I used to watch this all the time! I thought it was one of the funniest things ever. I think my favorite was when they'd be doing a sketch and when the bell (or whatever) would ring they'd have to completely redo the line they'd just said. Sometimes over and over, and it'd just get funnier and funnier...

I liked both versions. I think the UK and US groups did a good job.

[Traab]

My favorite sketch was always scenes from a hat/worlds worst. They were pretty much always amusing, unlike some sketch types that were more hit or miss. Even though some of those hit or miss types could hit it REALLY BIG they wouldnt always. Also some sketch types got annoying as hell. Take the film dub sketch. It sucked because you spent the whole time waiting for the brief two syllable nonsense to be translated as a 5 minute long speech, and/or the reverse. They did it every time, and it just got more and more boring each time. I know they seemed to really hate hoedown or the other singing round sketches, but I honestly enjoyed it because you could tell they had a hard time making it all work together and often the flubs were funnier than the delivered jokes.

[Taet]

This is happy news. This is a show where only being able to hear it and not see it was often just as good as the full picture.

[Nadevoc]

Oh sweet, it is available online. I'm excited now that I know I can actually watch it. I preferred Drew as the host, but Ryan, Colin, and Wayne are there, so it's all good. Also a good half dozen hair jokes in the first episode :-P


Of course, everyone also wants Drew Carey, but even if he wants to make an appearance there might be contract restrictions with The Price Is Right even though Wayne is on the show and doing Let's Make A Deal.

While he did really well as host, he really kinda struggled during the bits he actually did the comedy at the end, so I'm not sure how good a guest star he'd make. Though I suppose half of what he brought was a joke target, which would be there.

[McStabbington]

Nice to see it back, but I do think they might get some new blood to add to the mix. Donald Glover and Jim Rash are two actors I can think of who would work well within the context of the show, as they are both comedic actors with absolutely insane improvisational skills.

[Cristo Meyers]

The fact that this show came back last week was the only bright spot in a week of crap. The fact that it's actually good, unlike Game Show Network's lackluster attempt, only makes it better.

Ryan, Colin, and Wayne still have it and overall they just seem to be doing everything right (well, except for shoe-horning guest stars in there...): no frills, no gimmicks, four chairs, four comedians and two musicians. The original had the right formula: just let the comedians do their thing. Don't mess with it.


While he did really well as host, he really kinda struggled during the bits he actually did the comedy at the end, so I'm not sure how good a guest star he'd make. Though I suppose half of what he brought was a joke target, which would be there

After watching him do improv in his Game Show Network-spinoff, I can safely say that if he appears he should really stay behind the desk. He did a good job as host, not so much as an improv guy.

There's a reason he always did Hoedown, because he wasn't very good at anything else, and he really hasn't improved much.

[FinnLassie]

I'm jealous of everyone who can watch this show without any problems, i.e. living in the US and has a TV. The Finnish version of WLIIA was rather entertaining, but after I saw the US show I just couldn't believe something so brilliant exists! I'm very fond of improvisation theatre and silly games, so the show's like made for me.

Bah. Here's to hoping that they'll start airing the new season in the UK. I want to see it.

[smuchmuch]

English version was best to me. Not just because it had Paul Merton, Stephen Fri, Mike Mc Shane and Tonny Slaterry () and ganeraly more variety (weither the American version feels like it's almost alway the same four guys, and Collin and Ryan are like 75 % of the show) but also because the first season had 'Authors'.
I understand such a game couldn't last (to much work for the contestants) but godamnit, the few rounds of it are good, (sometime, you don't even need to know the authors for it be amusing).

Still Us had it's moment, mainly the 'worlds greatest hits' Collin is one mean dancong machine.

Good things they're pretty much all on Youtube
But, uh if it restarted, I have to ask:
Just how old are Collin and Ryan by now ?


The Finnish version of WLIIA was rather entertaining

There was a finnish version ? I'm curious, what was it like ?

@V.
No accounting for taste.

[Flickerdart]

"Authors" always bored me, and seemed extremely out of place in an improv game.