Whose Line Is It Anyway

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Format: Improvisational Comedy

Created by: Dan Patterson, Mark Leveson

Presented by : Clive Anderson, Drew Carey

Country of origin: United Kingdom

No. of seasons : 10 UK, 8 US

No. of episodes : 142 UK, 220 US

Production

Producer(s) Hat Trick

Running time : 24 mins UK, 21-22 mins US

Broadcast

Original channel : BBC Radio 4: 1988, Channel 4: 1988 - 1998 : ABC: 1998 - 2003, ABC Family: 2004 - 2006

Picture format: 4:3

Original run : September 23, 1988 - July 2, 1998 – : August 5, 1998 - November 10, 2006

Whose Line Is It Anyway was an improv type show. Contestants/actors would take suggestions from the audience and use preset "games" to entertain everyone including themselves.

Whose Line Is It Anyway

Each episode was edited from a longer recording session (though the games themselves were usually left uncut), each of which was typically cut to create at least two episodes. In addition, both versions of the show featured compilation episodes which compiled unaired bloopers and entire games that were cut from other sessions. The host would specially tape special segments for these programs to introduce the various clips. Each series of the UK version featured two compilations per season, while the US version featured them only occasionally.

Whose Line Is It Anyway

Games

The number and type of games played varied from episode to episode. However, some games became more common over time, while others faded from use. New games were created throughout the run of both series. Some games, such as "Tag", are based on traditional improv games, while others were uniquely created for the series.

Whose Line Is It Anyway

History

Whose Line Is It Anyway? was created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson in 1988 as a radio show on BBC Radio 4. This early incarnation of the show is notable as being the origin of the show's tradition of having the performers read the credits in an amusing style; as it was a radio show, it was necessary for somebody to read the credits, and it was decided that it might as well be done as part of the programme proper, rather than being done by a traditional BBC Radio announcer. This approach to reading credits was pioneered by the earlier BBC radio show I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again. Indeed the title of the show itself is a comedic riposte to another radio show, What's My Line. The radio series consisted of six episodes, with Clive Anderson as host, with John Sessions and Stephen Fry as regulars.

Whose Line Is It Anyway

Cast

The UK cast (one version) included the following:  Stephen Frost, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles and Tony Slattery on the U.K. version.

The original BBC Radio 4 broadcasts consisted of host Clive Anderson along with two guests and the two regular contestants, Stephen Fry and John Sessions.

Clive Anderson stayed on as host when the show moved to television, with John Sessions resuming his role as the only regular in the first series. He subsequently became a rotating regular in the second and third series. Stephen Fry appeared only occasionally on the television series.

Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie first appeared in the second and third series respectively; they each gradually increased the frequency of their appearances to the point that both appeared in every episode from the eighth series on. Stiles is the most prolific performer on the show, having appeared in 76 of the series' 136 episodes (including compilations).

Many of the show's performers, including Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence and Sandi Toksvig, were regulars with The Comedy Store Players, an improvisational group based at London's Comedy Store. Other regular performers from the British version included a variety of British, American and Canadian comedians, notably:

Niall Ashdown
Wayne Brady
Rory Bremner
Chip Esten
Stephen Frost
Archie Hahn
Mike McShane
Greg Proops
Caroline Quentin
Jan Ravens
Brad Sherwood
Tony Slattery
Steve Steen
Jim Sweeney

Additionally, the series occasionally featured celebrity guests as performers, including:

Peter Cook
Julian Clary
Eddie Izzard
Phil LaMarr
Rory McGrath
Ardal O'Hanlon
Catherine O'Hara
Jonathan Pryce
Griff Rhys Jones
George Wendt


Whose Line Is It Anyway

US version Drew Carey opening an episode of the U.S. edition of Whose Line?Drew Carey hosted the U.S. version of Whose Line?. He was joined by the U.K. version's Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles as regular performers. Wayne Brady also became a regular in the second season. The fourth seat was most commonly filled by other U.K. veterans, including Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood and Chip Esten. Several newcomers joined the rotation: Denny Siegel in the first two seasons and Kathy Greenwood starting the third season after having appeared in two episodes of the previous season. Other fourth-seat performers appeared for only a few appearances (some as few as one), including Jeff Davis, Karen Maruyama, Patrick Bristow, Ian Gomez, U.K. veteran Josie Lawrence, Drew Carey Show actress Kathy Kinney and then-Daily Show correspondent Stephen Colbert.

Like the U.K. version, the show occasionally featured celebrity fourth-chairs: Robin Williams, Kathy Griffin, and Whoopi Goldberg each made appearances. Other celebrities made guest appearances for individual games, including:

Sid Caesar David Hasselhoff Florence Henderson Hugh Hefner Jerry Springer Joanie "Chyna" Laurer Richard Simmons Katie Harman Jayne Trcka Lassie

Laura Hall, who also featured in the tenth series of the British version, joined the American series for its entire run. From the second season onward, other musicians joined Hall. Linda Taylor made frequent appearances playing guitar and also some keyboards; other musicians such as Cece Worrall-Rubin on saxophone, Anne King, Candy Girard and Anna Wanselius all appeared alongside Hall (and sometimes also Taylor) on occasion.