Our next game is a little number called WHOSE LINE RETURNS!

I think I saw him on both the UK version and the US version. I might be imagining the UK appearance.

Anyway, he was good. But he'd never do it now because he has a persona to maintain.

edited 3rd Mar '13 10:12:04 PM by TParadox

Colbert was a good guest.

The story goes that Drew Carey went to a small improv performance with Ryan Stiles and Kathy Kinney because the two of them had extensive improv background and he almost instantly got addicted to it. Ryan told him about the UK Whose Line and Drew campaigned to get an American version made with him just as a producer. The network had little interest in the project until Drew offered to be the host, he knew his own weaknesses but this ended up a good thing because a big part of the charm of the US version was the rapport between the performers and Drew. The UK version in comparison was a lot more sterile in that way, in part because they had greater performer turnaround and Clive Anderson was a much more sedated host. His "joke" of pretending the points did matter were never funny while Drew's Couch Gag on the meaningless of the points was usually good for a chuckle. Subtlety and improv don't mix very well.

edited 4th Mar '13 10:04:27 AM by KJMackley

I don't want to add to the Fandom Rivalry between US and UK Whose Line but as a UK fan, I found Drew's "points don't matter" jokes only slightly less grating than the joke about "getting to do something fun with [Drew] at the end". Which he told on every single show, without any variation.

Clive's dryness added more to the show than Drew's insistence on getting involved, in my opinion. And the points kind of did matter in the UK version, since they determined who read out the credits. Not that I think Clive actually added up the points properly. I'm sure they probably came up with a winner before the show even began, actually.

I won't lie; I'm disappointed that it's the US version being revived and not the UK one. Still, I hope you all enjoy it.

In early seasons, the "winner" did the final sketch with Drew. Eventually (probably after getting tired of being limited to two-person games or stretching it with "a little help from" a third person) they reversed it so that the "winner" was the one who got to relax at Drew's desk while everyone else had to do something with Drew. Which had a 90% chance of being Hoedown.

And I'm pretty sure they played "something special with me" straight almost as often as they said it with innuendo.

I got the idea that Clive gave arbitrary scores after each round and then actually added them up at the end of the show.

edited 4th Mar '13 3:08:08 PM by TParadox

The actual humor is certainly a matter of personal taste, it's just that from what I've seen of the UK version after watching the US version was just how impersonal the show felt. It's largely because of some of the more subtle differences disregarding the style of hosting, how they kept a stable cast of performers instead of having a large revolving door (making them a lot more familiar with each others nuances) and actually trying to end the program with a big number instead of just ending. The UK version had a great deal more focus on the various sketches while the US version had the performers and Drew riffing on each other in between, creating some of the most memorable moments. "Watch the tempo change cause once you hit the second bridge this shit takes off!"

I liked some bits of the British version, but I admit I like the US version better.

Also, The US version had really great Scenes from a Hat suggestions.

edited 4th Mar '13 6:42:11 PM by edvedd

I used to love watching Props.

I think my favorites were "If You Know What I Mean," "Party Quirks" and "Narrate."

"He had a face only a mother could love... if she was blind in one eye and had that kind of weird, milky film over the other. But still, he was my identical twin."

"He'd tried to kill me years ago, but when you cut off someone's head, roll them up in a burning rug, and throw them off a bridge, always check to make sure they're dead."

Yeah, Narrate had some of the best lines.

I'm glad that the game 'Whose Line' can actually be called that again. 'Sentences' is way too dry.

The line is more like: "10 Years ago, he tried to kill me. But when you kill someone by chopping off their head, rolling them up in a carpet and burning it, you better make sure they're dead."

Is it weird that I pulled that out from memory? I may have flubbed the first sentence though.

Narrate needs to come back. Scenes from a Hat is a lock I think. Sound Effects shouldn't even be in question.

edited 6th Mar '13 12:50:12 AM by edvedd

Mike McShane should host. He's the best improv guy in the business.

To me, the whole idea of making this a fake game show ("points don't matter") made this a bit silly. My first impression of it was a parody of game shows when instead it's a straight stand-up comedy.

I don't really understand all the hate for Carey. For what it's worth, I liked him as a host and his friendship with Ryan and Collin really tied the show together. To compare him to Clive would be akin to comparing apples to oranges.

At any rate, word on the grapevine is that Drew may show up among the rotating fourth chair. I'd like to see Greg Proops again, along with Brad.

Any thoughts about the new host that we're getting? I see from the article it's somebody called Aisha Tyler, but as far as I know, I don't watch any of the shows she's in, so I don't really know much about her.

Did that come in an update?

The name sounds familiar, but I can't recall what else she's done.

Oh! She's Lana on Archer. So she has comedy chops. I doubt that Archer is much ad-libbed, though.

Actually, it's in the article linked from the first post of the thread, though I suppose it could have been updated since the original post.

That's what I meant.

Hmm. Well, I really can't say for sure, though I didn't see any record of the article having been updated. And come to think of it, it's discussed a bit further down in the thread, so I guess maybe you just missed it?

Okay, well a lot of us apparently skipped over that, because we were discussing dream hosts too.

I guess it's going to be a good thing having a female host. The show was too much a boys' club.

The main show I know her from is Ghost Whisperer, which wasn't really a comedy, so I don't know much about her comedy chops. I hope she'll do well, though.

A female host might be a good thing if she can project the same kind of authority (fingerquotes) as someone like Drew Carrey. I mean, I always thought that the one female comedian they had on the show sometimes was by far the weakest, but a big part of that was, I think, the fact that all jokes involving her and another cast member would inevitably end up being about sex. If they can get a female host who acts as a host rather than just "the woman", it might make it easier for a female comedian to be more comedian than woman, too, since she wouldn't be the only female on stage anymore. Maybe.

Kathy Greenwood was infamous for not being very good with the rapid fire skits like "Scenes from a Hat," but she was kept on because she was a pretty face and she did much better in the more relaxed games. And Kathy had better chemistry with the guys (except for Josie Lawrence's appearance, her duet with Wayne was brilliant) than the other female performers.

Ah yes, Josie Lawrence. She's the one Paul Merton used to fuck with on the UK version isn't she? Those bits were amazing.

You know who would be a great female fourth chair? Heather Anne Campbell. When she was on Improv-a-Ganza she proved that she could hold her own with the big boys.

edited 7th Mar '13 8:46:58 AM by edvedd