“Welcome to Whose Line Is It Anyway? where the rules are made up and the points don’t matter!”
Whose Line Is It Anyway? is in a league of its own, and it’s coming back for the 2014 season on Friday, March 21! It’s based entirely on improv comedy routines and no other TV show is quite like it. Since it first hit the United States in 1998, the show has earned high ratings, a huge fan base and an astonishing 8.8 out of 10 stars in imdb.com. If you’re a fan of comedy and you’ve never watched Whose Line, you’re really missing out!
For years, the show was hosted by Drew Carey, but Aisha Tyler took over the role in 2013. Improv comedians Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie and Wayne Brady are the regulars on the show, and they are joined by a new celebrity guest for each episode. The list of guests hasn’t been revealed yet, but in the past, appearances were made by Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Stephen Colbert and David Hasselhoff.
Dozens of games are played on the show, such as Irish Drinking Song, Hoe Down, Living Scenery and Two Line Vocabulary, all of them improvised and resulting in some pretty hilarious outcomes. Musician Laura Hall plays the piano as an accompaniment for the music games like Hoe Down and Irish Drinking Song, in which the audience suggests a topic and each player improvises a phrase of the song.
Living Scenery doesn’t need any musical accompaniment. A scene is acted out by two of the players while the other two are used as props, such as lounge chairs, coats or umbrellas, which usually results in the “props” being put in some pretty compromising positions.
In Two Line Vocabulary, three performers act out a scene, but only one of them is allowed to speak normally. The other two performers are limited to speaking only two given lines, like “Are you mad?” and “That’s impossible!” At the end of each game, points are awarded to the “winner,” but the points don’t actually mean anything.
The unpredictable nature of the show can lead to some really hysterical moments, such as the time Ryan broke the neon light by accidentally knocking his head into it. It’s not uncommon for the performers to stumble and fall over or spill water on themselves either, which just adds to the craziness of the games.
One of the fun things about the show is audience participation. Throughout the show, the audience is asked for suggestions for the songs and scenes they perform. When the audience is polled, anything can happen — from a superhero named Bird Man to a song about being bald. Sometimes, members of the audience even get to play the games with the guys.
Generally speaking, Whose Line Is It Anyway? is family-friendly, but there are occasions of adult humor. Watch an older episode or two online before deciding if this show is appropriate for your children. Whose Line airs Fridays at 8 ET/PT and the 2014 season will be 24 episodes long. Pop a bowl of popcorn and get ready for some of the best comedy to be found on cable TV.
Do you plan on catching this season of Whose Line Is It Anyway? What are your favorite moments from the show?
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