Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988–1998)

A British show in which actors and comedians improvise sketches in various "theatre-sports"-type games, based on audience suggestions. The games might include singing a Hoedown about Tory ... See full summary »

Stars:

Clive Anderson, Richard Vranch, Ryan Stiles

5 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Clive Anderson	...	Himself - Host (136 episodes, 1988-1998)
Richard Vranch	...	Himself (87 episodes, 1988-1997)
Ryan Stiles	...	Himself (76 episodes, 1989-1998)
Colin Mochrie	...	Himself (57 episodes, 1991-1998)

Storyline

A British show in which actors and comedians improvise sketches in various "theatre-sports"-type games, based on audience suggestions. The games might include singing a Hoedown about Tory Politicians, acting out a soap opera as hamsters, becoming bizarre super-heroes, or making up a musical about the life of an audience member.

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Plot Keywords:

singing | british | comedian | live audience | green screen | 

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Taglines:

Make it up. Make it quick. Make it funny!

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Genres:

Comedy | Game-Show

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1988 (UK)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel 4 Television Corporation, Hat Trick Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

36 min 36 min (1 episode) 24 min (135 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The animation of the opening titles the show eventually settled on is based on an Italian cartoon shorts series called La Linea (direct translation 'The Line'), which was very popular in Europe from the mid-seventies well into the nineties. It featured almost the exact same type of chalkboard 'single-line' drawn character, only with a round nose rather than pointy.

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Quotes

Jim Meskimen: If other hobbies leave you in the lurch, You can always break out your chisel, and carve yourself a perch. That's right, you can carve a marble or a granite, Just go ahead and have at it.
Chris Smith: You may spend a couple of hours cleaning off the sediment, From that age old fallen pediment. But once you have done it you will notice with ease, That it's one of them Grecian frieze.
Ryan Stiles: Well you know, carving is lots of fun. It's cheaper to buy rocks by the ton. I like it when I'm carving when I'm alone, But I ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Every edition of the show would end with the winner(s) reading out the credits in a style suggested by the host.

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Connections

Version of Whose Line Is It? (2001)

User Reviews

This made me pee my pants.

That's right, I said it. I normally wouldn't be this honest, but this is the internet, so no one knows who I am anyway. Mike McShane said something about a German U-boat once, and I was already laughing so hard, that did it. I couldn't hold it in anymore. Luckily, I was watching it alone in my room at the time, so no one saw (this was when I was still in high school and in my parents house). I don't see how you couldn't laugh at this show. To do improv is a truly hard thing, but these people pull it off. One of the greatest shows EVER.