"Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (1988) TV series 1988-1998

Directors:

Geraldine Dowd
Chris Bould
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Release Date:

23 September 1988 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Game-Show

Tagline:

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

Plot:

A British show in which actors and comedians improvise sketches in various "theatre-sports"-type games...

Plot Keywords:

Singing | British | Comedian | Live Audience | Green Screen

Awards:

5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

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)

Series Directed by
Chris Bould		(34 episodes, 1989-1992)
John F.D. Northover		(23 episodes, 1993-1995)
Paul O'Dell		(13 episodes, 1988)
Paul Wheeler		(2 episodes, 1998)
Geraldine Dowd		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Mark Leveson		(136 episodes, 1988-1998)
Dan Patterson		(136 episodes, 1988-1998)
Ron West		(11 episodes, 1998)

Series Produced by
Dan Patterson	....	producer (136 episodes, 1988-1998)
Denise O'Donoghue	....	executive producer (61 episodes, 1988-1998)
Anne Marie Thorogood	....	associate producer (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Ruth Wallace	....	associate producer (11 episodes, 1994)

Series Original Music by
Philip Pope		(136 episodes, 1988-1998)

Series Film Editing by
Mykola Pawluk		(57 episodes, 1989-1995)
Mike Cross		(7 episodes, 1988)
Josef d'Bache-Kane		(2 episodes, 1990)

Series Production Design by
Graeme Story		(57 episodes, 1989-1995)
Pip Gardner		(30 episodes, 1988-1990)

Series Art Direction by
Eric Larson		(1 episode, 1998)

Series Costume Design by
Jo Thompson		(24 episodes, 1989-1991)
Denise Simmons		(12 episodes, 1995)
John Hibbs		(11 episodes, 1988)
Annie Symons		(11 episodes, 1994)
Catherine Maher		(8 episodes, 1991)
Jo Korer		(2 episodes, 1988)
Tessa Phillips		(2 episodes, 1989)

Series Makeup Department
Helen Speyer	....	makeup artist (33 episodes, 1996-1997)
Eva Marieges Moore	....	makeup artist / makeup designer (22 episodes, 1994-1995)
Ivana Primorac	....	makeup artist (17 episodes, 1989-1990)
Christine Vidler	....	makeup artist (12 episodes, 1988)
Morag Ross	....	makeup designer (9 episodes, 1991)

Series Production Management
Carrie Fletcher	....	production manager (17 episodes, 1989-1990)
Avon Harpley	....	production manager (17 episodes, 1991)
Mary Bell	....	production manager (12 episodes, 1988)
Pat Lees	....	production manager (12 episodes, 1995)
Darina Healy	....	production manager (11 episodes, 1994)

Series Art Department
Brian Lofthouse	....	property master (19 episodes, 1994-1995)
Cathy Cosgrove	....	production buyer (17 episodes, 1989-1990)
Tony Watts	....	production buyer (17 episodes, 1991)
Vanda Vivian	....	production buyer (13 episodes, 1988)
Gina Cromwell	....	production buyer (12 episodes, 1995)
Terence Black	....	production buyer (11 episodes, 1994)
Les Baker	....	property master (6 episodes, 1995)
Harriet Porter	....	production buyer (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Richard Churchill	....	sound supervisor (17 episodes, 1989-1990)
Mark McLoughlin	....	sound supervisor (12 episodes, 1995)
Clive Hall	....	sound supervisor (9 episodes, 1991)
Keith Mayes	....	sound supervisor (9 episodes, 1994)
John Miller	....	sound supervisor (8 episodes, 1991)
Chris Thorpe	....	sound supervisor (3 episodes, 1994)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Sutcliffe	....	lighting director (21 episodes, 1991-1995)
Johnny Halpin	....	lighting director (17 episodes, 1989-1990)
Roy Easton	....	senior cameraman (16 episodes, 1989-1990)
Martin Hawkins	....	senior cameraman / senior camera operator (12 episodes, 1988)
John Fyfe	....	lighting director (11 episodes, 1995)
Joe Maher	....	lighting director (8 episodes, 1991)
Richard Wirth	....	camera supervisor (8 episodes, 1991)
Rolie Luker	....	camera supervisor (7 episodes, 1991)
David Fader	....	camera supervisor (7 episodes, 1994)
Mark Barrett	....	camera supervisor (4 episodes, 1994-1995)
Alan Haddow	....	camera supervisor (4 episodes, 1994-1995)
Chas Watts	....	camera supervisor (3 episodes, 1991)
Peter Edwards	....	camera supervisor (3 episodes, 1995)
Tony Keene	....	camera supervisor (2 episodes, 1995)

Series Editorial Department
Martyn Coates	....	vision mixer (22 episodes, 1989-1991)
Josef d'Bache-Kane	....	assistant on-line editor (20 episodes, 1988-1990)
Scott Hinchcliffe	....	assistant editor (13 episodes, 1992)
Paul Wheeler	....	vision mixer (12 episodes, 1995)
Roz Storey	....	vision mixer (11 episodes, 1988)
Naomi Neufeld	....	vision mixer (9 episodes, 1994)
Jackie Willie Griffith	....	vision mixer (8 episodes, 1991)
Janice Reed	....	vision mixer (4 episodes, 1989-1990)
Sandra Vardy	....	vision mixer (4 episodes, 1994)
Jacqui Watkin	....	vision mixer (3 episodes, 1988)
Peter Phillips	....	vision mixer (3 episodes, 1990)
Mike Cross	....	video tape editor (2 episodes, 1998)
Jamie Boulton	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Richard Vranch	....	composer: improvised music / musician (51 episodes, 1988-1997)

Series Other crew
Mark Leveson	....	compiled by / devised by (136 episodes, 1988-1998)
Dan Paterson	....	compiled by (136 episodes, 1988-1998)
Hilary Groves	....	stage manager (39 episodes, 1988-1991)
Steve Bendelack	....	title sequence / titles (34 episodes, 1989-1991)
Jane Bigger	....	researcher (30 episodes, 1988-1990)
Nuala Alen-Buckley	....	production accountant (28 episodes, 1988-1990)
Eilis Boland	....	production assistant (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Louise Grime	....	stage manager (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Alison McGregor	....	production team (23 episodes, 1994-1995)
Ivan Douglass	....	floor manager (17 episodes, 1989-1990)
Christine Moses	....	production assistant (17 episodes, 1989-1990)
Thirza Philpott	....	production secretary (17 episodes, 1989-1990)
Maria Britton	....	researcher (17 episodes, 1991)
Debra Forward	....	production accountant (17 episodes, 1991)
Karen Jackson	....	production secretary (17 episodes, 1991)
Tobin Goffe	....	title sequence / titles (14 episodes, 1994-1995)
Helen Gartell	....	production assistant (13 episodes, 1988)
Wendy Hill	....	production secretary (13 episodes, 1988)
Janet Stewart	....	floor manager (12 episodes, 1988)
Mark Allen	....	floor manager (12 episodes, 1995)
Ilya Colak Antic	....	production team (12 episodes, 1995)
Zita Foley	....	researcher (12 episodes, 1995)
Lorna Fossick	....	production team (12 episodes, 1995)
Christine Hagon	....	production team (12 episodes, 1995)
Anne-Marie MacLaughlin	....	production team (12 episodes, 1995)
Alison McDonald	....	production team (12 episodes, 1995)
Richard Osman	....	program associate (12 episodes, 1995)
David Young	....	program associate (12 episodes, 1995)
Emma Elsworth	....	production team (11 episodes, 1994)
Belinda Harris	....	researcher (11 episodes, 1994)
Polly Hope	....	production team (11 episodes, 1994)
Jim Imber	....	production team (11 episodes, 1994)
Rachel Lyon	....	production team (11 episodes, 1994)
Adrian O'Brien	....	production team (11 episodes, 1994)
Dick Hibberd	....	studio supervisor (10 episodes, 1989-1990)
Nikki Cockcroft	....	production assistant (10 episodes, 1991)
Deborah Young	....	film research (10 episodes, 1995)
Russell Norman	....	floor manager (9 episodes, 1994)
Rose Anderson	....	production assistant (8 episodes, 1991)
Mike Armour	....	floor manager (8 episodes, 1991)
Jessica Clifford	....	production secretary (8 episodes, 1991)
Kelley Locher	....	studio manager (8 episodes, 1991)
Helen Bennitt	....	film research (8 episodes, 1995)
David McDonald	....	floor manager (7 episodes, 1991)
Del Randall	....	studio supervisor (6 episodes, 1989-1990)
Hilary Bevan Jones	....	floor manager (5 episodes, 1988-1998)
Iain McLean	....	floor manager (4 episodes, 1994)
Peter Beaven	....	floor manager (3 episodes, 1991)
Mark Anand	....	assistant floor manager (3 episodes, 1997)
Tristram Shapeero	....	audience coordinator (2 episodes, 1991)
Alan Conley	....	production staff (unknown episodes)
Val Evans	....	film researcher (unknown episodes)
Susan Gosbee	....	production staff (unknown episodes)
Helen Manley	....	production staff (unknown episodes)
Michael Matheson	....	floor manager (unknown episodes)
Ruth Phillips	....	researcher (unknown episodes)
Alexandra Pickering	....	production staff (unknown episodes)
Paula Wilson	....	production staff (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Channel 4 Television Corporation (for)
• Hat Trick Productions

Distributors

• Channel 4 Television Corporation (1988-1998) (UK) (TV)
• Comedy Central (1995-1998) (USA) (TV)
• WNYC (1989) (USA) (TV)
• Dave (2007-) (UK) (TV) (repeats)

Runtime:

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

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:12 (season 2 DVD rating) | UK:12 (Season 1 DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Channel 4 Television Corporation

Trivia:

In the mid-1990s, the series filmed occasional episodes in the United States. The popularity of these outings led to an American version of the series being launched in 1998. The final season of the British program was in fact filmed on the set of the American version. By that time, aside from the host the majority of the performers were American (including the musician), with only the occasional British performer guest-starring, whereas initially it had been very much the other way around.

Quotes:

Brad:We must kill that monster!
Ryan Stiles:His name's Gary!
Mike McShane:Gary!
Colin Mochrie:Gary, Gary!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Comedy from Merton to Enfield: Paul Merton (#1.5)" (2003)

Best show on TV-PERIOD!

This show is hilarious! Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Tony Slattery, Josie Lawrence, Steve Frost, Mike McShane, and Paul Merton are all on my list of the funniest people alive! And Clive Anderson makes a great moderator-type host! A classic! Anyone who is thinking about ever doing improv should see it!