This US version of WILTY maintains all the same elements of the British original, only poor editing doesn't give it a chance to deliver. The first episode is worth watching as Richard Kind shines, capturing the playful banter of the British original with his distinctive, sly improv style. Aasif Mandvi doesn't quite have Rob Brydon's mischievous wit, but he holds his own as a host. Other well-known comics like Dulce Sloan and Matt Walsh were also on the first episode, but the show's frenetic pace (it's about 8 minutes shorter than the British version, with more ad breaks) doesn't give anyone a fair chance, and jokes end as soon as they start. It's a shame given all the talent in the room, since it's clear that the essence of WILTY has been painstakingly captured, only for it to be squeezed to death by editing and ad breaks.
18 Reviews
We'll see....
fleck05IMDB12 April 2022
I love the British (original) version of the improve show, Would I Lie To You (WILTY), and watched this trying to be unbiased. I loved the British improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway, but feel the American version with Drew Carey was better. However, I don't see this ever being the case here. Granted, the British WILTY has been on for many years and started off rough - but the team captains (the brilliant David Mitchell and Lee Mack) were always very quick and funny... the American captains (Matt Walsh and Sabrina Jalees) aren't.
Also annoying is the CW channel and their app insist on commercials instead of a subscription option, and I hate commercials (but that's a CW criticism).
I'll tune in when actual funny people are visiting the show.
Also annoying is the CW channel and their app insist on commercials instead of a subscription option, and I hate commercials (but that's a CW criticism).
I'll tune in when actual funny people are visiting the show.
Too steep a hill to climb? Time will tell.
lotekguy-111 April 2022
Thanks to YouTube, I've become a HUGE fan of the British original, so I dipped my toes in this US version with trepidation. After all, who do we have here that can rival Lee Mack and David Mitchell in this type of format?
While precisely adhering to the original's structure, the best I can do is to call the comedy content rather spotty. The upside for this US viewer is not missing many of the jokes that are culture-specific for the English. The downside is a matter of personnel, which will change each week.
In fairness, the earliest episodes of original-recipe WILTY weren't as fast-paced and funny as the later ones. So this imitator deserves a few more episodes to see how it ripens. They were amusing enough to warrant a bit of learning-curve patience.
While precisely adhering to the original's structure, the best I can do is to call the comedy content rather spotty. The upside for this US viewer is not missing many of the jokes that are culture-specific for the English. The downside is a matter of personnel, which will change each week.
In fairness, the earliest episodes of original-recipe WILTY weren't as fast-paced and funny as the later ones. So this imitator deserves a few more episodes to see how it ripens. They were amusing enough to warrant a bit of learning-curve patience.
Misses the point
pjdickinson-278223 June 2022
The British version is almost ridiculously conversational with no one giving a damn about how any of it looks. It's a collaboration in silliness and that seems lost here. Maybe some things just don't travel. It might find a place but it needs less effort.
Awful, slap-stick variant on a subtle and hilarious British show
markjholloway-604089 May 2022
Exactly the same format as the UK show that has been running forever.
However, the slapstick comedy and over-acting (not everything is hilarious guys) makes this an awful, cheap copy of the original.
Maybe it'll get better after time but the over-acting just makes the first 2 episodes terrible.
However, the slapstick comedy and over-acting (not everything is hilarious guys) makes this an awful, cheap copy of the original.
Maybe it'll get better after time but the over-acting just makes the first 2 episodes terrible.
the problem is this
keepitgoingtolife1 May 2022
When they try to duplicate british tv on american television, they never watch the show and get to know the panel characters and their skills. They bring the show here and because they dont know the english comedians they replace them on the US version with c-list comedians from the US. They did the same with taskmaster with reggie watts. Lee mack, david mitchell, greg davies and the rest etc, are not c-list comedians. They aere the kevin harts, the jim gaffigans. The top teir...
But because they arent known in US the US producers dont know this and just put any comedian uin to do what they do. This show will fail just like taskmaster US cause they dont bother to get the same level of comedian. Just cause you dont know who they were doesnt mean they are equal to unknown US comics. Taskmaster would have killed with danny devito maybe? But reggie? Come on!!!
Oh, and as usual from a non white cast, it took about 30 seconds into the first show for them to make white people jokes. Racism is racism. Ill never watch again.
But because they arent known in US the US producers dont know this and just put any comedian uin to do what they do. This show will fail just like taskmaster US cause they dont bother to get the same level of comedian. Just cause you dont know who they were doesnt mean they are equal to unknown US comics. Taskmaster would have killed with danny devito maybe? But reggie? Come on!!!
Oh, and as usual from a non white cast, it took about 30 seconds into the first show for them to make white people jokes. Racism is racism. Ill never watch again.
Extremely Disappointing After Watching the British Version
lepoisson-13 July 2022
Actually, it would probably be pretty disappointing even if we hadn't seen the British version.
The British version is laugh-out-loud / stop-the-video-to-recover hilarious even when you don't know British culture. We watched the first two episodes of the American version and it's just dumb slapstick and shouting.
Check out the British version on youtube (especially after Rob Brydon became the host starting in series 3)...it's worth 10 stars.
The British version is laugh-out-loud / stop-the-video-to-recover hilarious even when you don't know British culture. We watched the first two episodes of the American version and it's just dumb slapstick and shouting.
Check out the British version on youtube (especially after Rob Brydon became the host starting in series 3)...it's worth 10 stars.
Finding it's footing.
alexissweetohio29 April 2022
I love the British original and look forward to seeing this show work out some of the kinks and I think it could be just as good. I do feel like it's much too short and the stories or lies don't get to be very fleshed out and therefore funny. Less details means less chances for humor. The comedians are funny, they're who I would imagine would be on panel shows. The host does a great job, you can tell he is a fan of the original. I like Matt Walsh as a team captain, but I literally like him in everything I've ever seen him in. The other one is not funny and I think I even track some discomfort from the other players. I think the aggressive hugging, hand holding and competitiveness is kind of off-putting.
So, in summery I think the length could be longer and Sabrina Jalees replaced but everything else is great and I hope it stays on air long enough to get better. Let's not forget how the CW did the Taskmaster.
So, in summery I think the length could be longer and Sabrina Jalees replaced but everything else is great and I hope it stays on air long enough to get better. Let's not forget how the CW did the Taskmaster.
Garbage.
nekkidnorman2 May 2022
It's horrible and not funny or entertaining.
While they stick to the script of the British original word for word, and the format is the same, it's terribly done and annoyingly cringy.
The host isn't funny, the team leaders are terrible, and the guests are 5th rate.
I realize that hoping for the US version to get even a single David Mitchell or Lee Mack was a long shot, but come on! This cast is pathetic. Not even Rob Brydon would lower himself to be on THIS version.
Contrast the terrible US version with the recently finished first season of the Australian version. The Aussies get it right, and while not as consistently funny as the current (16th season) British version, it's first season was on par with the first from Mitchell-Lee-Deayton. I went into the Aussie season without knowing any of the cast, and yet it still was FUNNY (though not Bob Mortimer funny, more Lee Mack on a moderately tired Thursday kind of way).
The British version did get better after they fired Deayton and replaced him with Brydon, but it was enjoyable because the format and Lee/Mitchell were so good. In addition, the guests were also very well selected and almost always did a good job (though some of the edited out bits were not always as good). For the US version to get worth watching, they'll have to replace the ENTIRE cast and do a MUCH better job with the editing.
I guess the US just isn't always good when trying to replicate British hits. WILTY, Taskmaster, Great American Baking Show, etc. Certainly the more involved the regulars are (judges, Team Captains, etc.), the less chance of success in the US since the American production companies always miss the mark when hiring.
Will this get better in the future? It'll probably improve a star or 2 but still not enough to survive. Best case it'll get a couple years before the axe, though less than the Great American Baking Show got before cancellation. However, I'll be surprised if it even gets a second season since it's so so bad. US taskmaster was cancelled after one season, and that at least had Alex Horne and yet was still dreadful.
TL/DR: Your time is much better spent watching the British version, or even the Aussie one. Heck, rather than watch this dreck, maybe plotting how to get the US to rejoin the British colonies would be less painful.
While they stick to the script of the British original word for word, and the format is the same, it's terribly done and annoyingly cringy.
The host isn't funny, the team leaders are terrible, and the guests are 5th rate.
I realize that hoping for the US version to get even a single David Mitchell or Lee Mack was a long shot, but come on! This cast is pathetic. Not even Rob Brydon would lower himself to be on THIS version.
Contrast the terrible US version with the recently finished first season of the Australian version. The Aussies get it right, and while not as consistently funny as the current (16th season) British version, it's first season was on par with the first from Mitchell-Lee-Deayton. I went into the Aussie season without knowing any of the cast, and yet it still was FUNNY (though not Bob Mortimer funny, more Lee Mack on a moderately tired Thursday kind of way).
The British version did get better after they fired Deayton and replaced him with Brydon, but it was enjoyable because the format and Lee/Mitchell were so good. In addition, the guests were also very well selected and almost always did a good job (though some of the edited out bits were not always as good). For the US version to get worth watching, they'll have to replace the ENTIRE cast and do a MUCH better job with the editing.
I guess the US just isn't always good when trying to replicate British hits. WILTY, Taskmaster, Great American Baking Show, etc. Certainly the more involved the regulars are (judges, Team Captains, etc.), the less chance of success in the US since the American production companies always miss the mark when hiring.
Will this get better in the future? It'll probably improve a star or 2 but still not enough to survive. Best case it'll get a couple years before the axe, though less than the Great American Baking Show got before cancellation. However, I'll be surprised if it even gets a second season since it's so so bad. US taskmaster was cancelled after one season, and that at least had Alex Horne and yet was still dreadful.
TL/DR: Your time is much better spent watching the British version, or even the Aussie one. Heck, rather than watch this dreck, maybe plotting how to get the US to rejoin the British colonies would be less painful.
I won't lie to you
tschuler992317 April 2022
The British original is one of the funniest shows EVER . This is the funniest show NEVER ! It's not good. The comedians aren't well known to say the least. Unfortunately being on CW probably means there's not a big budget to get A list comedians. They have big shoes to fill and they aren't coming close.
I can't even...
tracitsr25 June 2022
I tried. I wanted to like it. There's no rapport between the host and team captains. After reading another reviewer mention the level of comedian in those slots compared to the level of those in the original, I agree. But also, having three people, no matter if they're A listers or C listers, who have worked together and have a playful and occasionally caustic relationship would be the key here. This was a missed opportunity to get the likes of Joel McHale and Ken Jeong (who never seems to turn down an offer) and someone else from their group.
America once again fails to properly adapt a great British panel show
simianfriday19 February 2023
I had low expectations going into this because I've been burned before by terrible American adaptations of great British panel shows (the US version of Taskmaster is *abysmal* while the British version is just fantastic through and through), but this is even worse than I expected.
Cutting the runtime in half doesn't allow any of the people on the show time to develop a joke and really play up any of their stories (whether a lie or not). This *dramatically* cuts down on the comedy potential and it just makes the whole thing feel soulless, like they're moving as quickly as they can from one story to the next just to give everyone a chance to have a turn so they can close out the episode. In contrast, the British version gives more time for people to ask questions and to bring out the comedy in these stories - that's the *whole point* - this US version just treats it like a game show, where the goal is to "win" by fooling your opponents - something that is entirely *beside* the point, but whoever adapted this for the US clearly didn't understand that.
I would love to see a competent US version of some of these shows - Taskmaster, Would I Lie To You, QI, etc - but unfortunately I don't think American networks are ever going to be willing to devote an hour of airtime to something like this so they can do it the right way.
Also, not to knock the team leads but they just don't hold a candle to Lee Mack and David Mitchell. You need team leads that can really drive the tone and pace of the show but this adaptation just doesn't have that.
Cutting the runtime in half doesn't allow any of the people on the show time to develop a joke and really play up any of their stories (whether a lie or not). This *dramatically* cuts down on the comedy potential and it just makes the whole thing feel soulless, like they're moving as quickly as they can from one story to the next just to give everyone a chance to have a turn so they can close out the episode. In contrast, the British version gives more time for people to ask questions and to bring out the comedy in these stories - that's the *whole point* - this US version just treats it like a game show, where the goal is to "win" by fooling your opponents - something that is entirely *beside* the point, but whoever adapted this for the US clearly didn't understand that.
I would love to see a competent US version of some of these shows - Taskmaster, Would I Lie To You, QI, etc - but unfortunately I don't think American networks are ever going to be willing to devote an hour of airtime to something like this so they can do it the right way.
Also, not to knock the team leads but they just don't hold a candle to Lee Mack and David Mitchell. You need team leads that can really drive the tone and pace of the show but this adaptation just doesn't have that.
I'd be lying if I said it was good.
MikeHunt107511 February 2024
This show is the US attempt at creating an already great UK show where two teams of celebrities play against each other in a series of rounds where the opposition has to guess if they are telling the truth or making it up?
The UK version is already a classic after about 15 years of being on the air, but this US version just doesn't have the same vibe.
The host and two team captains are not cast right. The host contributes nothing, and who the heck are the team captains anyway? One is plain annoying thinking she's a rapper or something, the other seems to have little to no charisma.
The selections for guest "celebrities" is a real head scratcher. I think a total of 3 people have been on this show I'd actually call a celebrity. The rest seem to be unheard of "comedians" and some sort of TikTok nobodies.
Its a show that could work for the USA, but it needs to scrap everything its doing right now, follow the UK formula and actually have guests on people know and wanna see on a weekly basis.
Give the show to someone like the Who's Line Is It Anyway crew, or bring back a team from the past like the MadTV cast perhaps? Anyone but these has-beens that never was who pretend the audience knows who they are and add in 2 or 3 actual celebrities during the coarse of the season.
By the way, I said follow the UK formula, which means, stop doing the typical US filler where when a known name is mentioned, it gets a round of applause, and the terrible obvious cuts in editing that ruin the feel that what you're watching isn't just slapped together because there's too much boring stuff being cut out. Get the vibe going and let the guests let loose, not an obvious take 2 moment.
The UK version is already a classic after about 15 years of being on the air, but this US version just doesn't have the same vibe.
The host and two team captains are not cast right. The host contributes nothing, and who the heck are the team captains anyway? One is plain annoying thinking she's a rapper or something, the other seems to have little to no charisma.
The selections for guest "celebrities" is a real head scratcher. I think a total of 3 people have been on this show I'd actually call a celebrity. The rest seem to be unheard of "comedians" and some sort of TikTok nobodies.
Its a show that could work for the USA, but it needs to scrap everything its doing right now, follow the UK formula and actually have guests on people know and wanna see on a weekly basis.
Give the show to someone like the Who's Line Is It Anyway crew, or bring back a team from the past like the MadTV cast perhaps? Anyone but these has-beens that never was who pretend the audience knows who they are and add in 2 or 3 actual celebrities during the coarse of the season.
By the way, I said follow the UK formula, which means, stop doing the typical US filler where when a known name is mentioned, it gets a round of applause, and the terrible obvious cuts in editing that ruin the feel that what you're watching isn't just slapped together because there's too much boring stuff being cut out. Get the vibe going and let the guests let loose, not an obvious take 2 moment.
Deserves a chance
akkhima7 May 2022
Okay good job
ashuston10 April 2022
It Made Us Laugh
leahbeah912 June 2022
It has a lot of potential.
fakeai2 January 2023
I think the first season of the US version is on a par with the first couple of seasons of the original UK version . The host is quite likeable and the stylistic difference of two team captains make this show quite interesting to watch.
I would agree that the cast maybe the top tier of US comics. But I think that they are still very enterrainting . As well as if the show picks up thee will sure be more famous guests.
Moreover US and UK are two different cultures . Making a tv show which will suit the taste of UK auidence or UK tv enthusiasts does not make any sense.
Finally , I am happy that they made this show and hope that thay make more of it , as well as people enjoy it as a different flavour of their favoutite show.
I would agree that the cast maybe the top tier of US comics. But I think that they are still very enterrainting . As well as if the show picks up thee will sure be more famous guests.
Moreover US and UK are two different cultures . Making a tv show which will suit the taste of UK auidence or UK tv enthusiasts does not make any sense.
Finally , I am happy that they made this show and hope that thay make more of it , as well as people enjoy it as a different flavour of their favoutite show.
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