Whose Line Is It Anyway? (UK TV series)
| Whose Line is it Anyway? | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Genre | Improvisational comedy |
| Created by |
Dan Patterson Mark Leveson |
| Presented by | Clive Anderson |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 136 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Location(s) |
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| Running time | 30 minutes (inc. adverts) 50 minutes (Christmas special) |
| Production company(s) | Hat Trick Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | Channel 4 |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original release | 23 September 1988 – 4 February 1999 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (radio series) Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series) |
Whose Line is it Anyway? (abbreviated to Whose Line? or WLIIA) is a short-form improvisational comedy television show. Originally a British radio programme, it moved to television in 1988 as a series made for Channel 4.
The show consists of a panel of four performers who create characters, scenes and songs on the spot, in the style of short-form improvisation games, many taken from theatresports. Topics for the games are based on either audience suggestions or predetermined prompts from the host. Both the British and the American shows ostensibly take the form of a game show with the host arbitrarily assigning points and likewise choosing a winner at the end of each episode. However, the show lacks the true stakes and competition of a game show (by design). The "game show" format is simply part of the comedy.
Following the conclusion of the British run in 1999, ABC began airing an American version, which ran until 2007 and was later revived by The CW in 2013.
In 2016, The Comedy Channel will begin airing an Australian Version of the series with comedian Tommy Little as host.
Each typical television episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway? featured four performers (with an exception of six in a 1989 Christmas special) who sit in a line of chairs at the back of the stage. The host sat at a desk facing the large performance area in front of the performers. The host introduced each performer with a joke or pun, usually all related on a common theme or topic.
The show is made up of games that are scored by the host, who declared arbitrary point values after the game, often citing a humorous reason for his decision. The points are purely decorative, served no practical purpose, and were often awarded to audience members or other arbitrary third persons. The style of the games are varied (see Games, below). Some feature all four performers, while others feature fewer. The performers who are not involved in a game remain in their seats at the back of the stage. Humorous banter between the host and the performers between games is also sometimes featured.
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