Whose Line is it Anyway?
Frequently Asked Questions
for the frames version, click here
Please note: the show is no longer taping new episodes. Watch the news section below for info on live tour dates.
NEWS:
"An Evening with Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood" is currently touring the U.S. Their two-man improv show is hilarious and not to be missed! Check out their official website for info and tour dates.
Greg Proops is frequently on the road with his stand-up act, and he's planning some shows with Ryan Stiles, Chip Esten and Jeff Davis. See Greg's Events Page for tour dates.
ABC Family Channel is airing one hour of ABC's WLiiA? nightly at 10pm EST/PST.
Looking for WLiiA? audio or video clips? Then be sure to check out The Idiotsite!
Welcome to your one-stop Whose Line is it Anyway? information source! So you want to know how the show began? (Go to "How it Started".) Whether or not it's REALLY improvised, and what kind of awards its won? ("The Show") Why it moved to America, what the 'Green Screen Show' is, and where to see the cast performing live? ( "The Versions") Ryan Stiles' favorite type of sandwich? (OK, that one isn't on here ... but if anyone knows, don't hesitate to e-mail me!)
For that matter, if there is anything you'd like to know that you can't find, or you have info to add or correct, please e-mail me about it! Thanks!
Pick a Topic!
How it Started - Whose idea was it, anyway?
The Show - How's it all put together?
The Players - Who are these guys?
The Games - What are they and how are they played?
The Versions - If it's a British show, why's it on ABC? And what's a "green screen"?
The Whosers - What are the fans all about?
The Internet - Where are the WL websites?
People I want to thank - I couldn't have done it without them!
Be sure to also check out the WLiiA? Dictionary and Fanfic pages!
How'd it start?
WLiiA? actually started as a show for BBC Radio 4 in 1987. It featured Clive Anderson as host, with popular British comics such as Lenny Henry, Stephen Fry, and Hugh Laurie as players. This, in fact, is where concept of the winner reading the credits came from - on the radio, someone HAD to read them!
How long was it on the air?
The UK TV show started on Channel 4 in 1988. Its last series was taped in 1998 (the "Hollywood episodes"). It's still on TV in syndication; check local listings.
What changes did it undergo over the years?
Surprisingly few. Clive remained the host for the UK series' run, and the show's format didn't change. New games were added along the line, with old ones ("Authors", "Psychiatrist") being played less and less in favor of newer versions ("Remote Control", "Bartender").
Who's the producer?
Hat Trick Productions, Ltd., produces WLiiA?. Dan Patterson is the producer for both the British and U.S. versions. Ryan Stiles and Drew Carey executive-produce the U.S. show.
Tell me the truth: Is it REALLY improvised?
YES, YES, YES, it's really improvised! The players are just very, very good at what they do. (And lots of errors are left on the cutting-room floor.)
How did one become a player on the show?
The show held auditions. You'd play the games over and over in elimination rounds. If you made it through, you'd go home and pray they'd call you.
What were tapings like?
Taping a half-hour show actually took about three hours! Many games were played, because they sometimes got two episodes out of one taping. They'd frequently play several versions of a game using new suggestions. Sometimes a player would swear or do something else deemed inappropriate, and they'd have to retake it. And then there were pickups: about an hour shooting various openings, point-givings, audience shots, etc, to make the show smoother. The best part about pickups was watching the players make fun of producer Dan Patterson.
How do I attend a taping?
Sadly, there have been no new episodes of WL taped for quite a while, and it looks as if there'll be no more. There is some hope that "Drew Carey's Green Screen Show," now airing on Comedy Central, may get resurrected in the future, but no announcements to that effect have been made yet.
Has the show won any awards?
Both the UK and US show have been honored with awards and nominations. The UK show won the Royal Television Society (RTS) award for "Best Entertainment" in 1990, and Clive Anderson won the British Comedy Award for "Best TV Entertainment Presenter" in 1991. For four years in a row, from 1990-1993, the show was nominated for a British Film & Television Award (BAFTA) for "Best Light Entertainment Programme". It won in 1991.
The US show has been nominated for several Emmy Awards. It was nominated for "Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For A Series" in 2001. Wayne Brady was nominated three years in a row (2001-2003) for "Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program". In 2002, Ryan Stiles was nominated for the same award. Wayne won the Emmy in the category in 2003. Earlier that year, he won "Outstanding Talk Show Host" at the Daytime Emmys, pulling off the rare feat of winning a Daytime and Primetime Emmy in the same year.
Who are the regular players?
Being of "game show" nature, WL has a rotating roster of regulars. Please check out the mini-bios page, with info on these players:
Clive Anderson (host), Niall Ashdown, Wayne Brady, Rory Bremner, Drew Carey (host - US), Jeff Davis, Chip Esten, Steve Frost, Stephen Fry, Archie Hahn, Laura Hall (music - US), Josie Lawrence, Mike McShane, Paul Merton, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Jonathan Pryce, Caroline Quentin, John Sessions, Brad Sherwood, Denny Siegal, Tony Slattery, Steve Steen, Ryan Stiles, Jim Sweeney, Sandi Toksvig, Richard Vranch (music), Ron West
Who are the featured players?
The featured players (five or fewer appearences) include:
Patrick Bristow, Jane Brucker, Julian Clary, Mark Cohen, Peter Cook, Stephen Colbert, Debi Durst, Russell Fletcher, Graeme Garden, John Glover, Kathy Greenwood, Eddie Izzard, Sam Johnson, Griff Rhys Jones, Richard Kaplan, Kathy Kinney, Phil Lamarr, Chris Langham, Karen Maruyama, George McGrath, Rory McGrath, Jim Meskimen, Neil Mullarkey, Jimmy Mulville, Ardal O'Hanlon, Catherine O'Hara, Jan Ravens, Enn Reitel, Paul Rider, Lee Simpson, Arthur Smith, Christopher Smith, Betty Thomas, George Wendt, Denalda Williams, Debra Wilson
Who's been on the show the most?
Counting both the British and U.S. versions, here's a rundown of who's been on how often (as of November 1999 - compilation episodes included):
Ryan Stiles - 126
Who's won the most?
I'll let you guys in on a little secret: they tape several "winners" each show, and then broadcast the funniest or the best or whatever. So just about everyone's won more than it seems, but the tapes don't make it to air. These stats are of the winners that were broadcast as of November, 1999 (some of them were joint winners with other players):
Ryan Stiles - 60
Who brought the show to ABC?
Short answer: Drew Carey and Ryan Stiles.
What happened to Clive?
Clive hosted the British series for its entire run, but as he'd have had to fly out to L.A. for every taping, and as ABC insisted Drew have an active part in the show, Drew became the host.
Why did Comedy Central stop broadcasting the UK version?
Comedy Central had a contract with Hat Trick to run all the 1989-1995 episodes. Around 1997, they let their contract run out. At the same time, ABC picked up the show to develop the US version. Once that happened, ABC obtained the US rights to the show, which means Com Central lost them for a while. They aired the episodes again for a while starting in 1999, but then stopped. They currently air episodes of "Drew Carey's Green Screen Show" (see below).
How did the US version differ from the British?
Thankfully, very little! The producers took heed in the "don't mess with success" lesson so often overlooked by networks that "Americanize" British shows. Hat Trick was still the production company, with Dan Patterson overseeing every show. Ryan remained a cast member (or 'player'), as did British series regulars Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood, Wayne Brady, Chip Esten and Karen Murayama. Laura Hall provided the music.
The biggest difference was, of course, the host. Drew and Clive had the same duties, but they each brought their own style to each show. And instead of the "winner" of the u.S. version reading the credits, he/she/they played an improv game with Drew. (Credit Readings were brought back for the second season, though the "Drew Game" was still played.)
Where can I see the U.S. version now that it's no longer on ABC?
ABC Family airs it every weeknight at 10:00 and 10:30pm.
Has the show ever been performed live on stage?
January 15-17, 1999, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, NV, saw the first-ever live improv performance on the legendary Vegas Strip. The cast included WL players Drew Carey, Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Brad Sherwood, Wayne Brady, and Laura Hall; also on hand were Kathy Kinney and Ian Gomez from "The Drew Carey Show", along with comic actors Julie Larson and Sean Masterson. Each show lasted about 90 minutes, and featured several games from WL, among others.
The three-show run was such a huge success, it had a second run at Caesar's January 28-30, 2000. It was another sold-out hit. Such a hit, in fact, that they took the show on the road. "Drew Carey's Improv All-Stars" have toured North America several times over the past few years, with their most recent tour ending in the fall of 2005. They'll be performing in Vegas again February 2-5, 2006, this time at the MGM Grand. Go to The MGM Grand's website for more information and to purchase tickets. Hopefully they'll tour some more soon!
Meanwhile, you can catch individual cast members in live shows. "An Evening with Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood" is currently touring the U.S. Their two-man improv show is hilarious and not to be missed! Check out their official website for info and tour dates.
Greg Proops is frequently on the road with his stand-up act, and he's planning some shows with Ryan Stiles, Chip Esten and Jeff Davis. See Greg's Events Page for tour dates.
What's "Drew Carey's Green Screen Show"? Is it the same thing as WLiiA?
It's similar, but with one big difference. It stars a familiar lineup: Drew, Colin, Brad, Greg, Chip, and Jeff, along with Kathy Kinney, Julie Larson, Sean Masterson and Jonathan Mangum. They improvise games based on audience suggestions. However, their set consists of nothing but the large green screen of the title. The show then gets shipped off to animators, who draw in whatever is being improvised - backgrounds, props, even costuming. It adds a very fun twist to the show to see what the animators come up with.
The show aired on the WB for less than a season before being dropped. It has recently been picked up by Comedy Central and is airing there several times a week. See Comedy Central's website for showtimes and information.
Who founded the Whosers?
This is a tough question to answer! The Whosers really began when people discovered our message board, as well as the #wliia IRC chat room. A name was chosen, the membership grew, and we became what we are today - a little family, with members around the world, bound by that one important thing: a sense of humor.
What do Whosers do?
The primary objective of Whosers is to support WLiiA? and the players' other projects. We share news about them, watch their TV shows, see their movies, etc. And of course, we attended WLiiA? tapings and still go to their live shows whenever we can!
How do I become a Whoser?
The Whosers are an unofficial fan club, so the best way to be a Whoser is to simply be a fan of the show and its cast!
Where are the official sites?
Hat Trick Productions - the official site of WLiiA?'s production company!
What about fan sites?
Here's a few of the fan-created sites on the web (apart from this one, of course):
The WLiiA? Wiki - an amazingly detailed info page about the show!
Do individual players have pages?
Why ... yes! Several of the players have officially approved websites, which are just a click away:
Wayne Brady - This page features animation, video clips (both on and off WLiiA?), a Shockwave game, and live voice chats with Wayne! (Graphic intensive)
First off, my immense gratitude to archive master Mark Longmuir. Without his invaluable information, putting this page together would have been impossible.
Smile-for-the-camera thanks to Theresa, Kirk, Becky, Mark, and Emile for their pictures!
By-the-numbers thanks to our resident Kiwi Statistician, Dean Bedford, for his stats on the players' appearences and wins!
Thanks to my editors, Vanessa Emlich and Jessie Johnston, for their advice!
Of course, thank you to all the Whosers for contributing to this page!
And last but not least, my thanks to all the WL players, Hat Trick Productions, and everyone who made this wonderful show possible! You guys bring a smile to my face!
This is an unofficial website. It is in no way affiliated with Hat Trick Productions, ABC, or any of the WLiiA? cast members.
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Whose idea was it, anyway?
The US version aired on ABC from 1998-2003. Episodes are now shown every weeknight at 10:00 and 10:30pm on ABC Family.
The biggest change may be that in the first season, John Sessions was listed as the show's "regular" player. In later seasons, there was more of a rotation, although Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie may well be considered "unofficial regulars" in the show's last few seasons.
Two changes occured in the final season: the show used a new set (the same one used by the U.S. version), and Laura Hall replaced Richard Vranch in providing the show's music.
How's it all put together?
Who are these guys?
Colin Mochrie - 105
Greg Proops - 78
Josie Lawrence - 55
Tony Slattery - 48
Mike McShane - 43
Wayne Brady - 35
Steve Frost - 31
Brad Sherwood - 29
John Sessions - 24
Paul Merton - 20
Sandi Toksvig - 15
Jim Sweeney - 10
Chip Esten - 11
Rory Bremner, Caroline Quentin - 9
Archie Hahn - 8
Stephen Fry - 7
Denny Siegal - 6
Niall Ashdown, Jonathan Pryce, Steve Steen, Ron West - 6
Karen Maruyama, Jim Meskimen, Chris Smith - 4
Phil Lamarr, George McGrath, Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville, Catherine O’Hara, Arthur Smith, George Wendt - 3
Jane Brucker, Mark Cohen, Sam Johnson, Neil Mullarkey, Ardal O’Hanlan, Jan Ravens, Griff Rhys-Jones - 2
Patrick Bristow, Julian Clary, Stephen Colbert, Peter Cook, Debi Durst, Russell Fletcher, Graeme Garden, John Glover, Ian Gomez, Eddie Izzard, Richard Kaplan, Kathy Kinney, Chris Langham, Enn Reitel, Paul Rider, Lee Simpson, Betty Thomas, Denalda Williams, Debra Wilson - 1
Colin Mochrie - 37
Greg Proops - 27
Wayne Brady - 14
Josie Lawrence - 13
Tony Slattery - 12
Mike McShane - 11
Steve Frost - 8
Rory Bremner, Paul Merton, John Sessions, Steve Steen - 4
Archie Hahn, Sandi Toksvig - 3
Chip Esten, Stephen Fry, Karen Maruyama, Jim Meskimen, Caroline Quentin, Griff Rhys-Jones, Brad Sherwood, Denny Siegel, Jim Sweeney, George Wendt - 2
Niall Ashdown, Patrick Bristow, Stephen Colbert, Peter Cook, Debi Durst, Jon Glover, Sam Johnson, Phil LaMarr, George McGrath, Rory McGrath, Catherine O'Hara, Jan Ravens, Lee Simpson, Arthur Smith, Ron West, Debra Wilson - 1
What are they and how are they played?
If it's a British show, why's it on ABC? And what's a "green screen"?
Long answer: Ryan, a longtime WLiiA? regular, co-stars on "The Drew Carey Show", ABC's highest-rated sitcom. The "DCS" cast often perform WLiiA?-style improvisational games at The Improv, a world-famous comedy club in Hollywood. One night while there, Drew hit upon the idea of a U.S. version of WLiiA?, and suggested it to Ryan. They spoke with series producer Dan Patterson, who'd been trying to sell the show to a U.S. network for some time, with no success. They took it to the ABC execs, who agreed to put to show on as a summer 1998 series. It became the highest-rated summer series in history, and for a year aired on Wednesdays at 9:30pm on ABC, right after "DCS". It then moved to Thursdays at 8pm and 8:30pm.
What are the fans all about?
Where are the WL websites?
Green Screen Show - get info on the Green Screen Show!
The Idiotsite - contains lots and lots of WLiiA? audio and video clips!
WLiiA? net - The portal to WLiiA>? news!
Jim Meskimen - The "applied silliness" page includes info on Jim's live improv group and a "caption the cartoon" contest!
Colin Mochrie - The official website about the man with the legendary hoedowns includes a biography, filmography, live tour dates, and Colin's recipie for chili-rubbed chicken!
Greg Proops - This page features info on where WL's resident stand-up is touring, and personal messages from Greg!
Brad Sherwood - The U.S. Department of Monkeys contains a Brad discussion board and info on where to see him perform live!
Tony Slattery - The Tony Slattery Compendium has updates on Tony's live comedy dates and guest appearances on TV shows!
I couldn't have done it without them!
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