Channel Surfing: "Whose Line is it Anyway?" - Episodes 1+2

Left to right: Colin Mochrie, Wayne Brady,
Aisha Tyler, and Ryan Stiles

Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.

While watching the recent version of Whose Line is it Anyway?, I began to realize just how much this improv-centric show has been a cornerstone of my life. While the British incarnation was a little ahead of my time, I spent many nights practically worshiping the show's manic games and ability to make jokes out of thin air. Maybe it was the extension that the Drew Carey Show was a staple of my 90's diet, but I adored listening to everyone talk. Trust me, I failed to imitate the show's energy when reenacting moments with friends.

The weirdest part came after the show disappeared and the next incarnations came out. There was Drew Carey's Green Screen, the Wayne Brady Show and last year's short lived Improv-A-Ganza. Both paled in comparison, but I kept watching. Why? Because the main cast of Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, and Drew Carey were all I needed to assure that I had a good laugh. That is why I was simultaneously excited to hear that they were bringing the show back. It had the core essentials, but not all of the pieces. Having Mochrie and Stiles was great, but missing the likes of Carey, Greg Proops (check out The Smartest Man in the World, which he hosts) or Jeff Davis (co-host of Harmontown) left me confused. Even if Improv-A-Ganza was a weak version of Whose Line is it Anyway?, it still had almost everyone intact. 

Not that there should be complaints. This isn't a scripted, plotted out drama that relies week to week on specificity. In fact, Whose Line is it Anyway? rotated comedians week-to-week. The few exceptions always seemed to be Stiles, Mochrie, and Carey, which I felt was the trinity to the show. With Carey now off hosting the Price is Right, I can forgive the notion that the host must change. I am even fine with it being Aisha Tyler, who can be entertaining and lively. 

It is bizarre that for a show that has practically no rules that I went in wondering what rules they changed from when the ABC version went off the air in 2006. That is why as the credits rolled for the edited title card, I just began to get excited. It was back, even if the packaging was a little different. It had the reliable cast, which also included regular Wayne Brady. 

My issue is that it is impossible to be upset with an improv show simply because the genre is founded on the acceptance of hit-or-miss. It is sporadic humor that comes fast and hard. Not a beat was missed for the back-to-back episodes that premiered on the CW. It was funny, it was strange, but it was also essentially improv comedy being done by a group that was comfortable together There were recurring jokes and the games seem just as ridiculous. There's no sense of strain in sight. In fact, from this clip alone, I feel like nothing has changed except their age.

Despite the entertaining greatness, the one element that unfortunately felt removed was the audience interaction. With limited exceptions, the audience was mostly there to watch the show. In the older version, they screamed out suggestions and even participated in games. In this version, it takes the more traditional route of ideas written down on paper. Not too esoteric from the original in that they occasionally did that, but I miss the sense that the crowd added something to the show. I am still on the fence about celebrity guests from shows like the Walking Dead and Glee. While they add their own touch to the games, it is hard to isolate that from the sensation gotten when a random person was brought on and embarrassed royally by cheesy jokes and assistance from Laura Hall on piano.
It is also hard to not disassociate the host's position. While I came in already with affection to Drew Carey, I tried to allow new host Aisha Tyler to grow on me. It was only the first two episodes and it would be near impossible for her not to have small idiosyncrasies. In the broadest sense of the word, she was fine. Again, the interaction just felt a little different this time around. Where Carey participated in games and had great quips, Tyler seems to only be able to provide an amusing cutaway reaction shot. This could all just be happenstance from two episodes, but it limits her ability as a host. Also, she does seem a little buzzer heavy at points throughout the show.
It will take some getting used to in order to fully accept that the show has been retooled. Maybe it will never have the same charm that the older version had. However, it still has those sporadic moments of hilarity that made it so worthwhile of watching before. The comedians haven't changed too much in their style, and that is a plus. Wayne Brady is still live-wire song man and Colin Mochrie is still bald.
Luckily one of the benefits of the show is that it doesn't feel retooled to be hip. Besides the guests, there isn't this reliance on modern pop culture that sunk Beavis and Butt-head's return. They aren't trying to seem hip, despite being on the CW, a network aiming for that. In a way, that is the oddest element to the entire equation. The only signs of change is that they seem more willing to make perverted, sexual jokes than I remember. Though that could just be because I haven't watched the reruns in awhile.
Whose Line is it Anyway? is back, and depending on how much you enjoyed the original run, this is going to be a fun summer experiment. In fact, I like it as alternative program. It's a breezy, quick snap of fun on Tuesday nights and unless the show gets repetitive as I fear the second episode got, it will continue to work its charm. It works because it is unexpected, and even as a vessel that has been around off and on since 1988, it is amazing how much it does to popularize improv comedy in the mainstream. The only issue is that it now needs to interact more often with the mainstream audience that attends the show to avoid feeling seclusive.