Narrate is my favorite game to watch Ryan and Colin play because it’s just the two of them messing with each other for laughs, and yet still keeping a coherent plot.
The ONLY thing keeping Narrate from being the best Whose Line game IMO is the fact that Ryan and Colin did pretty much all of them by themselves. I would have loved to see Wayne or the other performers get involved from time to time in one.
Anthony Padilla from Smosh was interviewing the Try Guys and he talked about the mission they had after buying the company back. They didn’t want to rebuild a channel based on 2 guys, but a model of "comedy with your friends". They want it to always be a group of friends just having fun together, while making an audience laugh. I thought that was beautiful and highlighted what you love about improv so well.
While it's very entertaining, and the performers are obviously amazing, Whose Line is very clearly made for TV improv because prompts are written/picked to play to their strengths. Still love it!
I feel like when you "prejustify" you are adding way more suspense to what is written on the paper which is the main focus of this segment. people hang on the pause inbetween the setup and delivery of the written words so much so that it ultimately makes it better, So i don't really agree with your view on prejustifying. When they do this they are building up the scene so much that what they say next is either going to be really dumb and so its really funny or it will fit well and still be funny because the chances of it fitting are so slim.
That's an interesting point, what I would say is you can build up to the line without boxing it in so much. So instead of really forcing it into something like a motto, you can still make it clear the line is coming without hard boxing it into a scenario where it's unlikely the line will make any sense. More like what Ryan did "I've been wanting to say this for a long time" that is still pre justifying without boxing in. Those I don't mind really.
I agree it can add to suspense but since Kaitlyn brought it up, I'm seeing it everywhere now... because I didn't have a word for it before I guess. I personally think it's okay to use once but some people will prejustify EVERY TIME and it ruins the momentum.
I think part of what I like about prejustifying is the meta of it, like it’s a little inside joke between the improviser and the audience that we know the line is random and it’s fun for the audience to see how the performer digs themselves out of a ridiculous situation or how the line happens to fit. I get what she’s saying that it can be a crutch and take away from the plot of a scene if it’s leaned on too much, but I think if used sparingly it can add to the comedy without sacrificing too much from the actual scene
Here in the UK, we had a TV show called "Outnumbered." It was about a nuclear family with three kids and was semi-improvised/semi-scripted. Hugh Dennis, the father, was also on Mock The Week (a semi improvised comedy panel show about politics) so he is well known here for his improv skills. Outnumbered was amazing, particularly the youngest child... she really rocked the parents sometimes with what she came out with. And she was so teeny when they started! 😂❤
One of my favorite modern ones is Mixed Messages where 2 can only use lines from the Text Messages from someones phone from the crowd while the other can speak freely
4:35 I actually strongly disagree, I think it's way funnier when they set up a joke, then have to immediately compensate when the line they read goes in a completely different direction.
Hope this isn't weird to say but your videos have brought me a level/form of joy I haven't been getting from other content lately! It's not just the technical quality of the videos, or the specific content you react to either (though I'm sure me watching so much Smosh is what told TH-cam to recommend this channel to me) I'm the farthest from a comedian one could get, and improv (or other types of performance even) is especially NOT part of my skillset or interests. I think that speaks volumes of your ability to explain techniques and methods, though, allowing even someone with 0 experience or skill to learn a LOT! I also highly appreciate how honest and straightforward you are. You're never rude, condescending, or judgemental - your criticism clearly comes from a place of love and respect for the craft, the performers, and a desire to help people grow. I'm so happy the TH-cam algorithm brought me here. I look forward to each video you put out, eager to learn more from you about this art form that I've never really put much thought into! Thanks for all the effort and time you put into your work, I'm just waiting for your channel to explode in views lolk
Oh this video brings me so much joy. (I actually found your channel via the Drag race episode) I always loved Whose Line but I do agree the parts when things go 'wrong' are sometimes the best bits for me.
14:48 that was an intentional call back to an episode when this did this with David Hasselhoff as a guest and he didn’t understand the rules and said multiple words instead of just one.
Awesome video. After this one and the Make Some Noise video, I totally think you should react to Shoot From the Hip. They're a London based Improve group that are pretty hilarious, doing both improve games and improvised plays. I think you would have a great time watching their scenes.
As someone who just started taking improv classes at my local club (and have played D&D for a long time before), I've had so much fun with it. I really like you're videos. They've given me lots of interesting things to think about for developing my own skills. Looking forward to the next one!
I always find myself watching Whose Line compilations when I'm having a rough day. I recommend watching Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza which has some of my favorite moments ever from them! Jeff Davis always crushes the songs
I think it's hard to just pull out a line without any kind lead in to make sure it flows correctly, but there's definitely a difference between queuing up a line and confining the line into a pre-established box that you have to hope can be vindicated. It's not hard to pivot of course, and it can still be funny, but you still run a risk of being forced to abandon it or having it fall flat in general.
I love your section on consent (even if it is 2024 and you shouldnt HAVE to explain these things) because it shuts down idiots who say "you cant do anything nowadays/you cant make certain jokes/you cant touch anyone". You CAN still do all those things, as long as you have a consenting partner/participant. That's all that's really changed.
I think you're the only person that doesn't like prejustified lines cause I love them cause it always makes it funnier when it doesn't make sense at all. SO this may just be a petpeeve of yours but not an improv thing to 'avoid'.
Definitely get some Jeff B Davis. There was another show that happened after Drew's time on Whose line called Improv-a-ganza. It featured the various cast members from whose line. There are episodes and segments on TH-cam that you could watch.
Was very excited for this video bc Whose Line was my first ever intro to improv (like probably most people my age) I've never performed or even taken an improv class but I'm a big fan of watching it so it's so interesting seeing the perspective of someone who actually knows what they're talking about about. For instance, I always remember whose line doing the pre-justifying thing so whenever I saw a local improv show with that game where someone DIDN'T pre-justify a line like that I was almost confused as to why not. But hearing your thoughts on it really changed the way I looked at it and now I find myself almost getting disappointed when I see people take the "shortcut" too (disappointed is probably a strong word, it's almost always still entertaining to me, it's just a preference switch unlocked I guess)
Hey, so WLIIA actually started on the radio in the UK in early 1988, it then moved to TV later that year, the first regulars of the show were John Sessions and Stephen Fry, the former of whom appeared in every episode of the first TV season in the UK
There's something I'm surprised you didn't mention. A lot of the humor in the first two games came from the interaction between two men taking a surprising romantic turn. I think there was a time when this would be subversive, edgy, and unexpected, and so it makes people laugh. (Before it was edgy, it would have just been taboo.) But there's nothing edgy or subversive about it anymore, and it shouldn't in itself generate laughs. I don't know if performers still fall back on that crutch, but I hope they don't. Of course, same sex romance is fine -- it just shouldn't be a bit in itself. Also, fascinating observations!
Literally stumbled across this video by accident 😅 you are very well read when it comes to improv comedy 🎭 I’ve always wanted to move to chi town and try out for one of SC’s touring companies. I just can’t afford to live in Chicago right now. I totally understand the SC acting philosophy and have great respect and admiration for all their alumni including Ryan and Colin 😉I’m thinking about trying a digital version of short form improv on social media platforms even using zoom as a tool
Honestly there are many great parts to the old US series, but my favorites are whenever Colin and Dyan work off each other or when Wayne and others are doing song improv.
I would love to see you react to Show Offs(from BYU) I would love to hear some advice on some long form stuff. I'm sure it would be tough to cut it down into a video though edit: getting 2k in a month is amazing! And very deserved
Love these videos so much. I enjoy breaking down performance art but I don’t agree with your opinion on pre justification. I think it’s a very case by case thing. If you do it right it’s really wacky or just makes sense. But if you do it A LOT, people pick up on it and it becomes a stale formula. I think y out have to mix it up.
Not even 2 and a half minutes in and I'm distracted by the ofmd fanart, omg 💜🏳️🌈🏴☠️ On the topic of the video though 😅 I love whose line, it's so absurd, but not being American or British I only discovered it about 10 years ago or so, but they've brought me to tears so many times 😂 I'd love to see you discuss scenes from Drew Carey's improvaganza, there was a sentences game Colin and Ryan did, I think it was supposed to be a soap opera, it just had some amazing bits in it, and a game where Drew and Colin had to imitate different genres of entertainment, iirc.
Ryan and Colin have been working together on the English version hosted by Colin Anderson several decades back. Wayne Brady has been a regular on the show for most of the U.S. run. The one or two time guests, while usually funny, always seem to be about a half step off timing wise. The line they deliver might be funny but misses just s bit of the fun with the regulars.
Not hating but that’s such a generational construct that you can’t even touch someone on the arm in improv. The idea of improv is the unexpected. If you’re that austere then maybe the theatre would be better as everything is scripted. How can you improvise with so many restrictions?
Narrate is my favorite game to watch Ryan and Colin play because it’s just the two of them messing with each other for laughs, and yet still keeping a coherent plot.
The ONLY thing keeping Narrate from being the best Whose Line game IMO is the fact that Ryan and Colin did pretty much all of them by themselves. I would have loved to see Wayne or the other performers get involved from time to time in one.
Anthony Padilla from Smosh was interviewing the Try Guys and he talked about the mission they had after buying the company back. They didn’t want to rebuild a channel based on 2 guys, but a model of "comedy with your friends". They want it to always be a group of friends just having fun together, while making an audience laugh. I thought that was beautiful and highlighted what you love about improv so well.
While it's very entertaining, and the performers are obviously amazing, Whose Line is very clearly made for TV improv because prompts are written/picked to play to their strengths. Still love it!
I feel like when you "prejustify" you are adding way more suspense to what is written on the paper which is the main focus of this segment. people hang on the pause inbetween the setup and delivery of the written words so much so that it ultimately makes it better, So i don't really agree with your view on prejustifying.
When they do this they are building up the scene so much that what they say next is either going to be really dumb and so its really funny or it will fit well and still be funny because the chances of it fitting are so slim.
Agreed. I see her point too, but both work in different situations.
That's an interesting point, what I would say is you can build up to the line without boxing it in so much. So instead of really forcing it into something like a motto, you can still make it clear the line is coming without hard boxing it into a scenario where it's unlikely the line will make any sense. More like what Ryan did "I've been wanting to say this for a long time" that is still pre justifying without boxing in. Those I don't mind really.
I agree it can add to suspense but since Kaitlyn brought it up, I'm seeing it everywhere now... because I didn't have a word for it before I guess. I personally think it's okay to use once but some people will prejustify EVERY TIME and it ruins the momentum.
I think part of what I like about prejustifying is the meta of it, like it’s a little inside joke between the improviser and the audience that we know the line is random and it’s fun for the audience to see how the performer digs themselves out of a ridiculous situation or how the line happens to fit. I get what she’s saying that it can be a crutch and take away from the plot of a scene if it’s leaned on too much, but I think if used sparingly it can add to the comedy without sacrificing too much from the actual scene
Here in the UK, we had a TV show called "Outnumbered." It was about a nuclear family with three kids and was semi-improvised/semi-scripted. Hugh Dennis, the father, was also on Mock The Week (a semi improvised comedy panel show about politics) so he is well known here for his improv skills. Outnumbered was amazing, particularly the youngest child... she really rocked the parents sometimes with what she came out with. And she was so teeny when they started! 😂❤
One of my favorite modern ones is Mixed Messages where 2 can only use lines from the Text Messages from someones phone from the crowd while the other can speak freely
4:35
I actually strongly disagree, I think it's way funnier when they set up a joke, then have to immediately compensate when the line they read goes in a completely different direction.
Hope this isn't weird to say but your videos have brought me a level/form of joy I haven't been getting from other content lately!
It's not just the technical quality of the videos, or the specific content you react to either (though I'm sure me watching so much Smosh is what told TH-cam to recommend this channel to me)
I'm the farthest from a comedian one could get, and improv (or other types of performance even) is especially NOT part of my skillset or interests. I think that speaks volumes of your ability to explain techniques and methods, though, allowing even someone with 0 experience or skill to learn a LOT! I also highly appreciate how honest and straightforward you are. You're never rude, condescending, or judgemental - your criticism clearly comes from a place of love and respect for the craft, the performers, and a desire to help people grow.
I'm so happy the TH-cam algorithm brought me here. I look forward to each video you put out, eager to learn more from you about this art form that I've never really put much thought into!
Thanks for all the effort and time you put into your work, I'm just waiting for your channel to explode in views lolk
Thanks for taking the time to write this, it was really awesome to read. Appreciate that!
I have been loving all your videos so happy to see this notification!
Would love if you did another watch of some of the other games from Whose Line, or a more modern episode of Whose Line.
Oh this video brings me so much joy. (I actually found your channel via the Drag race episode) I always loved Whose Line but I do agree the parts when things go 'wrong' are sometimes the best bits for me.
14:48 that was an intentional call back to an episode when this did this with David Hasselhoff as a guest and he didn’t understand the rules and said multiple words instead of just one.
No, that was just a mistake by Drew which is why he lost it. It aired in late 1999 while the Hasselhoff episode aired in mid-2003.
Awesome video. After this one and the Make Some Noise video, I totally think you should react to Shoot From the Hip. They're a London based Improve group that are pretty hilarious, doing both improve games and improvised plays. I think you would have a great time watching their scenes.
I recommend the cube sketch by shoot from the hip
Or a fan compilation
Or any of the letters of complaint
@@redbird669 omg my fav videos of theirs lol but aren't they pretty short tho?
@@DesiFangirl28x13 I mean, I don't really consider 2-3 minutes to be THAT short
As someone who just started taking improv classes at my local club (and have played D&D for a long time before), I've had so much fun with it. I really like you're videos. They've given me lots of interesting things to think about for developing my own skills. Looking forward to the next one!
I always find myself watching Whose Line compilations when I'm having a rough day. I recommend watching Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza which has some of my favorite moments ever from them! Jeff Davis always crushes the songs
I think it's hard to just pull out a line without any kind lead in to make sure it flows correctly, but there's definitely a difference between queuing up a line and confining the line into a pre-established box that you have to hope can be vindicated. It's not hard to pivot of course, and it can still be funny, but you still run a risk of being forced to abandon it or having it fall flat in general.
I love your section on consent (even if it is 2024 and you shouldnt HAVE to explain these things) because it shuts down idiots who say "you cant do anything nowadays/you cant make certain jokes/you cant touch anyone". You CAN still do all those things, as long as you have a consenting partner/participant. That's all that's really changed.
"AND TAKE ME ON A!" 🤣🤣
I think you're the only person that doesn't like prejustified lines cause I love them cause it always makes it funnier when it doesn't make sense at all. SO this may just be a petpeeve of yours but not an improv thing to 'avoid'.
12:04 "Bat, thiss varld issz still crvalinh mit mohels."
The solemate song is one of my top favorite whose line moments, it makes me cry laughing.
Definitely get some Jeff B Davis.
There was another show that happened after Drew's time on Whose line called Improv-a-ganza. It featured the various cast members from whose line. There are episodes and segments on TH-cam that you could watch.
Was very excited for this video bc Whose Line was my first ever intro to improv (like probably most people my age)
I've never performed or even taken an improv class but I'm a big fan of watching it so it's so interesting seeing the perspective of someone who actually knows what they're talking about about. For instance, I always remember whose line doing the pre-justifying thing so whenever I saw a local improv show with that game where someone DIDN'T pre-justify a line like that I was almost confused as to why not. But hearing your thoughts on it really changed the way I looked at it and now I find myself almost getting disappointed when I see people take the "shortcut" too (disappointed is probably a strong word, it's almost always still entertaining to me, it's just a preference switch unlocked I guess)
Hey, so WLIIA actually started on the radio in the UK in early 1988, it then moved to TV later that year, the first regulars of the show were John Sessions and Stephen Fry, the former of whom appeared in every episode of the first TV season in the UK
There's something I'm surprised you didn't mention. A lot of the humor in the first two games came from the interaction between two men taking a surprising romantic turn. I think there was a time when this would be subversive, edgy, and unexpected, and so it makes people laugh. (Before it was edgy, it would have just been taboo.) But there's nothing edgy or subversive about it anymore, and it shouldn't in itself generate laughs. I don't know if performers still fall back on that crutch, but I hope they don't. Of course, same sex romance is fine -- it just shouldn't be a bit in itself.
Also, fascinating observations!
I would love to see more Whose Line, loved this show as a kid but would welcome seeing more
Whose line is one of my favorite things to watch if nothing is on
Literally stumbled across this video by accident 😅 you are very well read when it comes to improv comedy 🎭 I’ve always wanted to move to chi town and try out for one of SC’s touring companies. I just can’t afford to live in Chicago right now. I totally understand the SC acting philosophy and have great respect and admiration for all their alumni including Ryan and Colin 😉I’m thinking about trying a digital version of short form improv on social media platforms even using zoom as a tool
Oh this is an inspired video idea
Honestly there are many great parts to the old US series, but my favorites are whenever Colin and Dyan work off each other or when Wayne and others are doing song improv.
6:59 "Jess, jast lett tha comeddj happenn leik on American Dad. Don't pojnt avs/anavnsc itt leik Familj Gvj/Jerry Lewis."
Also, please react to Wayne Brady's episode on Make Some Noise! (S2E6)
Would love to hear your reaction to "Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World". The prompts are truly insane
I would love to see you react to Show Offs(from BYU) I would love to hear some advice on some long form stuff. I'm sure it would be tough to cut it down into a video though
edit: getting 2k in a month is amazing! And very deserved
Love these videos so much. I enjoy breaking down performance art but I don’t agree with your opinion on pre justification. I think it’s a very case by case thing. If you do it right it’s really wacky or just makes sense. But if you do it A LOT, people pick up on it and it becomes a stale formula. I think y out have to mix it up.
0:20 Um, actually... Whose Line started as a british RADIO show! 🤓🧐
Not even 2 and a half minutes in and I'm distracted by the ofmd fanart, omg 💜🏳️🌈🏴☠️
On the topic of the video though 😅 I love whose line, it's so absurd, but not being American or British I only discovered it about 10 years ago or so, but they've brought me to tears so many times 😂
I'd love to see you discuss scenes from Drew Carey's improvaganza, there was a sentences game Colin and Ryan did, I think it was supposed to be a soap opera, it just had some amazing bits in it, and a game where Drew and Colin had to imitate different genres of entertainment, iirc.
Ryan and Colin have been working together on the English version hosted by Colin Anderson several decades back. Wayne Brady has been a regular on the show for most of the U.S. run. The one or two time guests, while usually funny, always seem to be about a half step off timing wise. The line they deliver might be funny but misses just s bit of the fun with the regulars.
I actually really like this show I see on TV a lot
And take me on a 😂😂😂 drew was getting it😂
Yes.
I had 0 idea whose line is from the UK and that Ryan and Colin were on it! ESP since they’re not British lol
can you react to AOAOAOA please its a fully improvised podcast, also i would love to see you do some improv prompts as well!!!
While it is fun to watch, Drew was never as good at the improv. It is pretty rare to see him join in.
I would like you to remember that they have no clue what the paper in there pocket says. So they are not doing exactly what you think they are
Can you react to an episode or scenes from Drew Carey’s Improvaganza?
Please react to Mountport!
If you want to watch and absolute crazy snatch game (not in a good way) is Season 4
could you watch gothic homemaking by the lair of Voltaire.
Not hating but that’s such a generational construct that you can’t even touch someone on the arm in improv. The idea of improv is the unexpected. If you’re that austere then maybe the theatre would be better as everything is scripted. How can you improvise with so many restrictions?
What a pretentious reaction.
Ya don't need to explain it dear.