ABOUT WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

   Whose Line is it Anyway? is television's first improvisational game
   show. Four stand-up comedians (mostly from London's Comedy Store
   Players, with a few from the USA) participate in games monitored by
   host Clive Anderson. During many of the games, Clive calls upon the
   audience to shout out suggestions for the game to keep the game
   improvisational.

   Whose Line? has been in production in England since 1988. The show
   airs weekly on England's Channel Four. The show was exported to the US
   via HBO's "The Comedy Channel", which later merged with MTV's "Ha!" to
   become Comedy Central. Currently, WLiiA? airs daily on Comedy Central,
   showing episodes from 1988 to the present. Most viewers agree that the
   early episodes are inferior in quality to the newer shows, probably
   due to the fact that in the early episodes, the WLiiA? players were
   just getting their bearings.

   WLiiA? is taped in May for the following season. If you're in London
   at the time, you can visit the WLiiA studios and possibly participate
   in the show.

   WLiiA is produced by Hat Trick Productions and Channel Four.

                                   THE GAMES

   These are brief explanations of the games played on "Whose Line?". If
   I've missed any, please let me know by eMailing me at
   "td5584@eworld.com".

   Film/Theater Styles: Before the game starts, Clive selects two
   contestants to play. He then calls upon the audience to give him film
   and theater styles that their scene can be enacted in (example:
   Western, Sci-fi, melodramatically). He then gives the contestants a
   scene to act in (such as two old friends meeting at a supermarket.)
   During the course of the scene, Clive cuts in with his buzzer and
   instructs the actors to continue acting the scene but in the different
   styles suggested by the audience.

   Questions Only: Two contestants enact a scene given by Clive, but
   can only use questions in their dialogue. In 1994, the game format
   changed. Two contestants enact the scene in only questions, but if one
   slips up and puts in a statement, they are replaced with another
   player.

   Sitting, Standing, Bending. Clive picks three players to play in
   this game. On the stage is a chair, and nothing else. Clive gives the
   three players a scene to act in, and at all times during the scene,
   one player must be sitting down somewhere, one player must be standing
   up, and one player must be bending over somehow. If one player stands
   up, one of the others must assume the position the other had. In the
   1994 season, this game was changed to Sitting, Standing, Lying Down,
   although the former name sounds better.

   Alphabet: Clive gives two players a scene, and they must act it out
   using sentences with succesive letters of the alphabet. (Example:
   Player 1: Are you going to the gym? Player 2: By george, yes! Player
   1: Cool)

   Scenes from a hat: All four players assume positions on the sides of
   the stage. Clive draws scenes from a hat which were suggested by the
   audience prior to the show. The players must act out the scenes
   suggested by the audience.

   Props: The players divide into two teams of two each. Clive gives
   each pair a prop and they have to construct scenes around it. Clive
   uses his buzzer to switch between pairings.

   March/Rap/Gospel/Hoedown: All four contestants step forward on the
   stage and make up a song about a topic suggested by the audience in
   one of four styles: either a March, a Rap, a Gospel, or a Hoedown.
   Richard Vranch provides the musical accompaniment, except for "Rap",
   which is a rap beat on tape.

   Emotion Option: Similar to Film/Theater Styles, but instead of using
   film and theater styles, the players enact different emotions
   (example: euphoric, estatic, erotic).

   That'll Be Charlie Now: Three players act out a scene onstage while
   the fourth sits on the side of the stage. The players on stage act out
   a scene involving fictional Charlie, giving him habits during their
   dialogue (example: "Have you ever noticed how Charlie barks like a dog
   when he hears the word 'cheese'"?). Clive rings a doorbell and
   "Charlie" comes in, enacting all the characteristics that the players
   give him.

   Party Quirks: Before the show, the audience suggests three different
   quirks for the players of this game to have (examples: He thinks he's
   a robot, She can't stop humming). When this game is played, the fourth
   player is acting as host of a party and the other three players are
   guests enacting the quirks assigned by the audience. The "host" must
   guess what quirks the other players have.

   Remote Control: Host Clive plays a TV viewer switching between
   channels. He assigns players a different TV show to act in (example:
   Star Trek, game show). He assigns the players a topic that the shows
   are about (example: baldness) and each player must act out the topic
   in his assigned "show."

   Every Other Line: One player is given a script to a play. Clive
   assigns both players a scene to do (whether it as anything to do with
   the play or not). The second player says a line and the other player
   responds with a line from the play. The second player has to react to
   that, and the game continues. Occasionally, Clive would also ask the
   audience to provide the player without a script an "end line" to shoot
   for.

   Expert translation: Two players stand on stage. One player is
   assigned a nationality (suggested by the audience). The other must
   translate what he/she is saying into English. The "ethnic" player
   doesn't have to be a native or be able to speak the language; they can
   improvise as best they can. The translating player must work some
   topic into their translation (example: driving, washing the dog).

   News report: The players pair off in this game. Clive assigns the
   players a fairy tale to do a news report on. Two players act as if
   they are in a newsroom doing a special report about the fairy tale,
   while the other two players enact a field reporter and any witness
   he/she needs.

   Super-Heroes: One player starts out as a superhero, chosen by the
   audience (examples: Undercover Elephant Man, Ballet Boy). Clive then
   gives him a crisis situation, and one by one, the other players come
   in as superheroes (each one assigned by the previous hero). Somehow,
   they have to solve the crisis and leave in reverse order.

   Helping Hands: Two players enact a scene using props. However, a
   third player assumes a position behind one of the other players and
   sticks his hands around the first player (therefore, the third player
   becomes the "hands" for the other player). The players have to act out
   a situation, with the third player providing the hands for the other
   (using props on a table). The situation can get messy at times.

   Tag: Two players assume positions on stage based on audience
   suggestions (example: on all fours, standing on one foot). The players
   begin a scene based on those positions. The other two players yell
   "freeze" and tag one of the onstage players out and assume their
   position. Play continues.

   World's Worst: The four players stand on "the world's worst step"
   and have to come up with examples of the worst things (example: the
   world's worst doctor, the world's worst TV program). One by one, the
   players step forward with examples, as Clive buzzes between
   suggestions.

   Scene to music: Two players enact a scene onstage and have to react
   to music played in midway through.

   Authors: Each player steps forward with an author in mind. Clive
   gives the players a story to do, and one by one, the players tell bits
   of the story in their author's style. Clive uses to his buzzer to
   switch between players.

   Panel discussion: This game had all four contestants wearing funny
   costumes and being a panel, with Clive as host, talking about a
   certain topic. This game was played once in the 1988 season and was
   never seen again, probably because nobody actually "got it".

   Film Dubbing: Two players (or sometimes three or all four) are given
   a clip of a film from which the sound has been removed. Players must
   provide a new soundtrack based on what they see and a suggestion by
   Clive. Generally, it's totally unrelated to the actual film clip.

   Song styles: A player is asked to sing a song with Richard Vranch's
   assistance based on a subject and song style suggested by the
   audience.

   Sound fX : One player mimes a scene suggested by Clive with sound
   effects provided by another player.

   Scene with a Prop: Two players are given a prop and must construct a
   scene around it. This game was only played once, and was only shown in
   a compliation edition of the show.

   Couples: : Two players act out a scene, and as Clive buzzes, they
   switch into doing it in the styles of various couples. This game was
   played in the first season then resurrected in a different format a
   few years later: one couple is suggested at the onset and the players
   keep that style througout the game.

   American Musical/Opera: All four players must improvise a musical or
   opera (with help from Richard Vranch) based on various facts about an
   audience member's life.

   Bartender/Psychiatrist/Prison Visitor: In each of these three games,
   one player poses as their appropriate character, while the other
   three, in turn, come to him or her and sing their problems to them.
   The Bartender/Psychiatrist/Prison Visitor must sing back a reply.

   Whose Line?: Before the show, members of the audience write random
   lines of dialogue on four pieces of paper. When this game starts,
   Clive gives two contestants two slips each and they put them in their
   pockets. Clive then gives them a scene, and and during the scene, each
   player must pull out a slip of paper and use that line of dialogue
   (most of the time, totally unrelated to the scene or anything else,
   for that matter) in the scene.

   Expert: One player is an interviewer, and another is an expert on a
   subject suggested by the audience. The two must enact a "news program"
   about that person's field of expertise.

   Letter Changes: Two players are given a scene, however, they cannot
   say certain letters of the alphabet and replace them with others (for
   example, a player may be told he can't say the letter P and must
   replace it with T. If he wanted to say Period, he'd have to say
   "Teriod"). This game was also played only once.

   Foreign Film: Two players are asked to enact a scene from a movie in
   a foreign language suggested by the studio audience. The other two
   players provide translation. Similar to "Expert Translation." This
   game was only played once.

   Video Player: First, Clive flips through a film guide to select a
   real movie. Next, one player acts as they're a viewer at home watching
   that movie. The other three players act out scenes in the movie. When
   the "viewer" wants to fast-forward, rewind, or pause, the other
   players must act as if they're being fast-forwarded, rewound, or
   paused.

   Story Tellers: : Clive asks someone in the audience to give him a
   title for a ficitional story. One player improvises the telling of the
   story, while the others act it out. Played primarily in the 1988
   season.

   Old Job, New Job: : Three contestants play in this game. One of the
   two players is given a job to have now, and a job he used to have (for
   example: he was a baseball player, but now he's a teacher). He must
   incorporate characteristics of his old job in his new job, while the
   other two players react.

   Song Titles: : In this game, three contestants act out a scene, with
   one restriction: they can only speak in titles of well-known songs.

   Moving People: : Two contestants play this game with the aid of two
   audience members. The contestants act out a scene, but cannot move.
   Instead, the audience members move their arms, legs, head, etc. for
   them. This game was played once in 1994.

   Funeral Narration: All four players play as relatives and/or friends
   of a person who has recently died. They, in turn, deliver "eulogies"
   about this person. Played starting in 1994.

   The Changing Room: Three contestants play people in a locker room.
   Each one has a certain item (like a gym bag, a towel, etc.) and each
   one carries a certain personality with it (ex: the gym bag may cause
   somebody to become angry). The players act out a scene, and whenever
   they switch props, the personalities switch with them. Played
   beginning in 1994.

   Fixed Expressions: All fours act out a scene, but keep a fixed
   expression (ex: happy, nervous) throughout the entire scene. Played
   beginning in 1994.

   Film Noir/Narrating for Each Other: Two players enact a scene
   (sometimes to music) and describe what the other player is doing to
   the camera.

   The final game: Once all the games are finished, Clive totals up the
   points awarded to each contestant (not really... the point system is
   completely arbitrary), and declares one contestant the winner. He or
   she has to stand in front of a TV monitor and read off the closing
   credits in the style of Clive's choosing (examples: a taxi driver, a
   disgruntled viewer).