''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' is a short-form

improvisational comedy Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, a ...

show originating as a British radio programme, before moving to British television in 1988. Following the conclusion of the British run in 1999,

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

began airing an American version, which ran until 2007 and was later revived by

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

in 2013. Each version of 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 Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges. Developed by di ...

. Topics for the games are based on either audience suggestions or predetermined prompts from the host. The show ostensibly takes the form of a

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...

, with the host arbitrarily assigning points and likewise choosing a winner at the end of each episode.

Versions, adaptations and similar shows

References

{{Whose Line Is It Anyway? Whose Line Is It Anyway? Television franchises

Versions, adaptations and similar shows

See also

References