Whose Line Is It Anyway?: New York Compilation

Greg's Rap

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: New York Compilation
Channel Four
10 May 1991
Improv Comedy Show
VHS
C+

The main thing that stands out about this compilation is that the producers must've been convinced that the George McGrath episode was the strongest of the New York batch.  There's no sign of John or Sandi, despite three years of contributions to the programme.  Then again, we don't see much of Colin either.*  And there are a lot of running jokes, some of them jokes about running away from hamsters.  And Meskimen's James Brown is pretty good but not on the level of his Sting.  Oh, I should note that Mike seems very non-homophobic, and very anti-Jesse-Helms, while Greg's stamp-collecting Rap lends support to the "Greg Proops is fond of cunnilingus" theory I've happily held for years.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? in its third series ranges from D+ to B-, averaging out to a high C+, so not quite on the level of the first two series, which were on the C+/B- border.  The move to New York was obviously a mistake, although there are some good moments there.  This pattern would be repeated for Series Four, with half in London and half in NYC.  The "regulars" would be somewhat different though.


*All three names do appear in the credits, but I have to judge this by what aired on Comedy Central a quarter of a century ago.  Chris Smith does appear on this version, but I again was pushing the tags limit.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 3.15

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 3.15
Channel Four
26 April 1991
Improv Game Show
VHS
B-

This very Californian lineup works well together, especially in the musical moments, like the "fruity George Balanchine cowboy dancing" Mike suggests in the middle of Hoedown, the Audition with George's dead-on Anthony Newley, and of course the American Musical about skydiving to Australia.  In fact, there's a four-way tie to read the credits, as tourists in New York.  It's great to finally see Greg & Ryan work together, and immediately hit it off, including in Alphabet.  As becomes even more obvious on the compilation episode, there are a lot of running jokes to this taping, especially about defenestration.

This the 100th British show I've reviewed, unless I forgot to tag something.

On The Television: There's an Englishman in the House

On The Television: There's an Englishman in the House
Nickelodeon
1990
Parody
VHS
B-

A Mr. Belvedere parody, with a bluesy theme song.  Not as dead-on as My Five Dads, but the lead gives an enjoyably smarmy impersonation.

On the Television: My Five Dads

On the Television: My Five Dads
Nickelodeon
The Fall of 1989
Parody
VHS
B

Tim Conway, Jr. and George McGrath play TV critics and two of the "dads" of the reviewed show.  (McGrath gripes about the theme song which his other character sings.)  This is a parody of not just My Two Dads but also The Brady Bunch, with a melodramatic girl of about 12 and a wise and wisecracking maid.  And to some degree, it's a satire on family sitcoms in general.  A nice little gem that still holds up.  Director Gary Halvorson would go on to some episodes of Roseanne's final season.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 1.6

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 1.6
Channel 4
28 October 1988
Improv Game Show
DVD
B-

Again, no particular highs or lows, but this is the first full episode I saw of the programme.  (Well, OPB left out the Film Dubbing, but that's less than Comedy Central would omit.)  It wasn't obvious in 1990, but the line-up has two people who'd do one more episode each (Jan and George) and one who'd never return (Graeme Garden of The Goodies, looking much older than 45).  Also, this is I believe the first of my shows to mention soon-to-be-Vice-President Dan Quayle.