Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 2.9

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 2.9
Channel Four
12 January 1990
Improv Game Show
DVD
C

I can't think of any reason to recommend this episode to anyone except the completist, unless you want to hear Jonathan complain about being upstaged by John, when that should come as little surprise on their second episode together.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Series 1 Compilation 2

Poor Paul Merton!

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Series 1 Compilation 2
Channel 4
9 December 1988
Improv Game Show
DVD
C+

The highlight here is definitely the alternate American Musical from 1.9, with Josie and Mike as "hang-gliders in love" (and he manages to do a "go down" joke relatively tastefully), who meet tripping Tony and out-of-place John in a maze.  (Josie gives John a sweet hug at the end.)

The weakest game is also from 1.9 though, the "burgundy handbag" Rap.  The two games from 1.7 are arguably better than what aired: Story, with some Tony/John (as Russians), and Party Quirks, where Tony makes the first of his "go upstairs" offers.  Josie and John do FATS and he's more flirty than usual, although awkwardly.  And Josie and Stephen team up again, this time for Every Other Line.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Series 1 Compilation 1

Clive

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Series 1 Compilation 1
Channel 4
2 December 1988
Improv Game Show
DVD
B-

Despite Clive joking in an episode this season that this programme aired live, in fact a lot of material was shot each week, and then edited down to the episodes we see.  The compilations of each series allow us to view some of the leftover material, which understandably was dropped in a few cases, and in others offers little gems.  The material on this first of two compilations of the first series has selections from 1.1., 1.5, 1.10, and understandably quite a bit from 1.9.  Some of the memorable moments here:

• Tony hosting Party Quirks for the first time, with Mike as a Kissogram (this would have an unexpected pay-off two or three years later);
• Clive rambling on about putting audience members into envelopes, as Tony indulges him;
• Josie reacting to one of Tony's celebrity insults (Anne Diamond) with "Oh, that's cruel!;
• Josie flirting with Paul in FATS, culminating in him inviting her to the back of his Volkswagon;
• John and Archie in their FATS respectively kicking (or at least miming kicking) Archie in the crotch, and saying the word "clitoris";
• Stephen and Josie flirting in their Film Dub, although they turn the male-female couple into students at a boys' school; 
• and Paul responding to the suggestion "It's only cotton wool," with "But I like it.  That's a Rolling Stones song, isn't it?"

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 1.7

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 1.7
Channel 4
4 November 1988
Improv Game Show
DVD
C+

Rory McGrath is definitely one of the more undeserving "winners" of Series One.  And Jonathan Pryce makes less of an impression on his return.  Even Tony isn't at his best, although he does get some, yes, outrageous moments.  A later Clive would never have chosen "pornography" as a topic with Tony around!  But it's what John does with the topic, as three distinct Bilko actors/characters (Phil Silvers as Bilko, Harvey Lembeck as Barbella, and I think Paul Ford as Col. Hall) that makes the episode worth tuning in.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 1.5

Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Episode 1.5
Channel 4
21 October 1988
Improv Game Show
DVD
B-

No real weak spots or stand-outs here, just generally entertaining.  Some things of note though:

• Jonathan Pryce does "pirate movie" for FATS, fifteen years before his first Pirates of the Caribbean movie;
• Paul/Josie shippers have some more fodder here, not just her amusement at him, but their pairing as Jack & Jill in FATS;
• Josie's "heavy metal" Song Styles gets pretty raunchy;
• John gives away his quirk when Paul hosts PQ again;
• and when Paul offers Twiglets to his other two guests, they both accept them.

Twiglets, sort of like peppery pretzels