The Plot Podcast - Episode 18 - Whose Line Is It Anyway?

A murderers’ row of Whose Line panelists: Josie Lawrence, Paul Merton, Tony Slattery, Mike McShane.

First off, get well soon to When It Was Cool head honcho Karl Stern, after his medical incident, as we know say these days.

Onto the show, a love letter to one of my all-time favorite shows, the original, British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which just celebrated its 35th anniversary.

We discuss the history of the show, first on BBC Radio 4 (of course) and then its debut on Channel 4. Who was in the original pilot along with host Clive Anderson and radio holdover John Sessions? Find out. And how did the show evolve over the years: which segments made the grade, which were forgotten and which were likely added to accommodate the influx of North American panelists over the years? Which now famous personalities appeared on the show when they were relatively unknown, at least here in the US, where the show aired on Comedy Central.

Then, some clips featuring some of my favorite panelists: Josie Lawrence, Greg Proops, Paul Merton, Ryan Stiles, Mike McShane and my personal number one, Tony Slattery.

It was wonderful to relive some episodes that I watched so many times that I can remember some of the bits 30 years later. Thanks for the memories, one and all.