Whose Line is it Anyway? is here to say! After just a few episodes, The CW has decided to renew the improvisational comedy series for a second season. And based on the announcement, it sounds like host Aisha Tyler and funny-men Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady and Colin Mochre will return for the series' second season. The premiere date and time for Season 2 will be announced at a later date.
Whose Line is it Anyway? is an improvisational comedy series that has three comedians (and a special guest star each week) attempting to act out whatever improv scenarios are presented to them on the spot. It's all about thinking fast and being fearless and clever, which is fortunately something Stiles, Brady and Mochre are well versed at. The CW isn't the first to revive Whose Line is it Anyway?. The series originated in the U.K. in the 1980s and was picked up stateside in the '90s when its 10-season U.K. run wrapped up. The series aired in the U.S. for nine seasons on ABC and ABC Family and ended in 2007, only to be brought back to life by the CW, and it looks like it's going to be sticking around for a while, as the CW announced that they've given the show an order for 24 half-hour episodes for its second season.
“It’s clear that viewers are as excited to have ‘Whose Line’ back on the air as we are,” said Pedowitz. “We have wanted to bring comedy back to The CW for a long time, and Aisha, Wayne, Colin and Ryan have brought funny to the network in a big way. We’re very excited to have them back for another season."
This is certainly good news for the CW and for fans of Whose Line. The series not only premiered as the CW's most watched show in its time period (Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.) in nearly five years, but it also turned out to be the network's most watched unscripted series premiere in six years. And given its previously established following over the last few decades, that's not entirely surprising. Whose Line returned to an audience of 2.9 million viewers. Those numbers dipped a bit in its second week, but the CW is apparently pleased enough with the shows numbers to move forward with a second season.
The series not only returned strong, but it came back true to its form, thanks in large part to Mochre, Brady and Stiles, who were not only among the cast of the previous U.S. adaptation of the series, but also the U.K. series. As host, Tyler follows in the footsteps of Clive Anderson and Drew Carey. From what I've seen of the series, she brings her own sense of humor and hosting style to the series, giving the format a tone that's both familiar and updated without being drastically altered, which I think is really the best we could have expected from the revival.
Whose Line is it Anyway? is currently airing new episodes, which you can watch on Tuesday nights at 8/7c on the CW.
I'm personally a big fan of the Overhead Fun segments, which have the comedians laying down on a red stage and acting out different scenarios. It's projected on a screen to make them look like they're standing upright, which makes for some very goofy humor. Check out one of those sketches here.
