The ultimate improvisational comedy TV show would have to be Whose Line Is It Anyway? Originally created for British television and later adapted for the U.S. with host Drew Carey, the hit series, running from 1998 to 2006, had four quick-witted performers (including regulars Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, and Ryan Stiles) play games that required them to make things up for meaningless points. The results never failed to bust a gut but these are some of the absolutely funniest Whose LIne moments in our opinion.
Colin Impersonates An "Arctic Tern" During Greatest Hits
During a game of "Greatest Hits," in which Wayne makes up songs from a compilation album based on Ryan and Colin's prompts, Ryan asks what bird call sounds like the name of the next artist on their CD set. Colin says an Arctic Tern and then squawks, "Backstreet Boys!" After erupting into laughter, Ryan reveals he was trying to set up Colin to say an owl because The Who is the band he wanted to bring up next.
Brad Struggles To Rhyme A Lady's Name During Song Styles
On a rare edition of "Song Styles" that sees Brad Sherwood going solo, The audience member chosen for him to sing about is named Neroshi. After Drew points out what a challenge it will be to rhyme with the woman's name, the phrases he invents include "suntan loshey" and "Pacific Oshey."
The Going Bald Hoedown
One of the best editions of "Hoedown" – a game reviled by the cast for challenging them to come up with a song on the spot – is inspired by an audience member's suggestion to sing about baldness. As one would expect, Brad and Drew both go after Colin with their verses but he gets them back with a turn that explains it is not his fault that he is "follically impaired" and that he has a better romantic life than either of them.
Ryan's Head Smashes A Neon Light During Party Quirks
During a game of "Party Quirks," among the prompts that party host Kathy Greenwood is tasked with guessing, Ryan has him play Carol Channing with the caveat that her head keeps getting stuck to things. At one point, he runs his head right into the square neon light in front of Drew's desk, causing pieces of glass to fall to the ground. Like a trooper, he stays in character while Drew tries to ensure that his friend and Drew Carey Show co-star is not injured from the accident.
Song Styles As The Village People
One of the most mistake-prone Whose Line Is It Anyway? segments is a Village People-style edition of "Song Styles," in which Wayne misspells the guest audience member's name as "H-O-R-W-A-R-D" instead of "H-O-W-A-R-D," a la "YMCA." Of course, things really take off into uproarious territory when Laura Hall's keyboard accidentally changes tempo to a ridiculous speed, completely derailing the song.
Drew Forgets The Rules Of Three-Headed Broadway Star
The point of "Three-Headed Broadway Star" is for each of the three performers to make up one word to a song at each turn. However, at one point during one of Drew's first times playing it, he takes a deep breath and sings, "And take me on a-" before catching himself. From then on, he is unable to stifle his laughter and makes another mistake by almost finishing a word for Wayne.
Narrate At A Fast Food Restaurant
This edition of a game that sees Ryan and Colin make up a scene from a fake film noir movie in an unlikely setting, complete with each performer expressing their inner thoughts to the camera, takes place at a fast food restaurant where Colin's character searches for the Maltese Burger. What cements the segment as a classic is the final moment when, after Colin's narration implies Ryan would do something weird and unexpected, Ryan plants a big kiss on his scene partner.
Drew's Flubbed African Chant Intro
When introducing one of the first editions of the game "African Chant," Drew mentioned that "Africa is a big country." This would prompt Greg Proops to laugh and say, "It's also a big continent if you're a geographer," and would lead to many more jokes at the host's expense.
News Flash With Clips Of Colin
The game "News Flash" would typically place Colin, playing a field reporter, in front of a green screen and tasked him with guessing the video playing behind him based on clues provided by two other performers as anchors. Drew Carey once said that the best edition of this game saw Colin acting out in front of clips of his funniest Whose Line Is It Anyway? moments, which he catches onto when Chip Esten mentions an "incredible shine."
Living Scenery With Richard Simmons
The object of "Living Scenery" is for two of the performers, usually Colin and Ryan, to treat two other co-stars like props for a scene and the absolute best involves special guest Richard Simmons. The exercise guru takes full advantage of his role, especially when he is meant to pose as a jetski but ends up simulating a lewd act with Colin that Ryan, Wayne, and Drew cannot help but laugh at.
Colin Dances With Wayne For Greatest Hits
During a sci-fi edition of "Greatest Hits," Colin announces that he is a part of the music video for a breakdancing song called "Asteroid Boogaloo" but does not take into account how out of breath he would be by the end of the performance. Still, after demands by Ryan and the audience, he agrees to also participate in an “incredibly fast jitterbug” song inspired by the Star Wars movies he calls, “Obi-wan Kenobi with a Flowing Brown Roby.”
Questionable Impressions At A Hospital
Some episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway? saw the performers play a version of "Questions Only" called "Questionable Impressions," which required them to also impersonate a character or public figure in each turn. At the end of one edition set at a hospital, which sees Ryan going off the rails as Jerry Lewis and Wayne as Jimmy Durante, Drew jokes that the game will be retitled, "Hey, Let's All Make Idiots Out of Ourselves."
Gibberish And Meowing Derails Irish Drinking Song
Arguably the funniest edition of "Irish Drinking Song" was supposed to be about calling out the wrong name during an intimate moment. However, it never really gets to that point because Drew accidentally sings something indecipherable and unrhymable, prompting Ryan to sing pure gibberish at his turn. Wayne then breaks into a fit of laughter and Colin tries to keep things going with a "meow" (as a callback to an earlier moment in the taping) which only sends things into a wilder frenzy.
Audience Members Can't Make The Right Sound During Sound Effects
"Sound Effects" originally saw Colin act out a solo scene with Ryan providing the sound effects off camera but would evolve into a game for both performers with random audience members tasked with providing the audio. The funniest edition, featuring Colin and Ryan as cops, involved two female attendees struggling to make the appropriate sounds until they finally and successfully react to a prompt to make a sound like a duck. However, soon after, when they are prompted to make an elephant sound, they end up quacking again.
Colin Ribs Ryan For His Punny Segue During Greatest Hits
After Ryan tries to introduce a jitterbug song on "Greatest Hits" by joking that he has a "bug" making him feel "jittery," Colin gives him trouble for the lame segue with a few other elaborate puns. First, he likens seeing a strongman "bend a car" at the circus to Pat Benatar, then tells a story about sanitary paper for the Phillies that surrounded his bed, or "cot," when he was a jockey and realizes that "bed cot Phillie paper" sounds like "Red Hot Chili Peppers."
Robin Williams Questions His Participation In An Episode
On a special episode featuring Robin Williams, Drew reads a "Scenes from a Hat" prompt that says, "What Robin Williams is thinking right now." The Oscar winner takes the opportunity to answer, "I have a career. What am I doing?"
Colin Holds A Press Conference As The Queen Of England
"Press Conference" is a Whose Line Is It Anyway? guessing game in which the additional three performers play reporters subtly providing clues to Colin's identity. He has unwittingly played Santa announcing his retirement and Yogi Bear admitting he murdered Boo-Boo but perhaps the funniest prompt tasks Colin with guessing that he is Queen Elizabeth II, who is admitting to her affair with Ryan.
Wayne Performs A Death Match Between James Brown And Michael Jackson
"Weird Newscasters" is led by one normal lead anchor who introduces three other reporters with a strange quirk or identity. One time, Wayne was tasked with impersonating both Michael Jackson and James Brown as if pitted against each other in a fight to the death, with the Godfather of Soul coming out on top.
Helping Hands With Florence Henderson
Guest star Florence Henderson participates in a game of “Helping Hands” – in which Colin stands in for Ryan's arms – that becomes surprisingly introspective when the star of the classic sitcom, The Brady Bunch, reprises her role as Carol and berates her daughter, Jan (Ryan). It later goes a bit off the rails when Ryan's wig accidentally comes off and Henderson feeds him a mouthful of meatloaf and pie covered in ketchup.
Party Quirks With Wayne Brady As King Kong
Prompted to act out footage from the classic monster movie King Kong vs. Godzilla during a game of "Party Quirks," Wayne grabs a female audience member, later identified as Melissa, and carries her in one arm like the gargantuan ape. However, he notices too late that he has accidentally lifted her skirt up a little too high, causing embarrassment for both and howling laughter from Drew.
The Office Edition Of If You Know What I Mean
"If You Know What I Mean" sees Colin, Brad, and Ryan as characters who speak almost purely in suggestive euphemisms. One of the funnier examples, set at an office building, ends with Colin seemingly inventing a completely mystifying phrase. After Brad asks if Colin can help him with his "enormous credenza," he replies, "I'll help you fluff your Garfield, if you know what I mean."
Colin And Ryan's Celluloid (Er, Cellulite) Solution
One of the funnier editions of the game "Infomercial," in which Colin and Ryan play TV salespeople pitching a miracle product, sees the duo using the various items at their disposal to imagine a cure for cellulite. What makes it such a memorably funny moment, however, is Ryan's repeated mispronunciation of the skin condition to sound like he is talking about celluloid, which is a synonym for film.
Colin Becomes Captain Hair
One of the most memorable editions of Whose Line Is It Anyway?'s "Superheroes" is opened by Colin, whose audience member-suggested alter ego is named Captain Hair. He must call on the help of his fellow vigilantes when the world suddenly runs out of Rogaine.
Colin And Ryan Embark On An Improbable Laundry Assignment
In the game "Improbable Mission," Colin and Ryan play secret agents assigned to take on mundane tasks, such as doing laundry for a foreign leader. In that segment, Ryan begins to lose it at Colin's ridiculous suggestions, including using a cat they find to dry off the desired article of clothing.
Colin's Many Hilarious Weird Newscasters Intros
Every time Colin has served as the lead anchor for the "Weird Newscasters" game, he opens with a ridiculous fake name, such as "Lars Lars Pantsonfars" or "Thor Buttockth." Then, he presents the top story, which is usually a brilliantly elaborate pun, such as one in which he announced that George W. Bush would join The Byrds as both guitarist and drummer, concluding that "a Bush in the band is worth two in the Byrds."
The 1930s Gangster Version Of The Millionaire Show
Each version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?'s "Millionaire Show" segment had a different theme. The funniest saw host Colin, game show participant Ryan, and lifelines Wayne and Karen Maruyama taking on personas reminiscent of an early 20th-century crime drama.
Colin Gets Up Close And Personal During Party Quirks
One of the most uproarious games of "Party Quirks" features Colin as a man who suspects Kathy Greenwood's party guests are not the gender they claim to be and intends to find the truth. He demonstrates this by boldly pushing a few boundaries and actually touches the other performers right where the evidence lies.
Drew And Wayne Speak "Canadian"
The game "Foreign Film Dub" typically sees Drew and another performer pretend to speak another language while Colin and Ryan provide the translations. One edition saw Drew and Wayne take on the non-existent language of Canadians, which they fake with a lot of "eh's" and hockey references.
Drew Imagines The World's Worst Priest Or Rabbi
The game "World's Worst" sees four performers, typically including Drew at the end of the show, taking turns acting out their ideas for the "world's worst" of a given topic, ranging from neighbors to people to share a lifeboat with. For the "Priest or Rabbi" edition, Drew had everyone in the room in stitches (and made himself snort) over his impersonation of Jerry Lewis if he were a rabbi.
Audience Member Does Not Take Hint To Move Tonto’s Head
In "Moving People," Colin and Ryan play mannequins who can only be moved by the two chosen audience members, one of which struggled to understand many prompts from Ryan in one edition. Ryan, as Tonto opposite Colin's Lone Ranger, dropped many hints for the audience member to simply move his head but did not follow through until the very end of the segment.
Colin Gives Up At A Scene To Rap
It was clear from all of Colin's verses in the "Scene to Rap" game that dropping rhymes is not among his many talents. Sometimes he would just stop mid-rap, such as in a version set at a park where he identifies himself as a "friendly mugger," demands various random objects, and finally just stops rapping, declares he is crazy and starts dancing.
Drew Wins Horseshoes During Props
In a game of "Props," Drew and Ryan are given a large foam object that resembles a horseshoe, which they use to reenact the popular lawn game with Ryan standing in as the stake. In one try, Drew throws the prop and lands it perfectly around Ryan's neck, scoring the points.
