Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story, and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script.
Ryan Lee Stiles is an American-Canadian actor, comedian, and producer whose work is often associated with improvisational comedy. He is best known for his work on the original British series and American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and for his role as Lewis Kiniski on The Drew Carey Show. He also played Herb Melnick on the CBS comedy Two and a Half Men and was a performer on the show Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza.
Colin Andrew Mochrie is a Scottish-born Canadian actor, writer, producer and improvisational comedian, best known for his appearances on the British and US versions of the improvisational TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Gregory Everett "Greg" Proops is an American actor, stand-up comedian and television host. He is widely known for his guest appearances on the U.K. and U.S. versions of Whose Line Is It Anyway?. He has also voiced the titular character on the U.S. version of Bob the Builder.
Bradley Sherwood is an American actor, singer, comedian, game show host and writer.
Drew Carey's Green Screen Show is an American improvisational comedy television series that aired in the fall of 2004 on The WB, and the fall of 2005 on Comedy Central. The show was hosted by Drew Carey, and was somewhat a follow-up to the show he formerly hosted, Whose Line Is It Anyway?. The distinguishing feature of the show was that the improv games were performed in front of a "green screen", with animation, music and sound effects inserted in post-production. The show was otherwise very similar to Whose Line? and featured many of the same performers and games.
Gary Anthony Williams is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He voiced the character of Uncle Ruckus on The Boondocks, and a number of video game characters. He also appeared on the television series Weeds, Boston Legal, Blue Collar TV and Malcolm in the Middle. Williams co-founded and is Artistic Director of the L.A. Comedy Shorts film festival in Hollywood, California. He starred alongside Cedric the Entertainer on the TV Land sitcom The Soul Man. Since 2013, he became a recurring cast member on the improv comedy TV series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and is a regular member of the live improv comedy show The Black Version.
Jeffrey Bryan Davis is an American actor, impressionist and comedian. He is known for his work as a recurring performer on the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? From July 2016 until October 2019, he has starred as the Goblin Hero Boneweevil on the VRV Direct original production HarmonQuest.
Jonathan Mangum is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member of the variety show The Wayne Brady Show and is the announcer for the game show Let's Make a Deal.
Heather Anne Campbell is an American writer, comedienne, improv comedy performer, voice actress, and actress.
Nasim Pedrad is an Iranian American actress, writer, and comedian. She was a cast member in the NBC sketch variety series Saturday Night Live from 2009 to 2014. She later went on to star in the Fox sitcoms Mulaney (2014–2015) and New Girl (2015–2018), the Fox horror comedy series Scream Queens (2015), and the TBS science fiction comedy series People of Earth (2017). Pedrad also created, produces, and starred in the TBS sitcom Chad (2021).
Whose Line Is It Anyway? is an American improvisational comedy television show, and is an adaptation of the British show of the same name. It originally aired on ABC and ABC Family from August 5, 1998 to December 15, 2007, hosted by Drew Carey. A revival of the show, hosted by Aisha Tyler, began airing on The CW on July 16, 2013.
Fast and Loose is a British television series which was broadcast on BBC Two in 2011. Conceived by Dan Patterson, one of the creators of the TV series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, it mirrors the series in format and style with the addition of some new games. Guests take part in improvised sketches in which each comedian inhabits a certain character or film genre. The only series was eight episodes long and hosted by comedian Hugh Dennis. Fast and Loose is the inspiration for the 2012 American show Trust Us with Your Life on ABC, hosted by Fred Willard and featuring a celebrity guest on each episode.
Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza is an American improvisational comedy television program that aired in the United States on the Game Show Network (GSN). Produced at the Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand in Paradise, Nevada, the series was hosted by Drew Carey, host of the original American version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, a similar show that featured several of the same cast members. The show premiered on April 11, 2011, airing 40 episodes in total. The series completed its eight-week run on June 3, 2011. Despite only lasting for one season, critical reception of the show was generally positive.
The second season of the American reality talent show The Voice premiered on NBC on February 5, 2012, in the 10 p.m. ET slot immediately following coverage of Super Bowl XLVI. The first promo aired on NBC on Saturday, October 8, 2011, during an episode of Saturday Night Live.
The seventh season of American talent show competition series America's Got Talent was broadcast on NBC from May 14 to September 13, 2012. Following the previous season, Piers Morgan left the program due to other commitments, and was replaced by the producers with Howard Stern. However, this change involved moving the venue for the live rounds of the competition from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, which increased the size of the audience that attended each live episode. Along with a visual makeover of the program to improve its presentation on television, a planned break was included with the broadcast schedule between July 24 and August 14, to avoid clashing with the network's live coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Jon Daly, sometimes credited as Jonathan C. Daly, Jon C. Daly or Jonathan Barney Daly, is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer best known for his sketch comedy work on the Comedy Central series Kroll Show. In 2013 he starred as Hobbes in the Amazon Studios original series Betas, and also played Agent Filippo in Zoolander 2 (2016).
Riot is a 2014 American game show comedy television series from Fox Broadcasting Company and based upon the Australian Slide Show television series, itself based upon the Arthur-created French program Vendredi tout est permis, where two teams of celebrities competed in a number of challenges and games, including one on a huge set that tilts at 22½ degrees. Hosted by Rove McManus, weekly episode "guest" captains include a rotating set of actors, with Andy Buckley and Steve Carell "captaining" the premiere episode. Riot was canceled by Fox on June 12, 2014.
The Free Association, or The FA, is a London-based improvised comedy theatre and school. It was founded in 2015 and operates two comedy venues and training centres in London. They are currently the largest provider of improvisation training in the UK.
The ninth season of the American television show Whose Line Is It Anyway? premiered on The CW on July 16, 2013, and concluded on September 24, 2013.
