tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post3630117087438757112..comments2024-03-19T07:27:06.216-04:00Comments on VOTARIES OF HORROR: British version versus American version: Whose LineKatherine Woodburyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14364517253667798449noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post-51115713990374950772013-05-04T10:34:03.108-04:002013-05-04T10:34:03.108-04:00Whose Line Is It Anyway? is one of those rare show...<em>Whose Line Is It Anyway?</em> is one of those rare shows where I watched and loved the US version, but was never that curious about the BBC version. (The most I saw were a couple of clips on YouTube, though I might look more into it after this post.) The dynamics between the three US regulars and Carey - and especially between Colin and Ryan - were just so good. I still miss the show.Kezianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post-57475366732512649702013-05-03T11:03:54.446-04:002013-05-03T11:03:54.446-04:00Sex jokes, and vulgarities, are the last refuge of...Sex jokes, and vulgarities, are the last refuge of the unfunny. The family channel kept these to a minimum on WLIIA, but I have the general impression that Carey and some of the female guests were the most frequent transgressors on this point.<br /><br />Another big asset to the US version was Wayne Brady's voice. That man can SING. Josie Lawrence and Mike McShane did tolerably well in the BBC version, but nothing near as well as Brady (and often Brad Sherwood) consistently did when it came to mixing musical variety and satire.a calvinist preachernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post-31827341290540939712013-05-03T09:33:57.919-04:002013-05-03T09:33:57.919-04:00I think there is something to the humor translatio...I think there is something to the humor translation problem. Even when an audience and a comic come from the same place, humor often doesn't translate! A few years ago, some Hollywood studio put on a competitor to <i>American Idol</i>--the studio included dancing, singing, AND stand-up. Within a season, the stand-up comedy section was eliminated. The judges just couldn't agree! <br /><br />On a slight tangent, I've found that when comics find they aren't reaching their audience, they almost always resort to sex-jokes. That is, they try to provoke (at least) uncomfortable laughter rather than *surprised* laughter. One cool thing about Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie and Wayne Brady is their ability (in general--there are lapses) to evoke surprised laughter through satire. But of course, that anticipates a reasonably well-educated audience, culturally speaking!Kate Woodburyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06276977170991272672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9721761.post-80819542102566991092013-05-03T09:23:35.310-04:002013-05-03T09:23:35.310-04:00I have the first 4 seasons of the BBC Whose Line o...I have the first 4 seasons of the BBC Whose Line on DVD. Once they got John Sessions off, it improved.<br /><br />I'd say the BBC version is not as funny, but I wonder if that is because of a cultural gap, or because it just isn't that funny? Humor, more than other art forms, is more tightly bound to cultural norms, in part because of the basic rule: If I have to explain it, it's not funny. The show went 10 seasons in the UK, so it seems THEY thought it was funny.<br /><br />I will also say that I much preferred Clive Anderson as host to Drew Carey. The last two seasons of the BBC version were produced in NY with the nascent American(and Canadian) cast but Anderson hosting.a calvinist preachernoreply@blogger.com