RYAN STILES FIRST EPISODE | Whose Line is it Anyway? UK | S2E5

First Broadcast: Friday 15th December 1989.
Next Episode : • Video
Dive into the world of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" UK, the iconic improvisational comedy show that started it all! From its beginnings on BBC Radio 4 to its celebrated run on Channel 4 (1988-1999), discover how host Clive Anderson and a rotating cast of comedic geniuses like Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Tony Slattery, and Greg Proops brought unforgettable laughter and quick-witted humor to audiences. Learn about classic games like "Scenes from a Hat" and "Party Quirks," the show's unique point system, and its lasting legacy that paved the way for the American version. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the world of improv, this ultimate guide will leave you in stitches. Subscribe for more comedy history and improv highlights!
#WhoseLineIsItAnyway #UKComedy #ImprovComedy #CliveAnderson #RyanStiles #ColinMochrie #TonySlattery #GregProops #ScenesFromAHat #PartyQuirks #Channel4 #ComedyShow #BritishComedy #ImprovGames #ComedyHistory #WhoseLine #LaughOutLoud #ClassicTVComedy

[@GleeChan]

Fun Fact: this also is the very first appearance of Ryan Stiles' mullet.

[@eyesonly7072]

R.I.P. John Sessions, Tony Slattery.

[@Wiley_Coyote]

Ryan next to Sandy is a hilarious visual I didn't know I needed to see.

[@RICHIEV333]

Little did Ryan know, he would be doing this... For the rest of his life!

[@JasonL77]

Sounds like great job security.

[@FistandFootMartialArts]

I don't think he complained too much. lol

[@RICHIEV333]

@@FistandFootMartialArts I did a little math. Let's say they do 4 shows in one day. 6 days would be 24 shows, which is a season. That's good work if you can get it.

[@Ceejaydee1978]

*Til he's ninety...*

[@jnesis555]

@@Ceejaydee1978the exact comment i was looking for

[@Frankincensedjb123]

If you're wondering, this was 1989, and Stiles remained on the show until this UK version of the show ended in 1998

[@emmapadgett1181]

And carried on in the American version.

[@emmapadgett1181]

I do love the American version but wish we still had a UK version

[@uniqueurl]

I am from small state in India. Back in the 90s TVs were such a novelty in my place, let alone satelite channels to see foreign shows. But somehow a service provider let us watch Nickelodeon to us. And thus we saw the Whose line in it's original glory ❤❤. Miss those days. Everything was not easy back then... Every small things had value.

[@PriyanshuBharadwa]

❤

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

As a kid in 80's Britain channel 4 was such an influence on me comedically and it was a lot of North American humor that swayed me. Even on Whose Line my favourites were Canadian (Ryan and Colin) and couple that with American shows like Cheers, Golden Girls & Roseanne all coinciding with me having my own TV in my room. Such great memories of this time, many thanks for uploading just to remind me of Ryan's once glorious Kentucky waterfall on the back of his neck

[@AbduCola]

Wow I was expecting Ryan Stiles to be an underdog that over shadowed them but the whole cast here is sooo good. I need to find old UK episodes now

[@d20thoughts]

The title really grabbed my attention. I love Ryan Stiles'. Thank you for posting this.

[@lorrainefryer]

Tony Slattery always made me smile stupidly. Loved him.

[@Elwaves2925]

IMO, he had the best World's Worst Step joke, the one about meeting the Queen.

[@gracewenzel]

12:15 “You don’t know when a 747’s gonna come across your tea table” Under appreciated bit!

[@thearnoldarmy1899]

What a gem.

[@reganmahoney8264]

Wow.. Ryan with a mullet! It’s also so odd to see him without Colin Mocherie.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

And so refreshing

[@cnoc500]

Colin was born in Kilmarnock

[@technofreak319]

How colin came to be: ryans mullet fell off and an amazing canadian man sprouted between it.

[@rwlynch3468]

​@@cnoc500 Still hoping to meet him walking about doing some sort of ancestry show or Who Do You Think You Are? (Or Canada's equivalent) one day.

[@cnoc500]

@rwlynch3468 my friend's father worked with Colin's father at Prestwick

[@anitashaw9090]

This is sureal watching Ryan so young and the beginnings of the show.

[@jonweakley8396]

This almost seems like a comedy class competition of sorts, a real academic venture. A recording of a theater performance, not a TV show taping. Fascinating to watch

[@spazmeister1791]

5:09 there’s one guy in the audience yelling “MISSIONARY!” when coming up with a position for John…

[@Clasteau]

OMG, the Virginia Wolfe. Epic.

[@monicamason3414]

This aired on the comedy channel here in Canada and I watched them all. It's why I made my now husband watch the American version.

[@DunmoresMovieMania]

Tony Slattery looks like so many people all at once.

[@user-friendlyish]

Ryan deserves his own show or sitcom.

[@DarkStar-os9pv]

Sandi Toksvig, sneaking in a line from Firesign Theater's The Further Adventures of Nick Danger, from their 1969 album "How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All." 3:47 on the clock!

[@mre4u422]

It feels wrong seeing Ryan without Colin.

[@TemperedMedia]

Those two are such a pair lol

[@kevinmi42]

Youd think their wives would be okay if they just tied the knot and got married already. If I'm not mistaken, everyone voted to legalize same sex marriage just in case they both made that decision - not just in the USA, or canada, but the whole of North America.

[@multifaceteduser3405]

the best

[@Picklesnot-co3k]

💯‼️

[@beneddu]

John's Patrick Moore impression is hilarious!

[@L.Smith.]

I was 3 when this launched but it remember watching it at somw point lol and Ryan was always my favourite. Channel 4 needs to bring this back

[@OfficialComedyHits]

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[@davethebrave.]

"It's a good idea to have an expert on the metamorphosis of the frog" 😂😂

[@Picklesnot-co3k]

I have long insisted that they have one on every show. Problem: How many of them can legitimately claim marriage to Kissinger?

[@darroth42]

I'd say this is the birth of a giant, but he was already pretty tall.

[@MelissaThompson432]

Is there ANYTHING Sandi hasn't done? ☺💙

[@howieat1574]

john sessions was a fiercely intelligent guy and sometimes his humour went over some peoples heads

[@diskgrinder]

Especially sandy.

[@kencooper5017]

Yes. I liked this show better with John sessions.

[@rewdonaghy1305]

RIP John

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

He was always worth the admission price, but as here 3:57, perhaps he could have joined in with the crew rather than leading the humour from way in front.

[@KyleHarrisonRedacted]

Man. Ryan couldn’t think of much to do with that flipper eh haha later episodes he dominates the hell out of Props

[@fionabryant7923]

I love john sessions, clever funny imp

[@louiesamuel9189]

I didn’t know Ryan was allowed on the show without Collin.

[@lzulas95]

This is funny. I did laugh at times.

[@stephenjohnston7630]

Such a line-up.

[@colonelklink53]

Comedy gold. The British version of this show is the best!!

[@eddiek8179]

No. Easily No. Universally No. One of the rare few times where the American one is infinitely better in almost all ways.

[@itsmikehayden]

I love stumbling upon the phrase, "a rather unsuccessful transexual" today. It's a quote of it's time for sure, and I remember laughing. Oh, simpler times.

[@cnoc500]

Great program.

[@vanceox]

RIP, Tony 😢

[@Jagerbomber]

Ah yes, the periscope bit

[@DJAUDIO1]

I'm baked and this is hilarious

[@MetaITurtle]

That's usually how we end up here

[@DJAUDIO1]

@@MetaITurtle Facts Hahha

[@nevets9811]

I remember watching reruns of the old UK version on Comedy Central as a kid, but I didn't remember it being so raw and rough around the edges. The performers either upped their skills over the years or the creators just got way better at editing. lol

[@Max-zg2ci]

Is that the same Sandy who hosted the Great British Baking Show?

[@lisaboban]

Yes!!! And QI these days.

[@mikescrazycomedy7362]

Too funny

[@Evil_Befall]

If ryan still had the mullet we would have bald and mullet jokes on who's line

[@Clasteau]

Mexican Tadpole Dance? WTF, lol

[@dugarii007]

Wow 1989

[@davidhill7195]

You can tell he's empty without Colin. 😆

[@Zerbon]

sandi toksvig stole the show for me and I don't say that lightly. i had to look up her name. but she really hit every note

[@theplasmawolf]

She currently presents QI (Quite Interesting). Fun program, with (as you'd expect) interesting facts about any subject imaginable. She also has a great deal of general knowledge.

[@Montykins]

Sandi copped some Firesign Theatre in there!

[@gutzycowardbme]

Why does the buzzer go off sooner for some of them

[@brianabaker2153]

35 years!

[@FistandFootMartialArts]

From the States: That was fun! Also, I had never seen Sandy so young. Her career obviously went well. I know who Ryan is. But the other two? Not so much.

[@jodysales2362]

Other than one maybe two times on Time Team I've only ever seen Sandy on Qi. This is strange seeing her so young and on here.

[@marasmusine]

Tony Slattery was pretty big in the UK circa 1990, he appeared in a lot of shows, and his show "S&M" with Mike McShane was a favourite of mine. Sadly his mental health issues meant he withdrew somewhat from TV by the mid 90s.

[@marasmusine]

@@jodysales2362 To me she will always be Aunt Ethel from the Saturday Morning show Number 73 - before your time perhaps? :)

[@jodysales2362]

@@marasmusine I'm 47 and from the states. Maybe not before but maybe. Dunno. But I'll try to find it and watch for sure now.

[@Gingerbred_Hed]

Is that..... a mullet???

[@Vtarngpb]

Doogie Howser with a mullet standing next to a Randy Scandi? 😂

[@hiccup1975]

I always felt John, though a very talented guy, took it a little too seriously and forgot the comedy aspect sometimes. RIP

[@Brakdayton]

John Sessions is dead!?

[@ultimaofelsewhere]

Wow he sounds a lot like Bob Saget here maybe it was just an 80s LA way of talking.

[@NotDeluded]

His big break came in 1988 when he was invited to perform on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (BBC Radio 4, 1988), an improvisational series which challenged its comic talent to create skits, characters and musical numbers based on suggestions from panelists.

[@EmbassyNerdcore]

thanks totally human person

[@tlords117]

Sandy liberally borrowed from “The Adventures of Nick Danger” by Firesign Theater.

[@myboatforacar]

Good taste I'd say

[@tlords117]

@@myboatforacar I don’t disagree.

[@fionabryant7923]

Good tho huh

[@thewesty101]

A Firesign Theater reference in the wild! I listened to Don't Crush that Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers about 1000 times in my young teens. I have a published book of the transcript that I dig out once a decade, and no one cares.

[@robertosborne8694]

Believe it or not, I just was listening to Nick Danger on KZbin right before I came by this. Was half expecting Rocky Rococo to make an appearance.

[@blackice7317]

Sandy!

[@Vemmada]

Wow, Sandi and John are YOUNG in this. It's so odd to know them from QI and see them here looking like children compared to now.

[@gourdy6297]

The uk version had character I miss that

[@prabhu786]

Early legends

[@tannerdouglas2625]

Weird seeing Ryan on the left!

[@8tubeyou2]

Does the mullet make him look more tall?

[@joshkonnelyFTW]

I think it might be the absence of Wayne and Colin, who are both fairly tall themselves (around 6ft?).

[@stephenriggs8177]

Big fan of Whose Line, but that have been the least inspired instance of "props" that I've ever seen. 🧐

[@hiccup1975]

True but terrible props to work with.

[@georgetirebiter4343]

Is Sandy channelling Firesign Theatre?

[@JasonL77]

The “Jim’ll Fix It” joke. That joke would have been way different if we knew then what we know now.

[@haroldwinnebego2637]

What do we know now

[@michaelgreen1515]

I think the point was rather a lot of people in the buisness knew.... just the bosses didn't want it spoken of...

[@haroldwinnebego2637]

@@michaelgreen1515 what're you talking about

[@jasonnstegall]

I liked Authors... ...but I understood why they retired it after John left.

[@kevinmi42]

Not certain if that moment at 8:00 is a classic example of taking suggestions from the audience, or if it is only the most british answer I heard. "Ryan is going to be an expert on something - a nice obscure subject he might be am expert on:" "The Metamorphosis of the Frog" cried out by one person, from an otherwise silent crowd, with no second to hesitate. "Yea... Frogs in general should do it."

[@kevinmi42]

Easily, best comments from that sketch was - "You are an expert on the metamorphosis of the frog, but also a very unsuccessful transexual. How do you combine the two?" Because the second part leaves me with too many questions to simply divert and pin it with the other question. Also, "Tell us about your marriage with Henry Kissinger" would make me reflexly evacuate my bowels if that were directed at me.

[@FakingANerve]

Wow... I'm blown away that the American version of a British comedy show is * *gasp* * _BETTER?!_

[@flowertrue]

I wonder if he was nervous back then, doing this for the first of many times.

[@aires69uk]

The UK version is infinitely better than the US version.

[@EPICSAWIKI]

I think you might be biased lol

[@aires69uk]

@@EPICSAWIKI Probably.. it was the original and differently funny.. less slapstick.. more clever.

[@kevinmi42]

From the general consensus, I also agree that UK often had more with from the four actors. Yet, Drew Carey in the US show would participate at the end; and with his other show airing at the same time, he had a great presence with humor suitable for the family to watch together. However, that is likely my bias and nostalgia for recalling the scene of my family getting together and watching the show near-religiously. Ironically enough, either run is filled with suggestions like the same one in the beginning - "HORNY!" - people thinking adult humor is simply sexual innuendos or what have you. Even with the more recent US version and it's new host, it is still the same story - as old as time itself; but it is great to see Ryan and Wayne in credits as Producers with the latest series.

[@william82bananas]

No Colin Mochrie?? Show actor line up feels naked without him... It's like ordering a Hawaiian pizza and the pizza arriving without the ham... 😢

[@flywesleybyrd]

Suits and ties 🤣

[@arnoldsapida2885]

Sandy of QI? Wow!

[@wagonstation3709]

I love reading comments. I just wish people would keep politics out of places where it doesn't belong. "PS" Maybe twice a year, somebody would bring up politics, like in scenes from a hat: what Bush does when he's alone in the oval office: play hopscotch.😁 (Hilarious!) They have never been conservative....conservatives don't seem to appreciate this kind of humor.

[@logangodofcandy]

Trump 2024ever

[@kiltedjohn1000]

2 now gone

[@thewesty101]

Is Clive joking when he days Ryan came from Second City in LA?

[@bitlikethat]

Second City Theatre Company he said

[@Iversonwings1]

Maybe it's because I'm American, but the American version is much better

[@eddiek8179]

It's not because you're American. The American version is objectively better.

[@jimjohnson6944]

The host is impressively unfunny, which somehow ends up being ironically funny because they could have literally picked a tree stump and it would have been funnier than this guy.

[@scobrado]

This show is _way_ over the heads of the American audience.

[@mre4u422]

Doesn't help that the 'comedy' is drier than my toast. That's coming from someone who grew up watching Last of the Summer Wine.

[@Jst4vdeos]

The American audience?

[@Tuna_Casperole]

You're making assumptions my man

[@kevinmi42]

The bit with Zeus was good, going so far to bring up Chromos in line with the prompt. Other than Virginia Wolfe, or maybe the Doctor Who Flipper-Person; or the fish-slap dance at the end of that game with the props... Other than ALL that - there was enough lewd stuff for us unenlightened folk; Ryan as the fly getting to say "Oh boy, who brought all the turds" is for all audiences in my opinion.

[@iMann_iFail]

I was never a fan of Clive Anderson, I never thought he was a particularly good fit for the show.

[@roccomezzogiorno9795]

Is that the lady who masquerades as a man on QI?

[@razreflex7607]

Didn’t care for the brown jacket guy. YES AND!!!! Plus he added to the objective, like a tool

[@judgeberry6071]

The studio was cheap and lacked decent air con.

[@Lonewolfe80]

This is painful

[@BethJoyner-k7q]

UK version sucks. No better host than Drew Carry.

[@praiserdusty]

This version of the show is so terrible. I stopped it after the 4 authors intro.

[@sunilphalakdhari3869]

UK version was absolutely boring. The host was more dead than alive. Ryan and Colin were the only glimpse of humour when they were together. Drew Carey was the best host ever cause he was part of the team. Hated Wayne brady, seemed like he was always brown nosing and over acting

[@stevepichowsky2223]

John was rarely worth watching

[@diskgrinder]

Except Zeus as a Scottish union leader

[@twigrose69]

​@@diskgrinderBill Shankly? (He was a genius. RIP)

[@mr.mayhem9724]

The woman ruins almost every bit of

[@kevinmi42]

Much like the others, there's quite a bit of hit or miss. Feel like most of them "drop the ball" in moment where they are in more of a rush. If I had to guess, it feels as if they are partly paying too much focus on the audience reaction; they're ready to pause indefinitely on the chance the audience erupts into laughter, and yet they're ready to rant and ramble as quick as possible until they know they got their punchline or gimmick about to roll off the sleeve. Unlike the others, it seems like she ultimately lost momentum throughout this episode.

[@RennoFun]

2:12 so this woman never was funny...

[@Davethenuttymagician]

I found this quite boring. I only looked at this one ti see Ryan Stiles the UK version just didnt make me laugh kind like watching after Drew left the show.

[@gbedmonds1594]

I love Ryan. I just wish he wasn't such a flamming liberal.

[@logangodofcandy]

If he's flaming, then he has to be a leftist, doesn't he?

[@salstarz]

He is? I like him even more now 😉