# Which is better: American or British Who's Line is it Anyway? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 29, 2000, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-american-or-british-whos-line-is-it-anyway/20774 "2000-05-29T03:08:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2000, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-american-or-british-whos-line-is-it-anyway/20774/21 "2000-05-30T19:24:17Z")
The British version is better partially because they can get away with more. It’s just funnier hearing some single and double entendres. The American version has improved immensely since the beginning because they have loosened things up. The musicians (Laura Hall et al) are better on the American show, but as mentioned the one thing that holds things back is the American tendancy to rely on stock situations and characters. This is rife in American TV in general. If there hadn’t been a british version of the show then nobody would find fault with the North American show. The British show has had some bad guests. It suprised me how bad Betty Thomas was. For someone who started with Second City she really sucked. Keith ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2000, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-american-or-british-whos-line-is-it-anyway/20774/22 "2000-05-30T21:53:10Z")
I have to say I like the American version better, but maybe that’s because I’m easily amused and I usually don’t get subtle humor. Also if anyone watches the Drew Carey show, have you noticed that Colin is on that also? (Colin is the tall one and Ryan is the bald one, right?) He’s one of Drew’s friends but I can’t remember his character’s name. -j-u-l-i-e- ---
**Author:** ![Minxsmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Minxsmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minxsmom)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2000, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-american-or-british-whos-line-is-it-anyway/20774/23 "2000-05-30T23:35:28Z")
The British version is far and away better than the American . Although, I must admit, it is rare for me to watch the American version. I can’t stand Drew Carey. I can’t stand his show, I can’t stand his stand up, and I think WLIIA would be a far better show if he was replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-american-or-british-whos-line-is-it-anyway/20774/24 "2000-05-31T01:36:50Z")
Why hasn’t Mike McShane broken through as a star? Why doesn’t he even get occasionally asked to appear on the American version of the show? ---
**Author:** ![randomlyblanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@randomlyblanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomlyblanks)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-american-or-british-whos-line-is-it-anyway/20774/25 "2000-05-31T03:07:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > I have to say I like the American version better, but maybe that’s because I’m easily amused and I usually don’t get subtle humor. > Also if anyone watches the Drew Carey show, have you noticed that Colin is on that also? (Colin is the tall one and Ryan is the bald one, right?) He’s one of Drew’s friends but I can’t remember his character’s name. > \*\* Actually it’s the other way around. Ryan is the tall guy and he plays Lewis on Drew’s show. ---
**Author:** ![Kipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kipper)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-american-or-british-whos-line-is-it-anyway/20774/26 "2000-05-31T03:13:22Z")
As a point of interest Clive Anderson is also a practising Barrister (court lawyer) as well as a TV personality. I pity the poor buggers who have to go up against him. He also hosts a superb chat show “Clive Anderson All Talk” in which he manages to take the piss out of American personalities without them relising it, mainly by playing up to their own egos. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-american-or-british-whos-line-is-it-anyway/20774/27 "2000-05-31T04:35:41Z")
Not sure what you consider “the big time”, but Mike McShane’s been working quite a bit. He was the voice of Tuck and Roll, the acrobatic pillbugs in _A Bug’s Life_. More visibly, he played the hypnotist in _Office Space_, the comedy based on Mike Judge’s “Milton” cartoons. He’s also made guest appearances on The Norm Show, ER, and Frasier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-american-or-british-whos-line-is-it-anyway/20774.md?page=1)