Whose Line Is It Anyway? was a British comedy panel game television series, featuring improvisational performances. It originally ran on BBC Radio 4 from 1988 to 1989, and then was adapted for television and broadcast on Channel 4 from 1988 to 1999. The show was hosted by Clive Anderson, and regularly featured improvisers such as John Sessions, Stephen Fry, Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, and Tony Slattery.
The premise of the show involved a panel of four performers who participated in a series of improvisational games, dictated by suggestions from the audience and the host. No points were awarded, and the winner, if any, was typically chosen by the host based on subjective impressions of the performances. The show's catchphrase, which was often stated by the host at the beginning and end of the program, was "Welcome to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the show where everything's made up and the points don't matter."
Typical games included "Scenes From a Hat" (where performers acted out scenes from suggestions placed in a hat), "Props" (where performers created scenes using random props), and "Sound Effects" (where two performers would provide sound effects for a scene acted out by the other two). Musical games such as "Hoedown" and "Irish Drinking Song" were also common.
The British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? was influential in popularizing improvisational comedy and served as the basis for the American version of the show, which premiered in 1998. Several of the British show's performers, most notably Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie, went on to become regulars on the American version. Despite the success of the American adaptation, the original British series remains a significant and influential part of television comedy history.