Action Replay: Ryan and Colin put on headphones and watch the other two players act out a scene, unable to hear the dialogue. They must then play a new scene, using the same movements as the previous pair. This is a pretty creative concept for a game, although it may not have lived up to its full potential just yet. However, it is a lot of fun to watch Ryan and Colin try to remember the movements of their counterparts, much less act them out. African Chant: Wayne sings an African chant about an audience member, backed up by the other players. The comedic value of this game lies in the fact that the other three have to imitate various sounds made by Wayne, giving him a hilarious opportunity to lead them on. Alphabet: A varying number of the performers play out a scene in which every successive sentence must start with the next letter of the alphabet. The audience suggests the letter which the game is begun with. This is one of the show's classic games, and a lot of fun within its limitations. There's often a lot of creativity at work in getting past the letter X. Animals: Three performers act out a scene with only one complication--they are animals. This game was only played once on the American series, to riotous effect. Hopefully it will be brought back at some point. Awards Show: The scene is an awards show for an unlikely type of people. Ryan and Colin play award recipients, and the other two players are presenters. Played once, this was one of those games that might have worked in a different context, but didn't quite take off. It was funny, but it seemed to make fun of the audience a little bit. Change Of Cast: Three players act out a scene, but they must assume the attributes of different types of people, upon instruction from Drew. This was a great game, played once, that would be welcome to make a return. Changing Emotions: Three players perform a scene using three props--but a certain emotion must be exhibited by whoever is holding each item. If the prop changes hands, so does the emotion. This game is fun to watch, but it's not quite as good as the similarly formatted impressions game "Multiple Personalities". Daytime Talk Show: The players act out a Jerry Springer type of talk show; one player is the host, one is an audience member, and the other two are the guests. The topic is a fairy tale or nursery rhyme suggested by the audience. The main object of this game was always to end with a brawl on the stage. Somewhat one-dimensional, but it had its moments, especially when hosted by the intolerably hip Greg Proops. Dead Bodies: Colin, two other players and an audience member are actors who are supposed to play a scene--but two of his fellow performers have "died" on Colin, and the last one "dies" upon entering the scene. Undeterred, Colin carries on with the scene, hauling the limp bodies of the others around the stage and coming up with all the dialogue. This game is always a winner. Quite the trooper, Colin is at his best in it, and usually cracks Ryan up by trying to get him to kiss one or more of the other "dead" players. Doo-wop: Three performers sing a doo-wop song based on audience suggestion. This is similar to "Motown Group", but somehow the players have been more versatile at it. Dubbing: Colin and Ryan act out a scene with a member of the audience, who cannot speak, but must (hopefully) move their lips while a third performer provides their share of the dialogue. As audience participation games go, this one is more inspired than others, but much of the humor relies on how good--or how bad--the audience member is at taking cues. Duet: Two performers (Wayne and the guest player) sing to an audience member in a style supplied by Drew. A lot of great songs have come out of this game. The styles were fairly generic at first, but in the fourth season, things got interesting as the players started to be given two very different types of singer. Fashion Models: Unfortunately, I haven't seen this one yet. Film Dub: Two or three performers are shown a film clip with the sound deleted, and must make up new dialogue for the characters. It's a classic game, and while it doesn't always work, it's hilarious when it does. Film & Theater Styles: Two or occasionally three of the players perform a scene, during which they must take on the styles of various films, TV programs and theater shows, suggested by the audience and prompted by Drew. One of the oldest and strongest games in Whose Line history, requiring a lot of knowledge and versatility on the part of the players. Foreign Film Dub: Two performers act out a scene while faking a foreign language, with both the language and the scene's title supplied by the audience. Two other performers translate the dialogue. The gibberish of the main players is often funnier than the translators' jokes, but I have a soft spot for this game. Good Cop Bad Cop: Ryan and Colin play repairmen who were formerly police partners, and used the good cop/bad cop system. This is acted out in their interaction with a third player, who has called on them to fix something suggested by the audience. This game was played once, but it was a lot of fun, and would be welcome to make a reprise. Greatest Hits: Ryan and Colin play TV-ad spokesmen for an album about a career suggested by the audience. They introduce songs in various styles, which must then be sung by one or both of the other players. This game is a staple of the show, simply because it has everything. Ryan and Colin's partnership is showcased beautifully in their ridiculous banter as pitch men, and the challenges they put forth bring out the best in the singing players. Hats: Divided into pairs, the performers are given boxes full of hats, masks and other such costume items. They use the apparel to give examples of bad dating service videos. One of the lesser games of the show, but one has to admit it's fun to see the players look silly. Hey You Down There: Ryan and Colin play out a scene in the style of a 1950s public-information video, narrated by a third performer. This game was rarely played; not too many people liked it, but I did. Ryan and Colin always proved to be well in tune with each other in it. Helping Hands: Ryan and another player perform a scene involving lots of messy props--but Ryan cannot use his hands. Colin provides the hands for him, instead. One of the most hysterical games in the history of the show has seen Ryan eat dog food, take a pie in the face, and always become a total mess, courtesy of Colin. It's yet another example of just how much these two trust each other. Hoedown: The performers must each make up one verse of a hoedown-style song, the subject of which is suggested by the audience. It's one of the oldest games in Whose Line history, and frankly, it should be retired for a while. Nevertheless, it's definitely had its moments. Hollywood Director: Three of the players are actors trying to play a scene, while Colin is a frustrated director who breaks in to insist that they do it in various styles. This game is somewhat like "Film & Theater Styles", but the addition of Colin as a temperamental director brings a lot to it. If You Know What I Mean: Three performers play out a scene, and in their conversation over the course of the game, they must invent numerous strange euphemisms related to the setting. This game is a little odd, but it can be very funny. Improbable Mission: The audience suggests an everyday activity, and Ryan and Colin go to extreme measures to accomplish it, based on instructions from a third performer playing the voice on a self-destructing tape. It's not always funny, but when it is, it's a scream. The "laundry" mission was easily among the five funniest games ever played on the show. Infomercial: Ryan and Colin are given a box of props, and must present them as products used for a given purpose (usually as health-and-beauty type items). This game is fast becoming a classic because of the way Ryan and Colin interact. At this point, they're not afraid to do anything to each other. Irish Drinking Song: The performers make up a song in an Irish style, one line at a time, based on a subject suggested by the audience. This is a terrific singing game that's a fine alternative to the heavily overused "Hoedown". At least one player cracks up every time it's played. Let's Make A Date: One performer pretends to be a contestant on a dating-style game show. The other three play prospective dates--but each has an unusual quirk or character, which the "contestant" must guess. One of the founding games of the series, and still one of the best. It has a lot in common with "Party Quirks", but the dating-game element gives it a hilarious new dimension. Living Scenery: Two of the players perform a scene, with the other two acting as any kind of prop the main players call upon. Introduced in the fourth season, this game is interesting, and rather strange. Better ideas have been had. Millionaire Show: All four of the performers spoof another ABC series with a rhetorical title. One player is the host, one is the contestant, one is the contestant's lifeline in the audience, and one is the lifeline on the phone. Though it's rather lengthy, I find this game to be a lot of fun. There's always an odd twist to it that brings out the laughs. Motown Group: Three performers sing a motown-style song about a subject provided by audience suggestion. The arrival of this singing game brought about a new trend in the versatility of songs on the show. It's well worth seeing, and hearing. Moving People: Ryan and Colin act out a scene, during which they cannot move by themselves, but must be moved by two audience members. Most of the time, this game is incredibly funny. It's not just about the two explaining their movements, but often, their lack of movement. Multiple Personalities: Three performers play out a scene using three props--but a famous person or character is associated with each prop, and anyone holding one of the items must impersonate the corresponding person. Impression games are some of the most fun to be had on the show, and this is no exception. Making the players switch roles is wickedly funny. Narrate: Ryan and Colin act out a film-noir type scene set to music, frequently pausing to make comments to the camera about each other's actions. Along with "Whose Line", this is Ryan and Colin's signature game, and it's theirs exclusively. The way they react to each other is simply sublime. Newsflash: One player (usually Colin) stands in front of a green screen, playing a news reporter. Unable to see the image projected on the screen, he must guess what he's reporting on, based on hints from two other performers playing news anchors in the studio. Occasionally Ryan is the field reporter, but this game really belongs to Colin. He reacts to things he can't see more energetically and accurately than anyone else, he's skilled at guessing his location--and he's incredibly funny along the way. Next Letter: Haven't seen it yet, but I'm working on it. Number Of Words: The performers act out a scene, but each one can only say a certain number of words in every sentence. This is a very funny and challenging game, especially when it comes to the player with one word. Party Quirks: One performer (usually the guest star) plays the host of a party. The other three play the party guests, each of whom has a strange trait or character which the host must identify. Possibly the defining game of the show, and almost always one of the funniest things you'll ever see. Few other games do so well at living up to their potential for sheer comedic chaos. Press Conference: One player is an important person who has called a press conference. There is a strange fact about this person which is made known to the other three performers playing reporters, and the first person must guess their quirk, based on the questions asked by the others. This game was played on the U.K. series, and only recently revived for American audiences. Props: Divided into pairs, the players are given bizarre props which they must take turns coming up with uses for. This may be the show's most consistently weak game. There are some moments of inspiration--but not nearly enough of them. Questionable Impressions: The essentials are the same as Questions Only (below), with the added twist that the players must not only speak in questions, they must perform a different impression every time their turn comes up. This game is a scream, because the players can never keep from cracking up at themselves and each other. The worse the impression, the bigger the laughs all around. Questions Only: The players are divided into pairs and, two at a time, must carry out a scene speaking only in questions. If one player makes a statement or just can't come up with a question, they are replaced by their partner. A classic game that almost never fails to be great fun. Many of the players have become expert at it, and Colin in particular has mastered it, by playing it panicky or just plain dense. Quick Change: Three players act out a scene, but when the fourth player calls "Change", whoever spoke last must make a statement different from what they just said. I haven't seen this one on an American episode yet, but it's a holdover from the British series, in which it was fairly amusing. Remote Control: Each player is given a TV show to imitate. Drew then switches back and forth between the "channels", all of which are dealing with the same topic suggested by the audience. This is another British game brought onto the American series in the fourth season. The humor really depends on how many of the players are assigned a show they can use creatively. Scenes Cut From A Movie: The audience names several famous films, and the performers act out some comical takes on possible scenes left out of them. I think this is a great game. Just imagine what some of the targeted famous movies would be like if these guys really had been in them! Scenes From A Hat: The performers pair off to act out various scenes written down by the audience before the show, which are pulled out of a hat by Drew. This is one of the show's strongest games, and perhaps its most versatile. The players are called upon to make a joke out of any suggestion thrown at them, and they usually rise splendidly to the challenge. Scene To Rap: All four performers must rap their way through a given scene. This game can be a lot of fun, especially to watch Colin try to rap and sometimes just be bizarre. On the other hand, some guest performers do surprisingly well. Scene With An Audience Member: Ryan and Colin act out a scene with an audience member chosen by Drew. This game has been played two times, in one of which the player was given a card containing lines to read off. It's better to let the experts do the improv, methinks. Show-Stopping Number: Three players perform a scene in a mundane setting, and every time Drew sounds his buzzer, whoever last spoke must break into a quick song involving the words they just said. This is a strange game, but I personally think it's funny. It's also very interesting, because the players have absolutely no time to think up their rhymes--Drew buzzes, the music starts, and they have to sing immediately. Song Styles: A performer must sing to an audience member (or occasionally sing about a household object), in a style supplied by Drew. Sometimes the other players are dragged in as backup singers. A classic game that has produced many great songs, which are often musically strong as well as funny. Song Titles: The players divide into pairs and perform a scene, two at a time, in which they may only speak in song titles. If a player gets stumped, they are replaced by their partner. It's not always the funniest game, but just watch the players' expressions as they dig for titles that will make any sense at all as part of the conversation. Sound Effects: There are two styles to this game, both of which belong exclusively to Colin and Ryan. In the original format, Colin acts out a given scene, while Ryan provides sound effects for him from the side of the stage. In a later version, Ryan and Colin perform a scene, and two audience members provide sound effects at their prompting. The original version of this game is a classic that showcases the cooperation between Ryan and Colin. The later version lacks that in a way, but it often struggles so badly and is such a challenge to the two that it's even more hilarious. Sportscasters: Ryan and Colin play two rivals going about a mundane job in slow motion, while the other two commentate as if it were a sport. This wasn't an especially great game, and was not played very many times on the American series. Stand Sit Bend: Three performers act out a scene--but during the course of it, one must always be standing, one must be sitting down and one must be bending over. There is also a rarer variation in which one player must lie down instead of bending. One of the classics. Scrambling to compensate for each other's movements, the players can't help but be funny. Superheroes: The audience suggests an absurd sort of world crisis, and one player starts out, given the name (and accompanying attributes) of an unlikely superhero. As each of the other players enters the scene, they are given a superhero identity by the previous player, and between them they may or may not solve the crisis. One of the finest of the classics, a comical chance for the players to trip each other up by assigning them a strange identity. Greg Proops is a stand-out when it comes to this game. Survival Show: This, obviously, is a spoof of one of Whose Line's Thursday night rivals. I haven't seen it yet. Telethon: Ryan and Colin play hosts of a telethon raising money for an unlikely cause. The other two players sing an anthem for the telethon, impersonating famous singers. The Ryan/Colin banter was always the better part of this one, but to be fair, many skilled impressions were put forth by their companions in the history of the game. Themed Restaurant: Two players are waiters and the other two are patrons at a restaurant with a strange theme, given by Drew. It's one of those ideas that should have been funnier than it was; maybe it's because the two performers acting as diners always played it straight. Three-Headed Broadway Star: Three of the performers make up a song one word at a time, based on the name of a musical and a song suggested by the audience. This one is really bad in a good, funny way. The songs tend to go off in weird directions, and when Drew plays it, he rarely gets through it without making a mistake or laughing and causing the other two to crack up. Title Sequence: Ryan and Colin act out the intro to an unlikely sitcom, in accordance with a theme song made up by the other two players. Is this the goofiest game ever played on Whose Line? If not, it's close. For all that, it's still funny, if only for stripping Ryan and Colin of their last vestiges of dignity. Two Line Vocabulary: Three players perform a scene, but two of them are each given two lines to say. They can repeat them all they want--but they can't say anything else. This game is wonderful. It hits its greatest heights when Colin is the player who can say anything, because his character is inevitably driven up the wall by the other two. Wedding: Stay tuned for the summary. Weird Newscasters: The performers pretend to be a TV news anchor team. One of the anchors is normal--but the co-anchor, sportscaster and weatherman are all assigned strange characteristics by Drew before the game begins. This classic is the only quirk game in which the players are given their quirks openly, without anyone having to guess them. Half the fun is in the anticipation of just how the performers will play it. What Are You Trying To Say: When I've seen it, you'll be the first to know. Whose Line: Ryan and Colin perform a scene, but each must randomly insert two lines written down before the show by audience members. Up there with "Narrate" as a defining game for the partnership of Ryan and Colin, this game can be positively sublime. It's not even the silliness of the random lines that makes it great--it's the amazing chemistry between the two of them. World's Worst: The performers are given a scenario for which they must come up with the world's worst thing to say, do, etc. This is a hit-or-miss sort of game. Sometimes there are a lot of good ideas, sometimes few. The only real problem is when the performers get a theme too similar to something they've done before.