“The only way to learn is by playing. The only way to win is by learning. And the only way to begin is by beginning.” – Sam Reich
Growing up in the late 90s and 00s, a lot of the theater/more hipster-y friends I knew would watch “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”. Originating in the U.K. (though the U.K. version would only have a run in Comedy Central after the U.S. iteration took off), it went through a series of hosts as the years went on but I think most of us reading this were familiar with the version hosted by Drew Carey. A comedy “game show” where the “rules are made up and the points don’t matter”, it consisted of creating improvisational (“improv”) comedy scenes for the comedian cast to play out. While comedy skit shows weren’t new and performing in front of a live audience was a well often tapped into (especially in this time where sitcoms were in a golden era), improv comedy was a new slant that general audiences were unfamiliar with.
These improv exercises played out in the form of different “games”, and the host awards point values for whatever they might feel like in the moment, whether those reasons are tied to the quality of the performances or just complete non-sequitors. The concept of looking to an audience for ideas and having actors play it out without prior knowledge and seeing if/how they swim is a common exercise on improv stages throughout, and it stands to reason “Whose Line-” popularized the concept (though it likely took that idea from improv exercises itself). Long time cornerstone of the cast, Colin Mochrie had stated on the “Conversations with Ross” podcast that the concept of the show was to introduce general audiences to the concept of improv, and the show becoming an “end-all” was not the intention. But be it having to create new objects out of props, or taking different identities to create a dating profile, the quick-hit games would typically led to pretty clever results, with only the rare stumble which….actually was also funny. You’d see the players keep the flow so often that it was hilariously off-beat when they fell off beat too.
Originally premiering in 1998 on ABC, “Whose Line-” ended up being the foundation for what many people in this day and age as improvisational comedy. And it still runs today on The CW Network.
However, there is an undeniable “rose-tint” to how people view “Whose Line-“. And to be honest, trying to watch current episodes versus older ones, I’m not sure where the quality drop is. It’s definitely there, in my opinion. I don’t think it’s the goofy, sexist idea that Aisha Tyler has tanked the show. I don’t think the actors, many of whom are longtime cast members, have lost their touch. Maybe the show having been on ABC Family and having to tone down from the old clips you could find on YouTube from the show’s prime has a hand in it? Maybe I’ll come back to it.
It might surprise you that I’ve spent so many words (400+ up to now) discussing this show and not the show listed in the title.
If you’re a fan of improv comedy, a fan of “Whose Line”, or…hell, if you’re a skeptic of improv comedy and want to see the art practiced at its top-shelf best, get ready for a “Game Changer”.
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“Game Changer” is also an improv comedy show under the guise of a game show. Hosted by Sam Reich, the CEO of CHMedia (the parent comedy of Dropout, formerly CollegeHumor), “Game Changer” is at the very least strongly inspired by “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” but runs in a different yet refreshing direction.
Instead of a multitude of games across an episode, each episode of “Game Changer” is centralized around one single theme with the concept being changed or manipulated as the episode goes on. While this can sound a bit exasperated when compared to the quick-hits of “Whose Line-”, I can attest that without spoiling some of the best episode ideas and twists, a single concept can often lay the foundation for tons of insanity that hits a new gear just when you think the pedal is already to-the-floor. From a game of “Simon Says” constantly twisted to trick contestants, to an escape room, it’s a blast to see what Sam and the cast come up with any given week. There’s even extremely elaborate game setups and scenarios that I would be doing a great disservice spoiling here. Just know that on occasion, in ways you won’t see coming, you as the viewer won’t always be “in the loop” looking out on those that aren’t.
And the theming of each episode goes extra levels as well, oftentimes to a very impressive degree. Sam, the crew, the props departments, etc. are always clued in to some extent. It’s not just a “game” thrown in and they work around Sam arbitrarily applying loose rules. Episodes with elaborate sets, sometimes including studio audiences, and even episodes that take place off-set in different parts of the studio are of the norm here. If it’s in front of a camera, if it’s in the studio, it’s Sam’s playground. And the contestants will most certainly play.
The contestants, similar to “Whose Line-“, also consist of various actors and improv comedians. While it is fun to see these concepts (of which contestants are, with a few exceptions, NOT briefed on prior to the show beginning) throw these cast members off, each one shows the know-how and comedic/improv timing to adapt. You’re not watching performers to see if they pass or fail at navigating the stormy waters, you’re seeing HOW they’ll navigate them. The contestants switch off very often, but each one will tend to have at least a couple you’ll fall for, if not everyone involved. Highlights for me include super-nerd (and host of a Dungeons and Dragons themed show on Dropout) Brennan Lee Mulligan, Ally Breadsley and Isabella Roland hit home runs over everybody’s head, and Jacob Wysocki feels like me pulled from another reality where I don’t suck all the eggs at improvisational comedy and made the Improv-athon team.
On top of that, you see a clear camaraderie between the host, Sam Reich, and the performers on the show. This isn’t someone inviting random people who haven’t proven their comedy chops or haven’t worked with Sam before. Sam knows what clicks with his contestants and feeds into that while also trying to throw curveball after curveball, and have each one curve differently. In doing this, the show delicately walks the line between playing right into the contestants wheelhouses and making the game too easy, and forcing the performers to adapt and adjust to the conditions of the game being played in that episode. And in turn, Sam (and the audience) are even thrown for a loop by what the contestants can come up with. Sam is as much an audience member and fan as he is a host, even though he knows where the episodes bodies lie at any given moment.
And while the show does keep score, the “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” element of being comedy-first is still present. Winning is tertiary, and it’s refreshing to see the performers play to have fun and for laughs than to strategically “win”. The prizes are almost always (with a few exceptions) goofy things like a one-time-use Keureg machine, a gas card, etc. It’s never so crazy that the contestants drop having fun and enjoying working with one another to “compete”. And there are a few times where the prizes are grand, but they’re usually tied to games of grander design and certainly have no strings attached at all………….I realize winks don’t translate well to text, and I feel too uppity to resort to emojis on this here blog/journal/website thingie.
Put it all together, and you come up with what I think is one of the funniest shows on any televised/streaming media right now. It does get R-rated for certain (and sometimes the game theme will play into that, such as Sam asking the players to say something the show will have to bleep), but we’re all adults here. And don’t expect anything ignorant or ableist here; we’re just immature adults, we’re not assholes here.
“Game Changer” is the natural evolution to “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and is absolutely worth your time if you’re looking for elite-tier improv comedy, or comedic insanity in the guise of a gameshow that the host is only loosely holding in his iron grip.
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“Game Changer” can be watched on the DropOut streaming network:
https://www.dropout.tv/game-changer
If you want to check the show out for yourself aside from the snippets you’ve seen here, there are a handful of full episodes available to watch on YouTube:
Just Ed Things 