Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Chris Hallam takes a look back at the Channel 4 improvisation show

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For more than a decade between 1988 and 1999, Friday nights on Channel 4 meant just one thing: another new episode of the popular comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? The format was simple. Four performers, usually comedians or actors, would take their places on a stage and compete against each other in a series of games devised to test their improvisational skills. Instructions would come from a seated Clive Anderson who hosted every one of the show's 136 programmes, with extra input coming from the studio audience. Musical support would usually come from the talented Richard Vranch who could switch between widely different musical styles - say, from country music to opera at a stroke.

The games would vary. Early series tended to be dominated by the talented Scots actor John Sessions. The show had a strong literary feel at first which suited Sessions well. He would often excel, particularly during the "authors" round in which players would take turns to continue an ongoing story in the style of a particular writer: perhaps Mark Twain, Agatha Christie or Dr Seuss.

John Sessions left after 24 appearances in 1991, continuing a successful stage and screen career, which only ended with his death in 2020. But, by then, other stars had already emerged.

Still in her 20s at the time of her first appearance, the Staffordshire-born Josie Lawrence was the most prolific female performer in a generally male-dominated show. Appearing 54 times, Josie became rightly celebrated for her songs and could be relied upon to belt out a musical number about brushing your teeth in the style of an Italian opera at the drop of a hat.

Early series often saw Josie joined by Paul Merton, who, like her, was a member of London's The Comedy Store Players comedy troupe. The deadpan Merton would often inject a surreal note into proceedings and, along with Tony Slattery, was often particularly funny during games of "party quirks".