Its been rumoured for months, but Foxtel finally confirmed today it has commissioned an Australian version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
The improvisational comedy show will air on The Comedy Channel with a yet to be named cast that Foxtel describes as “a hilarious line-up of popular comedians and new faces”.
While the cast is yet to be announced, Foxtel has confirmed Aussie comedian Tommy Little as host, he will be joined by seven ensemble cast members. Four of the cast will perform together in each episode’s improv sketches with no-one knowing where the sketches will end up. The performers are forced to get themselves into insane situations with improv challenges often demanding song and dance but most importantly, jokes. The host then awards various amounts of points – that don’t even matter – to the best players and funniest performances.
Foxtel’s Head of Premium Entertainment, Graham Burrells said:
“Whose Line Is It Anyway? has been a favourite on The Comedy Channel for many years and we are excited to do our own local version. The new show will be an energetic and unpredictable event with a fantastic cast of comedy heavyweights and new talent. It’s Whose Line but not as you’ve seen it before.”
Melbourne-native Tommy Little is an increasingly recurring face on Australian television screens as fill in host on Network Ten’s The Project, host of Foxtel’s Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Big Three Oh! stand-up series, as well as appearances in Just for Laughs Australia, Dirty Laundry Live, Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala Specials, and many more.
Tommy Little said, “It’s an honour to be part of such an iconic show. I get to watch Australia’s best improvisers create magic and then take the piss if they stuff up, I can’t wait to get started.”
Born in the late 1980s in the UK, Whose Line Is It Anyway? continued to grow in popularity and migrated to American television screens from 1998 evolving into the show currently airing in the US and on The Comedy Channel. Whose Line has been home to comedy’s most famous personalities including Stephen Fry, Drew Carey, Wayne Brady, Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Aisha Tyler, and many more regulars and celebrity guest stars.
Ten-part series Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia will be filmed in front of a live audience in Melbourne exclusively for Foxtel to premiere in the second half of 2016 only on The Comedy Channel. Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia is Executively Produced by Kevin Whyte, Guesswork Television, and Craig Campbell, +61 TV.
