The Rotating Fourth Chair

[solotrek]

My favorite 4th chair is Greg, I think he gels really well with them and has a very quick dry wit. Chip was always a great singer, he was always solid when he was the main singer in some of the UK episodes; it's a pity he won't be on the show anytime soon.  I love the new additions of Keenan and Nyima.

From the UK version, Greg aside; Stephen Frost and Josie Lawrence were great.

[ExplainItAgain]

I always liked Chip (I really wish he could be on the new ones!), Greg and Jeff Davis.

I think Nyima is a great addition, I like her a lot.

[FormerMod-a1]

I'm pretty close to that myself - love Chip, Brad and Jeff.  I have been loving Nyima too and Keegan.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Greg, Brad, and Chip are definitely three of the best fourth chairs, but I've always liked Kathy Greenwood.

[rujasu]

Yeah, Greg/Brad/Chip/Jeff are all pretty great.  Not sure who I'd pick out of that bunch.  Leaning toward Brad.  The one downside is that with any of them, you have three white guys and Wayne.  Shame they never found a good regular female comic for the US version.  They did have a female fourth every now and then on, but none ever lasted long enough to make much of an impression.  Nyima has been pretty good so far.

I've liked Keegan Michael Key since his MadTV days, and he's quite good as the fourth chair.  Glad to see him getting regular time there.

I also love the appearances by Stephen Colbert and Robin Williams as fourth chairs during the Carey years.  Colbert mainly for his pitiful attempt at rapping, Robin Williams mainly for the fact that he was Robin Williams.

[Demented Daisy]

Yay!  Brad is back!  

 

Anyway, I wish the show rotated the stars more, like the original series.  Speaking of the original series, I miss Steve Frost and Sandy Toksvig and Tony Slattery and Paul Merton and Josie Lawrence and Mike McShane and Jim Sweeney....

 

Though the new people are pretty good, too.

[Lady Calypso]

It's hard to find a female that I like as a fourth chair. I think that both Kathy's from the earlier seasons sucked (although Kathy Greenwood had her funny moments, but Kathy Kinney just sucked all the time and in Improv-a-Ganza, she often sucked the funny out of the scenes...even Drew did a better job than her). I really like Heather Anne Campbell, though. I first saw her on Improv-a-Ganza and think she does a great job with the guys. Nyiama is one I just discovered on this new version and I think I like her; I'd have to see more of her to know for sure.

 

But for the guys, it's hard to say who's my favourite. Brad is probably my favourite, followed by Greg/Chip/Jeff/Jonathan (another newcomer, but one I fell in love with on Improv-a-Ganza). Keegan is also really funny. I actually have liked all the rotating comedians this year; they're all pretty funny and they do their very best.

[Actionmage]

After watching this season's Last Comic Standing, I think the producers aren't trying so hard to find a female 4th chair. Granted, scripted stand-up is a different animal from improve. Yet,  there have only been two women as 4th chair in the two CW seasons: Heather Anne Campbell and Nyima Funk.  Heather has been on twice and Nyima four times in two seasons.

 

This is not a dis to the genuinely funny guys that have made me laugh until I cry. I just think there can be more than two good comediennes that can handle improve and work with The Guys (who seem pretty welcoming, at least on-screen.)

[ABay]

@midnight has a lot of female comics on and I think some of them would do well on WL. Although bits of @m seem to be done beforehand, a lot of the game calls for quick thinking.

[AntiBeeSpray]

My favorite 4th chair is Greg, I think he gels really well with them and has a very quick dry wit. Chip was always a great singer, he was always solid when he was the main singer in some of the UK episodes; it's a pity he won't be on the show anytime soon.  I love the new additions of Keenan and Nyima.

From the UK version, Greg aside; Stephen Frost and Josie Lawrence were great.

Greg is pretty awesome, he makes me laugh every time he's on. Wish they'd have more celebrities on, like Robin Williams, etc. I liked seeing the randomness :P. Not just CW ones either or whoever is the flavor of the week.

[FormerMod-a1]

I wish they'd bring back more female 4th chairs.  I like Heather Ann Campbell just fine, but there are more female improvisors out there.

[CJBinATX]

On 9/1/2019 at 8:06 AM, aquarian1 said:

I wish they'd bring back more female 4th chairs.  I like Heather Ann Campbell just fine, but there are more female improvisors out there.

Or, crazy thought, cut back on regulars on future seasons so they can bring in more diverse casting. It's 2019 and there is zero excuse for any episode to be Aisha + four dudes. British panel shows are finally getting this and doing a better job casting but I gave up halfway through this past Whose Line season due to the lack of gender diversity. 

[FormerMod-a1]

Not that they'd listen to me, but I've also came up with this: if they really think they need the 3 to be "more" regular (whether due to history, contracts, producer credits, etc)  they could ensure 2 of them are in every show, and it so no one of them has more shows than any of the others.  Then they could have 2 chairs to fill each show.  Or even, sometimes still have all 3 by putting their name in the hat (so to speak) when filling in the other 2 chairs.  Keep the other regulars in that pool (Heather, Jeff, Jonathon, Chip, Brad) and add more new folks.  TPTB can have the safety of having lots of familiar faces still, and we'd get the benefit of seeing new faces, and mixing things up.  (Ideally even leading to more and more combinations, including even less of Colin, Ryan, and Wayne.  I say that even though I love those 3 and have been watching them forever.

[Sarah 103]

He is way too busy and would never agree to do it but Lin Manuel Miranda would be an amazing 4th chair. It might end up being an episode  with more musical games than normal, but I think most people would be okay with it. He would be amazing at "Greatest Hits"