S11.E12: Randy Couture

[Actionmage]

Retired mixed martial artist Randy Couture; guest comedian Jonathan Mangum.

 

Jonathan! Yay!

[Actionmage]

Introductions: Wayne- Crème de la crème, Jonathan- Crème caramel, Colin- Crème de menthe and Ryan- Cream of spinach.

Games: Weird Newscasters, Duet, Living Scenery, DooWop and Scenes From A Hat.

 

It was a fun episode. A little low-key compared to the last one or two, but still pretty enjoyable.

 

What I liked about Ryan during Duet was that he skeedaddled and didn't show up until Mr. Couture had started to return from backstage. Then he ran off again!

 

I think I am bored with Living Scenery. It's still a fun game, Colin and Ryan are fun, as is Wayne. There just doesn't seem to be... a spark to it.  The  exception was Mr. Couture's face when Colin started to pick him up!

 

DooWop was fun; this needs to be the infrequent gem it is.

 

Scenes From a Hat could have gone on longer, imo. Both subjects were fun and "meeting" Mrs. Jonathan was a cool surprise.

 

You know what would be slightly different from Drew's version? Aisha doesn't pick a winner at all and just has the cast do the credits as usual. Because if she isn't going to pick anything other than " All you lovely gentlemen players", then do away with the conceit at the end of the episode, at the very least. I don't care, personally, but doing away with that would give us a minute or so that could go to a game. Aisha still gives "points", she just doesn't name a "winner."  Because the points don't matter, as we've been told, probably since Clive.

 

It was a fun episode, but there have been episodes I thought were more fun.  Still, I think this is a good episode and it will hold up to repeat viewings.

[The Luvly Junkie]

   I've been having this pet peeve of Aisha always choosing all 4 of them as the winner since the beginning of the revival, but you made a good point about the 'points' format, Actionmage, and that the important part of the show is the games, which is already botched the moment the show decided to constantly bring celebrity guests. I've made my argument about this before, and I'm glad they switched up the games but just slightly last episode, but I feel like the set-up of games focused on the guest makes the spontaneity of the audience become repetitive. It's becoming obvious for viewers like me to know which games they will eventually play every, single time and it becomes a boring show. If any of the producers ever bother to read this post (I highly doubt it), the original formula of the US version was already strong enough to bring an audience and didn't have to be changed. Here, it's nearly a repetition of the same games that take away the spontaneousness that makes Whose Line live up to the status quo. 

 

    With that out the way, I'm glad they brought back Doo Wop, though I'd wish they would switch Ryan with Jonathan. I'm not saying Ryan has a terrible voice, but having the same three people who played Living Scenery before this is taking away the credibility of Jonathan's musical improvising. Also, I really wanna hear Jonathan sing some more and hit the upper register with the notes. 

 

     Speaking of Jonathan, glad he saved that grudge on Wayne from Duet onto Scenes from a Hat to lay a path for the final punchline: his wife. Very supportive of her to watch him from the audience.

 

      And I think Weird Newscasters has grounded my theory that Ryan is overly-attached to Laura's piano. Colin better watch his back cuz I smell some new competition, just saying. 

 

      So yeah, good episode, but still doesn't have enough of that Mindf#@k aftershock after watching Kathie Lee's episode.

[Amarsir]

With that out the way, I'm glad they brought back Doo Wop, though I'd wish they would switch Ryan with Jonathan. I'm not saying Ryan has a terrible voice, but having the same three people who played Living Scenery before this is taking away the credibility of Jonathan's musical improvising. Also, I really wanna hear Jonathan sing some more and hit the upper register with the notes. 

I thought the same thing. And technically, Doo Wop would work fine with 4 people. You just have each do one verse instead of going back to Wayne for the final.  They could even (optionally) call it "Barbershop" for a different spin.

 

And I think Weird Newscasters has grounded my theory that Ryan is overly-attached to Laura's piano. Colin better watch his back cuz I smell some new competition, just saying.

I remember you saying that a few weeks ago, so when Ryan went over to the instruments again I thought "Well, that solidifies @The Luvly Junkie's theory. 

 

I also thought of @needschocolate during that game when Ryan made no mention of weather whatsoever.

[peeayebee]

I don't know wrestling, so I didn't know Randy Couture, but I gotta say, it's pretty cute. He didn't do great at any of the games, but he wasn't intrusive, so that scored points with me.

 

When Wayne's newscaster character was described, I groaned again at Aisha being part of it. Ugh. I just don't like her being involved in the games. I know Drew was, but I didn't care for his involvement either, except that I liked him personally.

 

Anyway, Wayne is just so good. I wanted to see him do more family characters.

 

I kind of enjoyed Living Scenery more than usual because Ryan and Colin had to try even harder to make it work. Randy wasn't too proactive. When Ryan said to Colin, "I'll give you an owl eye," and Colin showed his owl eye, I cracked up. That seemed like something from an earlier WL version. The writers/producers on the show don't have to force the improvisers into roles or situations, and they shouldn't. But it appears that they think it needs to be that specific to appeal to a new, younger audience. That's just my feeling. 

 

f any of the producers ever bother to read this post (I highly doubt it), the original formula of the US version was already strong enough to bring an audience and didn't have to be changed.

ITA. The celebrity guests are there to attract viewers, but I sure prefer the old format, whether just using the improvisers or using regular audience volunteers.

[ExplainItAgain]

It seems like so many of us have the same complaints! Celebrity guests, same games over and over, all 4 players "winning," so little involvement from the 4th chair, etc. 

 

My other complaint is the same as @peeayebee - I don't like Aisha's involvement. But I know that's not a unanimous opinion.

 

DooWop was great. I was worried that Jonathan's pants were going to split when Randy picked him up!

[needschocolate]

I can't think of a "read the credits" that I have thought was worth watching (disclaimer - I came to this conclusion early on, so I have skipped most of the credit reading, but I don't recall anyone ever posting that the credit reading was hilarious).  I guess they figured they needed something to end the show, but I think it is a waste of time, and would much rather have them play another game or do one more scene from a hat.  

[ExplainItAgain]

I can't think of a "read the credits" that I have thought was worth watching (disclaimer - I came to this conclusion early on, so I have skipped most of the credit reading, but I don't recall anyone ever posting that the credit reading was hilarious).  I guess they figured they needed something to end the show, but I think it is a waste of time, and would much rather have them play another game or do one more scene from a hat.  

 

To me, part of the problem with this is that all four of them typically "win," plus they throw the celeb guest out there. Then it's not really a credit reading, it's just them messing around. It was better when 1 person would win and they would actually read a lot of names in a certain style. Overall though, this would be one tradition I wouldn't care if they did away with.

[Actionmage]

It's supposed to be a hat tip to the original British version, which was a radio show. Someone would have to read credits for radio and thus the credit read was born.

 

Still, it's not much of a hat tip; they barely read any names because the names go by so fast. Plus they treat it like another game, so the people reading are trying to figure out how to make the usages fit with the scenarios.

 

I like ExplainItAgain's idea of just having one person read them in a stylized way. It's less noisy, the names could be understood, and there could be gold in the way any of the players read and the others react. But this is US TV in the New Teens- we can't actually have a reasonable credit roll because someone's side-effect-laden something or other won't have it's 30 seconds of air. Or the next show will have to start on time, with it's five minutes of previouslys. ( I usually don't watch the stuff after Whose Line, so I don't know. Show previouslys, though, have grown in the last five years.)

[Actionmage]

Saw the rerun tonight ( Dec. 30, 2015). It was pretty funny still.

 

Still like the silliness of Wayne and Mrs. Mangum in Scenes From A Hat.

 

Also? Was this the season Colin has picked folks up, like more than normal?