A&E may have screwed up WHOSE LINE-Britsh... (1 Viewer)

[AndyMcKinney]

If their press mateirals are accurate, then A&E have screwed up the season 1/2 set of the British series Whose Line is it Anway?

They describe it as the "complete" seasons 1 and 2, "all 25 "episodes. Well, as a long-time fan who has had VHS tapes of these episodes for years now, I can state without a doubt that this episode count is not right!

The episode guide at epguides.com/WhoseLineIsItAnyway_UK backs me up. If you look closely, season one had 13 shows (including the two "leftovers" editions and the original pilot, which was aired last in the season). Season two had 17 episodes (including two more "leftovers" editions and the 45-minute Christmas special). Anyone who can do math would be able to work out that the complete seasons total 30 episodes, not 25!

I really hope that it's simply A&E's press release that's wrong, and that all 30 shows are indeed on there. If, however, there are only 25 shows on this set, they've made a major blunder! The only thing I can figure is they might've left off the leftovers, thinking they were just "clip" shows rather than all-new material, and left the pilot off because, well, it was the pilot.

Considering the cock-ups they made on Monty Python's Flying Circus (using edited/censored masters for episodes that were previously issued unedited on VHS), they could have, indeed, gotten it wrong, though I really hope not.

Maybe someone will clarify this soon!

 

[Clay_E]

At least A&E are trying to put out all of the first two seasons, rather than the misbegotten "Season 1, Part 1" nonsense we got with the U.S. version - especially since no Part 2 has as yet been announced!

Hope the press release is wrong though - I've always wanted to see the pilot of the British version.

 

[Paul Miller]

Looks like it was just bad info. Gord is reporting that according to A&E that there are thirty episodes, they just messed up on the information they put out.

Paul

 

[Clay_E]

Good to know. Anybody know if there is any word on any future releases of the U.S. version?

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Thanks for following up on that, Gord!

 

[David Rain]

It's going to be confusing for uninformed viewers who may not know that the American & British versions are actually 2 separate shows even though they often feature the same performers.

I likely won't be getting the early seasons of the British version as I find them quite tepid compared to the later seasons and especially to the American version.

 

[Katherine_K]

The British flags and the lack of Drew Carry on the cover I think should clear up any confusion.

 

[Radioman970]

Not to start an all out brawl where we're pulling each others hair or slapping each other like girls, but I found the American version lesser of an improv show and more of an variety show since it looked too rehearsed and they seemed to never screw up. The brit version had a less polished look and didn't try so hard to be perfect. :p

Heh, but both are fun shows. I hope they get this one right though. I have all the brit version on VHS, and a few of the American. Hopefully it's not too much to ask for them to get all of these in season sets.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

Agreed. Let us also hope that they don't miss out the two "special" episodes from 1995 (one aired in January, one in December) that seem to be missing from many of the worldwide syndication runs. The one in Jan. should definitely be a "real" episode, as the seating order is listed, which is a UNIQUE seating order in the entire run of the show. No info is given for the Dec. one, so it MIGHT have been a repeat/best of type of special, but who knows?).

It's a shame, really, that A&E didn't bother to licence (or perhaps were unaware?) the 1989 Comic Relief special skit. Would've made a great extra! That's what I hate about companies not announcing their intentions before they start working on sets: if we'd known about it early enough, fans could've suggested things like this as an extra so that if it WAS an oversight, they could've licenced it before it was too late. Oh well, let's hope at least that all the episodes themselves are complete and unedited.

 

[Radioman970]

Yeah, it's extremely rewarding when something like that shows up on a set. I've never seen the Comic Relief skit.

Btw, those "clip shows" are full of small treasures that didn't quite make it. Great stuff. Hopefully those are included.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

If you're speaking of the end-of-season "leftovers" editions (which were two per season) that are introduced by Clive, those are included in the "30 episode" count, as they went out as actual episodes.

Not to be confused with "best of" episodes (such as best of 1995) that aired as specials on Channel 4, which, from what I understand, are what one would typically associate with a clip show (i.e. just previously-aired stuff). I don't think any "best ofs" were issued in any of the worldwide syndication packages, though the "leftovers" shows were.