A haywire
improvisational game show.
Originally made for
English television, later revived on
ABC.
Both versions are essentally the same; the host (Clive Anderson in the British one, Drew Carey in the American one) tells the "contestants" to do a given scene, based on suggestions from the audience and a low-budget supply of props in the studio. The contestants, completely off the top of their heads, have to construct the scenes on the fly.
The real glory of the show is the utter unpredictability and speed of it all. No matter the situation, the contestants can act it out fast and furiously. As was heard from people who have sat in the audience, if they ever have to re-tape a scene over again, the contestants will, with the same speed and quality, come up with a completely different scene.
Although some people will claim that the American version is much worse off than the British version (As most people do for most things), the only REAL difference is in the host. Most of the contestants are the same, the games are the same, and the show plays out just as funny. Clive Anderson is definately a better host than Drew Carey, but the American version doesn't suffer much from it.