20 Questions with TTQ

whosers.com goes into interview mode with those who make & maintain the sites that we love - letting them say their own opinions on a few issues. These opinions may or may not reflect the opinions held by whosers.com. Not that that matters, but you know, we have to say it ;)

This time we've tracked down the Brad Sherwood fan community, and the co-webmistress/moderator who is keeping it all alive for you folks! Although they've gone through tumultuous times with moving messageboards, it's good to find that the spirit is still alive. So we got TTQ to take a break from maintaining her website & helping bring the community back from the brink... if answering our questions could be considered a break!

Whose Line

1) What is the first sighting/reaction to whose line you had that you can recall? Were you hooked right away?

Oh, my, my first sighting of Whose Line was waaaaaay back when the British version began airing on Comedy Central. My first reaction was typical: “They’re making this up? They can’t be making this all up.” I was definitely hooked immediately.

2) Who is the improvisor who had the first/initial largest impact on you? Who is the improvisor who has impressed you the most over the long run?

Well, I didn’t bother learning anyone’s name until the US version made it’s debut (Brad was “the B-52s Guy” for the longest time!) but I’d say up until then Ryan and Colin had the largest impact on me. I couldn’t possibly pick who has impressed me most. They’ve all impressed me in different ways for different reasons over the long run and I can’t say one has been more impressive than the other. If I *have* to choose, I’ll go with Colin. At first it’s very easy to think he’s great because of his interaction with Ryan but eventually I realized he’s brilliant in his own right and, hell, he doesn’t even need Ryan!

3) If you had to choose your ideal cast of whose line (4 improvisors, one host, & either the american or british musician team), who would you choose?

Ah, easy one…Brad, Greg, Ryan and Colin and Drew as host. Oh and I guess Laura Hall and company as the musical team. I’m fond of Richard Vranch equally well though. And since I know many people are out there saying, “Augh! Drew?! How can you like Drew better than Clive?!” I’ll tell you. LOL It’s because Drew is so much more “jolly” than Clive. When Drew starts laughing it seems to feed my own until I’m wiping the tears away. Yeah, maybe he should just stay out of participating in the games but I don’t believe that’s his call ultimately and he’s been getting better, I’ll give him that. So, yeah, I’m going with Drew as the host!

4) Name one moment on the show that still never fails to crack you up when you think about it. If you remember, tell us what season/who was involved/what version etc.

Just one moment? Oi, let me see if I can pick one…Saying “the Cat” episode is just too predictable so let me see if I can come up with another one…Ok, the US version, I can’t remember the name of the game (I’m *terrible* at remembering the names of games!) but Ryan, Colin and Brad had to play a scene as particular animals, in this case, monkeys. If there were any question as to why Brad’s “mascot” is a monkey, that scene should put it to rest. Yeah, I’m cracking up now just thinking about it. LOL

Online

1) Can you remember what made you go online to search out whose line related information?

I think I wanted some info on Ryan and Colin. It was a long time ago but I believe that’s what spurred me on.

2) Can you remember what was the first site you encountered, & what you thought when you found it?

The first one I *remember* seeing is the Ryan Stiles Giraffe Board. It looked like a nice little community and I was very curious as to what the heck a “Gutter Girl” was.

3) Name one site/community/messageboard that you once were quite fond of but now is no longer active/has disappeared. Name one site/community/messageboard that you visit regularly (other than your own sites/communities) and why you do so.

I miss USDOM! What a strange place that was! And the people there were equally strange. As for where I hang out regularly now-a-days, I’m pretty much lurking all over the place. I keep up with the Giraffe Board, the CMC Board, Idiot Site, The Whoser’s Site, Brad’s official site, etc., etc…

4) What do you think is the future of whose line online? Of your own site?

Well, Whose Line has a very loyal fan base so I don’t see Whose Line online going anywhere for a long, long time even if the show disappears from the airwaves. As for my own site, I’m hoping the Brad fans out there will find their way to it and make themselves at home. I think it’ll take a while as USDOM was their home for so long and it’s hard to let go of old ways. I know they’re out there and we’ve already got a few regulars hanging around so I and my Co-Webmistress are thinking it’ll catch on at some point with the Brad fans.

Community

1) What's one of the strangest experiences you've ever had related to whose line communities/whosers (no names if they are involved please - you can use vague generalizations if you're worried as well i.e. just the type of experience)

I find getting the same person’s autograph over and over again a bit strange. It just seems to me it would be a bit awkward to ask for after the 3rd or 7th or 10th time. I haven’t gotten an autograph from Brad in 2 years, since the first time I met him. Now, I see him, we do a little catching up, I leave. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with a person who is always getting autographs and pictures, just that I don’t understand! So no defensive emails to me! I’m not calling you crazy!

2) Which is more important to you in community - the fanship or the friendship? At the present time how much of your interaction in communities is to talk about the show, and how much is to chat with those who have become friends?

I pretty much lurk in the communities to get info and keep up on what’s going on as far as the show and any live performances. My Co-Webmistress and I met through the Whose Line community and I made some other friends through it as well so at one time the friendship was most important. Now, it’s the fanship that keeps me informed so that’s become most important.

3) What do you think is the best thing you'll take away from the whose line community when all is said and done?

Laughter. :) The Whose Line community is filled with so many different, sick, twisted, hilarious, creative, interesting people and that’s something I’ll never forget.

4) What do you think of when you hear the term 'whoser'. Who do you think it encompasses? Do you consider yourself to be one?

I think of a fan of Whose Line! And since I am a fan of Whose Line, then, yes, I suppose that makes me a Whoser!

Impact (getting personal)

1) If you could sum up your reason for doing this fansite in one or two words, what would they be?

Brad Sherwood

2) Given the amount of disruptions the brad community has had (i.e. the disappearance of the chat/messageboard areas from his site with the revamp), do you find it hard to get it reestablished somewhere else? Is there anything you'd like to say to those who might remember the old community & maybe have not heard about your messageboard?

It’s been a bit difficult getting a new community reestablished. We have a few regulars to the message board now, a couple of which I recognize from the old USDOM but it’s been slow going. As I stated earlier, I think old habits are hard to break and it’ll take people a while to warm up to a new community. This new message board is certainly nothing like the old USDOM with it’s different rooms and all that but anyone and everyone is welcome there. Talk about Brad, talk about Whose Line, improv, comedy, yourselves, whatever! The only thing we don’t want to see is spam and anyone who is just downright mean but I’m pretty sure that goes for any message board. Oh, and Brad *does* stop by from time to time! He has yet to post but I know he’s been there!.

3) In your situation, you're starting up a new fansite & community within a larger group of communities which have been around a bit longer. What do you find the hardest problem with getting yourself set up & recognized? What do you think are the greatest advantages of starting in this situation?

Well, there’s already a fan base out there somewhere for Brad, which makes this easier. The hard part is letting them know about it. Actually, maybe that’s not it. I know there has been some word of mouth and we’re starting to show up on the search engines so I’m pretty sure it’s known that we’re out there. I guess the hard part is, again, getting that fan base warmed up to the idea of a whole new home. It’ll take time but I’m hopeful that it’ll happen.

4) Do you foresee yourself ever getting tired of doing this? What would be the thing most likely to cause you to stop?

Tired of promoting Brad and his latest antics? Never! :) Seriously, this site is a lot of fun to do and a lot of work. I’m actually pretty proud of it! The only thing that would stop me from doing it is Brad himself but I don’t anticipate that. Hell, we’re promoting him, right?

Beyond Whose Line

1) Do you participate in or go watch live improv at all? What do you think of it compared to whose line? Do you think it ought to be compared to whose line really (or are they totally different things)?

I have been to live improv. If it’s short form improv, such as Whose Line is, then the only real difference is that the live performers aren’t nationally recognized. Of course, if they do a game involving some sort of quirk, the quirk generally isn’t 2 pages long like the show now-a-days, which, in my opinion, let’s the improvisor do his/her job and improvise! How creative can a person be when every little detail of a quirk is spelled out for them already? The show is just a bit too controlled. Ok, well I guess that’s another real difference. LOL Long form improv can’t even really be compared to Whose Line. It’s too different. But regardless of the type of live improv, I’ve laughed just as hard and had just as much fun watching.

2) Have you found that interest in an improvisor has led you to a new area of interest (new show, new type of comedy, etc) via something else they have been involved in outside of whose line?

Oh, yeah, I’ve pretty much watched every show that has come out that a Whose Line improvisor was or is involved in. The most obvious was that I started watching The Drew Carey Show regularly. I’ve also watched Wayne’s shows, the projects Jeff Davis was involved is as well as Chip. I watched To Tell the Truth constantly when Brad was on as a regular. I also became interested in live comedy rather than watching it on TV. There’s nothing more contagious than the laughter of a live audience.

3) Do you find that whose line has similarities to other non-television things you have an interest in? If so, what connections do you see? If not, why not?

Unless it’s just life in general then, no. Life is unpredictable, strange, twisted, and can’t be taken too seriously, much like Whose Line. I suppose that’s a pretty big similarity!

4) What other shows that the performers are in (other than whose line episodes or tapings) have you seen? What other ones would you want to see?

Wayne’s variety show, his current talk show, The Downer Channel with Jeff, On the Spot with Jeff and Chip, The Drew Carey Show, LA Law (the Brad episodes), To Tell the Truth, Hollywood Squares, Outer Limits, uh…I think that may be it. I’m not sure what shows I haven’t seen but I’m sure they exist and I’d love to see them all!

Esoterica

1) Name the strangest (i.e. due to it being something you normally wouldn't listen to, or due to the content) song you've had stuck in your head recently.

The Trading Spaces theme. No lyrics, just “da, da-da, da, da…”

2) Recommend one other tv show that is not at all related to whose line, and tell us why you'd recommend it to whosers.

Wow, I’m trying to think of something that’s actually still on the air. Ok, since I just mentioned it, Trading Spaces on TLC! It’s fun, it’s creative and there’s nothing like the expression on a person’s face when Hildie massacres their room. Also, although it’s now only in reruns, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s a little weird, lots of ass kicking and classic lines such as, “I’m tired of being the guy who eats bugs and gets the funny syphilis! No more! I’m tired of being everyone’s butt-monkey!” And then, currently only to be found on DVD or VHS, The Family Guy. A very sick, twisted cartoon. I keep hoping they’ll bring it back and make more episodes. I guess that was 3 shows. Sorry, I just couldn’t narrow it down!

3) Tell us about either the city or region or country (your choice) you live in and why you would recommend people consider that as a place to visit someday.

Ah, the US Midwest! It’s green, it’s flat and, uh…we have corn! Yeah! So there you have it. Hmm. Did I mention we have corn? Seriously though, it’s not all bad. There are The Great Lakes. Any one of them is beautiful. There’s the MGM Grand in Detroit if you like gambling. More importantly, from Detroit you’re just a bridge or tunnel ride away from Windsor, Ontario! The drinking age is 19, the strippers take off *all* of their clothes no matter how much alcohol you’ve consumed and Detroit actually looks pretty there across the river. Cleveland has the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Chicago, well, is Chicago. Rock Island, IL is home to one of the Comedy Sportz troupes and it’s right across the Mississippi from Davenport, Iowa! Although I’m not really sure what makes Davenport exciting. I’ve never been able to explore it much. So it’s not all bad here. It has it’s beauty in different ways.

4) What were you doing just before you answered these questions? What are you going to do now that you've finally finished them?

I was doing laundry and reading the latest Harry Potter novel! Now that I’m done I think I’ll do some more laundry and read some more of the latest Harry Potter novel! I love lazy Sundays…

Posted 17/07/2003

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And thank you TTQ! Have an opinion on the Brad community, her messageboard, her website? How about a response to something she's said? Write a letter to the editor & respond to this interview!

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