Slow-a-ganza

As anybody who reads this blog (and there must be at least two of you) knows by now, I'm not happy that GSN is doing talk and comedy and anything except real games. The most obvious example is Drew Carey's Improv-a-Ganza, and I finally watched it tonight. I tried to be as impartial as I could, but I honestly was not that impressed.

Most reviews I've seen have dumped on the show's slowness, and I can't disagree. The set-ups and personnel are pure Whose Line, but the pacing is not. The skits ramble on for too long, deadening the humor even for the well-lubricated Vegas audience.

That said, Improv-a-Ganza offers occasional touches of genuine funny. With all the improv talent assembled onstage, the show couldn't be entirely humorless. But the segments do tend to run on and on and eventually into the ground. I don't know if GSN simply didn't have enough footage for forty episodes, but Improv-a-Ganza sure thins the laughs out.

At least the show will always have nostalgia value for Whose Line fans. Hey, there's Chip! And Ryan! And Colin! Improv-a-Ganza is not an embarrassment or a disaster. It's just kind of slow and meandering and often not all that funny.