I came across a video on Instagram the other month if Richard Hammond talking to DriveTribe. The clip was of a longer YouTube video and it was answering the question whether Top Gear was scripted on their adventures. In the answer he states that the show had a frame that would loosely structure the show and then everything would go from there and play out.

Here is the clip:

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When I saw this clip, it instantly made me think of improv.

There are so many times where I have had discussions with people and they have asked if improv shows are scripted. Whether it may be my own shows, someone else’s or even when I am running this site – it is a constant discussion that happens especially around long form shows. So let’s talk about it today.

I used to run and direct a show called Improv Towers – it was meant to be a game show format where all the short for games were placed in a hat and the audience would pick out the order the show would run and it would be different every time.

We tried to make the show look like it was made up as possible which in all honesty, it was. However, there was a very loose framing of the structure of the show. This meant we had a frame to make sure that we hit certain parts of the show to make it entertaining.

I was part of a long form improv show that toured the festivals called Laugh Island that sold out at Brighton Fringe, Guildford Fringe and Camden Fringe. It was a show that was focussed on parodying Love Island. The basis of the show was that the audience chose who coupled up together, and they could eventually vote for who would win the show.

Whilst everything by the contestants was made up on stage, the words the presenter said were scripted and there was a frame in place so that the show ran to time and also kept the format of the show in place. It was to make sure that certain dynamics happened at the correct time in the hour.

So in relation to whether improv is scripted, no it is not however a lot of long form shows will have a very loose structure in place so that the show flows and feels rounded for the audience.

I think in some ways in my own opinion, this is sort of what Richard Hammond is saying in the video above. There is no way they could of scripted everything that they said of did. Since the fact there is a natural friendship there as well it means that a lot of it would of been natural. However, I do believe that certain things were planned to make sure that the show was entertaining.

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