Top 10 TV Shows That Let Their Actors Improvise

Medical staff need to be quick on their feet. And that just happens to be a quality the “Scrubs” cast shares with their fictional counterparts. Indeed, some of the show’s best running gags started with a little ad-lib, from the idea of calling J.D. girl names to Turk’s “Chocolate Bear” nickname and the first emphatic cry of “EAGLE”. Neil Flynn, who played the janitor, was particularly encouraged to go off-script. According to Zach Braff, the writers would leave gaps in the script for Flynn to improvise to his heart’s content, knowing whatever he’d come up with would be pure hilarity. And they weren’t wrong; there’s never a dull moment when the janitor’s on screen.

This series about an impatient, self-centered therapist with dubious credentials began as a web series before being adapted for television. In it, Fiona Wallice, played by Lisa Kudrow, condenses the usual hour-ish therapy sessions into bite-sized time slots in an attempt to revolutionize the field. Kudrow shared that she and co-creators Don Roos and Dan Bucatinsky would outline the plot and let the actors fill in the rest. The series had a pretty stacked recurring cast, including Victor Garber, Lily Tomlin, Alan Cumming, and Rashida Jones. The list of guest stars is no less impressive and includes several of her former “Friends” co-stars, as well as Jane Lynch, Steve Carell, Billy Crystal, Meryl Streep, and many others.

This sitcom is typically known for its more adult sense of humor. Would you believe that the stuff that makes it on air is generally more subdued than what ends up on the cutting room floor? Reportedly, behind the scenes, the cast is encouraged to keep things fresh and would often come up with even darker and more risqué material that certainly wouldn’t make it to air. Even so, a fair bit of unscripted moments do make the final cut. Charlie Day reportedly said that some of the show’s best moments “come because it was well scripted and then it leads to a better idea or joke.” Still, given the show’s zany humor, we can’t help but wonder what didn’t make it.

Much like a seasoned improviser, spin-doctors need to be sharp-witted. Peter Capaldi’s belligerent, foul-mouthed director of communications, Malcolm Tucker, and his coworkers fit the bill perfectly. According to Capaldi, about 80% of the dialogue we hear is from the original script, while the rest is unscripted to add a layer of authenticity. Apparently, the crew used handheld cameras and radio microphones so that they could catch any usable ad-libs even if the actors were off camera. The cast was given free rein to play with their lines, and the best bits were later pieced together in editing. The result was chaotic, abrasive, and hysterical. It also helped make even the most left-field moments feel somewhat believable.

Murder mysteries typically require a lot of forethought and planning. Who dunnit? How did they do it? And what was their motive? Well, in this murder mystery comedy, Will Arnett plays Terry Seattle, a hapless detective who, in each episode, alongside a celebrity guest star, must get to the bottom of all those questions. The twist? The guest stars aren’t given a script and have little idea what awaits them. Instead, they have to improvise their way to a conclusion – and name the killer. It’s almost like a live-action game of Clue but, you know, with fewer clues and more hilarity.

While answering fan questions for TV Guide, Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly, shared that everything from small pauses to acknowledging the camera was scripted. That isn't to say that the cast never went off-script. She shared that Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson would often play around with their dialogue and come up with new punchlines. In another interview, Oscar Nuñez shared that he and Angela Kinsey would develop 'bits' that would ultimately make their way into the show. But it's not all about getting the laughs. According to Fisher, Carrell didn't know that the cast would sing to him in his final episode as a season regular, so his reaction is genuine.

“Outnumbered” followed the Brockmans, a British family living in a West London neighborhood. The title refers to the parents who are indeed outnumbered by their three outspoken and rather rowdy kids: Jake, Ben, and Karen. Part of the show’s charm was that these kids sounded like, well, kids. And that’s because although there was a fully-formed script, the young actors were encouraged to make up their dialogue. After all, who knows better how to talk and act like a child than a child? The directors would set up the scene and just let their young cast be themselves. They were unfiltered and hysterical. Whoever said you can’t work with children has clearly never seen “Outnumbered.”

Amy Poehler once told Reuters that while “Parks and Rec” is primarily scripted, the creators often leave time for a “fun run,” which is when the cast is allowed to run wild. She added that the punchlines the audience typically hears are scripted, but “There’s a certain amount of spirit of improvisation.” The cast really ran with that, resulting in some of the series’ most memorable moments. Heck, even the occasional guest star brought their ad-lib A-game. During a panel, co-creator Michael Schur revealed that he was “furious” that Andy Dwyer actor Chris Pratt came up with what he considers to be one of the series’ funniest lines on a whim.

This sitcom is about six highly competitive friends in a fantasy football league. It didn't follow a traditional script per se but more of a detailed plot outline. The cast would experiment and play around while the cameras rolled, allowing the creators to mine out the comedy gold later. While this method encouraged everyone to try and be the funniest person in a scene, it was also a collaborative effort. For instance, the actors would share jokes if they thought they were more suited to a different character. A lot of what made it to air was hilariously over-the-top and utterly ridiculous. You don’t need to be a sports fan to enjoy all their shenanigans.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Dog Bites Man” (2006)
This ‘News Crew’ Would Interview Unsuspecting Passers-By

“Bosom Buddies” (1980-82)
Tom Hanks & Peter Scolari Share Witty Improvised Banter as Two Men in Disguise Living in a Female-Only Building

“Reno 911!” (2003-09; 2020-)
A Cop-Show Mockumentary with a Record of Great Improv!

Like “Seinfeld” before it, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” finds humor in life’s more mundane moments. How better to exemplify relatability than freeing actors from the constraints of a script? This is another instance where the writers devised a general direction for the scenes and then let the actors wing it. Of course, this retro-scripted technique keeps everyone on their toes, from those on camera to those behind it, as things can change on a dime, and you just have to go with the flow. Yet this cast and crew work like a well-oiled machine. The gritty realism and phenomenally talented cast have kept audiences coming back for a little over two decades now.