All the shows we know and love have writers who expertly pull the strings behind the scenes, but sometimes the actor gets so in character while reading their written lines that they can’t help but to break into a little improv. When it works, it really works, and the sprinkled in bits of ad-libs can end up being the most hilarious. Here are 13 of the funniest TV show moments that weren’t scripted:
1.
Sabrina Impacciatore improvised this zinger from White Lotus:
2.
Matt Berry, who plays Laszlo Cravensworth in the satirical vampire show, What We Do in the Shadows, improvised this quote that ended up becoming a staple of the show:
4.
In this scene from the finale of New Girl, Schmidt (played by Max Greenfield) describing Nick (played by Jake Johnson) was unscripted. It was genuinely just Max Greenfield describing Jake Johnson in the moment, and somehow, they both managed not to break character by bursting into laughter:
5.
In another scene from New Girl, Nick gives Schmidt a cookie and improvises the quote, “Got me cookie, gave you cookie” which has been cemented in the hall of fame as one of the most popular lines from the entire show:
6.
I had no idea this scene from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia where Dennis is reading a speech that Charlie “wrote” was improvised:
7.
Catherine O’Hara improvised one of the funniest running bits on the show. She wasn’t directed to pronounce the word “baby” like “bebe,” but I am soooo glad she did (for the culture):
9.
This scene from Modern Family where Mitchell and Cam accidentally lock Lily in the car was written to be cut off right after Mitchell says, “Did you lock the baby in the car?” but of course, Cam ad-libbing “I’M BREAKING THE WINDOW!” and sprinting toward the car made the final cut:
Well, there is an episode in the final season where Phil tries to fix it, but only makes it worse, and Claire ends up falling through the step entirely:
11.
There’s an unscripted moment in the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry is dating a woman whose name he can’t recall. He tries to find creative ways for her to tell him, like by making conversation about how kids sometimes make fun of other kids because of their names:
When the girlfriend catches Jerry going through her purse to find her ID with her name on it, she storms out. Only then does Jerry remember her name, and he yells it out the window:
13.
And finally, this list simply wouldn’t be complete without Chris Pratt’s improvised “network connectivity” joke on Parks and Recreation:
What was your favorite or most surprising unscripted moment from this list? Do you know any improvised moments from your favorite TV shows that should be on this list? Let me know in the comments!
