Tuesday, July 16 will see the return of Whose Line Is It Anyway? , the show where everything is made up and the points don't matter. And while it's uncertain how Whose Line? will fare ratings-wise in a modern age, I can say with confidence that this new version comes packed with plenty of laughs, nostalgia and even a few surprises.

For the uninitiated, Whose Line Is It Anyway? was an improv comedy show that originally began in the UK. But most US viewers will remember the ABC version, which starred Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Wayne Brady and host Drew Carey. This latest iteration, airing on The CW, features the return of all of them, save Carey, who is currently hosting The Price is Right. Instead, comedienne Aisha Tyler (Archer, The Talk) has stepped in to fill Carey's shoes -- and she really does a good job at it. It takes a couple episodes for her to break out of her hosting shell, but by her third outing, she starts to let loose with a few one-liners and jokes of her own. [Side Note: Next week's premiere will debut the first two episodes, but my screener copy included the first three.]The format here is pretty much identical to the old ABC show and includes all the classic games like "Scenes from a Hat," "Dubbing" and "Helping Hands." Fans will recall the familiar chemistry among Stiles, Mochrie and Brady, who are back in full force without missing a beat. The comedy is just as quick and sharp as ever, and if you didn't know any better, you'd might think you were watching an old re-run on ABC Family. That said, the jokes are hardly dated. In fact, while the old standbys like male-on-male kissing are still at play, the humor also seems to have kicked up a notch on the "risqué" dial, which is definitely a plus in 2013.

The premiere also presents a handful of fun celebrity guests, including Lauren Cohan from The Walking Dead and Kevin McHale from Glee. No appearances from fan-favorites like Greg Proops or Brad Sherwood, but Gary Anthony Williams and Heather Anne Campbell are on hand to round out the guest player spots. But unlike the previous version of the show, the celebrity guests get about as much screen time, if not more, than the guest player. (For example, McHale is by far more prominently featured than Campbell in the second episode.) Moreover, it seems like almost every episode here will include a celebrity guest, as opposed to it being a once-in-awhile thing.Also back are improv musicians Laura Hall and Linda Taylor, who provide tuneful backups for the musical games. However, there was a notable lack of my personal favorites, "Hoedown" and "The Irish Drinking Song," in which the guys share in a musical ditty, line by line. (But I'm sure a reprise isn't too far off.) Likewise, there haven't been any "winners" yet at the end of an episode, which is usually when one of the players sits back and lets the host play along in one final game. Hopefully we'll see Tyler flex her own improv chops in the near future.At the end of the day, if you were a fan of the old ABC Whose Line? -- or even the UK version, for that matter -- you'll almost definitely get a kick out of this latest take, which stays faithful to the classics while also infusing a bit of fresh pop culture. And now, with reality TV dominating the summer lineup, it's comforting to see one show that still knows how to keep you on your toes and make you laugh.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? debuts with a one-hour season premiere on Tuesday, July 16 at 8/7c on The CW.Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.