Satellite TV
Satellite TV is a channel-surfing game in which a host flips between television channels, each featuring a different improvised show, genre, or commercial. Performers must instantly resume their assigned channel wherever it left off. The game rewards strong scene memory, quick genre shifts, and the ability to maintain multiple narrative threads simultaneously.
Worth Reading
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Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Pirate Robot Ninja
An Improv Fable
Billy Merritt; Will Hines
Acting Through Improv
Improv Through Theatresports
Lynda Belt; Rebecca Stockley
Whose Improv Is It Anyway?
Beyond Second City
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Improvisation
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Creating Improvised Theatre
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Related Games
Zapping
Zapping is a channel-surfing game in which a host or audience member clicks through imaginary television channels, and performers must instantly create a new show, commercial, or program with each click. The rapid switching rewards quick initiation and the ability to establish a distinct world in seconds.
Remote Control
Remote Control is a short-form game in which a host or audience member operates an imaginary television remote control, switching between channels that each feature a different improvised scene, genre, or show. Performers snap instantly into their assigned channel's content wherever it left off when the channel was last visited. The game rewards rapid context-switching, scene memory, and the ability to inhabit distinct styles and genres on demand.
Satellite Radio
Satellite Radio is a short-form game in which performers play scenes representing different radio stations, switching between them on command. Each station has a distinct genre, tone, or format that the performers must snap into immediately. The game rewards quick stylistic shifts and the ability to maintain distinct scene threads.
Genre Rollercoaster
Genre Rollercoaster is a scene game in which the performance style shifts rapidly between genres at the host's command. A scene might move from western to soap opera to sci-fi within minutes. The game demands instant genre recognition and the flexibility to transform a scene's entire aesthetic without losing its content.
Triple Play
Triple Play is a short-form game in which three separate scenes run simultaneously on stage, with performers switching between them on command. The challenge of maintaining three distinct narrative threads tests memory, character consistency, and quick context-switching. The game rewards performers who can resume a scene exactly where it left off.
AM/FM Radio
AM/FM Radio is a short-form game in which two or more performers each represent a different radio station or program. A host "changes the dial" and the active performer must immediately continue their broadcast. The game rewards commitment to distinct vocal styles and the ability to maintain a running bit through interruptions.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Satellite TV. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/satellite-tv
The Improv Archive. "Satellite TV." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/satellite-tv.
The Improv Archive. "Satellite TV." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/satellite-tv. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.