Drew Carey takes his green screen to the WB

Drew Carey is going for the green, even appearing before a gathering of television critics with green hair.

The temporary dye job was to draw attention to “Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show,” which premieres at 8:30 p.m. Thursday on the WB.

The series stars Carey and many of his quick-witted chums from his “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” series and his tour group, including Brad Sherwood, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Julie Larson and Sean Masterson.

The cast performs improvisational skits suggested by a live audience, minus all props but in front of a so-called green screen, which is typically used by Hollywood as a canvas for computer-generated imagery that is added later.

On Carey’s new show, the green screen is electronically replaced with background, costumes and assorted props that fit the skit -- all created by a variety of animation techniques, including hand-drawn, stop-motion and computer-generated.

The studio audience sees none of the effects, but the TV audience is treated to the result when the episode airs six to 12 weeks later. In one skit, for instance, the actors’ faces and voices remain intact, but their bodies become G.I. Joe-style dolls moving against a boot camp background.

Why, after a combined 15 seasons on ABC’s “The Drew Carey Show” and “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” is Carey playing with digital tricks on the WB? (The WB is owned by Time Warner Inc. and Tribune Co., which publishes the Los Angeles Times.)

For one, he says ABC treated him like a has-been, moving his shows all over the schedule and allowing them to peter out without any firm goodbyes. But he says he dreamed up the concept because he’s hooked by the talents of the improv players.