'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' debuts strong for CW

The cast of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" from left, Wayne Brady, Ryan Stiles, Aisha Tyler and Colin Mochrie. (JSquare / The CW)

Welcome to the new, hot, sexy stars of the CW: Ryan Stiles and Wayne Brady? 

Improvisational comedy show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" returned to TV in a big way Tuesday night on the network. 

The show, hosted by Aisha Tyler of "The Talk," premiered with a strong average of 2.9 million viewers in its 8-9 p.m. time slot and a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen.

It was the network's most-watched unscripted series premiere in more than six years, the CW said in a statement.

"Whose Line" is an unusual show for the CW, which is best known for teen dramas such as "Gossip Girl" and "Vampire Diaries."

It's a reboot of a decade-old ABC show of the same name that was itself based on a British series.

The original U.S. show was hosted by Drew Carey and helped launch the career of Brady, who also stars in the new version. "Whose Line" veterans Stiles and Colin Mochrie have also returned. 

While CW has introduced some major youth-oriented hits, its cutting-edge programming isn't always a sure thing. Monday night's three-hour “iHeartRadio Pool Party,” featuring performances by Ke$ha and Pitbull, attracted an average of just 732,000 viewers.