Comedy Shows - British or American?

[AzureNightmareX]

It's Pikmin with a dakr fantasy setting and distinctly british humor. It's quite good.

British humor is dry, and paradoxically humorless

[Monkeylord]

British humor is dry, and paradoxically humorless

... says the American.

[Tanooki]

Says someone who knows better. Outside of Monty and Benny Hill...zzzzzzzz.

[Monkeylord]

Says someone who knows better. Outside of Monty and Benny Hill...zzzzzzzz.

Then you clearly haven't been watching British Comedies.


Also, I'm moving these posts to a thread in the war room - the derailing here has gone on long enough.

(Original thread (http://forums.kombo.com/showthread.php?t=25707))

[Monkeylord]

The above posts have been moved to the War Room.

So... which are funnier?


GO!

[ReaganYouth]

American comedy sucks. It's all about materialism and fart jokes. I don't know much about British humor, but I love Mr. Bean.

[Tanooki]

Modern American comedy fairly sucks. If we slip back into the days of Fletch, Caddyshack, Airplane, Stripes, among others that was top notch stuff. :D

[ReaganYouth]

The only modern American comedy I like is cartoons like Spongebob. But if Steve Urkel counts than I'll add him too. How could you not love that dude? :D

[Z.E.I.D.A.N]

American Comedy.

[Monkeylord]

Talking comedy shows here, not comedy movies.

I submit for your amusment:

Black Books
The IT Crowd
Father Ted
Bottom
The Young Ones
The League of Gentlemen
Gimme Gimme Gimme
Red Dwarf
The Fast Show
The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer
Vic Reeves Big Night Out
Shooting Stars
QI
Monty Pythons Flying Circus
Filthy, Rich and Catflap
Brass Eye
Spaced
Time Gentlemen Please
The Day Today
A Bit of Fry and Laurie
The Comic Strip Presents...


There's more, but that's enough for ya. Now then - show me some American comedies half as good as the ones listed and I may consider conceding.


G'luck lol

[ReaganYouth]

I haven't seen any of those. I don't live in the UK and I never have. All I'm ever exposed to is American comedy and most of the time it sucks.

[Monkeylord]

I haven't seen any of those. I don't live in the UK and I never have. All I'm ever exposed to is American comedy and most of the time it sucks.

Youtube is your friend. I guarantee a search for any of them will result in hilarity.

[Z.E.I.D.A.N]

I don't know if you're talking about shows that are on at the moment or not, but off the top of my head...

Arrested Development
Seinfeld
30 Rock
Scrubs
The Daily Show
The Colbert Report
Friends
Everybody Loves Raymond
The Office (I'm sorry, but I like the American version more)
Family Guy
The Simpsons
South Park
Who's Line is it anyway (again, American version is better IMO)
Chuck
My Name is Earl
Late Night w/Conan O'Brien
Will and Grace
Reno 911
Blue Collar TV
Samantha Who
Saturday Night Live
The Soup
Back to You

[Monkeylord]

^ Ok, I'll admit that a couple are as good and a few are at least half as good -but there's too much suck or unknown left over.

[Z.E.I.D.A.N]

lawl. British comedy is nice and snappy, but I think American comedy offers way more variety of humor. Plus, I fail to recognize any British comedy that claims to be better than Arrested Development. That show was brilliant. Rest in Peace =(

[ReaganYouth]

Did you really just list FRIENDS?! Most of the stuff you have on there is pure bile. It makes my eyes puke.

[Z.E.I.D.A.N]

You're in the minority, buddy.

[Monkeylord]

A British dude on a primarily American website... it's not surprising I'm in the minority, lol.

[ReaganYouth]

He's talking about me. If I'm the minority, I guess the majority have no brains or taste. :P

[Z.E.I.D.A.N]

Ooooor you just don't like funny shows :)

[ReaganYouth]

Or I like comedy shows that are genuinely FUNNY, and not stupid for the sake of stupidity (recent Family Guy episodes). :D

[Z.E.I.D.A.N]

Or you're just a doodoo head!

[ReaganYouth]

Best comeback I've ever heard.

[HGW XX/7]

Or you're just a doodoo head!

I believe this is too lame and innocent to be considered a personal insult.

Though do try to stick to the comedy rather than the intelligence of the people who enjoy the comedy.

That said: When you consider that most great "American" comedy is the brainchild of Canadians (the funniest country on the face of the Earth), then I don't think you can really claim American Comedy to be all that great.

Canadian > British > American

That's how the comedy world works.

[Kaizoku_Kouji]

I tend to like British humor. Original Whose Line and The Office, Extras, Flying Circus, Little Britain, Red Dwarf: all amazing. I'll take dry wit and sarcasm over toilet humor and endless pop-culture jabs any day.

That being said... I love 30 Rock and The Daily Show. And I sometimes watch My Hero. It's a UK sitcom, but its humor is less witty and more just character-driven than other British comedies I've seen.

That said: When you consider that most great "American" comedy is the brainchild of Canadians (the funniest country on the face of the Earth), then I don't think you can really claim American Comedy to be all that great.

Canadian > British > American

That's how the comedy world works.

I used to watch Kids in the Hall all the time. Hilarious. Well, at least from what I remember. I was like 6.

[Rensa]

I love both, but British humour edges out ahead slightly by way of pandering to my tastes slightly more.

Black Books
The IT Crowd
[...]
Red Dwarf
[...]
Monty Pythons Flying Circus
[...]
Spaced
[...]
A Bit of Fry and Laurie
All very, very funny shows that I've seen. A lot of the ones Jason listed are also quite funny - I just like the British ones more.

Also, Aussie humour trumps both British and American humours, thanks to its deadpan Irish influence and laconic spin :P

[Z.E.I.D.A.N]

We should just agree that Aussie comedy is the best and end this thing.

[Monkeylord]

We should just agree that Aussie comedy is the best and end this thing.

Nevaaaaar, by virtue of the fact that we gave the world... BLACKADDER!!!!

Blackadder > everyone in existence who ever told a joke

[Rensa]

Blackadder's definitely on my to-watch list.

[HGW XX/7]

I dare say I prefer German Schadenfreude over just about any kind of humor.


Is it bad that I like laughing AT people?

[DEATHSTAR]

Modern American comedy fairly sucks. If we slip back into the days of Fletch, Caddyshack, Airplane, Stripes, among others that was top notch stuff. :D

While some of your choices are amongst my favorites, I find it odd that many folks I run into can appreciate the slapstickish antics of Chevy Chase, Leslie Nielsen, John Candy and Bill Murray at the same time they dispise Jim Carey. That's not to say that he's great, but I think the statement speaks to the incompetence with which comedies are written these days. Jim probably would have been equally funny in an earlier era.

In either even I think it's actually a tie at this point. I find both styles about equally entertaining in this day and age.

[Rensa]

Bill Murray's a genius.

[Z.E.I.D.A.N]

Nobody compares to Leslie Nielsen though; that guy makes me laugh like no other.

[HGW XX/7]

Nobody compares to Leslie Nielsen though; that guy makes me laugh like no other.

QFT. Thread over.

[MAX]

British humor is more intelligent, imo. Americans that don't find British humor funny generally have to have a joke given to them step by step...

[ReaganYouth]

I was under the impression that American humor consisted mainly of fart and sex jokes.

I think humor, in all countries, needs more balls. Stop being so damn PC. As I always say, it ain't funny unless someone gets pissed off.

[Smokey]

Is it bad that I like laughing AT people?

If it is, I'll be in the seat next to yours on the highway to hell.

Being an American, I've had a lot more exposure to American comedy than to British (when I say a lot, I mean A LOT). That said, I prefer the British style of humor. Dry and sarcastic humor appeals to me a lot more than innuendo, though I do appreciate that as well. I think my preference is a testament to just how awesome Monty Python's Flying Circus really was (really, given that that's the only British comedy I've seen besides Teller Towers), and given what ravings I've heard from Blokey about Father Ted, I'll be checking that out fairly soon.

Just out of curiosity, who likes Jim Belushi? I love According to Jim.

[Monkeylord]

I think humor, in all countries, needs more balls. Stop being so damn PC. As I always say, it ain't funny unless someone gets pissed off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7E7BlAVML4



And, just for Max, I humbly submit the first appearance of Lord Flashheart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx3eH-E6v5E

Imagine all the women are men and that's what Max is like IRL. Tufax.

[Rensa]

I'm trying to find some good clips of Black Books, but all I can find on youtube is entire episodes and Bernard/Manny slash clips o_O

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[Monkeylord]

I'm trying to find some good clips of Black Books, but all I can find on youtube is entire episodes and Bernard/Manny slash clips o_O

I want to clean your dusty cups from the inside out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o17-saipAxY

[Rensa]

Ahahaha, I love that episode. Haven't seen the third series though... not sure about the second either - can't remember.

[Monkeylord]

Third series has Simon Pegg in it - instant win!

Also, Big Train FTW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcMuTsBFQTE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PDdXJoBwBo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAe17PeVewM