British Comedy vs American Comedy

spongyblue · Post by **spongyblue** » 2002-09-26 05:21pm

don't undereastimate the funny factor of Mystery Science Theater 3000. MUCHO MUCHO FUNNY-O(sorry i dont know spanish word for funny), Space Ghost Coast to Coast, HarveyBirdman, Sealab 2021. Funny stuff. Then again they have Black Adder. I guess both sides of the pond offeres it's good and bad.

greenmm · Post by **greenmm** » 2002-09-26 05:34pm

Kelly Antilles wrote:
greenmm wrote: ER -- she can't stand it
Dawson's Creek -- she can't stand it
7th Heaven -- she loves it (but then, so do I). After all, who says TV has to be all about single people having sex and getting into trouble?
Oooh, I really missed that one.

I don't mind 7th Heaven, but I really like Yes, Dear. That is my husband and me.

Which one's Yes, Dear?

And don't feel too bad. She loved watching Seinfeld (her and her family actually said I looked like Jason Alexander in the episode where he had the toupee when we were dating), and she still loves Friends and Will and Grace.

I have to say, though, our favorite shows are Simpsons, CSI, Smallville, Enterprise, Twilight Zone, and 7th Heaven overall, with 70's Show, Friends, Will and Grace, and Futurama close.

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2002-09-26 05:54pm

And since I've never seen Platoon or the JFK movie, I wouldn't get a damn thing on the entire show.

Didn't I just say that? Because you are oblivious to the things they are making fun out of, you won't get Seinfeld, and therefore you call it simplistic. Maybe if you actually got the jokes you wouldn't see it as simplistic.

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2002-09-26 07:03pm

With Monty Python, Red Dwarf, Blackadder, The Fast Show and the origional Whose Line Is It Anyway it really is no contest.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-09-26 07:16pm

British comedy relies heavily on understatement. American comedy prefers overstatement. Neither is significantly funnier on a consistent basis. There are obviously some excellent American and British comedians, and some excellent American and British comedy shows, but I can't say that one is better than the other.

Damaramu · Post by **Damaramu** » 2002-09-26 07:30pm

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2002-09-26 07:39pm

Which whould you rather have:

A red Dwarf Garbage Cannon
or

A Trek phaser bank?

THEHOOLIGANJEDI · Post by **THEHOOLIGANJEDI** » 2002-09-26 08:28pm

I love South Park, It's one of the most clever low brow, politically incorrect show I've ever seen. It's funny as hell too.

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2002-09-26 09:06pm

We forgot about Saturday Night Live. The older ones were the best.

Rathark · Post by **Rathark** » 2002-09-27 12:56am

Mr Bean wrote:Four Words
Who's line is it anyway

That's five words.

Or six if you count "who's" twice.

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2002-09-27 08:45am

Ted wrote:
Lagmonster wrote:Americans can rarely pull off a good joke without cracking up or messing it in some way. Watch Python, and imagine a yank trying to do it. Impossible.

Semi-point. There are a decent number of comedic actors in the States who have an incredible sense of comedic timing and delivery and who could probably fill the shoes of a Python role. Steve Martin, for example. Mike MacDonald for another (okay, he's Canadian).

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2002-09-27 08:49am

greenmm wrote:That being said, my wife has yet to really like any British comedies, even after watching Monty Python (heaven help me if she ever saw Benny Hill). About the only one she'll even watch (and then only because nothing else good is on at 7:30 PM EST) is Are You Being Served?...

Interestingly enough, I dislike when the British try slapstick, whereas my wife prefers the physical comedy they do (except Bean, which she doesn't get. I call it the 'Three Stooges Syndrome', and a lot of women have it). Anyway, the British don't seem to have the same sense of pratfall genius as the Americans/Canadians. They excel with very little physical comedy (which is often based on gross stuff when they do it). Take Blackadder. Some of the wittiest comedy the Brits ever did with very little actual acting needed, just great line delivery and writing.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2002-09-27 09:00am

Does she at least get Blackadder?

greenmm · Post by **greenmm** » 2002-09-27 09:44am

Mr Bean wrote:Does she at least get Blackadder?

Don't know, never had the chance to see it myself...

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2002-09-27 10:02am

Mr Bean wrote:Does she at least get Blackadder?

My wife loves Blackadder.

I think it's because she finds evil and wit in a combination package to be sexy.

victorhadin · Post by **victorhadin** » 2002-09-27 11:04am

I would prefer British comedy, but then again the vast majority of US comedy we see exported here are sit-coms, the majority of which I despise and a minority (like Frasier) which are fairly enjoyable.

In all fairness though, the yanks did do The Simpsons and Futurama, which beats the hardly-ever-shown-and-British Stressed Eric three ways from Sunday.

But Britain did give us Blackadder, Monty Python, Spaced, Red Dwarf (which I don't actually like that much normally, but it has its moments), The League of Gentlemen and so much more....

Rathark · Post by **Rathark** » 2002-09-28 06:50am

Lagmonster wrote:Interestingly enough, I dislike when the British try slapstick, whereas my wife prefers the physical comedy they do (except Bean, which she doesn't get. I call it the 'Three Stooges Syndrome', and a lot of women have it).

I had one female co-worker who went slack-jawed over the trailer for Deep Impact - for negative reasons ("My God! Who would want to watch all that death and destruction?") - yet raved on and on about Jungle 2 Jungle. Furthermore, she threatened to ban her husband from selecting a video because she didn't like Fortress (not a brilliant movie either, I know, but it makes you wonder what her standards are).

I hope she never, ever tells her husband to "grow up". Especially when she's giggling over some guy pulling a funny face and losing his underdaks.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2002-09-28 07:07am

Doubled standerds with everything...

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2002-09-28 05:53pm

To come to think of it, I can't remember ever seeing any foreign action movies....only American ones.

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British Comedy vs American Comedy

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