LarryUK Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Do you get our comedies over there? I like some American comedy. But they're over worked. Over here we have one writer and you have loads. Do you get/Understand Blackadder? Monty Python? Mr Bean? Norman Wisdom? The old 'black and white' classics? Terry Thomas? Margaret Rutherford (Agatha Christie films)? What about 'new' Brit comedy? Frankie Boyle? If you don't know these names. Look them up and comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Guess I would have to say some of them Monty Python and Faulty Towers were great, but most of the others I don't see the humor really Like Mr. Bean I don't get at all, I don't know how it's supposed to be funny when he just acts like a idiot. Gotta say though most modern comedy isn't really funny anymore it's like Saturday Night live was originally a great show with the original cast never missed it but over the last ten years or so it's just stupid I'd rather watch commercials than most modern TV and the worst has to be all these reality TV shows they are a total waste of time at least to me and I can almost feel IQ points slipping away when the wife turns the TV on now. I have a 65 inch flat screen in the family room that's probably on less than two hours a week and then it's usually on a cooking show or HGTV that's about all I can stand anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinner 13 Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 you forgot, Are You Being Served, Waiting For God, Keeping Up Appearances...... Thank You PBS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 The British comedies mentioned are all great (I love Black Adder) . Until the recent wave of comedy I had thought British comedy was dead...it isn't!! I love the recent stuff like 'Shameless' and 'The Inbetweeners'?? Jay (Inbetweeners) makes his arm go 'dead', so it feels like another person is... (you know what!!)..this is just before his parents enter his room and he attempts to log off a porn site (with a dead arm) Frank Gallagher - memorable quotes "cheaper drugs now, make poverty history" and "a pint of lager and 'E' please" A British hero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BT Bob Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Friends of mine who live in Florida adore Gavin & Stacey (I think it's on BBC America). I have to say I love Seinfeld & Curb Your Enthusiasm - Larry David is just awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Do you get our comedies over there? I like some American comedy. But they're over worked. Over here we have one writer and you have loads. Do you get/Understand Blackadder? Monty Python? Mr Bean? Norman Wisdom? The old 'black and white' classics? Terry Thomas? Margaret Rutherford (Agatha Christie films)? What about 'new' Brit comedy? Frankie Boyle? If you don't know these names. Look them up and comment. Omg I love the top 4, in fact I love almost everything Rowan Atkinson has done. Thin Blue Line comes to mind. Also loved the Vicar of Dibley. I'm not a huge fan of the new comedies as they just seem like trash to me. I do watch Graham Norton after Doctor Who, so I really can't judge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabba2203 Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Monty Python Benny Hill The Young Ones Absolutely Fabulous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 The British comedies mentioned are all great (I love Black Adder) . Until the recent wave of comedy I had thought British comedy was dead...it isn't!! I love the recent stuff like 'Shameless' and 'The Inbetweeners'?? Jay (Inbetweeners) makes his arm go 'dead', so it feels like another person is... (you know what!!)..this is just before his parents enter his room and he attempts to log off a porn site (with a dead arm) Frank Gallagher - memorable quotes "cheaper drugs now, make poverty history" and "a pint of lager and 'E' please" A British hero We don't seem to get those shows in the states, that or I'm not paying much attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 We don't seem to get those shows in the states, that or I'm not paying much attention. Yeah we do. IFC shows Shameless. It is hilarious. We can't seem to get the DVDs here though. When they do arrive, I'm buying them all. Apparently Showtime is producing their own version of Shameless soon. Hope they don't screw it up. I love all the old ones too. When I was a kid we only got PBS, so I thought all comedies were British! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Yeah we do. IFC shows Shameless. It is hilarious. We can't seem to get the DVDs here though. When they do arrive, I'm buying them all. Apparently Showtime is producing their own version of Shameless soon. Hope they don't screw it up. I love all the old ones too. When I was a kid we only got PBS, so I thought all comedies were British! Lol I spend most of my Tv time on here posting, If i find it on I'll try to watch it. As for Black Adder, I didn't care much at all for their very first season, but after that it was hilarious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 In the early 70s I began watching Monty Python and never really cared for American sitcoms after that. I realize MP wasn't a "sitcom" but it was a 30 minute comedy show and I was 12... In the middle 80s we watched many UK sitcoms on PBS, seemed like they bunched them together on Friday night. There was one comedy about a couple who were trying to be self sufficient in modern times, can't recall the name. The wife was a little bit of a blonde thing. Then there was To the Manor Born and Are you being Served. I liked Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin too. Probably my favorite was Fawlty Towers but I think John Cleese walks on water anyway. He could make a funeral funny. Actually he did! Was it Graham Chapman's funeral he gave the caustic eulogy at? My only gripe about UK shows in general is that sometimes they spoke really fast and the sound quality was bad so I missed a lot of the snappy little comebacks. I had to crank the volume and really pay attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoRedFoot Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 On Adult Swim (I think Friday nights/Saturday morning) there is or was the British run of shows. Starting with the Office (Ricky G.) and a show call "Take a Look Around." I used to watch Mr Bean when it was on. Faulty Towers is only available on DVD to my knowledge. Monty Python is still quite a phenomenom here. I hear a quote from the series at least once a week. Sadly, it looks like we are going to be doing "The X Factor" now too. Geeyahd dammit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Apparently Showtime is producing their own version of Shameless soon. Hope they don't screw it up. I hate it when they do this to shows - remake what is already a great show - for another country! In my opinion it patronises the audience it is trying to please. When I watch an American comedy and it is set in a diner, I don't need it to be translated with London accents and set in a cafe instead I can use my imagination and get into the scene and enjoy it still! As for Black Adder, I didn't care much at all for their very first season, but after that it was hilarious. I agree my friend The First Black Adder he isn't his scathing sarcastic self. In Black Adder two ( and onwards) he becomes the Black Adder we know and love Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryUK Posted December 28, 2010 Author Share Posted December 28, 2010 What's the best American comedy now? Do you get 'Mock the week'? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzV6fpSnkh0 Frankie Boyle. Really funny, but very offensive. Do you know of Paul Merton over there? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuPhTdMn7jY&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I love all the old ones too. When I was a kid we only got PBS, so I thought all comedies were British! Same here. The local PBS station would play Monty Python's Flying Circus late Sunday nights and when I wasn't allowed to stay up to watch it I would tape it. Brilliant. Later I got into the other comedies like Faulty Towers and Ab Fab. The best Ab Fab is the episode where Edina gets a karaoke machine for her birthday and her and Patsy are doing Mick Jagger impersonations. And a roommate in college turned me onto Are You Being Served. Never got into Rowan Atkinson, though. That just didn't translate for me. Same for the newer British comedies although I have yet to check out the Office. Wait, does Eddie Izzard count as British stand up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 What's the best American comedy now? My vote is Bored to Death. Just started watching it. My Greek brother Zach Galifianakis is one of the best comedic actors around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryUK Posted December 28, 2010 Author Share Posted December 28, 2010 Eddie Izzard's very English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tartanbeastie Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 theres also a huge divide within the UK. English humour does actually differ from Scottish humour. However a few of my favorites are Still Game Desperate Fishwives Coupling (they tried to make an american version and it bombed badly) 2 pints of lager Red Dwarf Outnumbered I've tried not to include stand up comedians because theres too many of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golem Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 ` I like some American comedy. But they're over worked. ` Do you "get" Sarah Palin's Alaska ? Or CSPAN ? Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh ? or Fox News ? These are dark farces that might appeal to Brits ... You might even say they're mindlessly apocalyptic. ` Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 ` ` Do you "get" Sarah Palin's Alaska ? Or CSPAN ? Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh ? or Fox News ? These are dark farces that might appeal to Brits ... You might even say they're mindlessly apocalyptic. ` LOL I actually loved watching Dr Phil - bloody hilarious!!. He introduced this one guest with these wonderfully open minded words of ... "sir I am not going to judge you and what you do with dog fighting", then a couple of minutes later the impartiality was blown to smithereens with "but you are a truly despicable human being and what you do disgusts me" My wife and I doubled up over this it was just so, so funny. I can't find Dr Phil here though..pompous *** that he is :) Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevef Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 Spike Milligan? The Weather Report is a little "naughty" so go look for yourselves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7uwM2Ogl9Q&feature=related Peter Sellers? On the US Side,, Marx Brothers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 I'm not much of a comedy fan regardless... Some of the old Brit comedies, Benny Hill, Are You Being Served, etc., were okay. I used to like W.C. Fields in the US. The problem with current U.S. "comedy" is that it is so politically oriented that it isn't fun. It's usually far too far on the fringe of one side of the political spectrum, at least from my perspective. Besides, I work in a heavy "politics" environment and it just ain't fun to hear what only seem sad attempts to be funny at the expense of folks on the other side. I'm not at all a person without humor - I just don't see much humor on the part of people seeking to paint a verbal sardonic caricature of a political figure or perspective they don't like. Yeah, Brit comedy has a different slant to it, but largely I think because of a combination of a different physical environment and set of local conditions. For example right now Londoners and New Yorkers both can seek humor resulting form a closed airport setting, but I think some of the allusions to a more class-conscious culture go over most Americans' heads. In the U.S. at least, we've lost our great tradition of immigrant humor because it's not politically correct. Sad, I think, because when spoken by an immigrant or different "ethnic," I think it helped blend us as a culture. Again, I don't tend to take sardonic political verbal jabs as humor. Fields may have been sardonic, but on a broader sort of subject matter. Of course, suggesting that methods of preparing children should include a bit more garlic as well as salt and pepper might not be considered politically correct, either. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryUK Posted December 28, 2010 Author Share Posted December 28, 2010 A few examples. Since the floods...Don't you think pakistan looks like a bowl of coco pops from space? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 A few examples. Since the floods...Don't you think pakistan looks like a bowl of coco pops from space? LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! My local shop (4 doors away) is run by a guy called Tony, who is a Turkish Muslim... and boy do we have tremendous fun taking the piss out of one another. He slags me off and I wind him up and say how ground breaking it is having a gay Pakastani Muslim shop keeper in the street. Long live multi-cultured areas and humour prevailing in the face of a world that is way too sensitive these days. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted December 29, 2010 Share Posted December 29, 2010 "Only Fools and Horses" was great!...Im hooked on Corrie too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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