I have to say I'm one of those people who doesn't "get" The Office.

Well, I didn't HAVE to say it, but I went and did, anyway.

Black Books and Coupling are more my speed. If that makes me a stoopid American because I like a show where the joke is actually right there in the show instead of being built up carefully over a period of weeks with a putty of pathos to hold it all together, I can only say keep your snobbery, it's the fish slapping dance for me.

And, really, complaining of American reality shows while fawning over the products of the country that gave their people reality shows about airports and those people who "clamp" cars seems a little absurd.

Oh, and not one mention of Chef! or People Like Us anywhere in this whole thread so far. Shame on you.

Red Dwarf, Monty Python and Fawlty Towers own their selections.

Does M*A*S*H count as a sitcom? Or more of a "dramady" or some other bunch of words mashed together. Hey, I just realized I sorta made a pun there. MASHED together. Yeah, anyways.

I think Seinfeld doesn't work as well in Britain, and the Office doesn't work as well in the US. There's no question that they're each #1 in their respective homelands, but some things just don't translate well.

The Simpsons, though, is something that can be appreciated worldwide.

As for Canada, if anyone cares: Corner Gas and Trailer Park Boys. That is all.

Oh, and why can't the US have more comedy like Scrubs?
And why does Fox have to dump Andy Richter Controls the Universe to waste him on Quintuplets and have more room for Life on a Stick or whatever? I don't tend to be too elitist (well, that's not true. My motto is "I'm not arrogant, I'm just better than you are."), but I am finding that whatever I like tends to go away. Poor Firefly. Poor Andy Richter. Poor Futurama and Farscape and Invisible Man.

The weird part is it seems to work with foods, too. I haven't been able to find yakisoba noodles at the local grocery stores for weeks. Or red curry paste. Or grape leaves. It's crazy.

"Are You Being Served?" should definitely be higher up on the list. And I realize this isn't a sitcom, but Prime Minister's Questions is some of the best damn TV there is. Tony Blair in the hotseat having to answer questions from the House. It's the best. Can you imagine an American president doing that? Forget it...

Debate all you want about the positioning in the top 10, but for god's sake, why is Friends even ON the list? And a British list at that?!? So much for the 'subtle' or 'high-brow' argument.

I hate to be a dick about this, but MONTY PYTHON IS NOT A SITCOM.

My no-particular-order list

The Simpsons
Father Ted
The Office
Seinfeld
Urusei Yatsura
Arrested Development
Corner Gas (this entry brought to you by the CRTC)
The Young Ones
Futurama
Red Dwarf

1curb your enthusiasm
2the office
3chapelle show
4all in the family
5the best of carson
6the young ones
7sanford and son
8sienfeld
9da ali g show (us, hbo)
10father ted

nother thing about the the office uk that the office us had is it was actually set in an office and had the full documentary effect that the us version wont, i mean WONT capture. the studio audience will suck the johnson off this series majorly. the only thing it might have going for it is the guy who plays the brent part. he used to be one of the funniest things ever to the daily show. so im gonna give it a chance.

I will give the American Office a chance, remember Sanford and son was an americanized version of an English comedy

HOLY HELL! That's DROP DEAD FRED!!!

I could watch the office a hundred times and not get sick of it. I think I am on ninety-five right now.

Ultimate fantasy? two lesbians, sisters, I'm just watching.

Ok, my personal top 10 list of great British comedy in no particular order. The Office fans, don't be disappointed - I didn't give it a chance when it was first broadcast in New Zealand, but it is something I shall have to track down.

Blackadder
The Young Ones
Spaced
Black Books
Mony Python's Flying Circus
Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister(Best political satire ever)
Open All Hours
Father Ted
Red Dwarf
Men Behaving Badly(The American version of this - which featured Rob Schneider - was so very, very bad. The one time I watched it, I wanted to bleach my eyes.)

Oh, here's an A-Z guide of British sitcoms from the BBC - not limited to BBC shows.

Oh can we please drop that nonsense that "British Humour is more complex and subtile than American Humor?" forever!!
The Young Ones, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and so forth are about as subtile as a fifth grade boy's fart joke.

They are funny, but they are not subtile.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd like to hear more from The Pete Stanis"

thisispete:

Men Behaving Badly(The American version of this - which featured Rob Schneider - was so very, very bad. The one time I watched it, I wanted to bleach my eyes.)

Agreed - the English version had me dying, the American version made me want to die

I saw my father laugh once in his entire f'ing lifetime and it was during a Monty Python skit. Python rules for this and many more reasons...

looks like komplex doesnt get it, but lets just keep that between us.

so... how's oggie doing?

The office friggin ROCKS!

"Women are DIRTY."

1) Seinfeld
2) Simpsons
3) The Office

Oh ya, Friends sucks.

I found a really good version of Ricky Gervais and Noel Gallagher singing "Free Love Freeway." It is hard to choose a favorite Office episode, but the employee training meeting is great. And the one where 'he's jizzin on 'im.'

Monty Python
Red Dwarf
Mr Bean

And people wonder why I never understand what they're talking about when they start discussing what was on last night. I, at least, watch superior quality television, and not that American rubbish that they show around here.

And, for reference on WHY Monty Python is still so damn funny, John Cleese on America after the latest presidential election:

To the citizens of the United States of America, In the light of your
failure to elect a competent President of the USA and thus to govern
yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your
independence, effective today. Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other
territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy.

Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the
97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world
outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the
need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be
circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in
the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are
introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Then look up "aluminium". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be
amazed ! at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter
'U'
will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping
the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you

will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You
will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not
'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise". You
will learn that the suffix 'burgh is pronounced 'burra' e.g. Edinburgh.
You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope
with correct pronunciation. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary
to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary". Using the same twenty seven
words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is
an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up
"interspersed". There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer
show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you
shouldn't have chat shows. Wh en you learn to develop your vocabulary
then you won't have to use bad language as often.

2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on

your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take
account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize".

3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents.
It really isn't that hard. English accents are not limited to cockney,
upper-class twit or Mancunian (Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to

learn how to understand regional accents - Scottish dramas such as
"Taggart" will no longer be broadcast with subtitles. While we're
talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as
Devonshire in England. The name of the county is "Devon". If you persist

in calling it Devonshire, all American States will become "shires" e.g.
Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the

good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play
English characters. British sit-corns such as "Men Behaving Badly" or
"Red Dwarf' will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy
American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political

incorrectness.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The
Queen", but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you
to get confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American "football". There is only one kind
of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good

game.

The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your
borders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football. You

will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper
football. Initially, it wo! uld be best if you played with the girls. It

is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed

to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not
involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar
body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US
Rugby sevens side by 2005. You should stop playing baseball. It is not
reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which
is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that

there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable.
Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called
"rounders" which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves,

collector cards or hotdogs.

7. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no
longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous in public than

a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to
handle

potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you
wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new
national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "Indecisive
Day".

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your

own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we
mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will

start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you
will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of
conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand
the British sense of humour.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French
fries are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian
though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in

Europe) are not aware of a country called Belgium. Those things you
insist

on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps". Real chips
are thick cut and fried in animal fat. The traditional accompaniment to
chips is beer which should be served warm and flat. Waitresses will be
trained to be more aggressive with customers.

11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to
all tea made within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, this quantity to
be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.

12. The cold tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually
beer at all, it is lager. From November 1st only proper British Bitter
will be referred to as "beer", and European brews of known and accepted
provenance will be referred to as "Lager". The substances formerly known

as "American Beer" will henceforth be referred to as "Near-Frozen Knat's

Urine", with the exception of the product of the American Budweiser
company whose product will be referred to as "Weak Near-Frozen Knat's
Urine". This will allow true Budweiser (as manufactured for the last
1000 years in Pilsen, Czech Republic) to be sold without risk of
confusion.

13. From November 10th the UK will harmonise petrol (or "Gasoline" as
you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2005) prices
with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the
former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol
prices(roughly $6/US gallon--get used to it).

14. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns,
lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and
therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns
should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort
things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're
not grown up enough to handle a gun.

15. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.

16. Tax collectors from Her Ma jesty's Government will be with you
shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to
1776).

17. Last but not the least, and for heaven's sake... it's Nuclear as in
"clear" NOT Nucular.

Thank you for your co-operation and have a great day.

John Cleese

stonent: I live in the Dallas area. So I'm watching those damned pledge drives now.

Me too and they're making me miss Porridge and Father Ted dammit!

Guess I gotta get the DVD...

Tachikoma:

Durendal

I believe your side of the pond tried that, and the result was a blunt, brash and moronic attempt at a retort, one which could be summarised to something along the lines of "WE ARE TEH BEST WE SAVED YOU IN WWII FAGORTS"

Oh yeah ... The Office sucks. It makes me cringe 95% of the time, not laugh.

Whats funny about that above post is, I'm sorry, but most of the world thinks the same of the US as Cleese does... including me.

Tell Them I Hate Them:

Because most Americans would hate it. Personally I think it's hilarious, but apparently my tastes are not the norm, since I can't stand American Idol, the OC, Desperate Housewives, etc etc.

In other words, you are smart and the rest of America is dumb.

/also hates American Idol, The O.C., Desperate Housewives, etc, etc.

Komplex

Oh can we please drop that nonsense that "British Humour is more complex and subtile than American Humor?" forever!!
The Young Ones, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and so forth are about as subtile as a fifth grade boy's fart joke.

They are funny, but they are not subtile.

But are they subtle?

1. Ab Fab
2. South Park
3. Married With Children

That's it.

COCKSUCKER!!

UCB?
Strangers With Candy?

We are definitely not the world leader of inbred stupidity. Nope, not the USA. Someone else, not us. Nope, no way. We listen to rap. Rap is cool. Go laugh at someone else.

I hope this thread isn't going to change from a discussion about our favourite comedies to an anti-American flamewar.

While British comedy does appeal to me, American comedy - when it excels - is among the best in the world. Scrubs is a perfect example. I think maybe the reason why British comedy is so consistently good is that the writers only have to write for about six shows a season. They bring their A game to every episode and have time to prepare for the next season. Meanwhile American writers are struggling to keep up with the production schedule without resorting to sitcom cliches.

oh i forgot!
1curb your enthusiasm
2the office
3chapelle show
4all in the family
5the best of carson
*6taxi*
7the young ones
8sanford and son
9sienfeld
10da ali g show (us, hbo)

Durendal complained, after reading Tachikoma's post, that John Cleese was bashing America when in actual fact he was being funny.

Durendal's response to this humour? Take Britain over. Militarily, no doubt. After all, there's nothing funnier than global US hegemony, is there?

My last sentence was an example of "British" humour. Do you get it yet? No? How about with a laugh track then?

/cues laughs, and fades to a word from our sponsors

And thisispete's fears are well founded. To help stop the flamewar, I vote for UCB.

It's not Canadian, is it?

John Cleese didn't write the bit that Tachikoma posted.

Debunking goodness. (pops)

Cleese didn't write it? Really? Damn. I read it in a Cleese accent.

gnosis: How about with a laugh track then?

Now that is a good point. Comedy can be made without resorting to laugh tracks - that was a refreshing part of Spaced. Laugh tracks assume you don't have the intelligence to identify the funny bits - or they are there to pretend something is funny when it actually isn't.

Saw a bit of Fawlty Towers a long time ago, laughed my ass off. I need to find some DVDs or something of that. Good stuff.

On the same note, I grew up on Monty Python's Flying Circus. Even if I couldn't understand it, it was so random that I found myself laughing anyway. Recently I sat down and watched an episode of Friends (it may have even been the final), and thought it was lame; if a show needs to give the viewers cues to laugh, it's not funny. It failed entirely to amuse me, and I have no idea how it beat out Monty Python on this list. Have you Brits no national pride?!

Anyone know a reason why British seasons are SO short? 6-8 episodes per season? Seems like they just get rolling at that point. Not much room for filler, but even a half-assed done Coupling or The Office would be more entertaining than most. Is there really that much football and billards to air instead?

tort_feasor

Is there really that much football and billards to air instead?

It's mostly Eastenders, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and the Bill, which are all craptacularly shiate. They've all been running since the beginning of time, and are truly painful to watch.

Now, Father Ted kicks ass and then some.

Dougal: What are you doing Dougal?
Ted: Watching television Ted.
Ted: Chewing gum for the eyes.
Dougal: No thanks Ted.

Ted: What was it he used to say about the needy? He had a term for them...
Dougal: A shower of bastards.

Keeping Up Appearances is one of the best sitcoms from the UK, IMO - that, along with Fawlty, Python, and Coupling are the best stuff to come out of there.

But brewks, come on. There is no way Chapelle is funnier than Seinfeld. Ever.

And who the hell mentioned South Park?

What, no "Kids in the Hall" or "Barney Miller"?

Wesbran

Thanks for making my day even better.