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By *yron69 OP Man
over a year ago
Fareham |
I watch a lot of American comedy films and most of them I enjoy. But I avoid American comedy series like the plague. Droll, dry, I don’t like the pace. Though they are usually massively popular.
What’s your thoughts? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Sometimes the humour is off and different to the British one. Two of my favourite shows are The Office US and King of Queens so it depends on the show really. |
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By *yron69 OP Man
over a year ago
Fareham |
"Frasier and early Cheers are all I'd watch. And Friends. And Seinfeld. And Taxi. And Mad about you. And Curb. Rest are awful. And Mash.  "
I never ever liked Mash and Taxi I managed to totally avoid. |
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We don't watch that much American comedy. We loved Married with children, we can relate to it and have watched some clips recently. We liked the Hangover films, ones with Will Ferrell or Jim Carey in too. |
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By *yron69 OP Man
over a year ago
Fareham |
"We don't watch that much American comedy. We loved Married with children, we can relate to it and have watched some clips recently. We liked the Hangover films, ones with Will Ferrell or Jim Carey in too."
I admit to being a huge Ferrell fan. Eurovision I’ve watched three times. |
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I do think American humour is still stick in stereotypical humour.... Watch the big bang theory and see how much of it is around raj being Indian or Bowie being Jewish etc.
I know british humour is often quite slapstick but for me American humour is a bit juvenile. |
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By *arkus1812Man
over a year ago
Lifes departure lounge NN9 Northamptonshire East not West MidlandsMidlands |
"Frasier and early Cheers are all I'd watch. And Friends. And Seinfeld. And Taxi. And Mad about you. And Curb. Rest are awful. And Mash.
I never ever liked Mash and Taxi I managed to totally avoid. "
Early editions of MASH I really enjoyed, then they introduced canned laughter and that killed it. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Frasier and early Cheers are all I'd watch. And Friends. And Seinfeld. And Taxi. And Mad about you. And Curb. Rest are awful. And Mash.
I never ever liked Mash and Taxi I managed to totally avoid.
Early editions of MASH I really enjoyed, then they introduced canned laughter and that killed it."
Curb your Enthusiasm is the funniest programme of the last 30 years I'd say. |
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By *yron69 OP Man
over a year ago
Fareham |
"I do think American humour is still stick in stereotypical humour.... Watch the big bang theory and see how much of it is around raj being Indian or Bowie being Jewish etc.
I know british humour is often quite slapstick but for me American humour is a bit juvenile."
Indeed in most films there are bits that are very juvenile and gross. |
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Try watching schitt's creek on Netflix, it's a rare example of American comedy having the depth of British Comedy.
American comedy is usually one liners, simple Jokes or short skits with very little set up and shallow characters. British comedy often has the depth of a drama but just happens to be funny.
If you think about programs like Father Ted or Only Fools and Horses they were funny with witty one liners, but they also had plots and character development that would draw you in. In the modern day, look at a Program like Fleabag... Technically it's a comedy but it's written like a drama and takes the viewer on a strong emotional journey.
Like or loathe him Ricky Gervais has tried to bring American comedy forwards with the work he has done on American productions, but they are nothing compared to his UK focused work. I am sure many Americans love a program like After Life but it would be a much more difficult "sell" to the TV networks that decide what Americans should watch. (Yes I know it's Netflix, but they have a very progressive commissioning policy) They would fret over if it's a comedy - because it stars comedians and has dark humour - or a drama - because it deals with difficult issues and often isn't happy - and therefore what channel it should be on. |
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By *aitonelMan
over a year ago
Travelling |
At what era are we comparing?
Because it's not like Only fools and horses and Inbetweeners are in the same comedy style.
Both countries have their highs and lows of comedy. Some American sitcoms heavily rely on laugh tracks and audience laugh prompts, even more so in recent years to hide poor writing. Laugh tracks attempt to work by making you think it was funnier than it actually was.
As a fan or not, go watch Big Bang Theory without the laugh track, it shows how truely weak it is as a comedy show. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I really like a lot of American sitcoms. It's usually the films I find unnecessarily over the top and bit a cringy with the odd exception.
I'm also not a fan of American stand-up. I think stand-up relies a lot on being able to relate to it which I can't do with Americans |
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By *aitonelMan
over a year ago
Travelling |
"Try watching schitt's creek on Netflix, it's a rare example of American comedy having the depth of British Comedy.
American comedy is usually one liners, simple Jokes or short skits with very little set up and shallow characters. British comedy often has the depth of a drama but just happens to be funny.
If you think about programs like Father Ted or Only Fools and Horses they were funny with witty one liners, but they also had plots and character development that would draw you in. In the modern day, look at a Program like Fleabag... Technically it's a comedy but it's written like a drama and takes the viewer on a strong emotional journey."
Cheers, Fraiser, Friends, How I met your mother, original Rosanne and despite what I said above even Big Bang Theory (just to name a few) do exactly what you are praising British comedy for. They are more than just their comedy.
British comedy has its own pure comedy slapstick too, Mr bean being the biggest example. |
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By *aitonelMan
over a year ago
Travelling |
"I really like a lot of American sitcoms. It's usually the films I find unnecessarily over the top and bit a cringy with the odd exception.
I'm also not a fan of American stand-up. I think stand-up relies a lot on being able to relate to it which I can't do with Americans"
Indeed, for the most part stand up is about being able to relate to the jokes. It's why the majority of men tend to not gravitate to female stand up, I'm not saying women are not funny, we just don't relate in the same way yet female comics tend to be filled with mostly female audiences. That goes even more so if it's an American female stand up.
Being able to relate is a huge part of what makes comedy work. |
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By *yron69 OP Man
over a year ago
Fareham |
"At what era are we comparing?
Because it's not like Only fools and horses and Inbetweeners are in the same comedy style.
Both countries have their highs and lows of comedy. Some American sitcoms heavily rely on laugh tracks and audience laugh prompts, even more so in recent years to hide poor writing. Laugh tracks attempt to work by making you think it was funnier than it actually was.
As a fan or not, go watch Big Bang Theory without the laugh track, it shows how truely weak it is as a comedy show."
Just a general comparison. |
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".
Cheers, Fraiser, Friends, How I met your mother, original Rosanne and despite what I said above even Big Bang Theory (just to name a few) do exactly what you are praising British comedy for. They are more than just their comedy.
British comedy has its own pure comedy slapstick too, Mr bean being the biggest example. "
That's why I mentioned Shitts creek, because it has strong character development whilst not being in your face about it.
Much good comedy of all styles exists, I just picked a few examples to illustrate my point, wasn't intending to provide a laundry list of every good TV program. |
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