the US v UK...it's no laughing matter!
By ajk111
@ajk111 (2495)
January 27, 2012 8:04pm CST
in the 70's and 80's the UK led the way in comedy with monty pythons and benny hill (sic) as 2 examples and the US struggled. (please feel free to prove me wrong)
in the late 80's the US upped their game with cheers followed by friends and now 2 and a half men. now the UK struggles! apart from the inbetweeners i cannot think of one decent uk comedy show.
Over the last 30 years which shows have really made you laugh? Do you think british or american humour transcends across the atlantic?
3 responses
@TheIrishClog (985)
• Ireland
19 Feb 12
There can be a lot of 'in-jokes' lost in translation between US & UK comedy, but I find that with the US on top at the moment (in my opinion), they work well with the differences in culture. With all of the US television available here, the current generation is almost as educated as such about US matters as they are UK matters which works in US comedy's favour.
Two and a Half Men (Charlie Sheen era), How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory would be my favourite of the US Shows and although it might not be considered a comedy as such, aside from The Inbetweeners, in the UK it's got to be Misfits.
@TheIrishClog (985)
• Ireland
19 Feb 12
Very true ajk111, I'm getting too old for all this staying up late craic, it's not good for me. I've gotten to an age where beauty sleep is absolutely essential and my love of comedy does not bode well for my looks! It's only just reaching 10:30pm here on a Sunday night, nothing decent on telly and starting to find it hard to focus on MyLot now as well.
@deodavid (4147)
• Philippines
29 Jan 12
Hi there Ajk111,
Hope your doin excellent today, In my personal belief because i am an avid fan of western shows back in the days that i still watch the telly, i loved 2 & a half men it's freakin hilarious and also 30 rock and family guy, this comedies do get to reach beyond atlantic borders i don't know about UK comedy I have watched mr bean (tv series) though probably but aside from that i havent watch anything else from UK.
@SpikeTheLobster (6399)
•
28 Jan 12
I don't watch TV at all but there are definitely British comedies that get remade by the Americans because they're so successful - The Office, for one.
Little Britain and several others have also been very successful, so I'm told. Apart from Friends, I haven't seen any good US comedies in years though, as I say, I don't watch TV so that's quite normal - I suppose I should say I haven't HEARD OF any that are unmissable.
As for UK/US humour, it doesn't travel. The same thing can be said for almost any pair of countries, really. UK audiences almost inevitably find US versions of UK series lacking, and vice versa.
