Poll: British Sitcoms vs American Sitcoms

[JWRosser]

Firstly I have only included Britain and America because I haven't really watched any other sitcoms other than English and American ones, but by all mean add them to the list.

So I was talking with my brother today as he was sat there watching an episode of Joey. Which do you find funnier; British sitcoms or American?
Personally, I find British. I'm not saying that because I am British (maybe), but I find the humour more...dry, in a way. Less obvious.
American sitcoms just seem to hand it to you on a plate. Shows like Friends (which, don't get me wrong, I love), and the aforementioned Joey, or Malcolm in the Middle, just seem to spoon feed you the comedy. Where as a lot of British shows like Father Ted, Peep Show, The IT Crowd, Blackbooks etc seem a lot subtler. Sure, there are obvious funny moment (wonderfully aided by the canned laughter in all but Peep Show it seems....) like Moss in IT Crowd or anything Dougle says in Father Ted, but still, a lot of it is less hinted at and, I think, less gimicky.
I many English will say we have better sitcoms and Americans will say they do, but in all seriousness, I am interested.

And, fuck it, I'll add a poll.

 

[Zap Rowsdower]

America gave us Seinfeld and for that, America wins.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

No vs threads chap. But American Sitcoms are always funnier then brit ones. Like the Office for say...the british one was ok in laughs but the American Office...thats comedy gold.

 

[manaman]

Personally, I find British. I'm not saying that because I am British (maybe),

You are saying that because you are British. Sure you will find people in the US that love British shows, and people in the UK that love shows from the US, but those shows are made for their individual markets.

Its the same reason you don't really expect to get Japanese shows even when dubbed in English, without many things explained to you.

 

[JWRosser]

Soz

I agree the American Office is very funny, but I've got to say I find Ricky Gervais' a tiny bit funnier.

On a side note, did you know that many, many countries now have their own versions of the Office?

 

[Simple Bluff]

American sitcoms are really cheesey, but at least I GET them at all.
I watched this one British sitcom about these two singer/comedians and... fuck. 4Chan was more sensible.

 

[Rylot]

I kinda like watching old British sitcoms that come on public access (Are You Being Served etc...) but I also like Big Bang Theory, Community, How I Met Your Mother, kinda just depends on what mood I'm in.

 

[UBERfionn]

Black book's, Red dwarf, blackadder and Monty Python(kinda).
'nuff said

 

[Jace1709]

In the past it was British Sitcoms, Fawlty Towers, Open All Hours, Porridge, Men Behaving Badly, Red Dwarf, The Brittas Empire, Allo Allo, Only Fools And Horses, but in the past 10 years or so, 99% of it has been complete garbage IMO, i hate things like Green Wing, Little Britain, The Office, Extras, etc, so America has held the title for a little while now.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

I would generally expect British people to prefer British sitcoms/comedies and Americans to prefer American ones due to cultural differences. I can't say I've found anything particularly funny come out of either country recently.

 

[strum4h]

Everyone on this website needs to go watch the british sitcom called "The IT crew." It is the most hilarious show I have ever seen.

 

[Buizel91]

I like both

This is funny


But so is this


I like both, But American has the most popular comedy's now (Two and a half men), and Britain has many Comedy's that are old (Only fools and Horses)

 

[Daveman]

OK. Let's take some random British ones:
- Only Fools and Horses
- The IT Crowd
- Fawlty Towers

All very different types of humour. All classic, timeless comedy.

And now from across the pond:
- 2 and a half men
- Police Squad
- My name is Earl

All... not as good as any of the British ones I mentioned. I honestly tried to be fair with that by picking as randomly as I could. It's just British ones leap to mind much more easily. Although Police Squad was also fucking hilarious. I also love Malcolm in the Middle and loads of other american sitcoms. I just can't think of any because they are overwhelmed by the British ones.

Extras, The office, The Young Ones, Blackadder, Father Ted, Some Mothers do 'ave 'em, I'm Alan Partridge, Spaced, Peep Show, Red Dwarf (yes I do keep editing in classics I forget but it's not like american comedies where I have to struggle to remember ones I like; there's so many I like I keep forgetting them). Not to mention we are UNDOUBTEDLY the kings of Sketch comedy. The Two Ronnies, Monty Pythons Flying Circus, A bit of Fry and Laurie, the list goes on.

 

[Quaxar]

British, because BBC gave us Blackadder, the IT Crowd and Red Dwarf.
EDIT: Fawlty Towers, oh god yes. Thanks, poster above me.

And I'm un-biased by being neither from the US nor the UK!

 

[Outright Villainy]

British, by far.
Anything by Graham linehan is great, and there's peep show, Red dwarf, and loads of others.

America has friends, 2 and a half men and the big bang theory, which are terrible.
2 and half men is the most consistently awful show I've ever seen.
Like I find that show insultingly bad.

 

[Jonesy911]

OK. Let's take some random British ones:
- Only Fools and Horses
- The IT Crowd
- Fawlty Towers

All very different types of humour. All classic, timeless comedy.

And now from across the pond:
- 2 and a half men
- Police Squad
- My name is Earl

All... not as good as any of the British ones I mentioned. I honestly tried to be fair with that by picking as randomly as I could. It's just British ones leap to mind much more easily. Although Police Squad was also fucking hilarious.

The IT Crowd is a classic and timeless comedy?

EDIT: the office (uk) is the single greatest piece of comedy written and is the only argument you need to prove the UK is better than the US at comedy

 

[Mariakitten]

Well if it counts:
M*A*S*H > All British Sitcoms

Its like a war...sitcom.

 

[DaJoW]

Nearly all comedy shows here are American, but I've preferred the British ones since I "discovered" them for real far too lately. The Big Bang Theory is really the only American one I like, and that's mostly because of the nerdiness. The British ones usually feel like they have more of an overall plan or they're actually telling a story and the funny stuff is just a consequence of what's happening, while the American ones feel like they start out with a joke and then try to string them together.

Britain also has the finest comedians for their sketch- and panelshows, though that's a bit unrelated.