Mark2102 From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 350 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 683 times:
Tbar220 From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7011 posts, RR: 28 Reply 4, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 674 times:
AWspicious From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 670 times:
Cx; You're right. Pretty funny show.
My votes are Benny Hill, Ab-Fab, and another that ran long ago, around the same time with Benny - DAVE Allen At Large. He loved to poke fun at the church (dunno if it was catholic or protestant, tho.)
I'll always remember a skit where he played an escaped convict who jumped on the back of some dude who was trying to fly wearing wings on his arms. He jumps on the dude's back, puts a gun to his head and orders "Take me to Cuba". It was hilarious seeing Dave Allen trying to hijack this bird-brained dude
Aerorobnz From Rwanda, joined Feb 2001, 6328 posts, RR: 14 Reply 6, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 4 days ago) and read 662 times:
I think that Monty Python takes it for being original, however I love Blackadder almost as much...both because they share my sadistic sense of humour...lol
NJTurnpike From United States of America, joined May 2000, 580 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 644 times:
Absolutely. NOT AbFab...just Absolutely. Ran on Channel 4 in the early 90s, and I'm one of about two people who probably remember it.
Cfalk From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 17, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 623 times:
Anyone notice that British TV comedy tends to be a bit more intelligent than the average American TV comedy? I've seen mature grown up people (including myself, and I'd like to think of myself as being mature and grown up - except for this silly hobby of aviation photography) laughing their ass off at Fawlty Towers, Black Adder, etc. while younger kids (say, below 16-18) just don't get it at all, while I see my 15-year old daughter and her friends watching a lot of American "comedies" which I find to be pretty much on a 12-year old mentality level.
Banco From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 14752 posts, RR: 55 Reply 18, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 620 times:
Cfalk,
Don't forget that overseas you only get to see the cream of the stuff that gets made. There's a fair bit of dross as well, but it's only us that has to put up with it!
Likewise, people in the UK constantly discuss how the Americans can make great comedies like Frasier or Friends (which I hate incidentally but no matter) and we can't. Of course, go to the States and watch a lot of comedies and much of it is truly dire.
She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.
Mcdougald From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 620 times:
Cfalk wrote: "Anyone notice that British TV comedy tends to be a bit more intelligent than the average American TV comedy?"
True. British comedy tends to be strongly satirical in nature. Keeping Up Appearances plays up class differences, Hot Metal makes fun of the tabloid industry, and The New Statesman and Yes, (Prime) Minister both target politics.
U.S. comedies tend to focus on personal relationships between the characters, aren't particularly satirical, and tend to be mass-produced by an entire staff of writers instead of two to four truly gifted ones. They tend to be less funny (if at all) as a result, with this problem being compensated for by strong marketing.
NJTurnpike From United States of America, joined May 2000, 580 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 616 times:
Klmfan > "The Thin Blue Line". Rowan Atkinson played Inspector Fowler.
More recent classics...
Men Behaving Badly
Drop the Dead Donkey
One Foot in the Grave
The League of Gentlemen
People Like Us
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12715 posts, RR: 80 Reply 21, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 613 times:
Faulty Towers
Monty Python
Blackadder
The League Of Gentlemen
One Foot In The Grave
Only Fools And Horses-(The new episode was filmed yesterday onboard Concorde OAC, no I didn't get to see the actors!)
Drop The Dead Donkey
How Do You Want Me?
Men Behaving Badly
Yes Minister/Prime Minister
Spaced
Absolutely Fabulous-Series 1 and 2
The Fast Show
Harry Enfield
Porridge
Rising Damp
Dear John
NJTurnpike, they are showing The League Of Gentlemen in the US? On a cable channel?
Didn't think that would travel, I like sick humour but it took me a few times to get my head around that one!
NJTurnpike From United States of America, joined May 2000, 580 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 607 times:
This is what UK comedy we can catch in the US right now, or have been able to see fairly recently;
Absolutely Fabulous (Comedy Central, inc. 2001 season)
Coupling (BBC America, some PBS ?)
Cold Feet (Bravo)
League of Gentlemen (BBC America, previously on CC)
Yes Minister / Prime Minister (PBS)
Monty Python (BBC America, PBS)
The Fast Show (aka Brilliant on BBC America)
Men Behaving Badly (BBC America)
People Like Us (BBC America)
Fawlty Towers (PBS, BBC America)
As Time Goes By (PBS)
Are You Being Served (PBS, BBC America)
Chef! (PBS)
Whose Line..? (orig. C4 shows - Comedy Central)
Oh, and The Good Life (BA067 + 069 from LHR to PHL)
Other than that, I resort to my usual routine of buying tapes at HMV in LHR T4. Bought the first series of 'Spaced' there last year and it still rates as one of the funniest things I have ever watched (especially the Paintball episode!)
Capt.Picard From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 23, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 603 times:
When booking a visit to the Boeing factory this Summer (whilst also working in Seattle-lovely city), the nice lady attempted to engage me into a converstaion regarding Coronation Street, and could I tell her what happened next?
Needless to say, I'm not a fan of this programme, which also, I beleive, airs on PBS (one of the few decent American channels imo).
Anyway, a great read is 'Private Eye', and I have seen it for sale in Barnes & Noble in Chicago, Boston etc.
You really have to be up to speed with British poitics to enjoy it, but here's a taster;
On the recent rumours of a rift in the relationship between the 'vicar' (as PE refers to Tony), and Gordon Brown, the chancellor:
and
(On a recent advertisement celebrating 75 years of the Saudi monarchy (and King Fahd) in The Economist magazine:
'I am proud to announce that this issue of the Daily Gnome contains a special 24-page supplement “Saudi Arabia Today and Tomorrow”.
Compiled by independent observers (from the PR company Huff, Puff and Bogleby), the supplement shows the enormous strides that the desert kingdom has made towards the fourteenth century. Articles include photographic essays on the new democratic institutions (such as the Monarchy), the modern judicial system (including a state-of-the-art laser hand-chopping machine) and the gradual liberalising of Saudi culture which now allows women the choice of staying at home or going out to be stoned to death.
There is a particularly revealing interview with the King himself in which he speaks of his growing admiration for Mr Bush and Mr Blair whom he singles out for their courage in not mentioning Saudi Arabia’s close links with international islamic terrorism. It is a privilege to be associated with this document and an honour to take the King’s money.'
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12715 posts, RR: 80 Reply 24, posted (11 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 605 times:
Do they sell 'Viz' magazine in the states?
(www.viz.co.uk)
25 NJTurnpike: In Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores, yes. I get odd looks when taking my copy to the cashier
26 AWspicious: No one here remembers Dave Allen At Large??? It ran sometime in the early to mid eighties here in Canada.... about the same time as Benny Hill. I don'
27 AWspicious: .....and yes, I do find British comedy to be on a different plane (see: intellectual wit). However, I thought Frasier and Seinfeld (Third Rock from th
28 Silverfox: Red Dwarf The Goons Lots of Brit Radio progs
32 King penguin: Definitely the Goon Show. But if we're going to get into radio etc., how about ITMA, Hancock's Half Hour... i think i'm dating myself terribly... the
33 AWspicious: Bloody internet on cable crap..... Let's try this again, shall we.... Anyone recall The Vicar of Dibley? It's about a female minister played by Dawn F
34 Gunships: Monty Python's Flying Circus The Benny Hill Show Black Adder The Young Ones
35 Seb146: Has anyone seen the latest season of AbFab? I LOVE that series! I also enjoy Keeping Up Apperances (Bouquet Residence, lady of the house speaking...."
36 AWspicious: Seb146; Turn up the volume. I find that helps
37 RayChuang: In my personal opinion, Monty Python's Flying Circus (the greatest comedy series I've even seen) was heavily influenced by The Goon Show on British ra
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