Does anybody find Amercian (so called) Comedies funny?

[Van der Gully]

Seinfeld was an absolute classic, but as suggested above you needed to watch a few episodes to figure out how the characters fit in, after that it was excellent. Loved the Fresh Prince, particularly Carlton and the overly camp English butler Jeffery.

Sadly I can't be bothered with any other American comedies, why do people bother watching friends, it is dire beyond belief. I have the misfortune of looking vaguely like one of the male characters, I was getting really peed off with people who kept telling me, my response was always a feigned ignorance of any programme of that name.

When it comes to comedy I don't think you can beat some of the efforts from this country, though I have to say that the subtelty of our humour is beyond most other nationalities.

 

[Grizz]

Never got into Seinfeld, but Married with Children was consistently good. Best ever US comedy was M*A*S*H, which went on for 11 seasons and never a dull moment. I think the final episode still holds the record for audience figures in the US.

Grizz

 

[alan partridge]

i always think i hate american comedies but then there's the simpsons. and frasier is excellent, niles is a hilarious character. i tried to get into seinfeld cos people said you needed to give it a while and frasier was like that but...never did. and friends...argh. f*** off the lot of them. a lot of the jokes are quite good but those 6 twats. does anybody hate as much as me, the way chandler makes a 'funny' comment, and then contorts his face into all kinds of 'hey look i've just made a slightly ironic comment viewers' faces

what about american film comedies? quite like stuff like 'something about mary' 'meet the parents' but its all a bit obvious sometimes and, as said, flogged to death. just watched zoolander though, thats pretty good

anyway, f*** em, stick with me

ALAN PARTRIDGE

 

[dwayne]

Frasier - amazing
Friends - annoying
will and grace - too gay
Ellen - gay.

In fact thinking about it, it seems the only way americans can deal with homosexuality is to laugh at it, the same applies to blacks...how many serious black shows are there in relation to black comedies.

Conclusion - Americans are stupid.

 

[Biscuit]

BRITIAN: ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES
AMERICA: THE SIMPSONS


I love the simpsons, but OFAH wins it every time.

 

[Lord Cornwallis]

Cheers and Taxi were not bad, and I don't mind the odd South Park.
If they would only go out on a high with some of their shows instead of prolonging them long after the story lines have dried up and we are all sick to death of it.
TV in the states is so heavily censored, you are never going to get anything really cutting edge. You won't hear the word shit on tv here, but English shows will contain shag, minge, knobhead and wanker as they don't know what it means, which I find highly funny.

 

[Lord Cornwallis]

Actually, the funniest thing on American tv is every time George W delivers one of his speaches.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Seinfield rules. Serenity Now! Also of course the immortal 'Soup Nazi' and who can forget the bro the bra for men (or possibly the manzier) Absolute classic and if you didn't get it then I'm afraid you're a bit of a thicko.

 

[tinx]

Cheers was classic, Will and Grace makes me laugh and Friends is ok.

Th eonly othe rthing remotely good is Simpsons which is the best of the US comedies by far.

 

[JJ McClure]

Cheers was superb, and some of the "Normisms" are classics. Friends, Frasier, Simpsons, Futurama are also all quality.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Simpson & Frasier are really the only 2 I like of the many. I tried Sienfeld, didn't get into it - sorry.

South Park is good in an anarchic sort of way - and that's about it... I can't stand married with children though - shite.

Papa

 

[Bwian]

I guess M*A*S*H is crap because it's American?

 

[Hilton]

Scrubs, Frasier, Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama and Friends are all shows that I love to watch, with Scrubs and Family Guy well out in front. That isn't to say that I don't love our comedies though.

 

[Bald Gull]

Friends, Simpsons and South Park are all quality but not as good as...... Different Strokes - used to love that show

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

How could I forget South Park. All the others can suck my tiiiiiiiiiny little balls [/QUOTE Mr Hankey]

I used to quite like Sister Sister though years ago. Go home Roger!

 

[Curious Orange]

I won't dismiss American comedies out of hand, although I suspect that the ones we get to see in the UK are hand=picked by the TV buyers to suit our own comedy sensibilities.

The main reason why British and American comedies are different is because of the way they are written. In the States they are written by a room full of people, which inevitably ends up in a one-joke-per-episode format (except in the cartoons, which I'm guessing is because they have more visual freedom). In this country comedies are written by usually no more than two people (unless it is a sketch show like League of Gentlemen or Monty Pythons Flying Circus), which means that the author doesn't subject every line to a committee, and can focus the narrative in the direction he wants to take it.

 

[CHAPPERS]

The only two American 'comedies' i can still laugh at aer Cheers and That 70's Show'

 

[The Large One]

Taxi - excellent (especially Latka).
Cheers - Hardly a bad episode
M*A*S*H - without the canned laughter was superb
Frasier - Cringing but excellent
Soap / Benson - on a good day

The rest is just people pulling faces, trying to be ironic (they still haven't got it - for ironic, read sarcastic), and shouting their 'punchlines', as if that makes them funnier. No sense of subtlety in their writing, maybe with the exception of the above.

For example, I give you - Different Strokes, Friends (someone please bomb those wankers to f***ing oblivion), Married with Children, the list is endless.

In fact, it would be an entirely new thread - What is it about Friends that people find so entertaining? . f***ing bollocks of the highest order. Talk abuot a poverty of humour.

Having said that, The Simpsons of course kicks bottom.

 

[Curious Orange]

Anybody remember the original 'Saved By The Bell'. Cheesy American High School comedy that was only ever on during school holidays. Starred of course the lovely Elizabeth Berkeley and Tiffany-Amber Tiessen (which was your favourite? ). That guy who played Screech gradually turned into a squeakier parody of himself as the series went on, and the last time I saw him was when I was on holiday in the US last year and he was on some celebrity boxing show. I heard somewhere that the guy who played Zack died?

 

[Mr Popkins]

I Hate South Park!

its the biggest load of shit ever!

you see grown men walking around with south park badges on,
GET A LIFE!!!!!!

just remembed "Different Strokes" was quality though!

"what you talking about Willis?!"


Also I hate most American comedy films, used to love them as a kid but the shit they produce now is beyond belief!

what was that really shit film about a race across america with rowan atkinson? i wasted 1 and half hours of my life watching that!