I hate British Comedy (1 Viewer)

[Joseph DeMartino]

Some days I just can't win. :b Anyway, it's all Rob's fault for butting in.

Joe

 

[Greg_R]

Having been born after that period I must be missing something... they're just talking about a dead bird, right?

 

[Jan H]

If you don't like Blackadder you must have "a brain the size of a weasel's wedding tackle."

 

[andrew markworthy]

Actually, old boy, I'm not sure about that. The sketch is in part a parody of the incredibly lazy, couldn't care less service you got in far too many British shops (sorry, I mean stores) in the 1960s and 70s. Admittedly, it's not the crux of the joke, but it does add colour to the sketch. As evidence for this, consider the following. John Cleese did a version of the sketch in the 1980s, after a more consumer-orientated ethos had entered into British retailing, in part spurred by changes brought about by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative party government. The sketch started as before, but then the assistant willingly offered a replacement bird or a cash refund. Whereupon John Cleese turns to the audience and says 'well, at least some things have got better under the Conservatives'.

There are also various joking references in the sketch that play on British cultural norms. E.g. the pac-a-mac coat that Cleese is wearing would have been considered irredeemably awful by anyone under about sixty years unless they were really uptight. The accent used by Cleese is someone from London or the home counties of relatively humble origins who thinks they are socially better than there status probably merits. The accent and demeanour of Michael Palin is a stereotype of lazy British worker as seen in movies such as 'I'm alright, Jack', etc.

So although the main thrust of the humour is universal, Pythonesque writing usually draws upon British culture for some of its nuances.

 

[MartinTeller]

But does that really enhance the sketch? I mean, it's obvious that Palin is a lazy couldn't-care-less guy and Cleese is an uptight snob. I don't think anyone needs to be British to figure that out.

 

[Keith Paynter]

Well, speaking as a Conservative I just go on and on and on until I start foaming at the mouth and falling over backwards...whup!

Variations in class and social stature have been staples for comedy for years. American films like The Odd Couple or Trading Places are no different than characatures in the Dead Parrot sketch.

Don't forget, There are many facets to British culture, just as there are in Americans (say Queens vs. the Bronx, as opposed to Yorkshire vs. Wales)

 

[andrew markworthy]

Indeed not. But the precise nuances are missed out on. If they'd just wanted to do a sketch about a slob and a starchy person, they didn't have to include all the extra pointers. And yes, if you're a Brit, those pointers really do enhance the sketch.

Oh dear, I seem to have opened a can of worms with this part of the thread. It wasn't meant to be disparaging. I really don't mean this unkindly or patronisingly, but trust me, unless you are brought up in the UK, the minute nuances of British snobbery really will be lost on you. Personally, I'd jump up and down with glee at this. I know you of course have snobs in the USA and the stereotypes of the WASP preppie, hicks from the sticks et al are familiar to Brits from US movies, but you're a lot better off than the UK in this regard. And not picking up on an added layer of Brit comedies is a *very* small price to pay.

 

[andrew markworthy]

By strange coincidence, there was a lengthy BBC programme last night on the UK's favourite situation comedies. There was a nationwide poll, which produced the following results for numbers 11-100.

The top 10 weren't given in any particular order (over the next ten weeks there's going to be further voting to decide the final winner). However, in alphabetical order, the top ten are:

Blackadder
Dad's Army
Fawlty Towers
The Good Life
One Foot in the Grave
Only Folls and Horses
Open All Hours
Porridge
Vicar of Dibley
Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister

I think it's a good bet that Only Fools and Horses will win (not entirely right IMHO - OFAH had the best individual moments, but Porridge and Yes Prime Minister were arguably consistently better and sharper in their observations).

Incidentally, Monty Python is missing from the list because it's a sketch show.

 

[Jan H]

I have a cunning plan that a certain sitcom will win.

 

[BrianB]

Only Fools & Horses is almost certainly going to win. It's incredibly popular in the UK, and the recent specials were amongst the most watched shows in years (I believe).

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Incredibly popular but then it gets repeated so often it's become a comfort blanket. Same with Dad's Army - brilliant show, but it's never off!

I think the show should have retired when the boys won the lottery. Bringing it back again was unnecessary.

They're all great shows. Especially Felicity Kendall in The Good Life. Blimey. What an arse!

 

[BrianB]

I haven't seen the newest ones, but I kind of agree. I liked the ending to the "finding the watch" story - them walking off into the sunset.

 

[Jack Briggs]

It is refreshing to see the emergence of a new species here: the bad thread-turned-good. What started off strictly as trolling/provocation has turned into an interesting discussion about the two-way influence between television and culture. Keep up the good work!

 

[Lew Crippen]

Dad’s Army is an example of where I know I’m missing many of the references. I’ve watched this many times, and while I find it amusing—I know that I’m missing what my many friends and colleagues find extremely funny.

Thanks for the list. I was going to post Yes Minister as an example of non-broad, British humor. Though I am bound to observe that while (whilst) allowing for the differences that come from a parliamentarian form of government, this is how I have always believe government really works—that is, here is no humor, it is just straight reporting.


That’s a State secret. Can you imagine the reprcussions if it fell into the hand s of the enemy?

I’m sure that the Russians already know all about it.

I’m talking about the French.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Oddly enough, you're proabably not missing all that many of the references (other than some of the language) because it's a fairly broad-brushstrokes treatment of the era. The central points are:

(a) rationing was very severe in the UK compared to the USA. Allowances of meat, eggs, butter, etc, were unbelievably tiny. This is why Jones the butcher survives in the platoon - bribes of meat. Indeed, practically everything was scarce, including proper military equipment. This is why so many episodes revolve around making do with limited resources. This is also why you have the spiv [sorry, Brit slang - the shady character who could get anything provided you could pay and weren't bothered about its provenance] appearing in the first few series (before the actor playing him died).

(b) although Mainwaring's comments about being 'front line' troops seems ridiculous now, at the time, the Home Guard and what was left of the British Army after Dunkirk was just about all there was to defend against a German invasion (which was seriously expected). The precise location of Warmington-on-Sea isn't specified, but it can be assumed to be on the south coast, and thus likely to face the first wave of invaders. It's important to remember that for all that Mainwaring is a pompous ass at times, he is a brave pompous ass, as the script writers at times gently pointed out.

The rest of the background (life in a small town, the social class differences) really doesn't carry any extra background. There's a little bit of extra nuance for Brits in spotting the various accents and stock types (rural idiot, etc) but an American viewer really isn't missing anything all that significant. Oh, and if you haven't picked up on it, Pike is Sgt Wilson's son (this is never explicitly stated, but there are several subtle hints and certainly it's what the scriptwriters intended).

Interestingly, there was an American attempt to do Dad's Army. As far as I'm aware, it didn't get past the pilot episode.

 

[Malcolm R]

Can anyone who's seen it provide any opinions about "Mapp & Lucia"? I've looked at it a few times, and it sounds good, but I balk at spending $50 for a 2-disc set.

 

[Eve T]

I love British comedy. Ab fab is one of my favorite shows. I find it hillarious.

Another British show that I love with a passion is an old show called "Are you being served?"

Mr. Humphreys cracks me up. Everytime I hear him shrilly call out "I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" I crack a smile.

 

[Malcolm R]

Hee hee hee...that reminds me of a dance song that was out a couple years ago called "I'm Free" by FAF. It was lots of snippets and sound bytes from Are You Being Served? set to a hi-nrg dance groove. It included, of course, the obligatory reference to Mrs. Slocombe's "pussy".

Keeping Up Appearances is my personal fave so far, but in the near future I'm going to check out some that I'd never heard of from that British poll.

 

[Lew Crippen]

This is one of my wife’s favorites. I gave her the set for one of her Christmas presents. She has had the books for years, which she bought after the series was shown on PBS.

 

[Kevin Thompson]

Darn. After almost four pages of posts I was beginning to think I would be the one to mention "Yes, Minister" as an excellent example of a British sitcom. I just had the opportunity to borrow the box set, and I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing "Yes, Prime Minister"

I heartily recommend it.