I think the reason why it can seem to Americans like British comedy is great is due to the fact that, for the most part, the British shows that are real dogs just never get shown in America. I spent some time looking for obscure British shows that are not commonly available here, and I can tell you definitively, that most of what I found that way was obscure for very good reason.
I will grant you, though, that most British shows have actors and actresses who look like normal people, instead of models. But there is a common setup in some American comedies in which a fat, ugly guy (who looks real enough) is married to a woman who looks like a model. Typically, he is stupid and obnoxious as well, so that there is no possible reason why such a woman would be married to him, which makes that setup pretty unreal.
I don't want to mention any names of shows, because almost no matter how bad some specific show is, there is always someone who is going to like it. And my comments are about a generality, not a specific show.
That said, I think Life of Brian is a great movie, and very funny. It captures the thinking of many religious followers perfectly, and also it shows a keen understanding of working with some small social justice groups. Most of the best humor in the film is derived from the truth. Like, "what have the Romans ever done for us?", in which the entire list is historically true.
This makes me think of another great comedy that derives its great humor from the truth, and that is Dr. Strangelove. It, too, uses the truth to be laugh out loud funny. And also rather depressing, when one thinks about it.
I will grant you, though, that most British shows have actors and actresses who look like normal people, instead of models. But there is a common setup in some American comedies in which a fat, ugly guy (who looks real enough) is married to a woman who looks like a model. Typically, he is stupid and obnoxious as well, so that there is no possible reason why such a woman would be married to him, which makes that setup pretty unreal.
I don't want to mention any names of shows, because almost no matter how bad some specific show is, there is always someone who is going to like it. And my comments are about a generality, not a specific show.
That said, I think Life of Brian is a great movie, and very funny. It captures the thinking of many religious followers perfectly, and also it shows a keen understanding of working with some small social justice groups. Most of the best humor in the film is derived from the truth. Like, "what have the Romans ever done for us?", in which the entire list is historically true.
This makes me think of another great comedy that derives its great humor from the truth, and that is Dr. Strangelove. It, too, uses the truth to be laugh out loud funny. And also rather depressing, when one thinks about it.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
