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Favorite British humor tv shows

I suppose Coupling has similar traits like a Ford fiesta has four wheels and a Lotus Elise has 4 wheels. Both freinds and Coupling have 6 main charachters 3 pretty girls 3 blokes and its about relationships.
An intro to coupling
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mJkvd_g5tu0&feature=related

It also shows the big difference between US and UK shows. The US will flog their series to the death until all humour and surprise vanished four seasons ago but still they soldier on as its not about the show anymore, its not even funny its all about he highly paid cast who have become their own soap opera. UK shows are fleeting shooting stars their stay is brief but very memorable and they know when the time to go is when the audience are craving more and more. Look at Coupling, The Office, Extras, Fawlty Towers, Game On. You remember them for their brilliance. Friends WAS Good for the first few seasons but sadly its remembered for going on too long and not for its humour

I couldn't see this on Friends

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=rxi5Ly0wpCw
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl1IplJkUGk&feature=related
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=vb9KK92XnlM&feature=related
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=kkiBNal5qHQ&feature=related
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=m8SctyF_XdE
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=8O8rFULbkhI&feature=related
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ePDXIi3t700&feature=related
 
LiveForever said:
I suppose Coupling has similar traits like a Ford fiesta has four wheels and a Lotus Elise has 4 wheels. Both freinds and Coupling have 6 main charachters 3 pretty girls 3 blokes and its about relationships....
Click to expand...
LOL, ok <backs away sloooooowly> :p it was a very basic comparison of the show formats. We agree on the details, especially about how overdone US shows can be. Still, I loved Friends but in a different way than I loved Coupling.
Sadly a lot of the great british shows wouldn't go over well on a large portion of the US population. Seems some folks need their humour spoon-fed to them - which is frustrating for the rest.



I still think Green Wing is my fav. :D
 
Steven Moffat is a genius with structure. The best I know.

His Press Gang is really a drama but it's also hilarious. Definitely recommended.
 
I love, truly love some of the shows mentioned here, but how can this list have gone for so many replies without a mention of Teachers? :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I mean, it's the only Channel 4 comedy related show to have had four seasons!
 
I agree my comparison was a bit simplistic. Friends was a quality show, no doubt, I just thought they went on a bit too long and in the end it was more a soap opera than a comedy. Also you can't generalise that a longer a show goes on the worse it gets- I don't think I have seen a bad episode of Seinfeld or Frasier and we have all the DVD's.

But in the end I love shows like Coupling more. I think the humour is particularly British as I honestly think Americans don't get it as they are as a rule more out going and more confident. A lot of British humour deals with our inherent awkwardness and lack of confidence. Look at Geoff and most British blokes can relate to his appaling efforts with the trying to chat up the ladies.I also think other nations take themselves far too seriously which is a British strength ie to take the piss out of yourself.

Take these two examples and I can't see it working if an American guy played the part of Geoff.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=rxi5Ly0wpCw
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl1IplJkUGk&feature=related
 
One final reminder.....and after that the heavies will be brought in:

Fr Ted is Irish, not English/British.

God bless now.
 
AYBS? and Dave Allen

Are You Being Served? (before Young Mr Grace and Mr Granger kicked it) was such a cuttingly accurate satire of the problems that Britain faced in the lead-up to the Winter of Discontent that I forgive Lloyd for writing anti- (Germans, Jews, Arabs, women, gays, managers, unions, et cetera) scripts. The small budget does get shown up in the script padding that was employed, but try writing better! This sitcom was, in the words of (from memory) Mollie Sugden ".. out of date even when it was made." In other words, the issues addressed are timeless. I was dreadfully sad when John Inman died, but I understand that Frank Thornton and Molly Sugden are still around (I know Trevor Bannister and Joanna Lumley are).

On another note, I am very surprised that there has been no mention of the late, great Dave Allen (can't remember whether he was from the Republic or the North, but he lived and performed in Britain). A lapsed Roman Catholic taking on the Vatican via comedy is what I remember him most for. His own unique mode of delivery (the never-ending glass of J&B, the black leather stool and the live tours around the world) will always be legendary. In a way I am sorry that I'm too young to have seen him live (much raunchier than the sanitized TV programs I've heard).

In short I salute both Inman and Allen - may they never be forgotten,

J. from .au
 
There was one (I think it's back in the 90's) I dunno what it's called - it aired on BBC Prime a year or two ago.

Its got this old woman and man, and they're always paranoid about something. The woman has guests coming to her house every episode and when they were about to sit down on the couch, this happens:

- Where can I sit down?
- Anywhere, dear.
- Here?
- It's up to you.
- (sits down)
- Except there dear!
- (gets up and moves else where)

and at the end where the credits are running it's a dinner table being set up. anyone know what it's called?


P.S. this thread is such a paradox. "Favorite British humor tv shows" should be called "Favourite British humour tv shows" lol... I can't resist mentioning it.
 
iSamurai said:
There was one (I think it's back in the 90's) I dunno what it's called - it aired on BBC Prime a year or two ago.

Its got this old woman and man, and they're always paranoid about something. The woman has guests coming to her house every episode and when they were about to sit down on the couch, this happens:

- Where can I sit down?
- Anywhere, dear.
- Here?
- It's up to you.
- (sits down)
- Except there dear!
- (gets up and moves else where)

and at the end where the credits are running it's a dinner table being set up. anyone know what it's called?
Click to expand...

It was called
Keeping Up Appearances…
Hyacinth Bucket (Booquet) ;)
 

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arkitect said:
It was called
Keeping Up Appearances…
Hyacinth Bucket (Booquet) ;)
Click to expand...

Amazing show! love it. I just LoveFilm'd Fawlty Towers, got series 1 & 2, Best lines of any comedy... for example: Clease - "What did you expect to see from a Torquay hotel window? Herds of wildebeests making their way across the serengeti?"
 
Ahh, I was brought up on a line of good comedy shows.

-Fawlty Towers
-Keeping Up Appearances
-M*A*S*H
-Only Fools and Horses
-Drop The Dead Donkey
-The Young Ones
-Never Mind the Buzzcocks! (Not *technically* a comedy show, but it was hilarious.)

I'll post more when I root through my VHS cabinet.
 
dogtanian said:
Amazing show! love it. I just LoveFilm'd Fawlty Towers, got series 1 & 2, Best lines of any comedy... for example: Clease - "What did you expect to see from a Torquay hotel window? Herds of wildebeests making their way across the serengeti?"
Click to expand...
I think they should make something similar again... The best Brit comedies came from the 90's... with Mr Bean as well. He shouldn't stop that series!

yeroen said:
It's spelled 'Humour' with a 'u'.
Click to expand...
This is what I've been trying to say at post #137 - It's 'favourite' and 'humour'... I found it ironical that this post is about British comedy. Also, MacRumours... this American 'o' and British 'ou' thing... oh well, just another spelling variation like centre/center, litre/liter.
 
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