I hope it's clear enough that I'm not disparaging US comedy. There's plenty of it I enjoy.
I think a key point I started making but didn't really conclude is that British comedies stay with me; I can quote them, accidentally fall into their characters like an eccentric myself, enjoy them without re-watching them. Monty Python; Fawlty Towers; Reggie Perrin; The Office; Green Wing; Dad's Army; et alia.
I think the closest I can come to that sort of absent enjoyment with US TV comedy is to imagine April Ludgate's (Parks & Recreation) face in reaction to something.
Maybe it's partly that US comedy veers more visual & slapstick? Certainly not all of it, there's very little in general, I commented on that in a recent thread on Airplane!, but that too is American of course. Though I'm not sure how well Fawlty Towers would work audio-only.
Comments
I hope it's clear enough that I'm not disparaging US comedy. There's plenty of it I enjoy.
I think a key point I started making but didn't really conclude is that British comedies stay with me; I can quote them, accidentally fall into their characters like an eccentric myself, enjoy them without re-watching them. Monty Python; Fawlty Towers; Reggie Perrin; The Office; Green Wing; Dad's Army; et alia.
I think the closest I can come to that sort of absent enjoyment with US TV comedy is to imagine April Ludgate's (Parks & Recreation) face in reaction to something.
Maybe it's partly that US comedy veers more visual & slapstick? Certainly not all of it, there's very little in general, I commented on that in a recent thread on Airplane!, but that too is American of course. Though I'm not sure how well Fawlty Towers would work audio-only.