Is British comedy over-rated?

British comedy is mostly crap as anyone who has sat through 'Man About The House', 'On The Buses', 'Father, Dear Father', ''Allo, 'Allo' etc. can tell you. I think it is mostly Americans and obscene nationalists who believe the farcical myth that British comedy is invincible.

There are some great comedies, especially ones that mixed in some drama to make them relateable. 'Dad's Army' comes to mind. The episode centred around Pvt. Godfrey having been a conscientious objector (or ''conchie'') in WWI was a beautifully written episode which was both funny and deadly serious alternately.

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"However, if you press them to name more films other than Monty Python, they struggle to come up with anything. "

the point is that British comedy has a much stronger presence in television than film. you want good comedy series? Peep Show, Brass Eye, I'm Alan Partridge, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Father Ted, The Armando Iannucci Shows, & many others.

"Personally, I think British comedy has a tendency to be very "one hit wonder". Every now and again British comedians hit the jackpot and produce something very funny, but the idea that the UK is producing an endless production line of hilarious movies is nonsense."

But...you're American, & I doubt you're an anglophile like I once was, so you have a very limited knowledge of what Britain has to offer. Americans are VERY ignorant to foreign entertainment (although less so to other English speaking companies obviously), so barely any movies that were actually made in Britain will become popular there, because they weren't back by Hollywood. Why? I don't know, xenophobia probably, Americans having an aversion to their accents...whatever.

personally, it seems as though you're similar to these people who can't name other films, because how many British films have you actually seen yourself?

I think that British & American humour both have much to offer, I couldn't possibly decide which is better, although British humour tends to be a bit more intelligent, risque, absurd & dark on a regular basis. Whilst that sort of humour is relegated to being slightly out of the mainstream in America.

Alec Guinness was in some great comedies in the 1950s - "The Ladykillers", "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (he played 8 parts), and "The Lavender Hill Mob". Peter Sellers was in "The Mouse That Roared" and "The Ladykillers" before becoming really famous for "The Pink Panther" and "Dr. Strangelove".

However, there probably were some British comedies that were pretty much crap - just like American films.

This from the country that gave the world 'American Pie' (all 3 - or is it 4 now? - of them), Porkies (and all those other 'frat' - whatever than means - comedies), Bad Santa, Elf (2 Christmases spoiled), Cats and Dogs, Big Mama's House (and sequel(s))............

British comedy might be hit and miss, but US comedy is, for the most part, moronic drivel for popcorn-munching monkeys with the attention span of a stunned goldfish and an IQ smaller that their boot size,

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Simon pegg! (That should be enough of an answer).
The Guard (movie) I know it is Irish, but you supposedly get the point.
All the humor in Guy Ritchie's movies (not including that Sherlock Holmes crap)
The IT Crowd
Death at a Funeral
Etc......

Great shows like "The Office", "Extra", "Red Dwarf" are all British production, yet they earn minority respect and appreciation in only an minority in America, and why?? Because America entertaining business blocked them, modify them, and launch them as if it's their own creation. The only way they can make it into American market is to strike a deal and sell the rights for a American re-make. How else do they get their films across??

Best example is the Spanish box-office hit "REC", Hollywood bought the right for not only the production, and also the rights to hold any original "REC" movies slip into US theaters or video stores. So all good-old-americans thinks "Quarantine" is another American creation!!

Only recently some naive individual in IMDB even claim "Sherlock" stolen the idea from "Elementary"! It shows just how naive American viewer are! They don't even bother to check before they speak their brains out!!


Classics are names that everyone heard, yet most have never seen!!

What?

First we have Charlie Chaplin and Monty Python, then we have all these...

Borat
Four Lions
The Commitments
Wallace and Grommit
Sean of The Dead
Withnail and I
Dr Strangelove (Debateable)
The Full Monty
Passport to Pimlico
Kind Hearts and Coronets.
Shakespeare in Love
Blythe Spirit
The Ladykillers
Billy Liar
Mamma Mia! (Yes)
Educating Rita
A Fish Called Wanda
Local Hero
Brassed Off
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Four Weddings and A Funeral
Love Actually


Then we have the TV and radio shows:

Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy
Fawlty Towers
Blackadder
Red Dwarf
The Goon Show
Only Fools and Horses
The Office
Spaced
One Foot in the Grave
Yes Minister
Porridge
Dad's Army
Father Ted
Drop The Dead Donkey
The Young Ones
The League of Gentlemen
Bottom
Mr Bean
Edit: Oh Aye I forgot, anything with Peter Cook or Chris Morris in it.

Then we have the 20th century literature:

Anything by PG Wodehouse
Anything by Douglas Adams
Anything by Spike Milligan
Anything by Terry Pratchet
Anything by Tom Sharpe
Anything by George Fraser
Anything by Hillaire Belloc (debateable)

I didn't even have to think too long to remember these. C'mon, we might not have a monopoly on the subject but I'd say we stand up quite well.