English Humor??

[tunsty]

"And I just bought Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This movie has a couple of funny parts, but overall it is pretty stupid. My friend told me the book was good so I thought Id give the movie a try. Pardon if this isn't considered an "English Humor" movie... Im assuming it is because of the accents and such."

The original series was better...a bit low budget, but better.
The trouble is, British humour has a certain subtlety to it.
I wish no slur on an American, but it seems to be the case that if they have to 'think' about the humour, they don't get it.
It has to be joke after joke and quick fire.

Ironically, one of the funniest American comedy series I've seen was 'Police Squad', which was the forerunner to the naked gun films.
Apparently it was cancelled in the USA after just six episodes, because the American audiences didn't 'get it'.

 

[KO_Computer]

At least, coupling UK was funnier than coupling US


KO

 

[LordVader66]

The original series was better...a bit low budget, but better.
The trouble is, British humour has a certain subtlety to it.
I wish no slur on an American, but it seems to be the case that if they have to 'think' about the humour, they don't get it.
It has to be joke after joke and quick fire.

Ironically, one of the funniest American comedy series I've seen was 'Police Squad', which was the forerunner to the naked gun films.
Apparently it was cancelled in the USA after just six episodes, because the American audiences didn't 'get it'.

I Think that in the UK some words are used that we do not use in the states. Some dialects are spoken with a real thick accent and it is hard to follow if one is not used to hearing it. Hell, I have trouble understanding some of the people with a real thick southern accent in the states.

For instance, sometimes when I watch sex inspectors I am like what did he just say. For a real thick British accent it is hard for me to follow. My wife loves that damn show it has it's moments it is kinda funny at times. I don't know if you guys have seen it on HBO. It's not related to UK comedy, but overall I think the reason some things are not recieved well in the states are because of the parts of the english language that we do not use here and kind of have to look at context of which a word or certain words were used to figure something out. I

also believe that British subtlty and American subtlty are two very different things. Tunsty is right, for the majority of Americans they want everything spelled out in films and such. If there is an underlying message or theme they want nothing to do with it. My friend hated the movie Darkness because it did not spell out what happened to the people at the end. IMO that is what made it a cool movies was that it kept you guessing and one could draw their own conclusions. Sorry for the length of this one I tend to ramble sometimes. My thoughts just kinda puke on a page and I have to go back and sort them out. :2 cents:

 

[member2686]

I'm still wondering when tunsty is going to take his show on the road... :nanner:

 

[Fuzion]

I LOVE Monty Python and the Holy Grail and I freely admit it is probably because it is such a popular movie and Im following the crowd, but my interest in English humor ends there...

I tried watching Benny Hill as a kid... For obvious reasons... I just didn't get it.

My sociology professor took me and my wife to see Shaun of the Dead in Cleveland because it wasn't showing in Youngstown. I definitly didn't get the humor in that movie.

And I just bought Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This movie has a couple of funny parts, but overall it is pretty stupid. My friend told me the book was good so I thought Id give the movie a try. Pardon if this isn't considered an "English Humor" movie... Im assuming it is because of the accents and such.

Kids in the Hall was a good time passer show, but it was nothing compared to SNL.

My point is that I just spent $20 on this movie (I like to own and not rent.) and it is kinda stupid... I think Im gonna stay away from English Humor movies from now on. >.<

Try watching something funny then..

And thats just stupid, catagorizing the whole english humour into one entity, its like my friend "I LIKE AMERICAN MUSIC" ... that just explains it all, and thats exactly what your saying, Beck and John bon jovi might look simmiliar, but their music is completly differant, yet there both still american, shouldnt there music be the same then?

 

[iputinwork]

i actually like british humor, when i can understand it, that is. nightcrawler hit upon a very good point in noting that between the slang and heavy accent, it's very easy to miss the joke, subtlety or not.

i've watched most of the shows that you guys have listed above, and when i can understand them, they're pretty funny.

my favorite, however, was "dave allen at large", which got me in plenty of trouble as a kid, staying up past bedtime on sunday nights to catch it on pbs (just after "the two ronnies" and just before "doctor who"). note: i just googled dave allen and discovered he passed away on march 10th of this year

one last point...i don't find british humor to be significantly different from so-called american humor...in fact, i think they aren't really categories of humor unto themselves...mr. bean, for example, is physical humor, almost slapstick, which compares in many ways with jim carrey (who i hate, but bean is cool). richard pryor, arguably the greatest comical genius of all time, was a storyteller. redd foxx was a setup/punchline kind of comedian.

 

[Superfly]

I have Blackadder series 1-3 on DVD, im also a fan of Peter Sellers..i am a fan of Red Dwarf.

Monty Python was great, i also like stuff like the Fast Show, The Young Ones that kinda stuff.

 

[tunsty]

I have Blackadder series 1-3 on DVD, im also a fan of Peter Sellers..i am a fan of Red Dwarf.

Monty Python was great, i also like stuff like the Fast Show, The Young Ones that kinda stuff.

'Ain't comedy BRILLIANT!' - Paul Whitehouse doing the 'excited kid'

i just googled dave allen and discovered he passed away on march 10th of this year

Yes, I loved watching Dave as well..so many of the 'old school' comedians have now gone, such a shame.

 

[Death_blooms08]

Does anyone remember a show on Comedy Central a few years ago, it was a British comedy about a book shop, they ran a few episodes and then shoved it to like Sunday night at 1am until they quit playing it altogether. It wasn't the funniest thing ever but I liked it.

 

[BNF]

I'm still a bit scared to go north of London after watching the League of Gentlemen...

 

[Civickiller80]

Benny Hill was an awesome show...loved that as a kid...

 

[Diamond]

Does anyone remember a show on Comedy Central a few years ago, it was a British comedy about a book shop

Sounds like 'Black Books' starring Bill Bailey.

 

[Death_blooms08]

Sounds like 'Black Books' starring Bill Bailey.

That was the name of it, thanks. Yeah I remember every week I stayed up later and later just for one episode and then Comedy Central just stopped airing it all together.

 

[tunsty]

Does anyone remember a show on Comedy Central a few years ago, it was a British comedy about a book shop, they ran a few episodes and then shoved it to like Sunday night at 1am until they quit playing it altogether. It wasn't the funniest thing ever but I liked it.

'Black Books'

 

[Ric0chet]

That was the name of it, thanks. Yeah I remember every week I stayed up later and later just for one episode and then Comedy Central just stopped airing it all together.

I'm pretty sure they have released both series on DVD so no more late nights!

 

[Death_blooms08]

I'm pretty sure they have released both series on DVD so no more late nights!

An american version hasn't been released yet, not that I can find and I only have a Region 1 DVD player. It wasn't the greatest show ever, just good for some laughs, I'm not going to go out of my way and pay a bundle for it and I'm an isomniac, so staying up late never bothered me.

 

[BNF]

Actually, I did think that the Fast Show was funny, and tunsty's sig a while ago reminded me of it... even if half of it was just too British. The other show that was half funny for me was Allistar McGowan's Big Impression - the half that I knew he was im imitating was spot on.

 

[Diamond]

The other show that was half funny for me was Allistar McGowan's Big Impression - the half that I knew he was im imitating was spot on.

McGowan is very hit and miss with his impressions, more miss IMO. A funnier and clever alternative is the BB2 series 'Dead Ringers', starring the excellent Jon Culshaw and Jan Ravens amongst others. Not only are their impressions spot on, but a lot of the sketchs are extremely topical.

 

[Duke of Venice]

I'm still a bit scared to go north of London after watching the League of Gentlemen...

That is a very strange comedy. Some funny parts in it, like Papa Lazarou, but generally not my type of humour.

 

[om3ga]

McGowan is very hit and miss with his impressions, more miss IMO. A funnier and clever alternative is the BB2 series 'Dead Ringers', starring the excellent Jon Culshaw and Jan Ravens amongst others. Not only are their impressions spot on, but a lot of the sketchs are extremely topical.

:thumbsup:

Loved their piss-take on the Becks-Fergie flying boot incident!!!