Finding America

Me and Tarah

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Right now, the world could do with a bit of laughter and there’s nowhere more giving in this department than Britain. Except maybe North Korea, but that’s because communism is - in theory - hilarious. Anyway, there is one country that appreciates British comedy almost as much as Britain does: America. From Monty Python to the British Office to Prime Minister’s Questions, the good old U.S. of A learns 148% of what it knows about Britain from its televisual humo(u)r (needs citation).

To this day, American friends, colleagues, and relatives seem to think that the best way to strike conversation with yours truly is to insist, “oh, man what about Flying Circus?” But for once, I’d just love it if those of the Yank persuasion - who I nonetheless love with all my hearts - would find a different go-to, a more obscure laughter-driven show from the belly of Britannicasaurus Rex. Anyway, Here are 5 comedies that should have made it big in America. Click the play button to begin. 




Sometimes, it's better hearing me in a British accent. Click the red button below.


Laurence Brown is a British man writing his way through the truly bizarre world of America - a place he sometimes accidentally calls home and a place he still hasn't quite figured out after seven years. Thankfully, his journey is made 12% easier by the fact that his accent makes him sound much smarter than he is. For evidence of this, subscribe to his popular Lost in the Pond web series over on YouTube.

4 comments:

  1. One Foot In The Grave was very good, but my guess is that the humor is too dry for mass-appeal in the US. Also, sometimes cultural references and the different use of language might puzzle a mass American audience with many shows from the UK. British humor is very sarcastic and biting, which I happen to like, but it's not to everyone's taste. And also, before BBC America, one of the few venues for British shows in the US was PBS, and let's face it, PBS is/was competing with 4 million other channels for America's attention.

    My favorite British comedy? The Young Ones.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bomygz1Ygkk

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  2. Well, a lot of times, US networks do know of Brit-Coms. But. instead of showing them, they stupidly attempt to remake them.

    Fox tried remaking Spaced, starring Joel McHale (from Community).
    NBC tried remaking The IT Crowd, again starring Joel McHale (he really is the go-to for crappy US remakes of British comedies.)
    And god knows how many times they tried doing a US version of Red Dwarf.

    The US pilot for IT Crowd, and at least two attempts at a Red Dwarf pilot can be found on Youtube. As for the pilot for Spaced. It was on, at one point and Fox had it pulled.

    But, the then again, the US has a long list of remaking UK comedies.
    Hell, NBC are yet again taking another crack at The IT Crowd.

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  3. Ah, The IT Crowd. I have recommended that one to many of my friends and co-workers. I can't tell you how many times I've seen each episode on Netflix. Just wish it wasn't such a short series.

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  4. You have to add Father Ted to the list. Ok, ok - all Irish, but it was made by a British TV channel. And it wasn't full of cultural references that would be lost to a US audience.

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