British Comedy

[mudwhistle]

 

[HenryBHough]

The TV series are good but the stage plays are bloody fantastic.

Several have been made into movies. One I'm sure you can find is "No Sex Please, We're British".

Another favourite, "Out On A Limb" (Ian Carmichael) but I don't believe that ever was made into a movie.

On PBS, "Doc Martin" tho that may be more of an acquired taste.....

 

[frigidweirdo]

British Comedy and Drama are superb.

Definitely shits on American offers. Even shows like Friday Night Dinner which sound like it would be excruciatingly boring... Someone said they are planning on doing a US version... it will tank because it will suck. Somehow the Brits make it work, the writing is excellent, the ideas are fresh and imaginative. And they aren't afraid to take chances or push the boundaries.

In Britain TV companies don't worry so much about annoying advertisers because advertisers and people in the UK are less likely to get offended by anything and everything.

In the US if you talk about current events you're going to end up offending someone or other and then the program will get pulled. So they reduce the humor down to a basic level that is canned laughter and that's what you end up with.

 

[mudwhistle]

 

[Boss]

You say that as if the UK isn't more liberal than the US.

In fact, many of the complains come from right wing religious people.

They're the ones who are most likely to complain and complain to the advertisers.

Who was that band who said they didn't like Bush and his war, then the whole of the right wing religious groupies decided they hated their music from that moment on?

I have not experienced (in the shows mentioned) any overtly-liberal political statements presented in any way that might piss off an advertiser. Yes, there are jokes made... Fresh Meat had an episode about student protests in London... it was hilarious and (I thought) made fun of mush-brain college kids who didn't have any idea of what they were 'protesting' really... it was just something to do and say you were 'making a difference' somehow.

{SPOILER} In that episode, the main character brings a baggie full of pigs blood to throw... Someone asks her, "Is that supposed to be a statement?" She says.. "Don't know, could be a statement, could be just some blood thrown... anytime you throw blood you're saying something, really...eh?"

From a purely political standpoint, American comedy is much more liberally-vocal and biting. 30 Rock is pretty much a liberal political statement from start to finish. Now, culturally... I see a HUGE difference... The UK is not as reserved. They openly talk about "cocks" and make all kinds of crude sexual references and have a lot of toilet humor. But I have a theory that this is because in Europe people are more confined, they live closer together in tight communities, so they are comfortable being more open, intimately and personally to each other. In America, we're all spread out and more diverse... people tend to keep to themselves and remain private on personal matters. We're more "conservative" in that respect.

You're talking about the Dixie Chicks... They were the most popular country group in the country... had won all kinds of awards... Natalie Maines, their lead singer, made comments about being "ashamed" as a Texan of President Bush. This was at the apex of the liberal crucifixion of Bush over Iraq and emotions were running high... but country music fans in America are generally not liberal. They supported Bush and Iraq and they took her comments offensively. Well, they paid the price with their fans.

I'm a Conservative... anyone here can tell you that. A Ronald Reagan loving, Sarah Palin adoring Conservative who isn't ashamed to admit it. I don't like Libtards and their Libtarded views, and I make that point here every day. THAT SAID-- I can compartmentalize my views and appreciate art, even when it makes a political statement I may disagree with. To me, ART transcends politics. But therein lies a nuance... When is something ART and when is it just raw political activism? It's takes NO artistic creativity to stand up in front of an audience and denounce the president and his policies... Write a song... or screen play... make me FEEL your political point through your ART.

 

[Ringel05]

I'm a big fan of Catherine Tate. She plays so many characters (all of them well) it would be hard to pick one as representative... but here's Nan -- all of the characters in the intro are her:

​

And here she is doing an American accent...

​

Which American Accent......

 

[westwall]

 

[westwall]

 

[westwall]

 

[Boss]

I'm a big fan of Catherine Tate. She plays so many characters (all of them well) it would be hard to pick one as representative... but here's Nan -- all of the characters in the intro are her:

​

And here she is doing an American accent...

​

I always loved Catherine Tate. She was brilliant in The Office (US) it's final season.

 

[Boss]

I'm a big fan of this guy.. Terry-Thomas

 

[Pogo]

I'm a big fan of Catherine Tate. She plays so many characters (all of them well) it would be hard to pick one as representative... but here's Nan -- all of the characters in the intro are her:

​

And here she is doing an American accent...

​

Which American Accent......

Valleygirl -- I love the nuh-uh/yuh-huh line... here's a more standard one (actually was going for the second skit at 2:40)

​

 

[frigidweirdo]

You say that as if the UK isn't more liberal than the US.

In fact, many of the complains come from right wing religious people.

They're the ones who are most likely to complain and complain to the advertisers.

Who was that band who said they didn't like Bush and his war, then the whole of the right wing religious groupies decided they hated their music from that moment on?

I have not experienced (in the shows mentioned) any overtly-liberal political statements presented in any way that might piss off an advertiser. Yes, there are jokes made... Fresh Meat had an episode about student protests in London... it was hilarious and (I thought) made fun of mush-brain college kids who didn't have any idea of what they were 'protesting' really... it was just something to do and say you were 'making a difference' somehow.

{SPOILER} In that episode, the main character brings a baggie full of pigs blood to throw... Someone asks her, "Is that supposed to be a statement?" She says.. "Don't know, could be a statement, could be just some blood thrown... anytime you throw blood you're saying something, really...eh?"

From a purely political standpoint, American comedy is much more liberally-vocal and biting. 30 Rock is pretty much a liberal political statement from start to finish. Now, culturally... I see a HUGE difference... The UK is not as reserved. They openly talk about "cocks" and make all kinds of crude sexual references and have a lot of toilet humor. But I have a theory that this is because in Europe people are more confined, they live closer together in tight communities, so they are comfortable being more open, intimately and personally to each other. In America, we're all spread out and more diverse... people tend to keep to themselves and remain private on personal matters. We're more "conservative" in that respect.

You're talking about the Dixie Chicks... They were the most popular country group in the country... had won all kinds of awards... Natalie Maines, their lead singer, made comments about being "ashamed" as a Texan of President Bush. This was at the apex of the liberal crucifixion of Bush over Iraq and emotions were running high... but country music fans in America are generally not liberal. They supported Bush and Iraq and they took her comments offensively. Well, they paid the price with their fans.

I'm a Conservative... anyone here can tell you that. A Ronald Reagan loving, Sarah Palin adoring Conservative who isn't ashamed to admit it. I don't like Libtards and their Libtarded views, and I make that point here every day. THAT SAID-- I can compartmentalize my views and appreciate art, even when it makes a political statement I may disagree with. To me, ART transcends politics. But therein lies a nuance... When is something ART and when is it just raw political activism? It's takes NO artistic creativity to stand up in front of an audience and denounce the president and his policies... Write a song... or screen play... make me FEEL your political point through your ART.

It's not even overly liberal stuff. It can be anything.

However the point is that in the US comedy is aimed at the mainstream, to bring in the advertising money by having a big hit. Things like friends, the whole show is made and re-written in order to get the most laughs, once you've watched it you feel like your brain has been sucked out.
The reason for this is the desire to make money. You can't make money if you annoy the advertisers.

In the UK it is still about money, of course. However it would seem that stuff that is more risky is less likely to see the ire of the advertisers, mainly because people are less likely to complain about stuff in the way Americans do. This allows writers of comedies to do it their own way without fear of annoying advertisers, so it becomes more about comedy and ideas than just about making money, from the creative point of view.

Shows like the office simply would never have been made in the US (ie, the original British one) because someone like Ricky Gervais would not have been given the time of day to write and then put his program on TV. He got there because of the BBC, which doesn't rely on advertisers in the first place.

As for the part about toilet humor, this is again religious I think. It'll take a little explaining and isn't black and white.

In, say, Germany, people go to saunas, they get naked together. They do it from a young age. FKK is known as a nude beach, they have them everywhere, even in other Germanic or Scandinavian countries this is true. You go down to Croatia and they have FKK beaches, written in the German, (FKK) because they are full of Germans getting nude. It's just acceptable.
In the US nudity is seen as a really bad thing, for religious reasons. The Germans are religious for the most part, but you don't really get religious fanaticism like you do in the US. They believe in God, but they don't let this restrict them.
The UK is different. They have missionaries coming from Africa trying to convert them to Christianity. Religion simply doesn't play much of a part. And as such no one really listens to the religious when they complain, and they don't have much power at all. There were times when Mary Whitehouse was in charge of things that you had programs with covert rudeness. Like "Are you being served" going on about Mrs Slocombe's (Sic??) "pussy" that she needed to go home and look after. The censors simply didn't get it.

So, religious conservatism in the US stops this kind of humor far more than in UK. I don't know how the humor is in Germany, even though I lived there i didn't watch TV, their humor, for me, just isn't funny, same with the Spanish, even though I watched their TV, I didn't like their humor.

You are a conservative and you might be willing to accept other people's messages. But many aren't. Many will try and shout down those with a message they don't like. Happens a lot, and is unfortunate. However many treat the Bill of Rights favorably when it's convenient and unfavorably when it's convenient.

 

[JakeStarkey]

The simple fact remains that British audience handle "Risky" material far more sensibly than Americans.

 

[bodecea]

I'm a big fan of Catherine Tate. She plays so many characters (all of them well) it would be hard to pick one as representative... but here's Nan -- all of the characters in the intro are her:

​

And here she is doing an American accent...

​

Only time I ever saw her is as Dr Who assistant.

Ah -- then you'll dig this:

​

They're both well versed in Shakespeare.

One of the better ones.

 

[Auld Phart]

The simple fact remains that British audience handle "Risky" material far more sensibly than Americans.

Can you imagine the uproar if an American newspaper had page 3 girls?

 

[Boss]

You're talking about the Dixie Chicks... They were the most popular country group in the country... had won all kinds of awards... Natalie Maines, their lead singer, made comments about being "ashamed" as a Texan of President Bush. This was at the apex of the liberal crucifixion of Bush over Iraq and emotions were running high... but country music fans in America are generally not liberal. They supported Bush and Iraq and they took her comments offensively. Well, they paid the price with their fans.

Ummmm.... she said that in England. To a British audience. In other words somebody was reaching over four thousand miles of ocean to find a reason to be "offended" at a comment that wasn't directed to them in the first place.

You remember Britain --- part of the outside world where all-time record protests took place on all seven continents in 800 cities, one of which was London, less than a month prior? Damn right she addressed the elephant in the room, no pun intended.

Again... She made a political statement. Where and when is not important. The overwhelming base of her fan support came from mostly-conservative country music fans. She paid the price for what she did... that's called the free market.

Now, I understand that you totally agree with her! That doesn't matter either... most conservatives DON'T agree with you or her. If you were selling something to conservatives and popped off some of your stupid liberal nonsense, they probably would stop buying from you... that's how free markets work.

The lesson is... Shut up and sing! That's why Laura Inraham wrote the book. Music performers are not paid for their political insights and commentary. Put it in a song and sign about it... no problem... I can appreciate that. Maines released a song a few months later entitled, Not Ready to Make Nice... The song was about the controversy. It was from the heart and very powerful... I think it's one of her best songs. I don't agree with what she did, I don't agree with her politics... but I can appreciate her art.

 

[Toro]

Absolutely Fabulous.

 

[Boss]

The reason for this is the desire to make money. You can't make money if you annoy the advertisers.

Again... You seem to be under some misconception that the advertisers are who need to be pleased with the programming... that's not the case... here or there. Advertisers strictly respond to their customers. It is their customers who need to be pleased.

Yes, we are more conservative in the US... I already said that, and it's why British TV is more bawdy and pushes the limits of decency. But it's not all about "religious conservatives" ...it's about our general cultures. Brits and Europeans aren't spread out across 3,000 miles of vast continent like we are. Their population isn't as diverse and mobile. People in the UK practically live on top of each other... they are more intimate and less private. In the US, people are more reserved and private, they keep their bawdiness behind closed doors.

 

[westwall]

THE OP is concerning British Comedy. Not American war policies.