Ron Swanson is a legend. Though my fave character (unsurprising based on my avatar) is easily Andy Dwyer.
Another couple of shows IMO are good (though I know some don't like them) are Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere. But mainly the former. Peter Kay should stick to this sort of comedy rather than ****ing Reality TV spoofs and standup.
Dont know Parks and Recreation , though ill give it a go , Quills choices are usually similar to what i like i suppose I agree that US comedy suffers with machine gun rat a tat tat one liners , with ping ponging one upmanship - very grating after a short while and as subtle as a brick. the best comedy can be the most understated look coz we can engage with the character . Big Bang theory is one that sticks in my throat , sometimes there are funny bits but they are swamped with constant laughter and pointless plot . I forgot to mention a good un " Married with Children "
How the **** did Gavin & Stacey get in there? Life on Mars was a good show. Glenister & Simm were class. Ashes to Ashes was a bit hit & miss. Probably should've just stopped it in the 70s.
Anything with James Corden in is just horrible. Agreed on Mars and Ashes, always thought Mars was way superior in every way though Ashes seemed to get all the acclaim. Mars also had one of the best TV endings ever.
Used to like Married With Children. Always funny to see someone with a big house with a kitchen bigger than our living rooms and a shaggable sex mad wife being portrayed as a loser. The daughter was fit as well.
Talking of top class comedy, booking my tickets RIGHT NOW for Stewart Lee's next appearance in Hull in May. Will be my 4th time. People who don't only laugh at Lee Evans sweating, or Michael McIntyre wobbling his head, might find it of interest.
Very topical at the minute, loved the Camberwick Green, stop start animation bit in Life on Mars, at the beginning of the nonce episode.
"The Thick Of It beats all." That is a statement of fact. You don't need to write FACT at the end. A lot of posts were about comparisons between British and American versions. That post of yours was you stating that a particular programme beat everything else. You should have put in your opinion as that is all it is. I enjoyed the Thick Of It. Not as good as Yes,Minister or Yes, Prime Minister in my opinion but funny. I liked that one taking the Mickey out of the quangos involved with the Olympics. Can't remember the name.
David Brent is up there with Stan Ogden as one of English literature's most amazing characters of all time. When the first episode of the original The Office was first shown over here, it came on at a time when I was feverishly writing notes for the following day's early-morning class; I was giving it only 5% of my concentration. I genuinely thought it was a documentary about office life. The same happened with episode 2, until suddenly about half way through I sat bolt upright and shouted,"What did he just say?" I stopped doing what I was supposed to be doing, and watched, and listened. It took a couple of minutes for me to realise it was pure parody; pure piss-taking genius. Definitely the best comedy series in the last 20 years. The US version was just a pale imitation, especially the few episodes where the scripts were virtually identical. And most of my American friends agree. Ellewoods, you are surely acting as Devil's Advocate? Aren't you?
No Ricky Gervais is simply not funny at all. I dont think I have ever liked a single thing he has been in. I really do not know anyone who thinks he is funny nor who thinks the UK version is better, the Office was really popular and lots of people I know talked about how the US version was far better because he wasnt in it. Ricky Gervais could have been an extra in the Godfather and it would have sucked by association. Like someone said he wrote the US version or something. Im sure he can write a joke, a script, and might even be a decent stand up guy (havent seen any standup by him) but as an actor? No, he is worse than than girl from Twilight.
TBH it doesnt much matter what you lot over there think of our prized comedy , when comparing our best sitcoms they are nothing alike . Movies is a different game - somehow most US comedies batter british comedies to bits . Britain did ship out what i consider the greatest comedy movie of all time "life of Brian" but im happy to concede the rest of the top ten
Ellewoods, we're obviously going to have to agree to disagree. I'm not convinced you really understand the Brent character. The sheer complexity of that role demands acting skills of the highest order, and RG pulls it off brilliantly; the viewer is INTENDED to despise, even loathe, David Brent. In your case, it's worked even better than intended.
Im not like a great expert on comedy I do enjoy them but I'm more likely to laugh at someone being butchered in Hannibal or Dexter than I am going to laugh at a comedy on TV. The girl s always trying to explain to me that Hannibal the TV show isn't a comedy. If RG's comedy is to make everyone hate him then you all must just be more tolerant people bc here we really do hate him.
