Can the Americans really do comedy? Page 19

I think one thing is that there have been a couple of really, gut hurling soppy bits, where you expect a Modern Family style reversal to undercut it, but they don't. And I'm probably still expecting Arnett to go full dick as I watch, which he obviously isn't going to do! It's a nice enough show though.

Just 'aquiring' some 'Up All Night', see what's happening!

The recent American comedies currently doing it for me, that I can remember off the top of my head, are:

Venture Brothers
Parks And Rec
Better Off Ted
Party Down
China.Il
The Heart She Holler
Community
30 Rock
Eastbound And Down
Curb
Louie
Tim And Eric
Modern Family
Big Bang Theory

Yeah, The Americans can do comedy.

Keep hearing about 'The League', I'll have to check it out.

There are a couple of of shows on your list I haven't seen. I'm on it.

Frankly I'm smashed and can't be arsed to wade through the four hundred pages of this bit of the forum, but the septics can't do comedy? Come on, they invented sitcom with Phil Silvers, kept it bubbling along with Cheers/Frasier and then killed everyone with Simpsons.
The Flintstones was ace as well

and Cagney and Lacey

Actually the BBC invented sitcom with Pinwright's Progress in 1946.

Although I do hear it wasn't great.

After cramming two series into a few days, I would like to add Louie to my previously posted list.

Quote: Mark W @ November 19 2011, 10:04 AM GMT

Actually the BBC invented sitcom with Pinwright's Progress in 1946.

Although I do hear it wasn't great.

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I don't think filming something that was already happening on the radio is quite the same as inventing something.

Quote: Nat Wicks @ November 21 2011, 6:13 PM GMT

After cramming two series into a few days, I would like to add Louie to my previously posted list.

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Was that a spin off from Taxi?

Quote: Mark W @ November 24 2011, 9:57 PM GMT

Was that a spin off from Taxi?

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It's kinda surprising that there weren't any Taxi spin-offs. Although Tony Danza in Who's the Boss and Judd Hirsch in Dear John are basically doing their Taxi characters.

What a completely daft discussion. Of course the US can do comedy. Just think about how successful US comedy is globally. Their films, sitcoms and TV series are more successful than anyone else. Yes, they do make bad ones, but who doesn't? The UK? Does me a favour! The US has big networks that commission new shows all the time and they're not all hits. Some of you mentioned UK shows that were remade in the US and didnt travel well, but how many do you think came the opposite way or were ripped off? And not just in comedy either. They make CSI (not my favourite but massively syndicated worldwide) and we get 'Waking the Dead'. So bad it should be a comedy! And then there's a lot of stuff we never get to see in the UK so how can anyone make those assumptions?

I can't be bothered to trail through all the tripe replies to this thread either.
People in the UK are naturally going to be affiliated with the comedy in their own country and that's narrow-minded in itself.

America has set the blue print for sitcom and has a long rich history of comedy in their country which is of a substantially higher quality. You can trace it back to Phil Silvers influencing Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, George Carlin to the more modern icons of Gary Shandling, Seinfeld, Larry David and Louie C.K. People really should know by now that Ricky Gervais has pretty much plagerised the style of his American peers and made sub-par sitcoms in return. If it wasn't for the Larry Sanders Show, The Office simply would not exist.

Yes I'm pretty sure that Americans can do comedy. Jesus.

Quote: Alfred @ November 29 2011, 1:44 PM GMT

I can't be bothered to trail through all the tripe replies to this thread either.

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I'm afraid most agreed that of course the American's can 'do comedy'.

Quote: Alfred @ November 29 2011, 1:44 PM GMT

America has (...) a long rich history of comedy in their country which is of a substantially higher quality.

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BIT of a sweeping statement there. There have been a lot of great shows made over there. And over here too. It's not a question of 'who's best', both countries have prodcued great comedy. And terrible comedy too.

Right now, for me, there are certainly more good shows being made over there, however.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ November 29 2011, 2:15 PM GMT

I'm afraid most agreed that of course the American's can 'do comedy'.

BIT of a sweeping statement there. There have been a lot of great shows made over there. And over here too. It's not a question of 'who's best', both countries have prodcued great comedy. And terrible comedy too.

Right now, for me, there are certainly more good shows being made over there, however.

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I'm just throwing my opinion in there now, but I really don't think anything comes remotely close to the quality of the Larry Sanders Show, CYE or Arrested Development, basically since the start of the use of the single-camera style sitcom. There certainly have been some great shows here, no arguing there haven't been. I'm talking specifically about modern sitcoms though, British sitcoms simply don't match the quality.

Apologies I didn't read properly through the thread, I read a comment with someone assuming they wouldn't like CYE because they didn't like Friends and it was immediately off-putting.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ November 29 2011, 2:15 PM GMT

Right now, for me, there are certainly more good shows being made over there, however.

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I should also point out that although it seems like a sweeping statement, you've virtually said the same thing.

I've said there are more shows in the US which are of substantially higher quality albeit you've been more modest with the wording.

Quote: Alfred @ November 29 2011, 1:44 PM GMT

....If it wasn't for the Larry Sanders Show, The Office simply would not exist.

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And there was also a sketch in Chris Morris's 'The Day Today' in the mid-nineties called 'The Office' that featured a documentary crew filming people working in an office (surprisingly) and starring Dave Schneider, Coogan and Peter Baynham.

Quote: bob4apples @ December 1 2011, 1:49 AM GMT

And there was also a sketch in Chris Morris's 'The Day Today' in the mid-nineties called 'The Office' that featured a documentary crew filming people working in an office (surprisingly) and starring Dave Schneider, Coogan and Peter Baynham.

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Yes, people are influenced by things that came before them. I seem to recall reading that The Office came out of Gervais doing a character, known as 'Seedy Boss' (Or similar) whilst at work to amuse others. The Office was then developed around the character.