In your opinion, which do you prefer and why do you think it is superior?
American versus British sitcoms
As I am neither British nor American, I'm not sure if I'm more or less qualified to have an opinion!
Hands down, I prefer British sitcoms. There are many I don't like but, by and large, they are more interesting and entertaining than American shows, as are British dramas and comedy-dramas. There are a handful of brilliant American sitcoms but fewer and fewer every season. Currently there are only two I watch -- Modern Family and Big Bang.
Considering America produced the greatest sitcom of all time, I'll say American just based on that.
They're still quite different in style, many of our new ones are getting influenced by US ones now, which doesn't please myself. I think it depends how flexible in your tastes you are. I'm quite rigid, I know what I like and it's our trad lol style.
I've tried watching the so called great US sitcoms, Seinfield, man I was dizzy after 10 mins, way too many storylines going on - 'KISS'. US Office and P&R, kit-form sitcoms, again with a tendency to think cleverness and complicatedness equals quality. Not in my book.
Big Bang, Taxi, Frazier, Cheers, Roseanne all great though. But that's 5 to our 30 or 40. Still, each to their own.
Swings Vs. Roundabouts!
With the best British sitcoms you get very "authored" pieces. A real sense of a singular voice, a particular point of view, a specific sensibility. Usually that arises from the fact that there *is* only a single writer (or writing team) behind the show. Shows like "Only Fools" or "The Office".
But with the best American network sitcoms, you get the positive aspects of team writing - maybe a dozen top-of-their-game (and highly paid) writers devoted to a show, participating in everything from breaking story to pitching better gags when a draft is tabled. A dozen brains honing each story and each line (not always, but when it works) can create scripts that are models of economy and with laser-guided jokes. Think "Modern Family" or "Frasier", where the quality is consistently high.
Interesting that the past few years has seen the rise of cable comedy in the US, so that shows like "Louie" and "Girls" feel much more singular than network shows.
Personally I prefer the best of the US.
Quote: Tim Azure @ 10th February 2014, 1:24 PM GMTCheers?
Seinfeld.
I also think this is a difficult one to call, mainly because both American and US sitcoms continually influence each other.
Personally I don't think Seinfeld or Cheers were the greatest sitcoms ever made, I'd reserve that place for The Young Ones - which subverted the entire genre, introduced a new wave of comedy and comedians, changed the cultural landscape of Britain (and the world), introduced a thousand catchphrases, was both political and satirical as well as being slapstick and surreal, etc., etc.
Where American sitcoms excel is their broad appeal, I mean, who didn't like Happy Days? Honestly, who didn't like it? Answer: no one. British sitcoms in comparison are much more divisive and niche ridden.
And yeah, as much as it pains me, I'm going to bring up Friends - despite some clawing sentimentality, it was rare that this show had a bad episode in its entire 50,000 year run. You might have hated it and everything it stood for, but you've probably seen more episodes of it than you have Last Of The Summer Wine.
But if you want to bring intellectual snobbery into the equation, MASH, Frasier and Taxi are just as subtle and intelligent as anything the Brits could write.
Probably prefer British as whole (and possibly would just on the strength of Fawlty, Blackadder and Yes Minister).
But isn't it harder to judge if you live in the UK or the US as you probably only ever get to see the sitcoms that had a modicum of success on the other side of the pond?
I'm sure both sides manage to produce a lot of pap that (thankfully) never cross the Atlantic.
Quote: Edwin @ 10th February 2014, 4:22 PM GMTSeinfeld.
I see you made a slight typo on 'Arrested Development'. 
Quote: Edwin @ 10th February 2014, 4:22 PM GMTSeinfeld.
Correct. Have a lollipop.
I definitely watch way more American sitcoms. This is partly because there are so many more of them, and partly because often even the weaker ones we get have some sort of 'quality' that means you can sit and let it wash over without feeling the violent urge to turn over. I don't do the same with ropey British sitcoms.
Well, by Sir Humphrey Appleby's two measures of success America wins with money and size.
It's a silly argument. Instead of wasting time on an unanswerable question I think we should focus on helping Australia, Canada and New Zealand come up with some ways of increasing their sitcom output.
Seinfeld was the best sitcom by a country mile for me. I still watch episodes and they consistently make me laugh out loud. If I revisit a lot of other old sitcoms I wonder why I liked them so much; my sensibilities have changed.
I think Fawlty Towers, OFAH and 'Allo 'Allo! have stood the test of time. My favourite British sitcom is The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin, it was both hilarious and had a lot to say about life and Leonard Rossiter was a tour de force. Not sure a sitcom with a plot like that would ever get made in the U.S..
I agree with some of the above posters that U.S. sitcoms are very homogenous and seem to be made by a team of one-liner machines instead of a small group with a singular vision. Seinfeld, Curb and Louie are obvious exceptions and Arrested Development seems to be written by a large group but with a very different vision.
I think I'll go with British because when you move away from the U.S. classics, you start to get into very samey territory but with British sitcoms, there is a very eclectic mix and writers take more risks.
I would like to add that the current state of British sitcoms is woeful, only Peep Show really makes me laugh these days and even then its sun is definitely setting. The Inbetweeners was great. Anyone seen the U.S. version? It's atrocious!! The writers have completely missed the point and turned it into a generic, unfunny, bland abomination.
Quote: Edwin @ 10th February 2014, 4:22 PM GMTSeinfeld.
just your opinion.
I think British sitcoms are vastly superior.
Ours are generally only written by 2 or 3 people at the most making them more "together". Team written sitcoms like the Yanks produce seem too artificial. Too many "gags" gets overbearing. And don't get me onto the laughter tracks.
Quote: Thom Rolfe @ 10th February 2014, 11:27 AM GMTSwings Vs. Roundabouts!
With the best British sitcoms you get very "authored" pieces. A real sense of a singular voice, a particular point of view, a specific sensibility. Usually that arises from the fact that there *is* only a single writer (or writing team) behind the show. Shows like "Only Fools" or "The Office".
But with the best American network sitcoms, you get the positive aspects of team writing - maybe a dozen top-of-their-game (and highly paid) writers devoted to a show, participating in everything from breaking story to pitching better gags when a draft is tabled. A dozen brains honing each story and each line (not always, but when it works) can create scripts that are models of economy and with laser-guided jokes. Think "Modern Family" or "Frasier", where the quality is consistently high.
Interesting that the past few years has seen the rise of cable comedy in the US, so that shows like "Louie" and "Girls" feel much more singular than network shows.
Personally I prefer the best of the US.
Sorry - hadn't read this but we seem to be in agreement.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 10th February 2014, 4:40 PM GMTWhere American sitcoms excel is their broad appeal, I mean, who didn't like Happy Days? Honestly, who didn't like it? Answer: no one. British sitcoms in comparison are much more divisive and niche ridden.
I didn't. I found it infuriating. The Fonz is cool? How?????????
no contest
the only two US sitcoms that would get in my top 30 is Frasier and Big Bang Theory
Cheers, Taxi, Golden Girls etc are just okay, nothing special
Quote: Chappers @ 11th February 2014, 11:04 PM GMTI didn't. I found it infuriating. The Fonz is cool? How?????????
You not liking Happy Days says more about you than the quality of Happy Days. I suspect that you are some sort of child murderer and / or a drug addict.
Obviously I'm joking, but you can't deny its massively broad appeal - for every disgruntled, mean spirited Chappers, there were a million kids punching jukeboxes to see if they could get the record to spin for free.
Quote: lofthouse @ 12th February 2014, 6:53 PM GMTCheers, just okay, nothing special
*DOES NOT COMPUTE*