Wow, this thread took a big turn. Haha. I'm an American and NOT Jewish (not that there's anything wrong with that... (in my best Seinfeld voice)). I have been a fan of British humor since I was 10 yrs old. (I'm 42) I have MANY friends that feel the same way, and we are in the middle of the country (Missouri).
Both British and American TV have great stuff and crap.
IMHO, the best TV drama ever was/is Cracker (2nd place Sopranos). My favorite TV comedy is The Simpsons (2nd place Fawlty Towers). Best action series, "24". My point is, both sides of the pond have great stuff, if you look around.
I like how British series tend to take their time developing character and plot more. A good comparison is to look at Wire In The Blood and compare it to C.S.I. - WITB may take 90 minutes to let the mystery play out, but almost every CSI takes quick shortcuts to get the same level of complexity solved in under 42 minutes.
Anyway, sorry for rambling.