In one of the other threads someone mentioned Kath & Kim and said that Australia must produce other sit-coms. Here is the basic run down...
Australia really does produce a very small amount of quality home grown sit coms, I can think of four that are noteworthy off the top of my head.
First there is "Kath and Kim" (2002-????) as mentioned by the poster I referred to before is amusing but I agree that its not as good as everyone says it is.
Before that was "Frontline" (1994-1997) which was a satirical take on current affairs programmes set behind the scenes of a fictional news programme of the same name. It is possibly one of the strongest Australian comedies that has been produced, while maybe not a laugh a minute, it is still funny, witty, well-written and could be likened to other shows like drop the dead donkey and the office in the way of style and content.
The third show I will mention is called "We Can Be Heroes" (2005). This is a mockumentary that follows the lives of 5 ficticious nominees for the australian of the year award in the lead up to the event. All 5 characters are played incredibly well by the creator chris lilley in a very funny show that I would liken to a cross between the office and little britain. (I know i seem to be throwing office comparisons around a bit here, which I normally dont do, but it is an honest comparisson and not just a blind reverie for the office which some people ive come across seemed to have developed.)
The fourth show is called "Real Stories" (2006) and was directly inspired by "We Can Be Heroes" although it is just as funny. The main differences between the two is that while "heroes" is a mockumentary filmed with recurring characters, "stories" features three or four new characters each episode and is filmed in the style of a current affairs show, which although similar, has a distinctly different feel from the documentary style of "heroes." The problem with the last two that ive mentioned would be whether the stereotypes that are being satirized would carry across the continents, however, I feel that they are probably general enough to still retain the bulk of their comic value.
Despite this lack of sit-com turnover, Australia has produced some quality sketch shows and comedy teams notably including "Totally Full Frontal," "the D-Generation," any sketch series by Shaun Micallef and any program by the greatest Australian comedy team ever- "The Chaser." The Glasshouse was also a funny show- essentially a panel show hosted by comedians focussed on politics and pop culture of the week past, although its humour declined in later years. The last thing I will say is that I think we produce a fair number of talented stand-up comedians as well, as showcased in our international comedy festivals.
So there you have it, the merits of Australian sit-coms condensed into one post. Its a bit sad really considering you need an entire site for all of Britains. Still, I can just cite population advantage. Not that it really bothers me.
It is midnight, I am tired and off to bed. I may correct sleep deprivation induced bollocks that ive written later. Goodnight.