# Appreciating British Humor



## MA-Caver (Aug 5, 2008)

Divorce is not really a funny subject but those chaps over the other side of the pond do know how to twist it around to make it funny. 
I GOT the joke but just thought it was just plain mean (while laughing the whole time)...  

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What are your favorite British funny bits? Post 'em here.


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## Andy Moynihan (Aug 5, 2008)

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## bluemtn (Aug 5, 2008)

That was awful, but really funny!  Thanks, Mac!


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## Jenna (Aug 6, 2008)

Here is my favourite ever sketch from Smack The Pony.. I just love Sally Phillips.. PLEASE watch this it is SOOO funny.. 






Oooh, and check Russell Brand..
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna


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## Tez3 (Aug 6, 2008)

You're gonna have to spell it 'humour' you know lol! 
A lot of our humour is much crueler than American I think, it tends to be much darker. I'm not sure how much carries over as a lot of our comedy shows tend to get remade and repackaged for the American market.


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## Tez3 (Aug 6, 2008)

Jenna said:


> Here is my favourite ever sketch from Smack The Pony.. I just love Sally Phillips.. PLEASE watch this it is SOOO funny..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
This one is funny, it stems from the fact that English ie well brought up middle class people don't make scenes in public regardless of what is happening, one must always behave with decorum lol!


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## Jade Tigress (Aug 6, 2008)

:lfao::lfao::lfao:

Those are so flippin funny! It is 6am and I am NOT a morning person, yet here I am LMAO!!!! Thanks!


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## stickarts (Aug 6, 2008)

Lol!


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## jkembry (Aug 6, 2008)

Great clips....provided some levity to an otherwise miserable day ... at least for me.


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## mook jong man (Aug 6, 2008)

No discussion on British humour is complete with out mentioning The Benny Hill Show .  cue fast music and Benny chasing women in skimpy clothing.


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## jkembry (Aug 6, 2008)

Since Bennie Hill has been mentioned....my favourite was "The Goodies"!

Great Risque humour.


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## Sukerkin (Aug 6, 2008)

Ecky THUMP!


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## Sukerkin (Aug 6, 2008)

Jenna said:


> Here is my favourite ever sketch from Smack The Pony.. I just love Sally Phillips.. PLEASE watch this it is SOOO funny..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Aye, I recall that sketch well, especially because I didn't actually see the punch-line coming :tup:.

However, as to Russell Brand ...


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## Brian R. VanCise (Aug 6, 2008)

Last Comic Standing had a british comedian with a violin.  Truly hillarious!


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## Tez3 (Aug 6, 2008)

mook jong man said:


> No discussion on British humour is complete with out mentioning The Benny Hill Show . cue fast music and Benny chasing women in skimpy clothing.


 
Benny Hill was always more popular with men rather than women lol! We never quite appreciated his sense of humour. For really British humour you should try Les Dawson,The Two Ronnies, Morecambe and Wise also programmes like Only Fools and Horses, Allo Allo and Last of the Summer Wine, the last is a gentle sort of humour. To the Manor Born is a comedy of British attitudes as is The Good Life.
Of course Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister! The Young Ones, Fry and Laurie ( yep the same Laurie from House!) Victoria Wood in Dinner Ladies as well as her own shows. French and Saunders, also in Ab Fab. The Royle Family, the Blackadder series, The Vicar of Dibley, Fawlty Towers, Men Behaving Badly. A few to go on with lol!


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## jkembry (Aug 6, 2008)

Sukerkin said:


> Ecky THUMP!




Exactly!!!!  Gotta love those Lancastrian Martial Arts...


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## lemon_meringue (Aug 6, 2008)

Tez3 said:


> Benny Hill was always more popular with men rather than women lol! We never quite appreciated his sense of humour. For really British humour you should try Les Dawson,The Two Ronnies, Morecambe and Wise also programmes like Only Fools and Horses, Allo Allo and Last of the Summer Wine, the last is a gentle sort of humour. To the Manor Born is a comedy of British attitudes as is The Good Life.
> Of course Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister! The Young Ones, Fry and Laurie ( yep the same Laurie from House!) Victoria Wood in Dinner Ladies as well as her own shows. French and Saunders, also in Ab Fab. The Royle Family, the Blackadder series, The Vicar of Dibley, Fawlty Towers, Men Behaving Badly. A few to go on with lol!



Blackadder is genius. I remember when my old history teacher couldn't be bothered to teach, he'd stick in one of his Blackadder tapes for an hour and swear we were learning  He always tailored the episode to the era we were studying too!


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## Andrew Green (Aug 6, 2008)

So we can all agree that win it comes to the sitcom making game, the British won?

As for American remakes of British shows, anyone see the US Red Dwarf pilot?  Yikes


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## Tez3 (Aug 6, 2008)

lemon_meringue said:


> Blackadder is genius. I remember when my old history teacher couldn't be bothered to teach, he'd stick in one of his Blackadder tapes for an hour and swear we were learning  He always tailored the episode to the era we were studying too!


 
I remember when the Blackadder set in the First World War had the last programme, I was truly shocked. the last episode finished in November close to Remembrance Sunday, the series as always had been very funny. Edmund and Baldrick were in the trenches, with the usual lines "I've got a cunning plan" etc and the order came through that they were 'going over the top'. You thought somehow that surely Blackadder and Baldrick would get out of it somehow as they were all doomed to be killed if they didn't but it was a comedy programme so they'd be alright. But they weren't, they all went bravely over the top to what they knew was certain death. The programme finished in silence, no music just the sight of the trenches. It was extremely moving in a way that factual programmes aren't always. It brought tears to my eyes, still does.


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## Andrew Green (Aug 6, 2008)

Didn't Blackadder die at the end of the first & second series as well?


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## jkembry (Aug 6, 2008)

Now that Black Adder has been mentioned...what about Mr. Bean?  Since Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) was in both Black Adder and Mr. Bean.

I do have to admit I am one of the few that think Mr Bean's Holiday was fun to watch.

I also never tire of watching "Are You Being Served", "Last of the Summer Wine", and "Waiting for God".

There are few U. S. Comedies that I can watch re-runs of an laugh just as hard and when I first saw them.


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## Andrew Green (Aug 6, 2008)

I wonder if it is largely a matter of not beating it to death that makes British comidies seem to be much funnier.  Fawlty Towers had 12(?) episodes, Blackadder 24 or so, Had these been made in America there would have been 24+ per season and they would have ran for several seasons.

I could be wrong but I don't think there are too many British shows, even really popular ones, that ran for hundreds of episodes.  There is something to be said about ending a show when its run its course and not milking it for every penny until everyone is sick of it.


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## jkembry (Aug 6, 2008)

Andrew Green said:


> I wonder if it is largely a matter of not beating it to death that makes British comidies seem to be much funnier.  Fawlty Towers had 12(?) episodes, Blackadder 24 or so, Had these been made in America there would have been 24+ per season and they would have ran for several seasons.
> 
> I could be wrong but I don't think there are too many British shows, even really popular ones, that ran for hundreds of episodes.  There is something to be said about ending a show when its run its course and not milking it for every penny until everyone is sick of it.




Interesting point...Could be.  Even the longer running ones (not necessarily comedy) like Dr. Who...at least changes the main character every so often to keep it fresh.


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## MA-Caver (Aug 6, 2008)

My oldest brother is the one who got me to really start liking British comedy and getting the depths of British humour. For a while I really liked " 'Allo, 'allo" that wonderful WWII era french resistance hero and how almost everything revolved around the famous painting of the "Madonna with the big boobies."
Wonderful stuff. 

Those and several others helped me really appreciate "A Fish Called Wanda" which was a wonderful blend of humor from both sides of the pond. 
"Oh no! It's K-k-k-ken! C-c-c-c-coming to k-k-k-kill me. How are you going to c-c-c-catch m-m-me K-k-k-ken?"


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## Brian R. VanCise (Aug 6, 2008)

MA-Caver said:


> My oldest brother is the one who got me to really start liking British comedy and getting the depths of British humour. For a while I really liked " 'Allo, 'allo" that wonderful WWII era french resistance hero and how almost everything revolved around the famous painting of the "Madonna with the big boobies."
> Wonderful stuff.
> 
> Those and several others helped me really appreciate "A Fish Called Wanda" which was a wonderful blend of humor from both sides of the pond.
> "Oh no! It's K-k-k-ken! C-c-c-c-coming to k-k-k-kill me. How are you going to c-c-c-catch m-m-me K-k-k-ken?"



Yes that is a great movie!


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## CoryKS (Aug 6, 2008)

R-r-r-r-revenge!


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## theletch1 (Aug 6, 2008)

Loved Blackadder and Fawlty Towers as well as the classic Monty Python... both the Flying Circus and the movies.  British humor strikes me as being both the most subtle and raunchiest that I've seen at the same time.  Nearly causes a short circuit as my mind tries to work at both the higher and baser levels at the same time.


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## bluemtn (Aug 6, 2008)

Jenna said:


> Here is my favourite ever sketch from Smack The Pony.. I just love Sally Phillips.. PLEASE watch this it is SOOO funny..
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

Ok, just before she said "Chris, are you ready?",  I was thinking that she should just leave...

Great find!


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## bluemtn (Aug 6, 2008)

I used to like watching, "Are You Being served" reruns, and of course, Mr. Bean...


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## bluemtn (Aug 6, 2008)

Andrew Green said:


> So we can all agree that win it comes to the sitcom making game, the British won?
> 
> As for American remakes of British shows, anyone see the US Red Dwarf pilot? Yikes


 

I have to agree,  Brittish sitcoms are too funny... Benny Hill is another like...


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## Jenna (Aug 7, 2008)

Some of these mentioned are good shows, particularly Monty Python which imho is still funny because it was so avante garde that it remains almost ageless.  But I think it is a pity that these old shows are so synonymous with British comedy that the new stuff is overlooked.  It is a stereotypical view of British comedy, which is fair enough, I have no axe to grind but it is sort of akin to a Brit saying.. I love all those US cop shows - the way they wear their pastel blue jackets with their rolled-up sleeves and espadrilles with no socks, ooh and the way they all drive white Testarossas, aren't those US cop shows just the coolest..  And which would be to miss all the clever new stuff, CSI and 24 and whatnot...  I am certainly not criticising anyone's tastes, not at all, it is just that when I hear Benny Hill mentioned I shiver and my heart sinks.. 
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna


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## MA-Caver (Aug 7, 2008)

Of course British Stand Up is good and nicely knows how to handle hecklers.  
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## Sukerkin (Aug 7, 2008)

Mess ye not with the acerbic witted, for lo thou shalt regret not keeping thy trap shut! :lol:.


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## bluemtn (Aug 8, 2008)

Jenna said:


> Some of these mentioned are good shows, particularly Monty Python which imho is still funny because it was so avante garde that it remains almost ageless. But I think it is a pity that these old shows are so synonymous with British comedy that the new stuff is overlooked. It is a stereotypical view of British comedy, which is fair enough, I have no axe to grind but it is sort of akin to a Brit saying.. I love all those US cop shows - the way they wear their pastel blue jackets with their rolled-up sleeves and espadrilles with no socks, ooh and the way they all drive white Testarossas, aren't those US cop shows just the coolest.. And which would be to miss all the clever new stuff, CSI and 24 and whatnot... I am certainly not criticising anyone's tastes, not at all, it is just that when I hear Benny Hill mentioned I shiver and my heart sinks..
> Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
> Jenna


 
Believe me, I know there are much more updated Brittish comedy that is at least as good...  I guess you could just say that I was kind of reminiscing to when I was a lot younger and able to watch t.v. a bit more often.  Now, I just don't really have much time to enjoy much t.v., so I don't get to check out the BBC America channel as much as I'd like.


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## Senjojutsu (Aug 9, 2008)

tkdgirl said:


> Believe me, I know there are much more updated Brittish comedy that is at least as good...


Although it was a movie as opposed to a TV series, I really enjoyed the movie *HOT FUZZ* (2007) starring Simon Pegg, even knowing they spent much of the time spoofing scenes from violent American cop movies.

I also enjoy this movie because you get to visit (modern-day) England while watching it, far cheaper than buying an airline ticket. The accents, the slang, the hotel rooms, the pubs, the countryside, the food

For the Greater Good!


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## celtic_crippler (Aug 9, 2008)

I'll just say this: 

Bring me a shrubbery!


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## Andy Moynihan (Aug 9, 2008)

senjojutsu said:


> although it was a movie as opposed to a tv series, i really enjoyed the movie *hot fuzz* (2007) starring simon pegg, even knowing they spent much of the time spoofing scenes from violent american cop movies.
> 
> i also enjoy this movie because you get to visit (modern-day) england while watching it, far cheaper than buying an airline ticket. The accents, the slang, the hotel rooms, the pubs, the countryside, the food&#8230;
> 
> for the greater good!


 
Yaaarp.


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## Cryozombie (Aug 14, 2008)

Guys c'mon it HAS to be The young ones

Wash Your Hands

Bacon Sandwitch

Rick has a Dress


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## Andy Moynihan (Aug 15, 2008)

"I've always wanted..........to be a LUMBERJACK!"


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