Stephen Fry On The Difference Between British And American Comedy 

True 👍

👏👏👏

eloquently put

Is profound, comrade. In Russian comedy, we laugh hopelessly at idea of carrying on.

Basically keep calm and carry on

Ja, mein freund. In German comedy, we carry on hoping to laugh at something.

Si, and in Italian comedy, we are hopeless, but we carry on laughing.

Yes we were talking about the modern culture of pronouns and transgenderism. And my friend said “ as a white heterosexual Englishman I identify as anyone else”. That captures their self deprecating culture perfectly

...and at the same time, being so kindharted and show you how funny this actually is. Brit humor is humane, as much as the french one.

Mostly by riding british cars . . . (10 years Landy😢)

Our style of comedy reminds me of the last rap battles in 8 mile. How can you insult us when we already said evething there is to say. It completely takes the punch out of everything they had to day. Americans get a lot more defensive and offened.

Had to listen to my uk pals arguing which hometown was the shittiest

well duh, he's criticizing americans. Imagine If i thought all british humor was benny hill? and crass mysogist humor?

Yiffox We don’t really care and rolls our eyes *shrug*

@@cobramcjingleballs We'd laugh, or just smirk and leave you to your delusions.

@@LG-cz6ls its sad your "nation" is now the US armpit

@@cobramcjingleballs Strange leap from comedy. Try again, lad.

Aye, tribalism on full display out here. Not becoming of anyone.

Or not so subtle, a la Mr Bean 😜

@@benwatson5787 Mr. Bean is the exceptional exception to the rule.

How about India?

@@MW-ic7lr you'll have an FIR lodged against you the moment you say something mildly offensive. Good luck with that

I love that show. I’m English so you might be right.

There are many American sitcoms where the main character (s) is a failure. All In The Family, Married With Children, Frasier are many others are great examples of this.

@@spacebum Yeah IASIP does seem to have a strong fanbase here.

That's the kind of jokes I like to do. Joke about myself more often, since people tend to laugh about others rather than face something about themselves

They'll grow up and "get it", one day.

@@footsoldier857 ???

Any funny fin comedys

I watched one episode of that shit and I genuinely felt like I was watching a show made for 5 year olds. Maybe I got a bad episode the one where they have a high school reunion?

Not a sitcom but if ever there was a merry old band of losers, popular in American culture its Jackass.

Agreed but there are no one liners, Shut up Bird

Absolutely!

Stina1234 We have some OK stuff here, but I’ll take British comedy anyday. He described it perfectly. These are my words now, I’m not paraphrasing, I don’t want to sit a comedy club week after week, listening to one liner/zingers, hour after hour. It gets old. Usually after one, and if they’re really good, two seasons.

@@mangot589 fair enough! I myself prefer British comedy too. Maybe it's because it's very similar to Swedish humour! (Only our comedy shows have a big pinch of awkward situations too!)

Stina1234 😉. We used to have a GREAT channel, that showed all kinds of international shows/movies. It’s gone now (of course) can’t see it, subscribe to it (this was way before subscriptions), but heck yeah I’ll be first in line, about 20 years ago. I loved all of your shows too that they had, I know what your saying! don’t mind reading subtitles oh somebody please bring a channel that has other country’s shows lol🙏.

@All_Roads haha yeah Monty Python was out there at the time. I definitely don't think either comedy is superior over the other but they are a little different for the most part. It's just cultural, no big deal. It's not even restricted to comedy though. It goes beyond that. Self-deprication is so firmly rooted in British culture that it's not even modesty, it's just a severe lack of self-esteem or ego. I've met several Americans and what always strikes me is how sure of themselves they are. I've talked about this before with several British commercial lawyers in London and they all say the same thing. American confidence and attitude is unlike anything in Northern Europe (which is unique and not necessarily a criticism). I think though that it's why [worldwide] people sometimes mock Americans because it's like they're detached from reality or in their own bubble. But when you go to the States it's so isolated, distant and protected from world affairs (geopolitically) that I can see how that would seep into the culture. I've heard many theories as to why American culture is how it is but I have to stop the comment somewhere

But much of 99 is a mockery and celebration of each character’s flaws. It’s very much like UK humour at its core

@@Joker-yw9hl Basically that’s okay, but I’ve met an American who was not only self-deprecationg but extremely so. I guess it’s not 100% idea then, because it just depends if you meet winners of the capitalist system or losers. Winner write the stories, losers read them.

@@87togabito It’s not clear cut as much as Fry says it is.

@@perimetrfilms I disagree tho. 99 is very much about the characters, and hardly ever relies on witty one liners which seems to be the standard for American sitcom. You may argue that Jake peralta does kind of reflect the one liner troupe. However I will argue that his use of one-liners creates his persona which is the humour, rather than being the joke in and of itself. Not sure if I’ve gone off course or just rambling at this point, but does that make sense?

100% you cant even pass a critique without being harassed and insulted !

I've noticed many of them seem fascinated by his broken nose 🤔 I'm guessing it's because their celebrities are so airbrushed and have to look 'perfect' rather than be real human beings. If Stephen Fry was American he'd have to have had plastic surgery to 'correct' that. They're very sensitive people and have apparently never seen someone whose nose isn't perfectly straight 😂 bless 'em.

All I see are a bunch of Brits patting themselves on their lobsterbacks. Don't tempt fate, my friends. We've got plenty of tea ready to drop in the harbor.

@@MW-ic7lr thanks for proving my point

With every word you write against the USA, a pound of English Breakfast Tea will be thrown into Boston Harbor or a comparable body of water.

Maybe she'd have been better off if they had!

To be fair he never claimed British humour was better or anything like that, he just simply stated the differences between the two

You can watch the British comedy and then rather than watching an unfunny America program, watch a documentary instead. It will be more enteraining.

This was a refreshing comment! I feel most of the comments here are debating which type of comedy is superior! And that's not what he said actually! Just different. I think it simply comes down to taste :)

Canadian comedy is pretty good too. Certainly their standups make me laugh.

@Gar and Trailer Park Boys?

@@farmbrough How about Corner. Gas ? I thought that was terrible

@@jonathanspencer5884 I had never heard of it until now.

Well said, mate.

I guess you aren't British then either since you can't take your opinion being called rubbish. lol

I'm not a big fan of Alf's, (even though I enjoy Warren Mitchell). I can see that the writing is clever, but for me the nature of the lead character makes the show unenjoyable. I expect the film is the same.

Not to mention that most of the funny lines are bleeped to pieces or censored away completely.

Fry represented Cambridge on University challenge. His college roommate was Laurie Fry.

I didn't think you had common people in America. It's a classless society.

@@farmbrough HAHAHAHAHAHA Good one.

It's not funny at all, I agree. Some British shows deliberately remove the laugh track to encourage people to think for themselves.

you described Always Sunny, my favourite TV Show

When people are deluded and puffed up with their own self importance it's very easy to get offended. Everybody is so busy making sure everybody feels soooooo important, even if they have done nothing that is actually merits being important except for breathing,.. it just keeps the delusion going.

@@rosiemackenzie5976 How dare you.

@@OURBOURFLYNN Why don't you go and live in England.

@@rosiemackenzie5976 A little tear fell from irony's eye. It was tired of being missed.

That's varied though. It completely depends on the medium of comedy, the comedian, as well as the audience. I get what you're saying but on both sides that's just one aspect.

The fact that the BBC is (for the most part) not driven by profit helps this.

I think for us here in the States, those capitalist sensibilities have also conditioned us over the years to spur on that vicious cycle of never ending a show because we're always crying, "More, more, we want more!" Then we get more of it but it's only a matter of time before something happens in that show that turns the audience against it. The ratings sharply drop off and, as you said, it doesn't end on a high note.

Unfortunately top gear ended too early after only running for a few decades ;_;

My man, you apparently said it better than I did. lol. Thanks for acknowledging that there are several examples in American sitcoms that fit the mold Fry pointed out... and yes, UK tv sitcoms do take it to extremes but to stereotype all US shows as nothing more than one liner shows is absolutely wrong.

Actually Animal House was as well. The whole group was the rejects of the school. Remember the first meeting, and John Belushi was standing in the yard pissing and drinking beer at the same time? Like defining his purpose in life. Think Fry might have not actually seen that movie if he was thinking Belushi's character was a successful intelect.

Hollylivengood he meant it in the context of the scene, that, in that moment John was the guy who “got” the laugh, whereas Stephen Bishop, who played the singer-guitarist was the object of scorn; in making the comparison, Fry astutely observed the British comedian would opt to play the singer-guitarist instead, as that would evoke the funnier part, the object of derision, the ability to laugh at oneself. And that is the difference.

@@acspore Ahh, not familiar. Ok, in the US, the musician was the what would call him, upper class. The good guy, you know, classy. Belushi was the monster who went around breaking things. You know the object of scorn. The absolute waster throughout. That's why we thought he was funny anyway.

The class thing is interesting. As an Englishman living in America, I love it, because I'm not judged on the basis of my class to the extent I would be in the UK. But I also don't see a class system here. There's income strata, but nobody will look down on someone who bought their own furniture.

@@farmbrough Oh there is a class system in America. As a foreigner, much of it would be hidden from you. It's not just income strata. See, for instance, exactly who upper "middle class women" will and won't date.

@@lewjames6688 I just assumed they dated anyone with an English accent.

@@farmbrough Funny you should mention that. All my UK friends in USA have always told that they find it quite amusing that most Americans assume, no matter what dialect the UK guy speaks, he is "upper class". See, e.g., Michael Caine speaking Cockney, and yet everybody assumes he's "upper class". LOL

@@lewjames6688 that sort of thing can be quite funny. But in fairness, most English people wouldn't know a Boston, Massachusetts* accent from a Nashville accent. *as distinct from Boston, Lincolnshire.

Did you mean Richard Pryor? All brilliant comedians at any rate.

No, he meant the guy before him

The way I see it is unfortunately the location of most or at least a lot of the venues you probably play are just exactly what you said. The get offended easily, they don’t or can’t take a self deprecating joke and don’t understand many other types of comedy. You won’t make much money playing the small town west of the Mississippi River crowd and East of California. You’re humor we get cause that to a degree is us somewhat. We go out to the job at the factory and bam, they screwed us over in time. We went out to the farm or ranch and another fence , or tractor that was just fixed doesn’t work. But with us we are all ways trying to find a way around the system because sometimes the system is stifling. I’m sure their is a mountain of comedy you can find that’ll work, but mostly you just haven’t found Your audience, we’re out here. Best wishes my friend.

@@sssigsauer2266 I think you misunderstood me mate 🤣 I am not a comic, I'm just an international student.

xino951 sorry for the misunderstanding, no harm meant.

@@sssigsauer2266 no you're good 😂

xino951 I wish you well on your scholastic endeavors, and I appreciate the conversation. Have a great day young man. 😀

Also Norman Wisdom!

This is a very good point - to us he looks like a Sit Com character, this bumbling, brash individual who wants nothing more than to be respected and loved/feared, but instead he's looked at as a complete joke.

The algorithms brought me here because I watch tons of QI clips.

CaptHayfever why did it bring us all here yesterday though? The video is a year old

American humor relies too much on insults. British comdies are witty.

@@linnaeusshecut3959 Umm... have you ever seen "Chef!"? The sitcom with Lenny Henry?

@@Mark73 No.

@@linnaeusshecut3959 It's basically "Gordon Ramsey: The sitcom", but far more eloquent.

Thank you! It's more equally for me. Comedy is comedy. Wether it be from the comedy huts of Zimbabwe, or the smoky pubs of Amsterdam. Every place has it's only unique take, but all in all it's all the same.

And both shows work in their own way

i think part of the development of gen z humor is that the internet is slowly nullifying cultural borders, which means many gen z americans, including myself, have adopted a mix of humor styles that come from around the world

Actually, now that I think about it, they were also quite impressed by the ceremonial mace, which is a bit cartoonish in its own right.

I'm with you on all but Seinfeld.

@@farmbrough you might be right on that. He had one good special after the show ended but that was it. I'll swap him with Dave Chapelle

Seinfeld is / was the unfunniest show I ever had the misfortune to to witness , if not for the “”da dum “ at the end of each skit no non would know when to laugh/ giggle or smirk !

@@TonyWhite22351 the Seinfeld phenomenon is beyond me.

This is exactly the reason why "Dinner For Schmucks" was such a lacklustre remake of "Le Diner De Con" - in the French original, the guy hosting the party was a complete turd so you get tremendous joy watching his life collapse around him. In the remake they tried to make the host more likeable and give him a redemption story.

Of which I found none of them funny at all.

I'd say curb as well. maybe - veep is very much a mixture of american and british comedy - armando iannucci obviously is the reason

Married with Children

That's a key difference yes. I prefer 4 or so seasons 6 episodes each all controlled with one set creative input. There's are loads of US shows I simply won't watch because I don't want to sit through 8+ seasons each with 22 episodes..

Now for that. That depends on the network and what they're looking for. Also tons of shows here still have the writers they started with. There are tons of comedy shows both here and English that either never should have ended, or never should have started.

Humour, then.

IME, Curb Your Enthusiasm is the best US comedy series. But I'll give Always Sunny a try, based on your endorsement.

I thought CHEERS was the best ever LMAO

The best British comedy does.

@Bigfoot , my pleasure 🤢

Imagine being an American

Even that... proves the rule.

@Brian C I see your point, but I disagree that those shows can be considered mainstream or have mass appeal (with the exception of Modern Family).

I do think that Mr. Fry captures something about American humor, but his analysis is incomplete even for what is massively popular. Consider The Hangover; The Simpsons; There's Something About Mary; Mrs. Doubtfire; Tootsie; Friends; Ace Ventura; Dumb and Dumber; any Apatow movie; Beavis and Butthead; Shrek [I'm serious]; Ghostbusters; Cheers; Happy Gilmore... Haven't even gotten to the stand up comedians. Also, the influence of too-cool-for-shcool John Belushi and even Chevy Chase has considerably waned.

@@MintyDragonfly I appreciate your measured and thoughtful response. I see your point, but disagree only in that I can think of a few giants of American comedy who are NOT designed to be lovable, and are absolutely rotten to the core. But what you're saying is also slightly different than what Mr. Fry is saying. There are similarities and differences between American and British comedy, but Fry's "an American would never have a failure as a comic hero" premise is patently false. thinks. He was on more fertile ground when he was talking about the British emphasis on "character," which partly springs from the incomparably rich English theater tradition.

@@MintyDragonfly Cheers! I like hearing this perspective on the differences. Three recommendations that no one asked for; three of the most influential and acclaimed comedies from the aughts: 'Arrested Development' [first three seasons] 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' and '30 Rock' [slow start with the pilot, but quickly picks up steam]. All three have formidable ensemble casts.

I think there are a fair bit of examples of failures as the main character.... Al Bundy and Homer Simpson come to mind immediately.

Ah yes, there's that classic British self-deprecation. Er...

@@tehcoolemu I'm not British. It doesn't alter the fact that it's true.

For me Stephen Fry is a comedic act as a person, but I have seen Americans being better at that while trying less.

@@2adamast Better at what? Being a comedic act or expressing an opinion?

@man man you believe wrong, no, that's not what xenophobia means. Read the definition again. Ironically an American wants to teach about xenophobia. Well said op btw, that sums up this comment section.

Yes. When you see the so called "odd balls" in the US version of that show they seem far too nice and hardly flawed compared to the original show. That and a severe lack of earthy language.

Yes, some of those differences help us understand, but don't forget that Veep had a British team working on it in the US. Though it got more American as the series progressed.

The funniest thing to me is how unfunny the counter-examples are. The Three Stooges, Seinfeld, Jerry Lewis. Never made me laugh.

As a turnip, I prefer British humour too.

@@farmbrough as a mongoose, I prefer turnips

They also have Always Sunny in Philladelphia, which also has pretty much the entire character roster failing on a regular basis.

A ton of shows did! Friends, all the guys were as Fry described. 3rd Rock From the Sun. Home Improvement. Hell: The Simpsons! We have zero issues with arrogant buffoonish "heroes" getting smacked around by the world.

@@WormholeGarden I would say that there is still a difference as they are still successes/"heroes" even though they may take the occasional knock in life. Homer still has a really nice home and well paying job, the cast of friends are financially secure and have each other despite being not very nice people (Chandler's the only actually nice one IMHO), and most of the cast of 3rd rock have relationships and jobs even though they are actual aliens. In some of the examples given by Stephen, the central character never wins. Harold Steptoe never gets the success he wants or the girl, David Brent's has some small personal growth when he stands up to Chris but his life ultimately fails (even though he is pretty chipper about it. I think American humour (humor) is very rarely willing to go the full hog and properly shit on the main character. I do think this is changing to an extent, partly because there have been some adaptations of UK Comedy Shows like Shameless and the Office etc but also because there are seemingly more platforms to allow them and studios are able to see that there is a market for those characters.

Also fits as 'a man seeking grandeur and being humiliated by his own shortcomings and the world around him.'

Aaaahhhhhh Ha Ha Ha Ha Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ! Exactly !

Step away from the 1970s...

look - we nailed down the true essence of comedy in the 1300s and we're sticking with it. We knows what's funny 😂

@@charlottegiles2050 What time is it, Eccles?

@@LG-cz6ls Little Britain was still doing it in the early 2000s. Still funny too. And awfully sophisticated.

I'll enjoy all of those except for Seinfeld, which is odd, because I love Larry David!

I think one of the problems with American comedy is that sitcoms go on for so many seasons so it has to be watered down, while British ones are fairly condensed.

the expression "Jumped the Shark" was coined when the sitcom Happy Days ran out of fresh ideas and had Fonzie jump a shark. Yes many sitcoms are on long after they've jumped the shark.

@dfarmbrough same! Idky it just doesn't make me feel anything, unlike all those other comedians. But I disagree a little bit with the op, those are similar in a few ways, that Fry resumed well.

you cant use the Office as an example... it is a British show that has been adapted for America...

@@clambert608 why would that disqualify it? They're quite different - I've watched them both. And the US version has done much better than the british one...

I love british and American comedy but the one thing I notice with American comedy is how the majority of the main characters are successful at the start of a show, Fraiser, Seinfeld, Monica and Ross etc... where as in the UK, specifically more of the 80s-90s sitcoms, characters such as Del Boy, Gary and Tony (men behaving badly) Andy from Extras all start at the bottom and their journeys have a sort of redemptive arc, Andy finally gets his own show, Del Boy finally becomes a millionaire, Gary finally gets a proper family with Dorothy while Tony finally gets with Debs, these developments come at the end of a series run not at the start. So i find I identify more with british characters moreso than American. Just an observation.

One was mainly centered around Ricky Gervais. The other had a full cast of lovable and identifiable characters and ran for a much longer period of time.

@@stevieavail5773 Yet The Office la Britain was a world wide hit and the American version was not. Nobody is saying American humour is not made for an American audience because it is you just have a different humour to the rest of us.

The Office US was the number one show on Netflix and was streamed by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Rory Watkins what metric are you using to make that comparison?