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A comment on The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023). Parent comment

Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by cjs_ac on Saturday April 19, 2025 @07:07AM (#43735626)
The American comic hero is the Stand-Up Philosopher, wittily demonstrating his superiority with every line. The British comic hero is trying his best and failing miserably in a way that is relatable to the audience.

Consequently, the only British comedy that is popular in the US is satire, like Monty Python and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

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Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by anannymoose on Saturday April 19, 2025 @07:27AM (#43735699)
I would push back on your generalization, the American family sitcoms are as big if not bigger than standup comedy.
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Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by deanishe on Saturday April 19, 2025 @02:01PM (#43738141)
It's not standup vs sitcom so much as winning vs losing.

British comedy runs on kicking its protagonists in the nuts. Ideally, they bring it upon themselves, but cosmic irony will do in a pinch.

It's practically unheard of for a British protagonist to end an episode in a better place than they started unless it's the Christmas special.

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Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by foldr on Saturday April 19, 2025 @07:39AM (#43735749)
There's plenty of American comedy that doesn't fit this mold (Broad City and Search Party are two examples that come to mind).
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Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by deanishe on Saturday April 19, 2025 @02:06PM (#43738184)
Definitely. It's rather that the plucky underdog surviving on his wits is practically absent in British comedy.

Brits don't do Bugs Bunny, only Wile E. Coyote.

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Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by foldr on Saturday April 19, 2025 @05:42PM (#43739690)
I think there are also plenty of counterexamples in that direction. Isn’t Edmund Blackadder a plucky underdog surviving on his wits?
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Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by dontlaugh on Monday April 21, 2025 @04:58AM (#43749745)
Blackadder almost always fails by some measure.
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Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by foldr on Monday April 21, 2025 @05:41AM (#43750015)
He wins sometimes. Ask the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

https://youtu.be/rBhTIoIXoTI?si=7Xc-1Mg7E60l645W

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Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by panick21_ on Saturday April 19, 2025 @06:26PM (#43739973)
You should watch 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'.
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Re:The British sitcom that swept through the Balkans (2023) by sotix on Saturday April 19, 2025 @07:15PM (#43740220)
This seems to be a rehash of Stephen Fry’s observation on the difference between the styles of humor.
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