It's a contentious issue. Comedy is serious business, and whether you're talking stand up, sit coms or the silver screen, British humour versus American humour has for a long time been a real rivalry.

And speaking as a Brit, I think America are pulling into the lead.

Oh, Britain's still got the classics, of course. But with the exception of the Inbetweeners and the IT Crowd (can we still call that modern?), modern British comedy really leaves me cold.

I simply can't stand the modern generation of British comics, whether it's Russell Brand, Jimmy Carr, Rob Brydon, Ricky Gervais... they make me want to switch off whatever back-slapping, self-aggrandizing claptrap they're appearing in.

The BBC (despite all that public funding) has done nothing of note for years, and channel 4 while still a stalwart is turning more and more to American sitcoms to fill the prime time slots.

Britain has Python.

What's there to debate?

For stand up its, America > the rest of the world.

and its not even close...

Norway wins with Ylvis.

Gringdingdingdingding

I've been enjoying shows like Would I Lie To You and Was It Something I Said. Both British. I have yet to find an American show that makes me laugh as much. Not finding humour in sarcasm has a big part to play.

I understand humour is purely subjective, but I really cannot understand how shows like 2.5 Men, David Lettermen, etc remain popular. I feel that having celebrity status = you are humourous/ worth listening to in the US. It grinded my gears when watching a doco on The Last Samurai when Tom Cruise was giving us a history of Samurai and making comments on Edo Period Japanese culture. Thanks Tom .. now let's hear from someone who knows what they're talking about and doesn't read lines that someone else wrote for a living.

Having said this, I enjoy Brooklyn 99 and sometimes Modern Family and enjoyed early seasons of The Big Bang Theory. Drew Carey was fun back in the day too. All US productions

I also cringe at American remakes of other country's shows/movies. UK office was fun, the US was a pale comparison.

As an American, I was going to say Britain. And then I read what the OP had to write and realized (realised) that I haven't seen anything new come out of the UK WRT humor (humour) that was decent and new. I mean, I love Top Gear, but that show has been on for, what, ten, fifteen years? And it has seemed a little bit tired after about Series 17 or 18. (Series 20 and 21, IIRC, are better, but there are also fewer episodes in each series.)

Having said that, I can't think of anything coming out of the US that I really like, either. I still find most American humor (humour) to be, well, daft.

For stand up its, America > the rest of the world.

and its not even close...

Someone seems to be in a patriotic mood!

For stand up its, America > the rest of the world.

and its not even close...

I disagree, but then again, I find the american one man shows getting tiresome. I much prefer the Dutch comedians that present a show as a long continuous story with a central theme to build upon.

I do miss the BBC 80's and 90's though, where Fry & Laurie, Atkinson, French & Saunders, Smith & Jones really shone. Blackadder, Jeeves and Wooster, Not the nine o'clock news, The young Ones, Spitting Image. Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister of course.

There was a lot back then, and all that seems to be gone, traded in for family friendly, no raw edges, inoffensive middle of the road humour.

If you want funny try spaced, big train and farther Ted.

Also the fast show was amazing but shows like that don't tend to make it across the pond.

I liked Outnumbered recently.

Britain has Python.

What's there to debate?

See, that's pretty much what I mean. Back in the 70's, 80's and early 90's, Britain was all but untouchable when it came to quality comedy. In recent years, though... things have pretty much nosedived. Dagonet's list is a great example. All classics. Hobojesus' list.. modern classics, and not anywhere near as many of them.

The last decade or so has seen quality comedy programmes become few and far between. There's been some outstanding shows - League of Gentlemen, The Inbetweeners, Fresh Meat.. but notwhere near as many as there used to be.

Channel 4 is the main source of comedy gold now in the UK; the BBC and ITV especially don't seem to offer nearly as much as they used to (panel shows aside).

I don't even know what we pay a tv licence for anymore I don't even watch doctor who anymore that last season was terrible.

Wait, a licence? Do tell.

Wait, a licence? Do tell.

In the UK, you pay to have a license to get TV service, because all TV is run/regulated by the government.

This might help: Link.

Wait, so public programming across the pond isn't interrupted once a quarter with dreadful phone-a-thon fundraisers? You lucky dogs!

Except, you know, for the fact that they have to pay for it whether they like it or not. At least with PBS, you only pay if you want to. And the rest of the year, there is no week of begging for money.

Yeah and the majority of stuff on the BBC is crap I don't watch it but still I must pay.

But at least we don't get bent over by cable companies and have more than one isp per area.

Except, you know, for the fact that they have to pay for it whether they like it or not.

And if you don't pay for it, you get threatening letters.

Even if you don't actually own a TV.

I much prefer British humour (overall), but there is ONE guy who was just amazing.

George Carlin.

That's all.

Yeah and the majority of stuff on the BBC is crap I don't watch it but still I must pay.

And for that money you get one of the, if not the best news broadcaster in the world, certainly the most respected one.

You get the best documentaries.

The BBC is huge and doesn't actually take a lot of money, certainly much better value for money than say PBS (though Sesame Street alone is enough to justify PBS. )

In the line of british comedy, how could I've neglected to mention Chef!

Yeah and the majority of stuff on the BBC is crap I don't watch it but still I must pay.

And for that money you get one of the, if not the best news broadcaster in the world, certainly the most respected one.

You get the best documentaries.

The BBC is huge and doesn't actually take a lot of money, certainly much better value for money than say PBS (though Sesame Street alone is enough to justify PBS. )

In the line of british comedy, how could I've neglected to mention Chef!

I have the discovery channel and don't trust news channels i have less biased sources.

I get nothing from my licence fee.

I like brit commedy before ricky gervais showed up...

Black Adder, The Young Ones, Red Dwarf and Father Ted are flippin' briljant!

and Python ofcourse (except for their dislike of Belgians!)

I'm also fond of most things that David Croft and Jeremy Loyd came up.

The English are genetically programmed to hate all things french, if Belgium stops speaking french we'll stop picking on you.

We'd also accept you nuking them and renaming your language belginese.

We'd love to get rid of the part of the country that speaks French, but we're afraid that if we did so, the Flemish part would become part of the Netherlands again, and we really don't want that.

Also you English have odd beer.

At least the Japanese like us. (Admitedly because of a children's book very few people in Belgium have heard of, but that's quite big in Japan)