"The Americans don't have a sense of humour"
I agree that all of the above mentioned sitcoms are atrocious. Raymond in particular; it's been over a decade since I saw part of one episode, and it still makes me irrationally angry that the show exists, let alone is popular with the masses. It's those masses with which we should be really angry though. It's due to most people seeing television (or movies or books) not as something to engage them and make them think, but as an easy way to switch off their brains of an evening, that it perpetuates all this badly written, canned laughter filled pap that infiltrates our screens and lives.

But that isn't to say that America doesn't have a sense of humour. And to think that really is pretty narrow minded. Amongst all the dross they churn out and label comedy, there are some gems. America can and has produced some brilliant, intelligently written sitcoms - Arrested Development and Newsradio immediately spring to mind. Sure, each year brings a stack of generic unfunny sitcoms, but there's also usually a Better Off Ted in there that'll restore your faith in TV.

And as a side note, America is also quite adept at infusing humour into their hour long dramas, in a way that Britain doesn't yet seem to have wholeheartedly embraced.
(teff, Sat 17 Oct 2009, 13:40, 1 reply)

^^^
Quite right too. I spend quite a lot of time in the US for work, and I can assure you that the septics DO have a sence of humor (:-)).

On occassion they DO come out with decent comedy too - if a little bland in most cases. For example, I REALLY did not want to like The Big Bang Theory - It looked like proper waste-of-space trash. Yet, somehow it DID make me laugh (the first series in any case) and I quite enjoy it.

Not as clever or funny as say, Only Fools, but sill entertaining.

Friends, I just find bland and repetitive - it seems to be the same story each time I've seen it. I just don't find it funny. Once or twice it has rasied a smile from me, but I would say that as a comedy it should at least aim a little higher.
(dchurch bah, Sat 17 Oct 2009, 14:23, closed)

The problem with friends..
perhaps, is that it's of the "here comes the punchline" variety? You know what the joke is going to be and who it's on way before it arrives. I find that quite tiresome and boring. It's just too middle of the road, inoffensive and nice! But........... that probably represents a large chunk of the tv viewing population so no wonder it's successful?
(verynaughtyboy, Sat 17 Oct 2009, 14:45, closed)