*music plays*
[British voice-over] In a few moments, he will have written the funniest joke in the world...
...and, as a consequence, he will die...laughing.
*laughs*
*laughing intensifies*
First off, I think it's wrong to say either style of comedy is better.
I find it kind of annoying when people say British comedy is always smarter, or wittier.
Have you seen 'Arrested Development' or '21 Jump Street' - or even a 'Spongebob'-episode?
"Be careful, Patrick. Being an artist is a heavy responsibility."
"Each work of art is like a child, and must be treated as such."
"Come on, I was just going to draw a cartoon!"
"Okay! Why didn't you say so?!"
[Narrator] There's definitely very smart writing on both sides of the Atlantic,
but that doesn't answer the question:
What makes them different?
After weeks of research, my answer is still "I don't know," but let's give it a shot.
[British voice-over] "No one could read it and live."
*gasps*
*begins laughing*
*laughing intensifies*
*dies*
[Ricky Gervais] No, I don't change it, I mean..
..the difference, if we're talking about the big two - Britain and America -
Sorry, rest of the world.
[Narrator] I think the first step is to take a British comedy and see how it's American adaptation changed.
"What's the difference between David Brent and Michael Scott?"
By season 2 the U.S. "Office" begins it's movement away from the U.K. original.
We even see a subtle cinematic change by brightening the lights in the office,
while originally just a way to differentiate it from the UK version...
...the added brightness seems to serve as a nice metaphor for the adaptation as a whole.
[Ricky Gervais] But the big difference is that Americans are more optimistic.
and that's due to the fact that Americans are told they can become the next president of the United States, and....they can.
British people are told "it won't happen to you", and they carry that, they carry that with them.
There's no doubt that America lightened up the show. Michael Scott had his failures but there's a hope to it.
In one episode he wasn't invited to Jim's party, but shows up anyway, genuinely hurt and bitter.
"Wow! Who opened up the morgue for this thing!"
[Narrator] He picks a duet song and no one will sing it with him.
Reluctantly Jim joins in, giving Michael a big, cheesy smile and an overall happy ending to the episode.
But when David Brent preforms it's still funny, but a different kind of funny.
Nobody pities him or cheers him on. They all just watch in embarrassment.
*dancing and grunting noises*
[Narrator] There's no happy ending and it's not very hopeful.
Or look at how both characters wrap up their time on the show.
- spoiler alert -
Michael Scott quits to move with his fiancee to Colorado...
...and David Brent begs for his job back.
[Brent] I will try twice as hard.
I really will. I know I've been complacent..
..and I will turn this place around
If we just say that it is not definite now.
[Narrator] Of course this doesn't include the Christmas special, which was a lot happier.
[Fry] Put it this way: the American comic here like John Belushi or someone like that is to
You know that scene in 'Animal House' where the player -
a fellow playing folk music on a guitar.
And John Belushi picks up the guitar and destroys it.
And the cinema loved it. He just smashes it and then waggles his...
...eye brows up the camera and went: 'God, it's so great.'
Well, the British comedian would want to play the folk singer.
*Laughs*
We want to play the failure.
*Singing*
[Narrator] So maybe the difference is the optimistic American dream versus the dark British reality.
At least that's what many people think about it.
[Fry] Europe is just basically a gene pool of people whose ancestors said:
Oh, I don't think I can risk - there, I can't risk it.
America is a gene pool - people say: let's risk it!
Let's try it!
[Narrator] But I think that answer is too easy, because you have to ignore the fact that
Americans love the failures, like Shaun from Shaun of the Dead-
-and plenty of modern American sit-coms feature losers who never get their redemption.
*BGM*
Frankly, I think it's an outdated theory.
The past television era of "Married With Children" and "Seinfeld" and "Friends"
always featured the classic wise guy who always had the funny one-liner for every moment.
[Seinfeld] So you know how to take the reservation-
you just don't know how to "hold" the reservation?
*Laughs*
[Narrator] But I think in the last ten years
we're starting to see a self-awareness of this "American Dream optimism"-style of comedy.
In "Its Always Sunny [In Philadelphia]" there certainly is that feeling that feeling of hope in the characters.
They think they can accomplish anything.
But they always take it way too far by becoming violent, cruel and hilariously backstabbing.
It's almost a critique on 'American Optimism'. In America you're suppose to succeed, but at what cost?
[male actor] Look, if we use a gun we're definitely gonna need a silencer.
[other actor] A gun?
[male actor] Fine, no guns,no guns. Err.. piano wire, OK, maybe we can use the piano wire.
Look, whatever it is, I gotta be the guy to pull the trigger on this thing.
[Narrator] Not to mention they always fail and face the consequences.
And it seems like not one single thing ever works out for Larry in "Curb Your Enthusiasm".
[Larry] I need them!! [Officer] Step out of the car, please. [Larry] Oh, come on! Are you serious?!
[Narrator] And an episode of "Louie" ends with his date running into a helicopter to escape him. It doesn't get more pathetic than that.
So maybe some American comedy pokes fun at the hope and light-hearted nature of past sit-coms.
Or maybe American comedy is even shifting towards that British cynicism.
Or maybe we'll always hold that American optimism in our hearts.
And even in the millennial generation, where the American Dream seems to do nothing but screw us over,
but it'll always be ingrained in our culture and mindset to "shrug it off" and keep on trying.
[male actor] I'm not going to take "no" for an answer because I just refuse to do that because I'm a winner,
and winners- we don't listen to words like "no" or "don't" or "stop!"
Those words are just not in our vocabulary.
[Narrator] I know this a topic a lot of people get passionate about, but I hope the comment section...
doesn't get too heated. At least, I don't expect some kind of Spanish Inquisition.
[in scene] *dramatic music plays*
[lead actor] Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!
[Narrator] Thanks for watching!
*music*
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