# Brits that Americans find funny **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988 "2006-10-02T16:20:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/1 "2006-10-02T16:20:50Z")
Inspired by **Wee Bairn’s** thread, in the opposite direction. Personally I’m not a big fan of stand-up, so I can’t comment on that. (Aside from stating that Jasper Carrott and Jim Davidson are notoriously unfunny.) But there are a cadre of British comedians that I find hilarious (based on their work as writers, actors, and general comic timing): Eddie Izzard Stephen Fry Hugh Laurie Ade Edmondson Paul Whitehouse Harry Enfield (who is criminally underutilized in the US as the voice of the Travelocity Gnome and Burger King’s “Dr. Angus”) Simon Day Ricky Gervais Sascha Baron Cohen Armando Ianucci Steve Coogan Lenny Henry (early) Ben Elton Kenny Everett Gosh, I need women… how about: Jennifer Saunders Tracey Ullman Julia Davis Those who I have never found even slightly amusing: Leigh Francis (Bo Selecta) ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/2 "2006-10-02T16:22:57Z")
You forgot John Cleese! (I’m Canadian, am I allowed to play?) ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/3 "2006-10-02T16:25:20Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] You forgot John Cleese! (I’m Canadian, am I allowed to play?) [/QUOTE] I _guess._ Make that “North Americans,” then. If we’re going back that far, I’d throw in Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie from The Goodies. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/4 "2006-10-02T16:49:07Z")
Rowan Atkinson Bill Bailey Tom Baker (not a comedian per se. England’s answer to William Shatner.) Graham Chapman Robbie Coltrane Dawn French Eric Idle Terry Jones Rick Mayall Stephen Merchant (that “other” guy who did The Office) Michael Palin Nigel Planer Simon Pegg Jessica Stephenson I concur on Bo Selecta. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/5 "2006-10-02T16:59:23Z")
Billy Connolly!!! For fucks sake people. Billy Connolly!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/6 "2006-10-02T17:05:27Z")
I like Hugh Grant but imagine I’ll be one of few people admitting to such. Also, Simon Callow. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/7 "2006-10-02T18:56:11Z")
[QUOTE=Aesiron] I like Hugh Grant but imagine I’ll be one of few people admitting to such. [/QUOTE] Oh, yes, I’ve been enjoying his more antisocial roles lately. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/8 "2006-10-02T19:31:23Z")
Dave Allen (who I believe is Irish – but who’s show I miss terribly). ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/9 "2006-10-02T19:41:39Z")
I sure do miss Peter Cook & Dudley Moore. They were funny separately, but they were even better as a team. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/10 "2006-10-02T20:16:38Z")
What, no Benny Hill? _d&r_ ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/11 "2006-10-02T20:30:09Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Oh, yes, I’ve been enjoying his more antisocial roles lately. [/QUOTE] Not just lately – before he did _Four Weddings and a Funeral_, he did _An Awfully Big Adventure_, in which he plays an absolutely vicious, chainsmoking local theatre director (and gay, too). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/12 "2006-10-02T20:31:52Z")
I came in here to mentin Benny Hill. Tim Curry is great too. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/13 "2006-10-02T21:59:37Z")
Graham Norton. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/14 "2006-10-02T22:03:33Z")
I shall forever love Peter Sellers in and as Dr. Strangelove. I’m still awestruck that much of his performance was improvised. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/15 "2006-10-02T22:39:41Z")
That [Sweeney Todd](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweeney_todd) is frackin’ **hilarious!** 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/16 "2006-10-02T23:35:42Z")
Dylan Moran Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding David Mitchell and Robert Webb Tamsin Grieg ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/17 "2006-10-03T00:14:44Z")
[QUOTE=ddgryphon] Dave Allen (who I believe is Irish – but who’s show I miss terribly). [/QUOTE] _Was_ Irish. He died March 10, 2005. I miss him and his shows, too. ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/18 "2006-10-03T00:15:53Z")
I adore a Britcom actor named Anton Rodgers. Brilliant comedic actor, makes me laugh my socks off. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/19 "2006-10-03T04:40:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sonia Montdore] Anton Rodgers. Brilliant comedic actor [/QUOTE] Really??? I used to see him in a show called _Fresh Fields_, and it’s true he was probably the best actor in the show, but beyond that I find him to be a bit ordinary. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988/20 "2006-10-03T05:49:09Z")
Lots of good additions here. I absolutely love Dave Allen. He used to come on late Sundays, I think, and I didn’t get the jokes for the most part, but he made my parents laugh, which reminds me of good times… RIP. **kaylasdad99** , good move… d&r-ing, that is. I tried to get into Black Books… nothing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brits-that-americans-find-funny/374988.md?page=2)