I am an American, but I prefer british comedy a lot of the time. The problem is I don't have any idea what other britcoms are worth watching. My favorites are: The Thin Blue Line, Only Fools and Horses, and Allo Allo. Can anybody give me the names of a few more good shows? Thanks in advance!
Of the British comedies that never aired in the USA, the two best I know of both starred Rik Mayall, "The New Statesman" and "Believe Nothing." The latter of which has not been released in region one NTSC, but "The New Statesman" is available in the American format.
If you have a region-free DVD player, besides "Believe Nothing," I highly recommend the classic Ronnie Barker series "Porridge" and its sequel "Going Straight," "Girls on Top," which made both Tracey Ullman and French and Saunders famous, and especially "A bit of Fry & Laurie."
Unfortunately, "Not the 9 O'clock News," which made Rowan Atkinson famous as well as the other four cast members, only has two "Best of" discs available. If they ever release the whole thing, I'm buying it. A few American PBS stations aired it briefly, but it was a bit too risque for the time.
The series mentioned in previous posts are already available in the USA, as are the "Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister" series and "To the Manor Born," both of which are first rate. The latter had a special that I believe ran on Christmas, 2007. I could go on and on, but those are some of the best.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Lately I've been watching "Goodnight Sweetheart" with Nicholas Lyndhurst. Its good, but nowhere near what "Only Fools and Horses" was. I actually have watched a few episodes of "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" as well but I didn't really like it.
Two of the very best: "The Good Neighbors" ("The Good Life" in Blighty) is funny and sweet, with a stellar cast, including Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith, and Paul Eddington. Another great show is "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin," which for some reason doesn't get much play at all in the US, but is well worth seeking out.