My Cart - American comedy programs have had a history of frosty receptions in the UK, but times have changed. US comedy has upped its game, producing series such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development that are very popular in Britain.
However, lack of syndication in Britain means that many current US comedy programs are overlooked. Here’s three excellent comedy shows currently airing in the US that you may not have heard of and should definitely check out!
Parks & Recreation
An American sit-com that is refreshingly not set in a city, Parks and Recreation revolves around the lives of a cast of characters working in local government. Set in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana the program features charming, likeable and slightly ridiculous characters who consistently find themselves in farcical situations.
With a cast of established comics such as Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari and newcomer (at the time of the first series) Chris Pratt, the program has been a firm favourite in the US for several years now and is often cited as one of the best sit-coms for years. It’s just made its way to the UK via BBC3, but DVD and download releases are available.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Focusing on a group of friends who own and run an Irish-themed pub in Philadelphia, the narcissistic, nihilistic and utterly self-absorbed characters are the polar opposites of the lovable bunch from Parks and Recreation.
Humour is derived from these borderline sociopaths’ inept attempts to out-do one another in utterly surreal storylines. You’ll love the absurd scenarios, the acerbic insults and breakdowns in communication that result in unintelligible and petty shouting matches. The slightly inexplicable, but nonetheless hilarious character Frank, played by Danny De Vito, is enough reason alone to watch this.
Archer
An animated workplace comedy that focuses on the bizarre relationships between the staff of a secret international spy and intelligence agency based in New York, Archer is a very unusual program, but a very funny one that is compulsive viewing. The cast of characters features the totally self-centred and openly alcoholic spy Sterling Archer, his overbearing and equally alcoholic mother and head of the agency Mallory, Sterling’s disgruntled ex and fellow spy Lana Kane and a whole host of strange and often depraved support staff.
The humour is often quite close to the bone and the program is not afraid to make jokes about substance abuse and other touchy subjects. Extremely fast paced, the dialogue is fast and cutting. The voice acting is excellent and the supporting characters are great, such as the seemingly innocuous Cheryl who spouts increasingly dark and perverse lines as the series progresses.
All of these programs have had DVD releases in the UK and are also available to download and stream via Netflix, plus other sources. So, why not check out some episodes and see what you’ve been missing out on!
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