@Joonas: Anything in particular which has tickled you? On your visits to England did you encounter humour--how did this manifest itself?

@Adam: The zany humour of Monty Python could go two ways: some things were really funny (Hell's Grannies); others just fell flat...What the **** is that, with incredulity. You might have liked the "Blackadder" progs, with Rowan Atkinson--more refined than "Python" and consistently funny in their parodies of English history. There were three series: Medieval England; the court of Elizabeth I;

@Adam: World War One--humour & pathos in the ridicule of upper-class officers and their indifference to the pointless slaughter.

@tony A lot of Monty Python is nonsensical, and it doesn't even try to make sense. It has given up on a lot of structure, which actually reminds of Italian futurism a century ago.

A characteristic format of British comedy seems to be panel show. I quite enjoy QI.

@Joonas: Yes, Python is either very funny or very nothing-at-all. QI was regular viewing in the days of Stephen Fry--a bright guy. Sandy Toksvig, though a top comedienne, doesn't quite do it, for me, on QI. It's the old problem of following somebody who did a brilliant job. As for word-plays a show called "Not Going out" with Lee Mack may be worth a look--don't know if you can get it. In serious vein: "University Challenge"!!

@Joonas: If I can get four correct, in a show, it's considered an achievement. When there are strings of Qs about the two World Wars, I score better than the Ox./ Cambs. contestants.

When you read the words, Factura Prima, what meaning do you take from that, and how would it compare to Opus Primus to you? The context is I'm getting an album of music together and I prefer the former to the later (even if the latter seems the more obvious choice)