@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 I think the biggest deal is the approach. Roughly: The American comedian is invincible and the audience laughs at the world with him, but the British comedian is a loser and the audience laughs at him.

@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.