To a lot of Americans, British television begins and ends with Monty Python and Red Dwarf. And while The Office (UK) increases in cult popularity, more and more Americans tend to prefer its US offspring. It’s time to shape up your awareness of some really good UK comedies you might have missed in the past few years.

A handful of loosely associated, improv-heavy British comedians have been putting out a ton of ground breaking sitcoms and mock reality shows that are rooted more in the tradition of sketch than the US’s stand-up influenced programming.

Here are some good shows to start with, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. The more you look into these shows the more you’ll realize how stale and un-funny US network TV has become.

Peep Show
The Comedians: David Mitchell and Robert Webb
The Big Idea: A modern day Odd Couple scenario is taken to new heights of cringe humor. Shot only in the POV of the characters, and making the audience privy to their inner monologues, Peep Show offers an extra level of embarrassment and awkwardness not found in The Office.
Clips:


Also: Previous to Peep show, these guys did a couple of sketch shows: The Mitchell and Webb Look and The Mitchell and Webb Situation

Mighty Boosh
The Comedians: Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Rich Fulcher
The Big Idea: Locations are as dynamic as writers Fielding and Barratt’s imaginations, and just as expansive. Ever-changing settings, from dessert islands to Monkey Hell, and multiple character parts for each actor, give this half-hour narrative a noticeable touch of sketch comedy. High production musical numbers and innovative art direction round out the ingeniously fresh (although rooted in Vaudeville) comedy routines.
Clips:
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=27823398

Also: This is probably the most popular of the shows mentioned here. Check out their radio series and live DVDs and look for an upcoming music record and feature film.

Snuff Box
The Comedians: Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher
The Big Idea: Matt Berry plays a hang man by trade who patronizes a private men’s club for the same in his off-time. Fulcher is his American apprentice, who’s independent wealth (it’s hinted that he’s the son of Mamma Cass) invites the friendship and manipulation of the unscrupulous Berry. Fulcher’s unique brand of swearing is impossible for some; think of a 5-year-old’s grasp of language with the vocabulary of a fully matured turretic, but his turns of phrase are too brilliant to be dismissed. Interstitial skits pace out the main plot of the series, which hints at several dark- unresolved mysteries regarding the two hangmen.
Clips:


Also: Berry is featured in nearly every show mentioned here, and with Fulcher they have appeared in The Mighty Boosh, Golf War, and AD/BC: A Rock Opera.

Time Trumpet
The Comedians: Armando Iannucci, Richard Ayoade, Matthew Holness, Adam Buxton, Jo Enright, Stewart Lee, Jo Neary and Mark Watson
The Big Idea: Imagine VH1’s I love the 80’s, only it’s the year 2031. This look back to the first 3 decades of the 21st century is a brilliant device to lampoon current cultural phenomena by showing what will have already happened. Sound confusing? It’s not, but the show can be a bit dense for American audiences since the humor is focused on British politics and celebrities, but a few missed references shouldn’t deter you from one of the most clever shows you’ll ever see.
Clips:


Also: Creator Iannuci pioneered his silly yet existential mockumentary style with The Armando Iannucci Show and Clinton: His Struggle with Dirt. Also check out The Thick of It.

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace
The Comedians: Matthew Holness, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry and Alice Lowe
The Big Idea: Take Stephan King’s ego and inflate it to the point where he doesn’t merely crank out pop horror crap and sell the ideas to TV- he has to write, direct and star in them. Enter Holness’ character, Garth Marenghi- think of him as the meta-character for the whole premise. In the show, Marenghi is a King-esque horror “visionary” who in the 80’s created and starred in a largely ignored thriller, Darkplace. Everything about this show is hilarious, from the excerpts of Marenghi’s books to the interview style segments about the “making of” this sci-fi classic.
Clips:


Also: Featuring another Darkplace meta-character, Ayoade created a spin off faux-interview show: Man to Man with Dean Learner.

Jam
The Comedians: Chris Morris, Mark Heap, Kevin Eldon, Amelia Bullmore, David Cann and Julia Davis
The Big Idea: This taboo-shattering sketch series goes so far beyond typical sketch shows, thematically speaking, that it almost defies comparison. The skits are very traditionally conceived, extrapolating a preposterous premise to its furthest conclusion, but evil forces live within this show. Themes of suicide, murder and child rape are explored for comedic purpose and buried in a deep gauzy fog of ambient music. Sometimes the quiet tone can be a bit sleepy, and at all times unsettling and hallucinogenic. As if it wasn’t experimental enough, every episode has been remixed into a darker, more distorted vision in Jaaaaam.
Clips:


Also: Chris Morris’ intelligent outlook and taboo exploiting were also applied to the news parody series Brass Eye.

-JJ Loy