Stephen Fry interviewed recently by a fan on ITV news about the difference between American comedy and British comedy. He touches on ideas of success vs failure, and character vs jokes, and class aspiration. [Edit: Please don't say "Fry obviously hasn't watched X" as a counterargument. He says he is talking about the AVERAGE American sitcom. Also, please note that being a lovable idiot with a job and a lovely house and wife doesn't equate to being Tony Hancock, Alan Partridge, or Captain Mainwaring.]