David Walliams and Matt Lucas, the creator/performer sketch comedy duo, rose to intense fame with their BBC television series, Little Britain. After three series, they decided to call it quits, but have now returned with the American version of their show, Little Britain USA. Originally aired on HBO, Little Britain USA is now available on DVD.
Little Britain USA not as American as the Title Implies
What is initially striking about Little Britain USA is that a high volume of the characters and sketches in the show contain the original Little Britain characters, English accents and all. In fact, there are very few new characters in the series at all. Rather, Little Britain USA is somewhat like Little Britain Abroad, during which the original British characters travelled to other countries for a few extra episodes of the series.
Although it’s nice to see the return of fabulously hilarious characters like Carol, the worst travel agent in the world, and Marjorie, the over-eating “Fat Fighter,” the humour that worked so well for them in the original series just doesn’t go over as well in Little Britain USA. Perhaps it’s the new settings (Carol, for instance, is no longer a travel agent but a receptionist at a hospital), but it also seems that some of the jokes have just gotten old.
In addition, characters like Vicky Pollard who are very culturally specific have been somewhat Americanized to their disadvantage. Vicky no longer speaks as quickly as she did in Little Britain, and she doesn’t use as much slang. These choices have obviously been made in order that her character appeal to a broader audience, but they also diminish much of the comedy of who she is.
Little Britain USA Does Have Some Comic Gems
Despite some of its redundancies, Little Britain USA does have some great new characters. There’s Bing Gordon, the eighth man on the moon who suffers from a severe superiority complex, and Ellie Grace and her mother, whose conversations always stray towards the obscene and graphic due to the little girl’s very mature vocabulary. The gym buffs are also great characters, presenting a juxtaposition of ultra-masculinity and homosexuality that is different from anything in the original series. And the young southern man with a loudmouth grandmother is also somehow simultaneously endearing and funny.
Ultimately, though, the question is whether Little Britain USA has much steam left in it. Relying on characters from the original series that were already borderline “old news” before it ended, it seems unlikely that they can go on much longer. Still, for Little Britain fans who just can’t get enough, Little Britain USA will continue to be a good laugh, even if it’s not as hearty as it used to be.
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