A distinctive geature of much American TV comedy (and other drama) that hasn't been mentioned so far is a tendency to move from time to time into a warm family values mode, in a way you don't seem to get with the equivalent shows from over here.

Form example with a show like My Name is Earl, or the Simpsons, every now and then the message emerges that, beneath the lunacy, these people are really basically OK and love each other on some level.   You don't get that with Father Ted. You might get to love them, but they don't love each other too much.