Separated by a common language, not to mention approach...

I recall the creator of The Simpsons in an interview on the radio when he was over here saying that the script writers try to write at as many levels as they can, including what he felt was British humour. (As opposed to American humor..)

He said that his test was that it was funny in The UK as well as North America. For that, there had to be understatement, letting a comment hang from time to time with no punchline and sophisticated sarcasm.

I don't try to analyse so much. That Monty Python and Mr Bean are popular the other side of the pond could be that those performing fit a stereotype people would be familiar with, whereas Last of The Summer Wine didn't sell in the same way, despite huge popularity in many other countries. (When there was American backing to film Wallace & Grommit, Wererabbit, I often wondered if jokes such as Eyup magazine, SMUG refrigerator or Grommit nursing his marrow prior to the veg competition would cross the pond...)

Comedy and humour aside, Steve is right. There are some people who use the oxygen of an audience for their hatred and obscene take on life, and here, some people are too nice to tell them to fuck off. Which only goes to encourage them.