Oh, BTW - if I use heavy handed sarcasm, am I taking the piss? Or does the phrase only apply to a lighter touch?

A skilful touch is always a good thing. But heavy-handed can still be taking the piss. Context is important, as are intent and the nature of your relationship with the other person. (Obviously, the better the friendship, the greater the allowable piss-taking.)

You can probably date a lot of this (in Australia at least) to its convict origins. The virtues of a convict existence tend to be egalitarianism, mateship and a refusal to bow to authority. So in the Australian psyche there grew a strong sense of 'Jack's as good as his master'. This meant that should anyone be seen as giving themselves airs, a quick putdown, to level the playing field as it were, would not be far behind.

I forgot to mention that the other day I was reading an Archives text written by Austrailians and they mentioned how being descended from the convict set is now fashionable in some circles. They were discussing in in the context of records appraisal, and how one cannot always determine the future value of records to society.

I think this greater tendency to take the piss in normal relationships accounts for a lot of this. Ridicule can obscure a person's basic humanity; British sitcoms (good ones, anyway) are better at sidestepping this, because there's more of a tradition of doing so good-naturedly. (Paradoxically, this allows them to be more savage too at times.) But when you have a US remake, this gets lost, and all you have is a show based on ridiculing some sad bastards. And they already have reality shows for that.

I think billytea is right. Speaking for myself ( and my only qualification here is being in the UK ) I find ridicule shows cringeworthy and love "it's funny cos it's true" humour. There are some great US comedies but the British do it best. IMO

"it's funny cos it's true" humour

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.

Mmmmm.

George Bernard Shaw:

"Tell the truth. It's the funniest joke in the world."

Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.

Also, Waiting For G-d. (Or, what I expect being old will be like.)

On Coupling, for instance...

You'll be able to make a proper comparison in the very near future, since the pilot of the Amercian version of Coupling was shot last October according to IMDb.

You'll be able to make a proper comparison in the very near future, since the pilot of the Amercian version of Coupling was shot last October according to IMDb.

One of the reasons why I chose it. (Another is that it's extremely funny, of course.) Is it showing in Australia?

8 hours until new Buffy! *bounce bounce bounce*

billytea ... The ABC is showing the original version on Thursday nights but I've only seen a couple of episodes. I never got really into it b/c it reminded me of Cold Feet -- which I did not like at all -- and so I've never given it a proper chance. No doubt some commercial station will get the US version but it remains to be seen if it gets a primetime slot or not, since those morons at 7 screened Titus at 5AM and now have Normal, Ohio on at that time.