In a message dated 97-02-25 23:20:46 EST, Chris Pyle write: << If Basil Fawlty were an American, he would be forced to rediscover his love for Sybil and to see how much he depends on Manuel. >> Even within American sitcoms there are differences of tone, although this may owe a lot to the length of the season and the show's longevity. Whenever writers exhaust most of the twists and turns inherent in the situation itself (a night court, a radio station in the midwest, a field hospital in Korea, a bigot at home, etc.), they begin to turn to popular "messages." Watch your weight and cholesterol, get a mammogram, drugs and alcohol are bad, rape isn't the victim's fault, etc. etc. etc. In short, this is part of the characteristic American fervor for self-improvement and regeneration (not to mention the love for preaching unto others) -- something that is still pretty foreign to British culture. "Cheers" was one of the few American sitcoms that never gave in to this trend and continued to draw its humor from the personalities and quirks of its characters. And that's where I think there is a certain link to British sitcoms -- the British shows rejoice in the crankiness and individuality of their characters. Leslie Z. [log in to unmask] ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]