I will be comparing Frasier season 10 the episode "Daphne does dinner" with Men Behaving Badly episode "Pornography"
In Frasier, Niles and Frasier are constructed as camp or effete males. However, unlike in most sitcoms, these stereotypical roles are unconventional, because they are not actually homosexual. In direct contrast we have Men Behaving Badly (mbb), in which the two male characters, Gary and Tony are constructed as stereotypical Lads. In the basic construction of the male characters, we find several similarities and several differences. One reason for this is the differences between typical British sitcom, the 'frustrate male' sitcom, and the US sitcom, which is more sympathetic.
From the opening sequences of mbb we are set up for the premise. The two lads run around acting like kids with cans of larger while the two females look on disapprovingly. This use of the opening sequence is usual in sitcom and allows the viewer to instantly gain a brief summary of the show, its themes, motifs and its characters.
Niles Murals
Niles Businessman Henry Chapin
FrasierFrasier has no Opening sequence, which is very atypical in sitcom.
Both mbb and Frasier use stereotypes to construct characters simply. However they both use different means of creating comedy from these stereotypes, and these means become an extremely important audience pleasure. In Frasier the characters of Frasier and Niles are constructed as camp, but they aren't actually homosexual, and the father is constructed as very macho; he's a retired police officer who acts as our everyman (the audience window into normality). The comedy is when these, seemingly, un-related characters act together they create very simple comedy with Frasier and Niles doing something and the father smelling trouble. In mbb the men are constructed as lads, and the comedy comes from this because, no matter how close they seem to...