I wasn't joking, I've never seen a british comedy that didn't make me cringe; I've probably tried 10.

10? Poor effort :D And what's wrong with cringing? The Office is built on that emotion.

Fawlty Towers made you cringe? Black Adder? Red Dwarf? Man, you're beyond help! :)

Why wouldn't Fawlthy Towers make you cringe at times? Not in the same The Office does but its still rather cringeworthy at times. Not that that is a bad thing, in my opinion.

Curb Your Enthusiasm is amazing American cringe humour. I love that show.

I loved Red Dwarf when I was a kid, there was just something so surreal about it that made me fall in love with it, but in recent memory I have to say Spaced is my favourite British comedy so far, followed closely by Peep Show.

As far as American comedy shows are concerned... I have to go pretty much exclusively go with animated shows like The Venture Bros., The Simpsons, Freakazoid (and any other show produced by Bruce Timm and Steven Spielberg), Futurama, and King of the Hill. I've left a lot off, but those are the American comedy shows I love the most.

Peep Show is probably my favourite British comedy show, with Community, Curb and Arrested Development tied in the US.

The only time I've ever cringed during FT would be for Basil, for how he behaves, but never at the writing, the timing, the situations, the pin-sharp observation of it. So I wouldn't consider I've ever cringed at it, not in that way. NOt in the way I do when watching Alan Partridge, great as that show is. You just shake your head and feel so almost apologetic on the guy's behalf!

I know what you mean but both shows, in my opinion, are written in such a way to prompt you to cringe at it's lead characters hopeless behaviour or ignorance.

Desperate Housewives i like this

Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire - and rewatching Arrested Development for the umpteenth time.