Over the weekend, my crew showed me a new HBO show they thought for sure I'd love -- Flight of the Conchords.

Featuring a pair of New Zealand musicians/comics getting themselves into situations and singing about them, I think they thought I'd like it because it involved music. I dunno. However, the very premise of the show goes against what I enjoy.

They were from New Zealand.

Hell, to me, is a place filled with British comedies, posing as funny, repeating shtick over and over like bad SNL until I'm blue in the face, pretending that merely by being dry they will achieve funny. This goes for Python, which I find to be clever at best.

In fact, that's how I'd describe it. Euro-comedy = clever.

New Zealand comedy is the same difference. Conchords was clever, and the music was surprisingly enjoyable, making me wish they'd lay off the comedy and just do music. However, I didn't laugh once. It was a chore to get through, and while I thought, "How clever," I didn't mentally note that this was appointment television.

Instead, I watched and enjoyed three hours of the Big Brother live feed on Showtime. If that isn't judgment enough on this show, check out MetaCritic. Most reviewers liked it, including a couple that loved it. However, there are entertainment critics who saw it like I see it.

Anyway, general rule. If it's British or Australian television or film, I will hate it with rare exception. "The Others," "Notes On A Scandal," "Shaun Of The Dead," ... all brilliant.

I'm trying to think if there has ever been a television show with accents that I liked in the slightest. I don't think so.

Now, I should point out that this show was brought to me by somebody who didn't find Bad Santa funny, a movie I think is one of the three or four funniest things I have ever seen in the history of ever. It was crude, smart and oh so wrong, and critics liked it, too.

Bottom line: Humor either produces a physical reaction or it doesn't, and Conchords caught my attention. It was smart, clever, musical, well put together -- just not funny.