In the world of comedy, two countries stand tall above all others. Or at least that’s how writer-performer Ricky Gervais sees it. “The big two,” he says. “Britain and America. Sorry, rest of the world.” Oversimplification or not, it’s easy to see how Gervais came to that conclusion. These two nations have dominated both film and TV comedy for decades. But what, specifically, separates British humor from American humor? The web series Now You See It tackles this issue in a video essay called “British Vs. American Comedy: What’s The Difference?” Though the essay is hesitant to make any easy diagnoses, one persistent theme is that Americans possess a level of optimism that their British counterparts simply lack. The U.K. and U.S. versions of Gervais’ best-known creation, The Office, are used to illustrate this point. Both David Brent (Gervais) and Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) are oblivious, blundering fools, but Michael’s antics inspire sympathy in those around him, while Brent’s blunders are merely a source of embarrassment and unease. It’s telling that Michael gets to exit his series on a grace note, leaving his job by choice, while David is shown groveling for his meager position. Why? Gervais says it’s because Americans grow up thinking they can be president someday.