Humor is a wonderful art form, particularly during bad times as an escape from reality. Mel Brooks called it a “defense against the universe.” I started to do stand-up comedy about twenty years ago and fell in love with it.

Unfortunately, because I have other hobbies and family and professional obligations, I do not dedicate as much time to comedy as I would like to.

I grew up watching Herman José, a pioneering Portuguese comedian who introduced me, as well as millions of others for sure, to British humor. Nonsense comedy shows like Monty Python, Not The Nine O’clock News, and The Fast Show were also a strong influence.

I love British sitcoms, like the excellent Black Adder, Vicar of Dibley, Yes Minister, Men Behaving Badly, ‘Allo ‘Allo!, and Red Dwarf. American sitcoms tend to be more predictable, less risky, though there have been some great shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun and Seinfeld. In fact, it was only after I emigrated that I discovered Married with Children, probably my favorite American sitcom ever, at least since All in the Family.