[cjs_ac]

I think it's a lot like a lot of the Monty Python stuff: a lot of it is reflecting on a social order that was particular to Britain and no longer exists in quite the same way, so a lot of the satire doesn't land any more. The offbeat quirkiness has also become mainstream in British comedy, and so has also lost its edge. I think the fandom remains stronger in the US because American comedy still feels industrially mass-produced, and so the absurdism is still a bit novel there.

[rikroots]

I really like Stephen Fry's take on the difference between American and British comedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k2AbqTBxao (YouTube)

[jvm___]

Animaniacs has the same problem, they mock politicians and celebrities from the early 90's, but the person their making fun of is just a drawn version of themselves so you're assumed to know who they are and why their being made fun of.

[Aeolun]

I don’t think you need to be familiar with that specific social order to appreciate the jokes?

[mike-the-mikado]

Much of the impact of comedy comes from novelty and originality. We have had several generations of comedians influenced by Adams and Python. Unsurprisingly, younger people who didn't hear them when their work was new do not appreciate the full impact of their originality.