[lanfeust6]

I'm not sure it's generally true that funny English characters aren't sympathetic.

[xnorswap]

You're right, there are plenty of sympathetic ones too, but it's the unsympathetic ones that really don't do so well to a US audience. There's a reason that The Office (US) hard pivoted Michael Scott after season 1.

[Beestie]

Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is both hilarious and sympathetic so there's that.