America's heartland charmed 'Little Britain' duo

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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- "Little Britain" duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas became indoctrinated to the United States through frozen custard, Dixie Stampede and Chick-fil-A.The duo explored the United States for several weeks this year to get the lay of the land, so to speak. Since they were bringing their hit series from England to the United States - for HBO's "Little Britain U.S.A." (airing 10:30 p.m. ET Sundays) - the two wanted to absorb as much of American culture as possible.They found their time in Branson, Mo., to be the eye-opener they wanted."It was quite wholesome," Lucas says. "It's kind of like visiting rural England. You get a real sense of what people of a country are really like when you visit the rural areas. Branson is a different side of America. It's a side you don't see in movies or TV."They were in the audience at the Dixie Stampede, a dinner theater show in which the performers do rodeo tricks, and the food is served without silverware. "They even had a person on a horse singing about eating with your hands," Lucas says.The day they visited Branson's Silver Dollar City, a picnic with gospel music was being held. "And I thought, 'Wow, I am very far from home.' I mean that in a good sense," says Lucas."I wasn't panicking. I just thought this was the sort of thing you wouldn't see in a large city in England."The comedy pair is known for their outrageous characters, their flamboyant flair and creating personalities that are totally inappropriate. So it would seem a family-friendly place like Branson wouldn't do them much good in researching quirky characters for their series.But Branson turned out to be one of their favorite spots, at least to their taste buds."I discovered frozen custard," says Lucas, sitting back on a couch while discussing the hit comedy series. "I got very excited. They have a lot of sweet foods there and a lot of fried foods. They're actually quite good, but you have to remember to keep exercising."The comedy pair also heard good things about the chicken from Chick-Fil-A. They tried to visit one on a Sunday, but was dismayed the chain is closed on that day.Their travels took them to Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and New York. Whenever they had a chance, they would leave the bigger cities to see the small communities nearby. An hour outside Chicago, they went to Sandwich, Ill., where they attended a sandwich fair."We talked to people who lived in trailers and a blind farmer who was 80 years old," Lucas says. "We got to see a different side of America than what you see when you watch 'The O.C.' on television.""Little Britain U.S.A." was shot in Wilmington, N.C., over the summer. "I liked the location," Walliams says. "It was very beautiful. I liked going swimming in the ocean before we would start shooting for the day."Of course, someone had to go with me in case I started to drown."Fans of "Little Britain U.S.A." know of their unusual stable of eccentric characters already: Tom and Mark, macho body builders who claim to love the ladies; Sebastian Love, the creepy English ambassador with a yen for men; Marjorie Dawes, an inappropriate weight-loss group leader; and Carol Beer, a hapless hospital receptionist."If you really want to compare the people of Britain and America, you should not watch our show," Lucas says, laughing. "It's not really a comparison. We just kind of have fun with the kinds of characters we meet along the way."(Terry Morrow writes for The Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee)