"the parts that make the show worth watching are the ones where not much happens, but as soon as a large prop makes its appearance we know that a pratfall into slapstick will swiftly follow"

That's very much how I felt about The Archers at the point I stopped listening. The thing that hooked me was all those episodes where nothing happened; the thing that drove me away was the descent in John-Wellsian melodrama.

I can't really comment on the comedy/sitcom thing as I have a desperately low embarrassment threshold and am generally more pained than entertained.