This is just personal observation, but whenever I watch C-SPAN, I see a boring, sterile Congress, yet whenever I watch highlights from Parliament, I always get the sign that it's much more open to banter, more prone to chaos, etc.
Is there a cultural reason behind these differences? Were they both ever alike (both solemn/both chaotic) and simply underwent a divergence within the past few centuries, kind of like how many British accents diverged from American accents? What is the effect on the ability to pass legislation, the ability to run for office and maintain popularity? Are there certain paradigms regarding the role of a the Speaker of the House vs. the Prime Minister (or some other analogous position)?
It depends on the type of parliamentary system used. For instance in Scandanavian countries theres a lot more work done between the parliament and the executive/government. Politics in these countries appears more tedious and drab because each side gets some imput. In the UK opposite parties have very little direct input so they use their speaking privileges to simply criticize the current government or state why their way is best. This in turn leads to the theatrics of it all.