Coupling

I'm an American who just saw Season 1 of "Coupling" on DVD for the first time. Based on those first six episodes, I think the BBC's "Coupling" -- along with a new US series over here called "Arrested Development" -- is possibly the sharpest, funniest, and best-written situation comedy since the golden days of Norman Lear and MJM Productions.

The cast chemistry is amazing. The archetypes are extremely identifiable, even over here, which is why the series translates so well. In comedies the subject of sex is often treated adolescently, and it's true that the characters in "Coupling" have some childish, "American Pie" reactions to sexual politics, but they're still, clearly, adults. As with "American Pie," there's a big heart behind the hormones and phermones. But the gags in "Coupling" are brilliantly written and executed. The writers don't take the easy way out; the bawdiness of their humor is cut with intelligence and a really, REALLY great sense of left-field punch lines. Maybe naysayers have to wander through the bereft nature of many American sitcoms to understand why "Coupling" is so appreciated by a cult American audience, but it's the real deal.

Episode 4 of Season 1, called "Inferno," contains an extended monologue in which an embarrassed male character attempts to outline the plot of a lesbian porn film. He is forced to defend his affection for the stuff by being asked to give a cogent plot summary. He's squirming under this challenge -- he's got to defend his proclivities, maintain a balance between self-defense and self-effacement, and STILL intellectualize the plot of the film enough to prove he's smart enough to rise above it. This whole sequence is, possibly, the best-written and funniest 5-minute quasi-monologue ever to be televised.

"Coupling" takes a traditionally pubescent subject matter, the puerile male fascination with sex, opposes it with the progress of rational thought, and is extremely funny in the process. Lots of US sitcoms (and some UK ones) are lucky if they get one horse laugh from the viewer every three minutes. "Coupling's" ratio is more like one horselaugh every thirty seconds. It's that good.

(I never saw the NBC version of this show, incidentally, and have no interest -- apparently it sucked. I can understand why someone would want to use the BBC version as source material, though.)

I'm a Yank who is only now catching the show on local PBS, courtesy of BBC America. I never saw the (aborted) NBC attempt and, having seen about a half dozen episodes, I'm glad I *didn't* As someone old enough to remember "Monty Python" from it's original run, I must agree with other posters that I feared that truly hysterical "Brit wit" was a thing of the past. I never really cared much for "Fawlty Towers" (as much as I love Mr. Cleese), and only the medieval episodes of Black Adder really tickled me fancy.

But "Coupling" -- hoo hah! Anyone who compares this to "Friends" has clearly never watched more than an episode. At the height of its mild amusement, "Friends" never equaled the least of this absolutely *brilliant* series. For all the stereotypes of Brits as dry, stuck-up and stodgy, I've found that, humour-wise, we across the pond can't hold a candle...

"Coupling" is the height of "cultured rudeness" in the vein of "Absolutely Fabulous" -- one of the most adult Brit-coms I've ever seen. Every episode is consistently ROTFLMAO funny. I couldn't even begin to pick a fave character.

Patrick plays the "stud" character in an amusingly original manner: he has his way with the chicks, and yet is dim enough to not *totally* emasculate us lesser males. The episode where one of the gals has him bring out the "big guns" in the loo, to intimidate a bloke, is something you'd NEVER see on American TV.

Jeff is.... well, the most creatively addled loon since Seinfeld's Kramer, albeit *nothing* like him. Almost a child-man, he reminds me of the Frasier line in "Cheers" - "What color is the sky in *your* world?" Jane is so annoyingly self-absorbed and yet, like Jeff, also such a waif that you don't totally despise her. It amazes how the series' creators walk the edge, crafting characters that *ought* to pluck your last nerve but, unlike George and Kramer from Seinfeld, could actually be tolerable in real life.

The other three characters are brilliantly crafted as well, but these three stand out after the limited viewing I've been exposed to. I have never even considered purchasing a TV series on DVD but, in addition to wanting to see at least the entire first three seasons (I have read here that Jeff is not in the fourth season, and I don't think I could warm up to a substitute), I really must turn on many of my close friends to this marvelous show.

For those of you Yanks out there who only know of this show from NBC's feeble attempt to import it, you *must* catch this on your local PBS station if and when it airs, or pester them incessantly until it does. You'll not only understand why the attempt at translation failed, but you'll finally get to see what the fuss was all about.

If *anything* on the American telly was this consistently funny, we wouldn't have to suffer the endless rot of "reality" TV, and the "dead in half a season" warmed over '70s-era situation (non)comedies. Twelve out of ten... a *MUST SEE*!!!

One of the best sitcoms for many years. Clever comedy that doesn't cross the pond well. Each episode is an absolute gem, written to tease and tantalise you towards its climax which usually isn't quite what you thought it was going to be. It's Friends with intelligent humour. Overblown as the characters are you can relate to each and every one of them and the two straight characters offset the other four so perfectly you're never quite sure which you'd rather be. Jeff who is so cringe-worthy but lands himself in the most incredible positions, Patrick with his suave naivety and ignorance but with the image, the job and the reputation. Then Steve the calm centre who is anything but calm, full of doubt and fear and so like you that it's uncanny. Facing off against these three we have the panic-ridden self-obsessive Sally, the utterly ditzy but so desireable Jane and the seemingly composed Susan with her devilish streak.

The episode about Jeff and the prosthetic leg without doubt made me laugh more than anything I have ever watched - except perhaps the first viewing of Del Boy keeling over in that Wine Bar in Fools 'n' Horses but where that was one moment this is half an hour of gut-aching laughter.

Steve Moffat has created a rare thing. A rude sitcom which is actually funny. Most people will say that Richard Coyle steals the show with his fantastical character Geoff, but I personally believe that most of the credit should go to Ben Miles for his interpretation of the character Patrick. When Miles produces just one funny line he steals the show, and the other actors and actresses aren't bad either. Each person who has seen it has their favourite character whether it be statistical Sally, mad Jane, sensible Susan or paranoid Steve. It is virtually impossible not to like this show. I love this show, and I recommend that you should see it today for you will fall in love with it too.

A British show about six people ultimately connected by "coupling" (relationships) more than just friendship ... thus this is not really a "British Friends," but is a sort of "British Seinfeld." It is sharper than "Friends" and the characters are more complex than "Seinfeld" (which has one "straight" guy and three knuckleheads), a good combination. The "Seinfeld" influence is specifically shown by the Jeff character, who outrageously explains different relationship concepts in a Seinfeld-like way, a sort of invented language.

On the other hand, the characters are all more mature ... having real jobs, unlike say Kramer or the ne'er'do'well George. The show at times has mature humor, but it earns it by being a mature show ... these are not the twentysomethings (now in their mid-thirties and much more boring) of "Friends" or the largely childish "Seinfeld" gang, these are mature adults with serious concerns, even if they are portrayed in often amusing ways. And they don't submit to the lowest common denominater or do things quite in the meanspirited way at times seen in "Seinfeld." And the fact there are six interrelated individuals makes things more complicated ... but still, the "friend" aspects of it all aren't really emphasized as much.

The show also is often hilarious, much so than the often mildly amusing (and less so in recent years, but then again, there are so fewer episodes of this show) "Friends." A particular find is Jane ... the egotistical sexual focused nut ... her very voice is funny. Susan is the beauty that is levelheaded, but she is played by a gifted comic actress as well. The other roles are also well played.

I don't know if the US version will know how to translate all of these positives to our shores, but I hope so. We need more comic gems like this in the wasteland that is American sitcoms.

-j