Wednesday, 07 October 2009
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Coupling: Best Non-American Based Show You're Not Watching
On one open and aimless afternoon on the tube, I decided to take advantage of onDemand and watch some things I have never really seen before. Thanks to the inspiration of LOGO, I went ahead and searched some shows on BBC America. Those who didn't stay so glued to American Television know this channel, and it is a bonus to know the shows.
I searched around and found two shows: Being Human, which is all about three people (A female ghost, A male werewolf, and A male vampire that does not sparkle, trying to live a normal life) and a romantic sitcom named Coupling. Eventually, Being Human didn't stick so long (The show is an hour long, a half hour per episode).
I went to Coupling, and before you know it, I was hooked.
The show is about three men and three women. Susan, (The "Supposedly" together female who works at a firm), Sally (The vanity-obsessed makeup guru) and Jane (The arguably self-centered woman who does the Weather).
The three men? Patrick, Jeff, and Steve Steve is Susan's boyfriend, or becomes that during the season, Jeff works in the same building as Steve's girl and is prone to saying stupid yet funny things, and Patrick is the only Tory of the group (Which is a British version of a Republican).
All of them have different outlooks on the most awkward scenarios of a relationship in each episode. Do you get where I am going? OK. Anyway, this is my new FAVORITE show this year. Were you waiting for that?
Anyway, through this show, I was introduced to the Melty Man, the futility of a cushion or a pillow on a couch, the power of the word "naked" when used by a woman, and many other new things. My biggest worry is why I didn't know so much about this, and why the States didn't pick it up.
The episode that I am watching now is named "Jane and the Truth Snake", which Sally humorously mistakes for a "Talking penis". The separate situations go the Jane, the brunette of the group, lost her job, tried to commit suicide, and winds up taking enough drugs to concoct her a new friend.
In the same episode, the guys gripe about a girlfriend who has ruled out all possibility of a threesome, which Patrick attempts to try and dump his girlfriend for. Those who find BBC or those who have onDemand should surf it and check it out. It's the best sitcom America's not watching! It's amazing the things you will learn between the opposite sex on this show.
"There's a fine line between sex talk and just mentioning body parts." - Patrick, Coupling
What non-American based show are you enjoying right now? (Editors note: Great post!)
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- From: mynameisblueskye@xanga
- Name: Chris
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
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Comments (43)
I love Coupling! I started watching back in 2000 or 2001 when a fellow English tutor got me hooked. :)
American TV shows are such drivel. I never watch TV here (except the news, occasionally). I only watch TV when I go overseas.
One of my favorites. They made an american version, which is just evil. You don't mess with perfection.
I freaking love Coupling. I like just about anything on BBC America though.
I'll have to give it a look.
Did you know that they made an American version of this show? It was total crap though. My guess is it didn't exactly work in the US because if I'm not mistaken, the US version came out sometime after "Friends"...and honestly, this show and "Friends" basically have the same premise.
I absolutely love 'Spooks' (known/marketed as 'MI-5' in the US). My guilty pleasure is 'Home & Away' (so embarrassing) and what lesbian DOESN'T love 'Bad Girls'?
Coupling is really awesome. My favorite episode is the one about Jeff and his leg. I practically split my sides every time I watch that one.
They actually did try to make an American version of Coupling, but it was a major flop. I don't even think they made it through one season.
@hubbaduh@xanga - They shouldn't try to change around perfection. You can try and make something better, but to another person, its just cheap imitation.
I am in love with lovejoy!!!
FREAKING LOVE COUPLING. I'VE SEEN EVERY EPISODE MULTIPLE TIMES; IT IS THAT GOOD. HILARIOUS.
And I'm done.
Also, the States did try to make a version of Coupling but it was aweful in comparison to the real thing. That's what happens when the US tries to copy shows.
Coupling is hilarious, but for the love of god do not watch the American version. It sucked.
There are plenty of great British television shows. Garth Merenghi's Darkplace is one of the comedy classics of the past few years. Coupling is stereotyping formulaic garbage, though. It's exactly the same as every American sitcom cliche, yet people are fooled by the accents.
"the melty man cometh" is by far the funniest episode! my friends and i had coupling-watching marathons in college, they were soooo much fun. those were the days! ;)
I like Being Human, though I haven't seen any eps since I went back to college.
Love Being Human (:
Unfortunately, America won't be getting any new episodes until much, much, much later than the UK.
I loved Coupling! I haven't been able to catch it now though so I don't know what happened to it.
BBC honestly has me hooked. I've been watching Primeval, The Graham Norton Show, Torchwood (even though the ending pissed me off!) and my most favorite Skins!! Love bbc
skins on e4 is the best. Â i wish it were shown in the us. :(
I love British telly! It's so much better than American TV. Some of my favourite British shows are the Mighty Boosh, the IT Crowd, QI, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Argumental, Mock the Week, Russell Brand's Ponderland, Spaced, and Agatha Christie's Poirot.
@LeMepris@xanga - Not just that but what sitcom can you see a woman on drugs communicate with a sock so hilariously, and explain what all guys are thinking agout sofa cushions? I hate stereotypes, too, but I might actually pass, if you made it and/or the dialogue funny. You know?
But I am inspired to branch out, and see more British television shows now. Someone mentioned Skins. I saw the commerrcial, and am interested in seeing that, too. Heck, I should transfer my eyes out of American viewing more often. Haha!
@snowgoddess1224@xanga - I guess either its the whole halloween trend with vampires and all, or I'm just getting into the hourlong two episode schedule. Usually in America, if we have two episodes in the same show, each of them had to be cut down in 15 minutes each.
@mynameisblueskye@xanga - But that character (Jane, I think? I know one of them is Jane. I think it's her) is just doing the exact same schtick as Phoebe on Friends, a terrible American sitcom that Coupling shares more than a passing resemblence to.
If you want some classic British comedy to check out, you can't go wrong with most seasons of Blackadder. And of course, Fawlty Towers, only like fifteen episodes or so, but they're all brilliant.
@LeMepris@xanga - Will check out. I need to find the BBC channel. like I said, I found those shows onDemand. As for the Friends thing, I personally wouldn't know. I can't say I remember seeing even one episode of Friends.
I'm watching Merlin! I only found out about it when NBC finally decided
to air it here, but I couldn't wait for a week between each episode
when I knew they had all already aired in the UK so I found them all
online and watched them. Now I'm following the second season which may
not be shown in the US till next summer.
I also found Lost in Austen, which was a cute miniseries.
Yeah, I basically watch cutesy overseas stuff. And proud of it :P
OMG i love coupling so much! hail the giggle-loop!
skins and the mighty boosh!