Coupling 10/9/03
 

Let me preface my comments by saying I've never seen the BBC version.


I enjoyed tonights episode. I thought the lines came off as slightly less forced as previous weeks, although they still need work. I thought Jane did well in this episode. She's my favorite of the characters on the show right now.

The material there working with is quite funny. I hope that they get more comfortable with each other and are able play off of each other better. Now I'm sure some of you will say to just watch the BBC version. Well I plan to but for now, this is all I've got.

It has been good enough to stay on my season pass, but I still would like to see a little more chemistry.

I liked it too. Getting better every week.

D

I gotta admit the show's growing on me.

This week was easily the best yet. Everyone's much improved, and Susan, Steven, Patrick, and Jane are all making sense to me, now. It seems like the US version is going to have a different version of Sally, so it'll be a few more episodes before I get a handle on her.

Jeff is the only one who just fails to work for me. I don't understand why they cast who they did, and I have no idea how they think they're going to pull off "The Woman With Two Breasts" with this guy.

Still like the UK version better, but the US version is rapidly becoming watchable, and the gags are working better.

Still can't understand how they're deciding what to change. I think the original resolution to the whole Giggle Loop thing was funnier, but their replacement was actually a decent idea.

NIPPLE!

that was a good change from the Britsh version. They cut down the whole "Picture Them Naked" thing from the original, but all in all a pretty good episode. I am just waiting until they get into original episodes, but I am thinking that won't happen until next season since there are at least 22 Britsh episodes to "remake"

I think next week is an all-new episode, actually. I was expecting it to be "Inferno", but TV Guide has the title and description of an episode called "Check/Mate".

I wonder if they're planning to keep their seasons similar to the British ones, and we won't see any more remade episodes until the end of the season.

I didn't know this was on. The Directv guide showed W&G for an hour. I think they did that last week also.

I wouldn't have watched anyway as I was watching something else but I was surprised to see the thread.

the canned laugh track has to go. worst i've ever heard.

I'm still trying to give this show a chance (mainly to see how they butcher the original BBC scripts). However, I was quite disappointed at how they left out some of the jokes that I thought were funniest in the original. Much of the material they leave out belongs to Jeff ; primarily, I think, because the actor they have playing Jeff does not strike me as someone who can play such a weird character; he's just too bland.

I would certainly think that using scripts written specifically for this new series would work for them better. There's not enough time to include all the jokes people love, and the script suffers because of it. All six actors are too bland and have no chemistry. Sally is just plain forgotten compared to the BBC version.

I'm continuing to watch mainly because it's like watching a train wreck. I just can't turn away.

Michael

I totally agree...that was extremely irritating.

Okay...

I agree this episode wasn't as bad as the previous. It helps that its one of my favorite episodes from the BBC version. :) The whole giggle loop thing always gets me rolling. :lol:
The lines did seem less forced and the Jeff character isn't as much of a straight man as he was in the first episode. But there is still much room for improvement in his character.

AMEN! GOD does that ruin what is already poorly delivery! I think the actress playing Sally pulled ahead of the pack this week for the lamest timing/acting award.

I also think the ending change was okay but preferred the original. Jane breaking the giggle loop at the funeral simply seals up something that explains her outrageous/excentric behavior in later storielines (esp. "Inferno" - she is INSANE! ("Well, you have to laugh.:lol:)

I'm wondering if they rewrote/omitted "Inferno" completely because of the subject matter. I think overall it may be a little too racy 9:30p on NBC. -eek-

That will definetly be interesting to see.

But I agree that NBC probably wouldn't want that episode on prime time.

Can you imagine some of the uproar caused by a prime time sitcom where its characters are describing
rotfl

I think we have the first original episode next Thursday.

I definitely laughed at the NIPPLE outburst at the end. Good change-up.

Well, not great, but okay. I think Patrick (Colin Ferguson)is the one that seems to get his character the most. What's sort of disturbing is that IMDB lists the character's name on the show is "Patrick Bateman" which was the lead character's name in "American Psycho"...Coincidence...Hmmm...

Christopher Moynihan (Jeff) is trying, but he just hasn't been able to re-capture the original Jeff's manic-ness (and his krazy-eyes when delivering his lines with confused conviction).

Sonya Walger wasn't as good at mining the laughs out of the same material as her British counterpart (but there was more setup in the British version of the episode.

These condensed US episodes aren't doing the original episodes justice.

Hmmm...I deleted my season pass for this show this week. It just hurt watching these actors attempt to deliver what, in my mind, are classic comedy bits. Yes, I'm a big fan of the original. I see no reason to replace it with a poor imitation. Besides, I already have too much TV to catch up on. Sorry "Coupling"...good luck.

I'm pretty much given up on this US Coupling ever getting the laughs right with respect to the UK Coupling plots. However, I'm waiting for the US Coupling to come up with plots of its own; I don't know why but I'm pretty sure they will be much better.

On the BBC America website in the Coupling section, there is a forum there.

There is a poster, I can't remember the name, who has seen some of the shows using original scripts and he/she said that as the show progresses, it does get better.
I will tune in to watch a couple of the original scripts. If the show still doesn't do it for me, I won't continue to tune it.
Last nights episode compared with the first was a vast improvement.

USA version stinks
 

USA version stinks

BBC version rocks

and yes, I am a yankie... but we Yanks put out very homoginized comedy....the british understand "satire" much better than we do

Stop watching the NBC version and watch the British....

Well, it seems that "Inferno" would wisely be omitted judging by the latest guff regarding the show's "sexual content":

<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3131516.stm">Full Story</a>-rolleyes-