Rating: 
Summary: Coupling Is Terrific! It's What "Friends" Aspires To Be
Review: The characters in Coupling are wonderfully quirky and interesting. The dialog is quick and witty. Despite the characters' somewhat implausible friendships as a group - the clever writers pull it off and the resulting repartee is terrifically funny.The DVD includes the Episodes: Flushed; Size Matters; Sex Death and Nudity; Inferno; The Girl with Two Breasts; and The Cupboard of Patrick's Love Wait till you hear about "Wobble Wars"! :-D The characters are six thirty-something friends who are involved, formerly involved, or potentially will be involved with one another. Susan is beautiful, bright, secure and sexy tart. Jane is a nitwit completely oblivious to social tact and often oblivious in general. Sally is pretty, but shallow, insecure, and vain. She is obsessed with appearance and aging (primarily her own but she also delights in critiquing other women). Steve is a bit neurotic but the closest to "normal" in this bunch. Jeff is a lunatic who has never had a normal healthy relationship with a women. Typically when he is around attractive women his brain disengages and he stammers himself into impossible-to-explain situations. Jeff has his own unique views on life and has named some of life's most arcane occurrences ("the sock gap" etc.). Naturally he has to explain this stuff to his friends. Patrick is a lothario who is the antithesis of political correctness. This is the funniest show on television - period. I regularly laugh out loud especially at Steve and Patrick's reactions to Jeff's absurdity. How many laugh-out-loud funny shows are there on television really? The humor is at times British but that only contributes to Coupling's charm. Coupling is probably not appropriate for young children and the character's topic of discussions are frequently sexual in nature. Hysterically funny show! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Rating:
Summary: perhaps...perhaps...perhaps
Review: I guess I'll be the first to compare this show to Friends, Sex and the City, and (the master) Seinfeld. Just kidding. They all have similar characters, like Ross, Rachelle, Joey, Miranda, Samantha, and Kramer...but the comparisons end there. The situations are just as hilarious, yet unique to this wonderful find. I'm not the hugest UK show fan, but I love The Darling Buds of May and this. I actually bought it in the store on a whim, but instantly loved it. It's just a shame there are only 6 eps. And I don't have BBCAmerica. However today is the happiest day of my life...I just discovered that the 2nd season is running over here on my local PBS station. For Marylanders, that's channel 26, Sat.11pm. So, I'm loving that, and hoping that season 2 is released soon on DVD. I just checked out the in-production version for the USA at imdb, and the cast choices look really...not wise. I really couldn't see anyone else playing Susan, Jane, Sally, Steve, Jeff, or Patrick; they're all perfect...so I think I'll stick with the original.
Rating:
Summary: It doesn't get any better
Review: Yes, the topic is sex, but frankly, if you don't bust a gut watching this, you're probably dead. I dislike most British comedy, in fact, the only other one I like is Fawlty Towers. But this is just too funny, and I've managed to convert most of my coworkers into watching it too. You won't go wrong.
Rating:
Summary: British Humor at Its Best!
Review: Many people (including myself initially) compare this show to Friends; however, after viewing it, you will find that comparison to be WAY off. This show combines the best of Seinfeld in witty dialogue and offbeat characters, and Sex and the City with its frank sex talk. I joined on to Coupling in the midst of the third season on BBC America, so I decided to shell out the money for the Season 1 DVD and found it was money well spent. I never thought I would (or could) laugh for 30 minutes straight, but I did. There is not one slow moment during each episode. My personal highlights: -- The Reservoir Dogs impersonation by the men in the third episode.
-- Steve attempting to put a plot to a porn film in the fourth episode.
-- Anything (and I mean anything) that comes out of Jeff's mouth. The only downside if there can be one is that there are only six episodes, but from what I understand about British television, series run a lot shorter than their American counterparts since there is only one writer for Brit shows, as opposed to a team of writers for most American shows. Let's hope Season 2 comes stateside on DVD soon! :) P.S. to readers in the NYC metro area - I just found out that Coupling airs on WLIW 21 on Friday nights at 10:30 PM. They are airing episodes starting with Season 1.
Rating:
Summary: COUPLING - Get it now before it gets AMERICANIZED!
Review: Oh bollocks! This is not SEINFELD and it's not FRIENDS -- it's COUPLING the hilarious British comedy that's about nothing but sex. A likeable cast takes on a tabboo topic, and hilarity ensues. The US remake can't possibly get away with all these limey randy Brits do! And you need to see the original before anybody mucks it up. The DVD is a top notch affair. You get six episodes (which is an entire season on the BBC), some cast interviews, bios, and a photo section. The menus roll clips from the show becoming its own sort of "best of" feature! It's in a widescreen format. This show works because of the actors. They are funny, and it reminds me of the brilliant ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. Very fast pace, very funny, and unashamedly vulgar at times! Even if you are not a fan of British humor there is much to reccomend here because it's a sex farce. Simple and direct! Reminds me a lot of the best sequences of SEX AND THE CITY where the girls talk frankly about sex, but here you get both camps - guys and girls, so it's more universal.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely funny!
Review: I've grown up on a steady, if small, dose of British comedy; it's very different from American comedy -- stand-up comedians in America are really funny, but sitcoms rarely are. I routinely browse BBC America in the hope of catching a Monty Python rerun -- and accidentally discovered Coupling on one such occasion. The episode was "Size matters"; it was, needless to say, hilarious. A few weeks later, I was thrilled to find Coupling listed on a mainstream channel (NBC, I think) -- it turned out to be an Americanized version of the exact same show, right down to the script -- but it was terrible, downright unfunny!
So my wife got us a copy of the first season -- and I absolutely love it! I do think that the show thematically bears a loose resemblance to Friends, but the comparison doesn't go very far. In any case, both the script and the cast are outstanding, the character development seems to be progressing very well; you make instant connections with them -- and the comedic timing of the actors is superb. I can't wait to get my hands on the second season!
Rating:
Summary: "Result!"
Review: Susan has just broken up with Patrick, and Susan's best friend Sally wants a go with him. Steven is trying to break up with Jane, and his best friend Jeff is there to support him. By the way, Jeff works with Susan and had one date with her, and she wants Jeff to fix her up with Steven. Confusing? Not if you get this fabulous 1st season DVD. Called the British version of "Friends", "Coupling" is that and so much more (the BBC isn't as censored as American television). With a cast of excellent actors combined with original and witty dialogue, "Coupling" is the best show you're more than likely not watching (unless you have digital cable or a dish and get BBC America). DVD includes all 1st season episodes, plus bios and interviews with the cast. My favorite episodes include "The Giggle Loop", where Jeff explains the times when it's most inappropriate to bust out laughing, and the episode where Jeff tries to chat up an Israeli girl who speaks no English ("she thinks I collect women's ears in a bucket!", he moans to his mates). You can't go wrong with this one. At the risk of sounding like a Designer Imposter perfume ad, if you like "Friends", you'll love "Coupling". Give it a go.
Rating:
Summary: Do NOT watch the US version. This one's excellent.
Review: The British "Coupling," the version that is worth watching, features some absolutely terrific acting, wonderful comedy and true moments of innovation. Jack Davenport, who starred in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," appears in this BBC series as Steve, who in the series' first episode breaks up with the daffy Jane and goes on a date with Susan, who is clever and sexy. Susan, of course, has just broken up with Patrick the human tripod, who is now interested in Sally, Susan's best friend and a beautician obsessed with preserving herself. Rounding out the characters is Jeff, an altogether weird one who is Steve's best friend and Susan's co-worker. If you've seen the American version, then you get the basic idea of how they all meet and mix together. But to see a cast of true inspiration and genuine hilarity, you need to catch these DVDs of the British series. The acting is better, the episodes are deeper, the writing is more clever and twisted. There's no canned laughter on this version - nor is there reason for it. (The episode "Inferno," featuring a dinner party and a porn video, is the one of the most hilarious half-hours I've ever seen of TV.) If you want to know what the big deal about "Coupling" is, this is where you need to look.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious, recognisable, and extremely clever
Review: Coupling is without a doubt one of the funniest series from the last few years. Rivaling and actually exceeding the cleverness of other hits in comedy such as Friends. Coupling, too, is about a group of 6 close friends, and deals with their every day problems and relationships. In the first series, we are introduced to Steve, who is determined to break up with his girlfriend Jane and discusses this with his best friend Jeff. In their regular pub Steve runs into Susan (a colleague of Jeff), and sets a date with her. All this happens while he is having sex with Jane in the ladies' room. Susan breaks up with her boyfriend Patrick, and her best friend Sally decides Patrick is fair game. More so after hearing Patrick is well endowed in the nether region section. After the introduction episode, we get to see how Susan and Steve hook up together, and the crazy adventures the friends roll into. There's Jane's aunt dying, a discussion about Lesbian porn (the spanking kind), Jeff running into a stunner of a woman who doesn't immediately mace him, and Patrick's personal porn pile (starring Patrick). While each of the actors is equally brilliant, the genius and probably the reason Coupling is such a success is Jeff (Richard Coyle). His absurd experiences in life have caused him to come up with names for situations. You'll laugh your ass off while he explains the "The Zone", "Unflushables", "The Sock Gap" and most brilliantly, "The Giggle Loop". But you're not ready for that ;) A definite recommendation. And for those who cannot get enough of Coupling, season 2 and 3 have also been brought out on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: A true BBC classic.
Review: I first began watching "Coupling" two years ago when I caught a showing mid-episode on BBC America. The network had a "Coupling" marathon the following week with all of the episodes from Season Two. I taped all 9 episodes as I watched and become hooked very quickly. Shortly afterward, I picked up the Season One DVD and I loved it as well. This is one of the best TV sitcoms in recent years, not just for the BBC but any network anywhere in the world. "Coupling" is very well-written and directed, and all 6 of the cast regulars are outstanding in their respective roles, especially Richard Coyle (Jeff), Gina Bellman (Jane) & Jack Davenport (Steve). My favorite Season One episodes include "Flushed," "Inferno" & "The Girl With Two Breasts." "Coupling" is truly a modern television comedy classic!
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