"Coupling"

I keep hearing that NBC wants to use "Coupling" as a Friends ratings replacement but I still have yet to hear when we might see the American version of the show. Anyone hear news about that?

http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?29703 As has happened with many a English hit, U.S. network NBC has snapped up the rights to "Coupling" and is currently developing its own version (ostensibly looking for the next big thing to plug the hole when "Friends" is gone) with Rena Sofer as Susan. Alas, the network has not had the best of luck when it has tried this before, as the short-lived "Men Behaving Badly" and "Cold Feet" attest to.

Alexander thinks the difficulty in translating from one audience to another comes down to a basic difference in cultures. Though she is a huge fan "Seinfeld," "Fraiser" and "The Larry Sanders Show," Alexander admits they could never jump the pond. She believes the same will more than likely hold true for her show as well.

"While it's about thirtysomethings, it's also British. So, if you Americanize it, essentially you're taking all the Britishness out of it, which is perhaps its success, or it's little sparkle. I think that's where it sort of starts to fall down. Some of the British jokes won't work in America, and when you Americanize them it's not the same joke, it becomes a different one. So, I think by transferring it to America you lose the essential ingredient that makes 'Coupling' a success."

"Of course, saying that," Alexander concludes, "I haven't see the American pilot so I could be talking absolute rubbish."

On Tue, 8 Apr 2003 08:09:19 -0400, "ImKukie" wrote:

Why not go for the original British version, but then again the po faced dead heads that run American TV may not approve of all the sex talk, as they after all are the guardians of American morality.

Christopher wrote in message news:[email]...

I do watch the british version from time to time. Not regularly but I catch it a few times a month. I heard that NBC doesn't plan on toning down the scripts. They think that american tv is ready for this type of material. Lets see if the censors think so too.

I'm anxouis to see the American version to do a compairison between the 2.

Kukie

I'm british and I can't believe you think coupling needs toning down, for the most part I consider it to be pretty MOR.

"Eps" wrote in message news:b6v34g$9g43h$[email]...

It isn't about what anyone in the ng thinks--it's the censors on network television in the states.

I've seen the first series of "Coupling" and I found it to be very funny. I think it would do very well here, but I agree that the censors would have issues with all of the sexual innuendo. Unfortunately, that's 90% of the fun of the show.

I wonder how it would go over if they simply aired the BBC version as is? Certainly, the sensors would want it aired in a later time slot, but if it were aired as is, the people with their heads up their butts might easily pass it off as "British humor" and say nothing more about it.

Or maybe we can simple get them trapped in the giggle-loop, and they will be too embarrassed to protest.

On Wed, 9 Apr 2003 02:23:54 -0500, "David Buehrle" wrote:

If the TV bosses had any intellegence they could make it know that the series HAS to be aired late at night as there is to much 'sexual innuendo' in it-compaired to American TV sitcoms there is - for an earlier time shot. This will generate high ratings, as American's will be tuning in to see what all the fuss is all about. Remember Peter OToole's version of hamlet, the critics reported it stank like banta shit, and the result was the theater was packed solid for weeks afterward, and it made a mint of money.

*David Buehrle* :

IIRC I've once read that it has already been shown on some BBC subsidiary available in the US.

Censors, by definition, don't have senses.

Yup, its called BBC America & aires Fridays at 8 and 9:40 pm/et and on Sundays at 10 pm/et. I watch it on Direct TV (East) Check your cable or satalite's station guide to find out if you get it in your area

http://www.bbcamerica.com/genre/comedy_games/coupling/coupling.jsp

I catch it on my local PBS station.

I have six locks on my door all in a row. When I go out, I lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three. - Elayne Boosler

Remove "bination" to reply.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

Wait until you see the second & third series. The show goes further than mere innuendo, and is all the better for it. Unfortunately, some issues explored are so antithetical to mainstream American culture (at least as exemplified by "Friends") that the censors can't merely beep out words.

That might work, but I still can't see "Coupling" in its pure (and extremely funny) form as a networked show. It would be okay on HBO.

Quite possibly - should the Melty Man cometh... ;)

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Now I'm getting very interested!

That's a great idea, especially since HBO has a few of its own series now. Too bad I don't get HBO though.

will

heh.

In article , "David Buehrle" wrote:

You won't be disappointed. :)

That's too bad. The thing is that we get HBO shows, such as "Sex in the City" on our network TV, since compared with the US we're less uptight about sexual matters - though more concerned about your violence.

It's a cracker... ;)

Tennant

On Sun, 13 Apr 2003 10:59:39 BST, Tennant Stuart wrote:

Its the mad Welshman that makes that episode work. ;)

In article , [email] (Christopher) wrote:

Absolutely, Jeff Murdoch, as in so many episodes - have you seen him in 305 "The Freckle, the Key and the Couple Who Weren't" yet?

Tennant

Oh, God...I'm bursting right now just thinking about it!

Steve:"Are you, in fact,...Spank-man!?"

cheshirecat

In article , [email] (ImKukie) wrote:

So in other words, she's incredibly ignorant about the track record of NBC shows in the UK? Frasier is a big hit here; Seinfeld was at least well known, and lots of my British friends adored Larry Sanders.

wg

wrote in message news:b6unmf$bkm$[email]...

I rarely ever hold the opinion of collumnists with much regaurd when it comes to the entertainment industry. I am more interested in what the audiance thinks. Ever read the movie reviews? When I was a kid I would purposly choose the low rated flicks over the highly rated ones if the story line interested me no matter what they said about the film & most of the time I didn't agree with the opinions of those critiquing. I like reading the articles for the insite & info but when the opinion of one sways in one direction or the other I try not to pay much attention. I like to hear the masses & then go my own way......

I'm less worried about the translation than the actual dialogue...how do you "clean" up Susan's line in 101:

"One swallow doesn't make a summer"

cheshirecat