Coming soon: “Coupling” for the US market

Posted by Pierre Igot in: Arts
September 10th, 2003 • 5:21 am

The New York Times has an article on the hit BBC2 TV series “Coupling” and the upcoming American version on NBC.

It talks about the fact that the American version will have “more emotional” relationships because that’ what the American wants. God, just what we need. More sentimental stuff on American TV. And “more aggressively likable” characters? Eeek. I don’t think I’ll even try watching the pilot.

The SHOW is fun because the characters are so absurdly unsentimental. They are “likable” as obvious caricatures, Jeff being the clearest illustration. His “unflushable” line didn’t make the American version. “Too childish”? Oh God — this coming from the birthplace of all things Disney. I guess there is childish, and then there is childish.

Apparently, the American version will also be “focused on fleshing out the friendship between Steve and Jeff, whose backgrounds are never explored on the original show”. That’s precisely one of the attractions of the UK original: the writer didn’t bother with all that pseudo-realistic stuff. Who needs characters with backgrounds? This is not high-end movie making we are talking about…

Thank God for digital TV and BBC-Canada!


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