930 Forums

=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: G.Love on July 16, 2003, 02:55:00 pm

Title: Coupling
Post by: G.Love on July 16, 2003, 02:55:00 pm
Recently, I have had a chance to watch a couple of the Coupling episodes on PBS and found them very funny! I would say that it is one of the funniest shows on free TV.  Much to my dismay, I just saw NBC advertising that Coupling was coming in the Fall, but it was an American version.  I am afraid that it will also be a censored version, but the question is are we Americans that much of an egocentric and isolated nation that unless there is an American voice talking we wont understand it and it won't be funny?  I think that the version on PBS is funny (and easy to understand) as-is, so why change it?
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: lily1 on July 16, 2003, 03:02:00 pm
they had to"americanize" it to show it on network tv. ie, tone it down, and probably dumb it down too. british coupling is probably too explicit for us networks, but i'm sure if showtime or hbo did a version, it'd be closer in feel to the original british version.
 
 on the topic of british tv, who else is bummed that since bravo is now owned by nbc, they didn 't buy the rights for the final season of cold feet? so unless you get it pirated or buy it on dvd and happen to have a multi region dvd player, you can't see it! bugger!
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: bungle bud on July 16, 2003, 03:12:00 pm
you will be pleased to know that the excellent bbc show The Office is also going to get a american version
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: lily1 on July 16, 2003, 03:15:00 pm
i wish i had bbc america. i've heard that the office is one of the funniest shows ever created.
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: vansmack on July 16, 2003, 03:26:00 pm
This is one of things where I'm just going to insist it never happened.  As far as I'm concerned, there never was an American version of Coupling.  There is only one Jeff, and he is British.
 
 (and even though PBS stopped running it, BBC America still plays it)
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: saco on July 16, 2003, 03:34:00 pm
The office IS indeed brilliant.   Though I am sure the American version will be awful.
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: mankie on July 16, 2003, 03:40:00 pm
Evidently, although I never saw it, the original British version of "Men behaving badly" was brilliant, but the American version was crap...which I can confirm.
 
 Three's company was also a copy of a British show called "Man about the house" with Richard Beckinsale...which was also great. Mind you the American version was also good in a pop-cult sort of way.
 
 "The Royle Family" Is the funniest show I've seen come out of Britville in a while but there's no way they could Americanize it...thank God!~
 
 
 "Absolutely Fabulous" never really did it for me to be honest.
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: lily1 on July 16, 2003, 03:43:00 pm
richard coyle...RRRREEEEOOOWWW!
 
 
Quote
Originally posted by vansmack:
   There is only one Jeff, and he is British.
 
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: kosmo vinyl on July 16, 2003, 03:45:00 pm
Quote
Originally posted by saco:
  The office IS indeed brilliant.   Though I am sure the American version will be awful.
Well here's hoping that at least it's got the british show's creator on board...
 
 and i could be wrong but isn't coupling the british version of friends?
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer on July 16, 2003, 03:59:00 pm
Has anybody seen the new version of "Degrassi Junior High"? Now there was a good show. Canadian, I believe.
 
 "My So Called Life" with Clare Danes was aloso good, but don't tell anybody I admitted to that.
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: lily1 on July 16, 2003, 04:00:00 pm
i loved degrassi junior high. pretty forwarding thinking for the late 80's. it was canadian. filmed in toronto, i think but carried by pbs in the states.
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: bungle bud on July 16, 2003, 04:06:00 pm
yes coupling is the british version of friends and that is why i have not watched it.
 yes david brent is helping out with the american version of the office.
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: vansmack on July 16, 2003, 04:09:00 pm
Quote
Originally posted by bungle bud:
  yes coupling is the british version of friends and that is why i have not watched it.
It's loosely based on a Friends concept but is 10 times better than Friends ever was in it's hay day.
 
 The American version (that isn't actually happening) will be poor in comparison because of the puritan TV standards on US network television.
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: saco on July 16, 2003, 05:42:00 pm
While I certainly agree puritan standards do have an effect, the dumbing down for the audience is much more infuriating.
 
 I can count the number of shows I usually watch on one hand; two of those are on HBO and the other two on comedy central.   Which brings me to another great british export that is starting to suck now that is has come to America, anyone else watch Trigger Happy TV?
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: G.Love on July 17, 2003, 07:27:00 am
Quote
Originally posted by vansmack:
  (and even though PBS stopped running it, BBC America still plays it)
WHAT!?!?!?!?!?
 Say it ain't so!!!!!!
 I wonder if it has to do anything with NBC buying the rights?  Stupid NBC and their must see TV!!!!
 freaking peacock!!!
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: vansmack on July 17, 2003, 12:01:00 pm
Quote
Originally posted by G.Love:
  WHAT!?!?!?!?!?
 Say it ain't so!!!!!!
 I wonder if it has to do anything with NBC buying the rights?  Stupid NBC and their must see TV!!!!
 freaking peacock!!!
Oh, it has everything to do with that cock.
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: naniwa on July 17, 2003, 12:17:00 pm
*Love* Coupling.
 
 Anyone seen A League of Gentlemen? Truly demented. http://www.bbcamerica.com/genre/comedy_games/the_league_of_gentlemen/the_league_of_gentlemen.jsp (http://www.bbcamerica.com/genre/comedy_games/the_league_of_gentlemen/the_league_of_gentlemen.jsp)
 
 Kind of like Twin Peaks in a downward spiraling abbatoir.
Title: Re: Coupling
Post by: Jaguär on July 17, 2003, 03:53:00 pm
Quote
Originally posted by lily1:
  on the topic of british tv, who else is bummed that since bravo is now owned by nbc,  
I am seriously pissed that NBC now owns Bravo which was one of the only networks on all off television that I really liked. Damn it! Get ready for nothing but Friends/Frazier/Scrubs/Seinfeld and other NBC networks reruns. The soon to be new MTV of tv land, fake ala Arts style. And then on to be the "Anything But The ArtsTV". UGH!    :mad:      :mad:      :mad: