SUPPORT 13 WEEK THEATRE ON PATREON AND GET EXCLUSIVE EARLY ACCESS: / 13week This week we discuss NBC's misbegotten attempt to adapt the BBC sitcom "Coupling" for American television.
So it was airing in America, and people in America were watching it, and NBC thought people wanted a remake. Yeah, I think they'd just watch the original.
Even a super successful BBC America show would not get the ratings a mediocre network show would. I imagine Sanford and Son and Three's Company would have failed under the same circumstance.
A great example of the TOTAL chemistry that is needed to make a successful show. The American version of the same dialogue sounds like a Disney show. If the cast were teenagers it might have worked.
Same thing happened with Man About the House/Three's Company. The latter is a crass, cynical copy of the former, but to hear some you'd think it was one of the iconic shows of the 1970's. Now just try sitting through an episode...
NBC would rebound with another popular BBC 12 episode series, The Office, which would go on to do 8 seasons. A look at the disastrous Friends spin-off Joey would be interesting to view in the near future.
I look forward to your videos! I was thrilled with the failure of this show since I had auditioned with Colin Furguson at Second City and he sabotaged my audition scene at the callback plus he was a total dick to everyone there! He seemed to think he was God's gift to the world! Yes, it's been 25 years and I'm still bitter!
The remake episodes were painful, but the originals weren't bad. Sucks that only one of them aired, but it featured a Patrick one-liner that's indelibly burned into my brain: "Oh my God, I bought myself a small penis car!" I think of that every time I see a Hummer.
I had intended to do this one in the first season of 13WT but couldn’t find my DVD-R with TiVo rips of the four aired episodes. Same thing with “quarterlife.” I recently obtained copies through... other means, so I could do them.
Coupling was already a British version of "Friends", so trying to repatriate it back to the US meant just putting on "Friends" all over again. The British show as terrific, but the humor didn't translate well back to America.
Do Inside Schwartz. It aired in the fall of 2001 on NBC. The show aired Thursday nights at 8:30 between Friends and Will and Grace. It starred Breckin Meyer before he was originally casted on Coupling.
I remember this show. It was TERRIBLE! The lack of chemistry between the characters, was AMAZING... I also remember how it was advertised. Something along the lines of "move over Friends, this series is going to know you down!" Lindsey Price and Rena Sofer were the worst part, in my opinion. When they tried to be funny, it showed... but not in a good way.
9:11- Christopher Moynihan was given a second chance by Jeff Zucker to star in another brief NBC comedy, "100 QUESTIONS" [which he also created, and served as executive producer]. It lasted 6 episodes in the summer of 2010.
When Jeff Zucker was president of NBC during the first decade of the 21st Century, he was one of the *worst* the network hired. He simply had no idea how to deal with with producers, agents, studios and talent. He ended up scheduling more reality and "game" shows than successful comedies and dramas. This was one classic example of his inability to understand what made a succcessful comedy series work- especially one originally produced in England. He ruined the network's Thursday night schedule by placing this series after "WILL & GRACE"....
If only the network had had the patience to air the Thanksgiving episode! My performance as Rena Sofer's sensitive sushi chef would have save the whole shebang. The. Whole. Shebang.
Your performance is out there. All 13 episodes aired in Sweden and the whole series can be found online with Swedish subtitles. And thanks for popping in!
@@PabSungenis Im on them all lol. Only seeing up to episode 10... Says 11 wasnt filmed. Thanks for your responce.. I know first 4 aired, 5-10 didnt, but are available. 11-13 seems unfilmed.
@@PabSungenis I was in the episode "Holiday." IMDB lists it as episode 11, but Wikipedia says it was episode #8. Have you seen all of the available episodes? Do you remember this one? Thanks. (Also, I am unable to locate the properly questionable websites ... can you give me any hints? :D)
Hey, how about doing one of the crossdressing shows: "On Our Own" or "Ask Harriet" or "Work It" or "The Ugliest Girl In Town"? Crossdressing really doesn't work on television, does it?
How about spin offs of great sitcoms, "Flo" the spin off of Alice, "Joanie loves Chachi" and Blansky's Beauties(Another Happy Days spin-off) , "Golden palace" of Golden girls. Even "the ropers"
@@Josecuevasification Thanks! There are a few select shows that lasted more than one season and yet are notorious. I plan to visit at least a couple of them in Patreon-only videos when I have enough regular episodes stockpiled to do some exclusive stuff.
The timing on the remakes was awful. It was like they were just reading the lines. And nobody can play the Jeff role. Richard Coyle was amazing. When he left Coupling in season 4, the show wasn't the same.
I thought BBC's Coupling was a decent void filler left after Friends was leaving the airways to be reruns. I will say that by the time series 4(season 4 ) came about the same time Moffat was busy with the US version it too kinda started feeling stagnant as well. I honestly think it was stretching it's self too thin(between both the US version and the BBC version) and even tho BBC shows kinda stop before they start feeling like it's old hat by that last season it had for the original as well.
I TiVo'd it when it first aired. Suspected it would not last. There are copies of all 13 out there with Swedish subtitles. It lasted longer in Europe than it did in the US.
WNDU was owned, at the time, by a Subsidiary of The University of Notre Dame, of all people, so they had religious objections too. Then again, I'm surprised anything related to Sex is considered "indecent" to religious owned stations, up too and including the concept of children. (I've worked first hand with a lot of crazy religious types.)
This makes about as much sense as remaking the Harry Potter movies line for line using American actors. It just doesn’t work. British mannerisms and British culture using American actors is a recipe for disaster
I guess that the then WB affiliate in Salt Lake city aired Coupling after WB programming and the South bend Indiana. UPN affiliate aired Coupling after WWE Smackdown
The British version of Coupling is very funny. I believe it was on the old BBC America, when that network actually showed mostly British programming and before the BBC became disgustingly woke. I think if more people knew about the show it would be as beloved as the British Office is to its fans worldwide. But unfortunately for the most part most non Brits were not familiar with the original show. Their introduction through this badly written American copy most likely soured any interest to see its original inspiration. I think the American reboot even redid a Resovoir Dogs opening homage as a desperate attempt to gain cult fans of the old show to NBC's. Most likely funnier then the new one. The only thing I remember outside of the remake deservedly being cancelled vividly was that it co-starred Lindsay Price. To this day she's a stunner man. Also very charismatic, never knew why her career never really blew up. I was just reminded now that British character actress Sonya Wagler was on the show. I think playing an American ironically. Thought she would have had a better career too. In addition a well known soap actress who seemed to be attempting a transition to primetime back then Rena Sofer was featured. I understand that NBC was trying to fill the void left from Friends ending. But in that case another show using a similar premise deserves a 12 Week deep dive which was more superior. At least closer to something like How I Met Your Mother quality, the CBS sitcom Friends With Better Lives. But let's face it unless the PC pendulum which is rumored, truly swings back, then the sitcom badly written or not in the way we've come to know and love it is dead.
I always teased that the only difference between British Coupling and Friends was that the friends on Coupling slept with each other BEFORE the series began.... So, of course, you take out everything that made the show funny and everything the BBC permitted that American TV didn't, and you wind up with Friends Very Lite. And I *hated* Friends. Truth to tell, I wasn't much of a fan of the British Coupling, but American Coupling was nothing but drek.
Unpopular opinion: the original British version of Coupling wasn't funny either (and I tried watching it at the time on BBC-A). Even then it was an obvious (and poorly done) rip-off of Friends.
Both versions were crap anyway. A brit version of Friends whih s crap, too. Brit comedy is best when its brit culture, and not placing USA culture in their shows.
So it was airing in America, and people in America were watching it, and NBC thought people wanted a remake. Yeah, I think they'd just watch the original.
But, the accents! BTW, you could say the same thing about the UK Office which also aired on BBC America.
Even a super successful BBC America show would not get the ratings a mediocre network show would.
I imagine Sanford and Son and Three's Company would have failed under the same circumstance.
A great example of the TOTAL chemistry that is needed to make a successful show. The American version of the same dialogue sounds like a Disney show. If the cast were teenagers it might have worked.
Same thing happened with Man About the House/Three's Company. The latter is a crass, cynical copy of the former, but to hear some you'd think it was one of the iconic shows of the 1970's. Now just try sitting through an episode...
@@aaronz7056 Unfortunately it WAS an iconic show of the 1970s which shows you what 1970s America was all aobut. 😁😁
NBC would rebound with another popular BBC 12 episode series, The Office, which would go on to do 8 seasons. A look at the disastrous Friends spin-off Joey would be interesting to view in the near future.
I look forward to your videos! I was thrilled with the failure of this show since I had auditioned with Colin Furguson at Second City and he sabotaged my audition scene at the callback plus he was a total dick to everyone there! He seemed to think he was God's gift to the world! Yes, it's been 25 years and I'm still bitter!
Coupling is just like Friends, but funny.
The UK version of Coupling was just like Friends, but funny.
The remake episodes were painful, but the originals weren't bad. Sucks that only one of them aired, but it featured a Patrick one-liner that's indelibly burned into my brain: "Oh my God, I bought myself a small penis car!" I think of that every time I see a Hummer.
Queer As Folk was a British show that got translated to American and worked.
I can't imagine BBC America and public television getting enough viewers to really hurt viewership
WAITED for this one. THANK YOU
I had intended to do this one in the first season of 13WT but couldn’t find my DVD-R with TiVo rips of the four aired episodes. Same thing with “quarterlife.” I recently obtained copies through... other means, so I could do them.
I remember watching the UK version of Coupling on PBS on Saturday night. I loved it and never bothered with the US version- looked dreadful
The British scenes were exterior while American was interior. I think that's what made it suffer. I mean in the pilot.
Coupling was already a British version of "Friends", so trying to repatriate it back to the US meant just putting on "Friends" all over again. The British show as terrific, but the humor didn't translate well back to America.
“Coupling” was superior to “Friends” in every way.
Do Inside Schwartz. It aired in the fall of 2001 on NBC. The show aired Thursday nights at 8:30 between Friends and Will and Grace. It starred Breckin Meyer before he was originally casted on Coupling.
Stephen Short And don’t forget Larry Dallas himself Richard Kline.
I remember this show. It was TERRIBLE! The lack of chemistry between the characters, was AMAZING... I also remember how it was advertised. Something along the lines of "move over Friends, this series is going to know you down!" Lindsey Price and Rena Sofer were the worst part, in my opinion. When they tried to be funny, it showed... but not in a good way.
9:11- Christopher Moynihan was given a second chance by Jeff Zucker to star in another brief NBC comedy, "100 QUESTIONS" [which he also created, and served as executive producer]. It lasted 6 episodes in the summer of 2010.
When Jeff Zucker was president of NBC during the first decade of the 21st Century, he was one of the *worst* the network hired. He simply had no idea how to deal with with producers, agents, studios and talent. He ended up scheduling more reality and "game" shows than successful comedies and dramas. This was one classic example of his inability to understand what made a succcessful comedy series work- especially one originally produced in England. He ruined the network's Thursday night schedule by placing this series after "WILL & GRACE"....
Am I the only one that thought that the British Sally was cute?
If only the network had had the patience to air the Thanksgiving episode! My performance as Rena Sofer's sensitive sushi chef would have save the whole shebang. The. Whole. Shebang.
Your performance is out there. All 13 episodes aired in Sweden and the whole series can be found online with Swedish subtitles. And thanks for popping in!
@@PabSungenis Wait! I was only able to find the first 10. I absolutely loved this show (Hadnt seen the british one at that time) Where can I locate?
Versions with Swedish subtitles can be found on certain “questionable” websites.
@@PabSungenis Im on them all lol. Only seeing up to episode 10... Says 11 wasnt filmed. Thanks for your responce.. I know first 4 aired, 5-10 didnt, but are available. 11-13 seems unfilmed.
@@PabSungenis I was in the episode "Holiday." IMDB lists it as episode 11, but Wikipedia says it was episode #8. Have you seen all of the available episodes? Do you remember this one? Thanks. (Also, I am unable to locate the properly questionable websites ... can you give me any hints? :D)
Hey, how about doing one of the crossdressing shows: "On Our Own" or "Ask Harriet" or "Work It" or "The Ugliest Girl In Town"? Crossdressing really doesn't work on television, does it?
How about spin offs of great sitcoms, "Flo" the spin off of Alice, "Joanie loves Chachi" and Blansky's Beauties(Another Happy Days spin-off)
, "Golden palace" of Golden girls. Even "the ropers"
Except for Blansky’s and Golden Palace, all of those shows ran two seasons.
@@PabSungenis oh, didn´t know that, i enjoy your videos, binge watching them.
@@Josecuevasification Thanks! There are a few select shows that lasted more than one season and yet are notorious. I plan to visit at least a couple of them in Patreon-only videos when I have enough regular episodes stockpiled to do some exclusive stuff.
Thanks. I may not have a huge fan base but I have a great one.
@@PabSungenis OK how about Just our Luck. Though not a Happy Days spin off they did use it to counter NBC's steamroller A-Team.
All I can say is this: Steven Moffat RIPPED OFF Friends with Coupling. He made his bed, let him lie in it.
I saw Joey was mentioned but can you also cover Christina Applegate's unfortunately failed sicoms Jessie and the even better Up All Night?
The timing on the remakes was awful. It was like they were just reading the lines.
And nobody can play the Jeff role. Richard Coyle was amazing. When he left Coupling in season 4, the show wasn't the same.
I thought BBC's Coupling was a decent void filler left after Friends was leaving the airways to be reruns. I will say that by the time series 4(season 4 ) came about the same time Moffat was busy with the US version it too kinda started feeling stagnant as well. I honestly think it was stretching it's self too thin(between both the US version and the BBC version) and even tho BBC shows kinda stop before they start feeling like it's old hat by that last season it had for the original as well.
Steven Moffat later went on to do everything he possibly could to destroy Doctor Who.
He was a huge fan of who, at least to do more so than what anyone else can do. Memorable characters in the show too.
The laugh track on the US version was very very loud.
It can't be word to word
Experiencing things in American and the UK have the same core but have different arrangements around them
They should have just aired the BBC version.
Where you get the copies for the US clips? Only the pilot is on RUclips.
I TiVo'd it when it first aired. Suspected it would not last. There are copies of all 13 out there with Swedish subtitles. It lasted longer in Europe than it did in the US.
After Friends I migrated to HBO and finished my night with Jon Stewart. Network TV was dead to me!
You think NBC would have learned from trying to adapt previous British hits like Red Dwarf and IT Crowd...
WNDU was owned, at the time, by a Subsidiary of The University of Notre Dame, of all people, so they had religious objections too. Then again, I'm surprised anything related to Sex is considered "indecent" to religious owned stations, up too and including the concept of children. (I've worked first hand with a lot of crazy religious types.)
I've seen British season 4 and wasn't impressed. But at least Breckin Meyer didn't have to be on this. He didn't need another flop.
It's like Three's Company: just a talentless carbon copy of an infinitely superior British original.
This makes about as much sense as remaking the Harry Potter movies line for line using American actors. It just doesn’t work. British mannerisms and British culture using American actors is a recipe for disaster
As would the opposite
Jeff is manic and a lot of fun. In the US adaption they made him a complete zero.
Yes. That was one of the criticisms my family and I had of the American version. Not to mention the dialogue changes made no sense.
Beanes of Boston had a great cast.
But a lousy script.
Does anyone know where to find the american version??
I guess that the then WB affiliate in Salt Lake city aired Coupling after WB programming and the South bend Indiana. UPN affiliate aired Coupling after WWE Smackdown
Exactly. In both cities the show aired at 10 pm, a half hour later than on the actual network.
NBC intervened too much.
Funny how network interference always seems to play a part in bad TV series.
A US network desiring a British copy of a hit American show . .Dumb
I never watched the British Friends knock off and I doubt I would've liked it
The British version of Coupling is very funny. I believe it was on the old BBC America, when that network actually showed mostly British programming and before the BBC became disgustingly woke. I think if more people knew about the show it would be as beloved as the British Office is to its fans worldwide. But unfortunately for the most part most non Brits were not familiar with the original show. Their introduction through this badly written American copy most likely soured any interest to see its original inspiration. I think the American reboot even redid a Resovoir Dogs opening homage as a desperate attempt to gain cult fans of the old show to NBC's. Most likely funnier then the new one. The only thing I remember outside of the remake deservedly being cancelled vividly was that it co-starred Lindsay Price. To this day she's a stunner man. Also very charismatic, never knew why her career never really blew up. I was just reminded now that British character actress Sonya Wagler was on the show. I think playing an American ironically. Thought she would have had a better career too. In addition a well known soap actress who seemed to be attempting a transition to primetime back then Rena Sofer was featured. I understand that NBC was trying to fill the void left from Friends ending. But in that case another show using a similar premise deserves a 12 Week deep dive which was more superior. At least closer to something like How I Met Your Mother quality, the CBS sitcom Friends With Better Lives. But let's face it unless the PC pendulum which is rumored, truly swings back, then the sitcom badly written or not in the way we've come to know and love it is dead.
Do an episode for NBC's disastrous 1980 version of Australia's great controversial 70s soap opera Number 96.
At least say please!
I always teased that the only difference between British Coupling and Friends was that the friends on Coupling slept with each other BEFORE the series began....
So, of course, you take out everything that made the show funny and everything the BBC permitted that American TV didn't, and you wind up with Friends Very Lite. And I *hated* Friends. Truth to tell, I wasn't much of a fan of the British Coupling, but American Coupling was nothing but drek.
Why do British TV shows always look so cheap , poorly lit, bad sets / art direction, dim lighting , bad sound , etc. etc. ??
Unpopular opinion: the original British version of Coupling wasn't funny either (and I tried watching it at the time on BBC-A). Even then it was an obvious (and poorly done) rip-off of Friends.
It seems like the British version was better
Both versions were crap anyway. A brit version of Friends whih s crap, too. Brit comedy is best when its brit culture, and not placing USA culture in their shows.
The british version is terrible too. I had friends who tried to convince me it was funny.... NOPE. Forced and contrived.
These shows always have an annoying hostility, as if they hate each other.