本剧集是BBC 2台2000年正式推出的以青年人为题材和对象的系列情景喜剧创意和编剧均由Steven Moffat一人担当三男三女的主要人物构成很容易使人联想到当时正走红其实已经在走下坡路的Friends因此很有不少根本没看过本剧的媒体人士和评论家想当然地将本剧称作英版的Friends而在那些有幸欣赏过本剧的观众们看来Coupling在情节设定人物表演喜剧元素的设计和表现等诸多方面所达到的水平要比Friends高几个档次相比之下Friends只能说是一部业余水平的好作品而已当然总体来说英剧的水准本身就高于美剧这和英剧注意保持创意编剧一体化是分不开的美剧的创意一般也就为最初几集编剧以后主要的编剧工作都是由其它编剧根据最初的角色设定来自由发挥编剧队伍的构成也是不断变化老的走新的来造成美剧情节连贯性差甚至前后矛盾故事往往缺乏深度人物性格平面化缺少发展这都是题外话了
Coupling的主要人物包括优柔寡断性格不成熟的帅哥SteveSteve的莫逆之交举止语言古怪总也找不到女友的Jeff头脑简单外表性感的donkey Patrick三位对Porn特别是lesbian porn非常热中的男士以及Steve的前女友神神叨叨擅用性感作武器的JaneSteve的继任女友Jeff的同事曾经非常不羁包括和Jeff还有Patrick过的SusanSusan的莫逆对衰老和肥胖极度敏感的美容师Sally三位女士在第一集中Steve决定再次和女友Jane分手结果却被Jane三言两语引诱到洗手间亲热；Patrick想把和Susan的关系再进一步却被告知根本不存在什么关系； Susan在洗手间碰到匆忙出来买Durex的Steve向他表示好感两人订下约会以后Steve钻进隔间继续……本剧的主线包括Steve和 Susan之间逐渐正式起来的关系Jeff寻找艳遇过程中的种种意外以及后来和上司发展出来的一段关系Patrick和Sally之间若有若无到若即若离再到情深难舍的感情发展还有Jane在事业和异性关系中的各种奇事等等
本剧在情节设计中所达到的精致和完美程度让人叹为观止而六位当时并不算大明星的青年演员的所展现精湛演技更是具有顶尖演员的水平无怪乎播出之后立刻走红大洋两岸在IMDBAMAZON和BBC网站可以领略到其受欢迎的程度2002年底3播毕故事情节基本告一段落美国NBC看到这部英版Friends在英美两地均广受欢迎觉得正好可以搬来做2004年终于要关张的Friends的接班人于是2003年大张旗鼓地决定翻拍美版Coupling美国的fans本来以为这是件好事没想到NBC的翻拍愚蠢地采用了全台词照搬的方法虽然个人没看过不过也可以想象到有多恶心结果只播出一集Pilot就因为骂声太大而整个计划搁浅这点上美国佬是值得学习的不象中国有些搞影视的骂声越大越要上在这里http//wwwnbccom/Coupling/可以看到这个计划的尸体还有一些彻底走了味儿的剧照
2003年底本剧获得英国喜剧奖BCA最佳电视喜剧奖BBC已经在2004年正式开拍并播出4不过Jeff这个人物将不再出现而代之以新角色经营SciFi书店的Oliver由Richard Mylan扮演从已经播出的几集来看应该说在更换主要角色之一的背景下基本保持了前3季的水准但是同时也流露出对前3季中成功情节进行拷贝的迹象希望这仅仅是偶然
Two#39s company, three#39s a crowd so what do you do with six, On average, men and women think about sex every six seconds Shorten that to every second, and you#39ve got Coupling It#39s more than just a one night stand
When a couple gets together, it#39s never just the two of them they also bring baggage and Susan Sarah Alexander and Steve Jack Davenport are no exception Their baggage is a crowd of best friends and exes who talk about all aspects of sex and relationships on their neverending quest to find true love Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps
Susan Walker is a beautiful gogetter with an uninhibited attitude who used to date Patrick Maitland Ben Miles, the sextet#39s charismatic, cocky player, London#39s king of conquests a guy who#39s just too cool to worry about being smart Attractive Sally Harper Kate Isitt is a beauty therapist who is Susan#39s unashamedly vain best friend, who aggressively battles aging with heavy doses of moisturizer and men including Patrick
Meanwhile, Steve Taylor, while getting together with Susan, can#39t seem to shake loose from his vivacious and slightly vacuous exgirlfriend Jane Christie Gina Bellman, a woman supremely confident in her ability to seduce anyone of either sex, and who refuses to be dumped unless she#39s the one doing the dumping Jeff Murdoch Richard Coyle is Steve#39s quotporn buddyquot who is, in equal parts, obsessed and bewildered by actual sex charming in his way, but with an uncanny ability to say the wrong thing at the worst possible time He works in the same office as Susan, with whom he had a disastrous and unsuccessful onenight fling
Coupling has been honoured with the prestigious Silver Rose of Montreux, Best TV版 Comedy Award, and is recent winner at the 2003 British Comedy Awards
With a new guy on the scene, a baby on the way, commitment in the air, and love on the horizon, the dynamics of the six friends are definitely changing
At the end of last season Susan and Steve discovered they were pregnant well, mostly Susan, confirmed bachelor Patrick and Sally finally admitted their true feelings for each other, and poor Jane was left on her own, once again
But it#39s not all doom and gloom for Jane As the new season opens, things are looking up There#39s this guy called Oliver, who has his eye on her Is it possible that lifetime loser in love Oliver might just get somewhere with lifetime loser in love Jane, Trouble is, his apartment is a little quotuneditedquot and his living room has lost the battle with magazine nudity
Susan and Steve are now well and truly an item So why is he dreaming about being executed by a fetus with an axe,
Meanwhile Sally and Patrick are settling into their new relationship But since the dawn of time, men and women have been falling in love and men have been trying to get home straight afterwards Can fallen playboy Patrick ever find his way back from the enchanted glade of his one true love and get a decent night#39s sleep,
