Coupling (U.S. TV series)
Encyclopedia
Coupling is a 2003 American
remake of the British
television sitcom of the same title
which aired on NBC
.
even ran commercials noting that they would play the original British versions on their station just after the American equivalent episodes on NBC aired, so that viewers could see instantly just how superior the original was. Miscasting and stilted delivery of a nearly identical script were believed to be the reasons for the failure, though creator Steven Moffat
claims the level of network interference was the sole reason.
The American adaptation came at a time when NBC was having success with remakes of BBC
shows, such as The Weakest Link
and Dog Eat Dog
. NBC would find success in 2005 with a remake of another BBC series, The Office
, which remains on the air in its eighth season as of October 2011.
Because of what was perceived as indecent content, two affiliates of NBC refused to air the program; KSL-TV
(Channel 5) in Salt Lake City
, and WNDU-TV
(Channel 16) in South Bend, Indiana
. Both stations were owned by religious organizations, as KSL is owned by the Bonneville International
division of the LDS Church, while WNDU was at the time owned by a subsidiary of The University of Notre Dame. In those markets, WB affiliate
KUCW
(Channel 30) and a UPN
digital subchannel
of CBS
affiliate WSBT-TV
(Channel 22), respectively, aired the series after their network's primetime lineups.
Jeff Zucker
, former President and CEO of NBCUniversal, later said of Coupling that it "just sucked".
In the fourth season of the UK series, Steve would warn others that the situations they are in are "not an American sitcom", poking fun at the American adaptation.
The original unaired pilot
starred Breckin Meyer
as Jeff, Melissa George
as Susan, and Emily Rutherfurd
as Sally.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
remake of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television sitcom of the same title
Coupling (UK TV series)
Coupling is a British television sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from May 2000 to June 2004. Produced by Hartswood Films for the BBC, the show centres on the dating and sexual adventures and mishaps of six friends in their thirties, often depicting the three women and the three...
which aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
Reception
It failed to perform in the ratings and was canceled before the November sweeps, with several episodes remaining unaired despite heavy publicity by the network. It was immediately panned as a poor imitation of the original UK series by viewers and critics. BBC AmericaBBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
even ran commercials noting that they would play the original British versions on their station just after the American equivalent episodes on NBC aired, so that viewers could see instantly just how superior the original was. Miscasting and stilted delivery of a nearly identical script were believed to be the reasons for the failure, though creator Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
claims the level of network interference was the sole reason.
The American adaptation came at a time when NBC was having success with remakes of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
shows, such as The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
and Dog Eat Dog
Dog Eat Dog (game show)
Dog Eat Dog is a Saturday night British game show on BBC One hosted by Ulrika Jonsson, which ran from 14 April 2001 to 2 November 2002. It was devised by David Young, then a BBC producer...
. NBC would find success in 2005 with a remake of another BBC series, The Office
The Office (US TV series)
The Office is an American comedy television series broadcast by NBC. An adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name, it depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company...
, which remains on the air in its eighth season as of October 2011.
Because of what was perceived as indecent content, two affiliates of NBC refused to air the program; KSL-TV
KSL-TV
KSL-TV, virtual channel 5, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. KSL-TV is owned by Bonneville International Corporation, which is in turn owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(Channel 5) in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, and WNDU-TV
WNDU-TV
WNDU-TV is a television station in South Bend, Indiana. The station is an affiliate of the NBC television network. Its transmitter is located in South Bend. WNDU-TV broadcasts in HDTV on Channel 42, additionally simulcasting a local Doppler radar image...
(Channel 16) in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. Both stations were owned by religious organizations, as KSL is owned by the Bonneville International
Bonneville International
Bonneville International Corporation is a broadcasting company wholly owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through its for-profit arm, Deseret Management Corporation...
division of the LDS Church, while WNDU was at the time owned by a subsidiary of The University of Notre Dame. In those markets, WB affiliate
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
KUCW
KUCW
KUCW is the CW-afifliated television station for the state of Utah that is licensed to Ogden. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter on Farnsworth Peak. Owned by High Plains Broadcasting, the station is operated through joint sales and shared services...
(Channel 30) and a UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate WSBT-TV
WSBT-TV
WSBT-TV, channel 22 is a television station in South Bend, Indiana. WSBT is the flagship television station of Schurz Communications, and is an affiliate of the CBS television network. It's studios are located in Mishawaka. Its transmitter is located in South Bend.-Early broadcasting:WSBT-TV first...
(Channel 22), respectively, aired the series after their network's primetime lineups.
Jeff Zucker
Jeff Zucker
Jeffrey "Jeff" Zucker is an American television executive and former President and CEO of NBCUniversal.-Personal life:Zucker was born to Jewish-American parents in Homestead, Florida, near Miami. His father was a cardiologist, and his mother, Arlene, was a school teacher...
, former President and CEO of NBCUniversal, later said of Coupling that it "just sucked".
In the fourth season of the UK series, Steve would warn others that the situations they are in are "not an American sitcom", poking fun at the American adaptation.
Cast
- Jay HarringtonJay HarringtonJay H. Harrington III is an American actor. His most recent role was the title character in the ABC sitcom Better Off Ted.- Personal life :...
as Steve Taylor - Lindsay Price as Jane Honda
- Rena SoferRena SoferRena Sherel Sofer is an American actress, primarily known for her appearances in daytime television, episodic guest appearances, and made-for-television movies...
as Susan Freeman - Sonya WalgerSonya WalgerSonya Walger is an English actress known for her roles in the ABC series Lost as Penelope "Penny" Widmore, and as Olivia Benford on ABC's FlashForward.-Education:...
as Sally Harper - Colin FergusonColin Ferguson (actor)Colin Ferguson is a Canadian actor. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, and is a graduate of Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario and McGill University in Montreal....
as Patrick Maitland - Christopher MoynihanChristopher MoynihanChristopher "Chris" Moynihan is an American actor, writer and comedian. He is the creator and lead actor of the 2011 ABC sitcom Man Up!.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Jeff Clancy
Episodes
| Ep# | Production Number |
Original Airdate |
Episode Title | Based On UK Episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown | Unaired | Pilot | Inferno |
| 2 | 101 | Sep 25, 2003 | The Right One | Flushed |
| 3 | 102 | Oct 2, 2003 | Size Matters | Size Matters |
| 4 | 103 | Oct 9, 2003 | Sex, Death & Nudity | Sex, Death & Nudity |
| 5 | 104 | Unaired | Present Tense | |
| 6 | 105 | Unaired | A Foreign Affair | The Girl With Two Breasts |
| 7 | 106 | Oct 23, 2003 | Check/Mate | |
| 8 | 107 | Unaired | Nipple Effect | |
| 9 | 108 | Unaired | Dressed | Dressed |
| 10 | 109 | Unaired | Object Lessons | |
| 11 | 110 | Unaired | Holiday |
The original unaired pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
starred Breckin Meyer
Breckin Meyer
-Early life:Meyer was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Dorothy Ann , a travel agent and former microbiologist, and Christopher William Meyer, a management consultant. As a child of divorced parents, he lived in California, Texas, West Virginia and New Jersey. He has an older brother,...
as Jeff, Melissa George
Melissa George
Melissa Suzanne George is an Australian film and television actress who has worked in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Melissa is perhaps best known for her role as Angel Parrish on the Australian soap opera Home and Away...
as Susan, and Emily Rutherfurd
Emily Rutherfurd
Emily Rutherfurd is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Christine "New Christine" Hunter on The New Adventures of Old Christine.-Personal life:...
as Sally.