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From: sinner22679
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  • There was a US Coupling?

  • uk+1 :)

    

  • There are a few successes:Being Human, Gladiators(American Gladiators), Queer as Folk, Strictly Come Dancing(Dancing with the Stars), Top Gear, Undercover Boss, What Not to Wear. There are talks to remake The Vicar of Dibley with Kirstie Alley. Calling it The Minister of Divine.

  • Why do americans feel the need to remake shows which are originally broadcast in the same language they stole? I know why, to take all of the humour out of it.

  • @AlexRich20 as an American who prefers British versions, I think I can explain this one.there is a bit of a culture barrier that some American's can't get through. On Coupling, for instance, there is a lot of emphasis on "stockings," which is not the term we use in America. The same goes for Tory's, instead of Republicans, and hardly any American's know who Mariella Frostrupp is. By making an American version, it's more accessible to the American's that don't know as much about British Culture.

  • @youliedanyway Still, if these two versions show anything is that there is more things lost in the translation than those little expressions. It's the humour itself that is lost in the delivery. The only concession I'd say actually worked was The Office, and even then, they rewrote a lot from the ground up (they eased on a lot of the "cruelty" of the original) and it was funny for the first season or so.

  • @thegrimner No, I agree that most American versions aren't nearly as funny. I'm just explaining why we do it. It's actually remarkable how many words and colloquialisms are different from America to Britain (I'm a dialect coach). As the commenter above was asking why Americans remake a show that is in the same language, I am simply suggesting that these shows are, in a sense, in a different language, because the terms and colloquial phrases vary so greatly from each country.

  • sanford and son was a copy of a british show called "steptoe and son"..

  • I'm American, and proud to be one and will die with a flag on my tomb. Yet, there are times that I think we do stupid stuff. As people say, we are capable of producing funny shows and we do it all the time (look at the Chappelle Show). However, the U.K version of this show was just one of the funniest shows I have ever seen in my life. I don't know what the hell we were thinking.

  • Why the fuck must Yankees always have their own version of things? Pathetic wankers.

  • i had no idea there was an american version... :/

  • I've honestly never understood why- when Americans are perfectly capable of producing their own amazing comedies- they always nick ours and remake them. It's surely a waste of talent when something new and interesting can be created instead and the original just shown.

  • WTF IS THIS ???? UK coupling FTW!

  • UK for the win

  • US version wasnt too bad but the UK version is still better. American actors uses expressions and actions to draw the crowd's laughters, whereas British actors uses the play of words. Coupling's scripts were originally from Britain, therefore the American actors will never be able to get it right. They tried too hard with silly actions. If you notice, the British actors used their actions to the minimum, the emphasis was on their speech. And that's what its all about with British comedies.

  • @fruitcakeasylum I think you're bloody right, sir/miss.

  • @macafu miss :D thanks for verifying it. hahas

  • @fruitcakeasylum My pleasure, hahaha

  • @fruitcakeasylum the acting in the british version is actually more subtle (unless you're using Jack's monologues as a counter example). Acting nervous, insecure, or inept is actually a play on the details. It's not about big gestures. Saying that it's all script is, I think, is not giving the actors enough credit. Of course the script and wonderful directing job is all adding up to it.

  • @WilfriedAnonymo That was what i mean! Their acting is very subtle and not about big gestures at all.

  • I didn't realize it was possible to screw up anything of Steven Moffat's... This is almost as bad as the US version of The Office

  • Way to abuse a laugh track, Coupling...

  • Fact is,without UK comedy.....USA has nothing good to laugh about much.lol. We had some good ones but not as classic as yours.AANd keep Graham Norton going,lol. I laugh my butt off when I watch his shows.The red chair is awesome.lol

  • @thunderdell369

    We had some good ones...? WTF are you on about? The US has had plenty of classic tv shows. Cheers, Night Court, Seinfeld, Friends, Wings, Married With Children, Home Improvement, All In The Family, MASH, the Cosby Show, Sanford and Son, Gilligan's Island... They're classics. The list goes on. So I don't know wtf are you on about. Either you're ignorant and have forgotten, or too young to have seen. And for the record, Tyler Perry's shyte sucks. Not funny, never was.

  • @ikill4klondikebars F-troop was one of my favorites,thanks for reminding me of some of the old favorites in u.s. We still mess up british comedy when we try to copy it.We each have our own styles of good comedy and I think should stay that way,lol.couplings was as good as any of those shows u mentioned to me accept:sanford,gilligan's, night court, & home improvement,mash.They were greats. also 3-stooges,abott and cost.,laurel and hardy.Maybe i'm too old and forgot,lol

  • @ikill4klondikebars All in the Family = Till Death Us Do Part (BBC original). Sanford and Son = Steptoe and Son (BBC original)...

    I'll grant you Cheers, Home Improvement, MASH (before Alda was exec director). Then again,I'm sure there was a Brit original format that was remade into Cosby Show... maybe another Galton&Simpson one?

  • @alcockell The 2nd Cosby show that ran 4 years--just called Cosby--was based from a British show called One Foot in the Grave.

  • The girl in UK version seems more flirty and smiles while US one seems to be snobby.Wow,they are true to form,lol. Jeff was awesome,just got little ackward at end when he came back as a girl in last episode I think,right?Wish he would have came back,but even with him not being there the character was still in perfect form as a woman... which was scary to me.lol.Pleeeease don't stop making great comedy like monty python,faulty towers,Benny hill, and Black adder.Thank you

  • us version sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • wow our version really sucked! :(

  • Dear God! UK soooo much better!

  • omg..... poeple in US. if you were watching the us version. my goodd it sucks!! i never knew a usa version existed.

  • Every time I watched the US version I thought the actors were trying to play the actors playing the characters from the UK version.

    It just goes to show how important direction and acting are to great writing. Steven Moffat is a great writer, and the US cast butchered it. Unforgivable.

  • I'm from US and gotta say,sorry UK Jeff is better,lol. UK makes the great comedy and US just messes it up.lol.

  • @thunderdell369 and here is the proof, the UK jeff is and always will be the best.

  • Oh dear ... the US version is crap!!! Well, they gotta copy everything, don´t they? The same with "The Office" and many other movies and series ... original still is the best!

  • Almost as bad as the US version of Red Dwarf

  • @no1mafiaman oh no, they took that too did they?

  • Sad part, they used the same script but the humor is different and it's hard to get American actors that are good at British comedy.

  • They made a US version?!

  • Even an african or japanese version would be more hillarious then this american crap...

    Nothing can beat the original Couplings.

  • why would they even make a US version? it was perfect with the UK version! D:

  • is there anything good about the us version? yuck!

  • I can´t stand the american version of "Coupling"... but I like the show "How I met your mother" though...

  • I don't mean to offend anyone but UK comedy is far better. It's what we do best.

  • I watched the US version before I knew that there was a UK version and I didn't get the US version at all. I didn't like the UK version at first but I turned out to love it so......

  • no. just no. if you never saw the original, the US might be funny, but it has nothing on the UK Coupling.

  • Did the laugh track on the US version start before he even finished the joke?

  • Thing is though the writer (Steven Moffat) of the UK version was an executive producer, I think its the bad acting that ruined it.

  • How I Met Your Mother is the real US version of Coupling; and it's not at all bad. The trouble with the US Coupling was that they never really tried to make it their own (then again; if you look at the US version of Teachers that might not be a bad thing). 100 Questions (also not great, but better) has a lot of obvious similarities to Coupling (including US-Jeff as part of the cast).

  • God, it's like they just did exactly the same show but transplanted US actors in it. What a waste of time and money.

  • ok im american and i love the uk version it is so much better

    dont hate us because most americans like the uk version

  • U.K. coupling is the best the americans just copied it

  • It's funny how the UK and the US version took the same script, and in the UK it was funny, while in America it was stupid. Probably because "Jeff" thought he was on Friends.

  • they have seeeriously overdone the laughter on the us version..

  • There's no point immitating the legendary Jeff.

  • ok...first, I dont want the rest of the world to try to blame all us Americans for what we all see clearly in this clip.

    Clearly the show that was re-worked for viewers in America is about the crappiest thing ever made....

    BUT, lets remember that the reason they even tried to re-make the show is that millions of Americans fell in love with the original version....

    It not all our fault this 2nd crap made it on film....

  • @AlanMolstad I will still blame you americans for having people that suck at life...

  • @FearRain fine.....but as for this video, I just want to make it clear to all that us Americans by and large find the newer American version of the great English show to be very sad.....

    The classic Coupling was not in need to being "improved"

  • US jeff sucks ass

  • @themunster everything in the us version coupling sucks

  • No contest, UK version the original and best. The cast of the UK version had such brilliant chemistry and comedial(?) timing. The writing of course was UK, that says it all.

  • Jeff > fakejeff

  • on behalf of America i apologize for the US version of Coupling. No one can replace Richard Coyle as Jeff. Not sure why they made a US version since half the stuff that made Cupling great America can't pull off.

  • Us version sux....why they do that?

  • @SahalafidN They can't stand ANYONE doing something better than themselves. They are so inward looking that they think that if they show something from abroad it is somehow under mining their constitution. Advertisers think that they will be seen as Unamerican (crime worse than genocide) if they endorse a foreign made anything. They even took a WW2 submarine episode where a British sub was heroic and changed it to a US sub!!! The gall of it, rewriting history, god forgive them.

  • US ruined the coupling they ruined Taxi basicly they messed up ewry european movie even the F117 isn`t invisible in Europe believe me i`m from Serbia we took one down

  • The US version looks forced to me. It's a different humor style and in some ways, I like British comedy better.

  • uk version was so much better. maybe it was because the us version just rehashed all the scenes with less funny characters

  • The UK version is better!!

    THE OFFICE is BETTER than the one in USA (btw)

  • @IbizaRepublice UK one is better.

    The US Office is better. But the UK one is still funny.

  • @Nabroleon

    Nope, sorry sir!! The UK is way funnier in every aspect. US can't even come up with good shows, that's why they have to go and copy the UK!!!! British comedy is awesome!

  • In the US version, Colin Ferguson was a really good Patrick. And I thought Lindsay Price was decent as Jane too. In fact I daresay those two were better than the original UK cast. At least as far as acceptability to a US audience.

    However, the other 4 were made much worse. Especially Jeff, as demonstrated here. Jeff is supposed to be quirky and awkward, which Richard Coyle captured perfectly. The US actor (Christopher Moynihan) was totally wrong for the role, and ruined the character.

  • @notme222 nah dude i say gina is a better jane. i can agree with colin a lil. ben is cool.

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  • I resent that. I'm American and I AM JEFF!

  • @Jonstern1983

    on film not i real life

  • @someguywithvideos

    I agree

  • U.K. version is the best!!!

  • U.S. version was sad and full of bad actors.

  • NBC thought it would be a perfect idea to remake one of the best British comedies...WELL THEY WERE BLOODY WRONG!!!!

  • UK Coupling = the best

    Coupling doesn't get any better than Jeff, it's a shame he wasn't around in series 4, BUT SERIES 4 WAS STILL FUNNY, it had great writing.

    US Office = the best

    RIcky Gervais' office was funny, but I thought it was too embarrassing to watch. To me Steve Carell pulls off being an idiot in a funnier way than Ricky Gervais.

  • @Leewise1 How can you pick the US Office over the Office? Your reason against the original is the entire point, It's supposed to be embarrassing humour.

    The US version might as well have an entirely new name and say it was inspired by the Office.

  • @GaiashKetoji

    i like the uk version

    the us one is stupid

  • @Leewise1 I agree about UK Coupling being better, the US version was doomed from the start, it would never have worked. US/UK office I like them both, the UK office did look more like a real documentary but Steve Carell is great as the boss. David Brent and Michael Scott are both really unlikeable people in their own way.

  • I agree also I prefer Jim to Tim...

    Jim: nice guy, likes to have fun with people, only serious when things effect him personally, great chemistry with his female costar.

    Tim: average guy, likes to belittle people, mostly serious, but with a few moments of fun, little to no chemistry with his female costar.

  • Not all the actor's fault, poor fake laughs placement too.

  • partially that, but there was also the piss poor delivery of the line. With Jeff it felt like what he meant to say was something like, is that a good book? With American guy pretending to be Jeff it sounded like he meant to say something like, I'm surprised that you can actually read.

    It's the difference between being an idiot and an ass hole. An idiot means to say something nice, but it comes out wrong, an ass hole means to say something mean and wants you to take it as a compliment

  • Jeff is better from the UK

  • Comment removed

  • omg the US acting was horrendous.what fn american is that retarded? its the actor fault .its no wonder yull never see him again.

  • The acting in that little bit of coupling us seemed really forced, like he was reading something. It seemed unnatural at best

  • Uk coupling is better than US better actors I think!

    now Us office is way better than Uk office!!!

  • Why do they sell their rights to these assholes? It just ruined the show. The UK version will always be the best. As well as in The Office. Why do they do this? It's just so damn painful to watch lol

  • @Duvessa7  its all about the money.

  • Well, the US Office is pretty damn funny - as for the US version of this; it was destined to never work out. The original is way to perverse to translate to American television.

  • HeyJaw you said "The original is way to perverse to translate to American television." And im not tryin to pick a fight but this show the original British verison of Coupling aired on television well before the American version, the edited only swear words but nothin was left out as far as subject matter. The studio who did the American version must have felt that a show about Brits wouldnt work as well in America. Though they should have just played the original show rather then reinvent it.

  • @Duvessa7

    i agree.

    ricky gervais is brilliant.

  • I didn't even know there was a US one.

    It looks terrible.

  • The English version will always be better than the US version. Same goes for the office.

  • @TheJaded

    the british have better actors and a better sence of humor thats my opinion

  • i suppose america is too stupid to enjoy quality comedy, so they have to lessen the standards for them to watch a series...

    This is a crime UK coupling is the best series that has been, is and always wil be there

  • Yeah, and the girl in UK's version was much more beautiful.

  • Bollocks!

  • US Coupling is terrible, it's not funny at all, it just feels awkward watching it. The UK version on the other hand is absolutely brilliant.

    The actor playing Jeff in the US version is not funny at all, he's completely different from UK Jeff who is probably the best on the show.

  • no way steve is the best or have you forgotten lesbian spank inferno

  • @gunseng2

    the uk jeff is confused and funny

    the us one is an asshole and insulting

  • America really needs to stop messing with UK tv-show. The should come up with their own ideas, or air the the uk orignals on BBCAmerica.

  • As I understand it they have to make a US version because they can't show the UK version on broadcast (terrestrial) tv due to censors, they show the UK version on BBC America, and I agree that the UK version is lightyears better than the US version.

  • This is not right! Coupling is flawless genius, why change it? I can't beleive they made a US version! (I'm from the UK so I'm biased but even so!) How can you have Jeff without a welsh accent?!!

  • @mousesandwich

    I agree the us one stinks

  • I wish they would do more seasons! UK version I mean.....US version is weird watching....

  • @unshutoptic1

    yes me too

  • us version is sucks!

  • nice english idiot

    and the english version is better than the us version

  • US Jeff looks like a retarded idiot and probably is too :-) UK Jeff is very funny!

  • Im African-American and I think this US version sucks.

    I watch the original versions reruns on the BBC "on-demand" channel.

    They shouldnt have made this half assed attempt, anyway as u can see it didnt last

  • How did they ever think this was going to work out in the US? Should have kept it in the UK. It was much funnier.

  • british one is funnier american one you don't get much difference in acting

  • Oh, I miss this show! The British one, of course.

  • why does the us have to make their own versions of everything they did it with red dwarf the office and now this and there all shit (actually the american office was alright but still) its like their going "noooooooooooooo it r not amricn IT MUST BE CLENSED

  • UK Jeff is sooo much better than US Jeff.

  • I think it' s because if they don't make their own and broadcast UK versions, Americans will probably start watching European shows instead, and won't watch American ones anymore....

  • OMG i can't believe there's a US VERSION. that SUXS! JEFF is sooo MUCH hotter in the UK version.

  • Why couldn't they just broadcast the UK version?

    UK accents are that offensive to US networks?

    The US BUTCHERED Life on Mars into a shitty starsky clone (wtf)

    and coupling has become mediocre...

  • hahhahaha UK Jess is the funniest!

    Us one not at all...

  • It seems that, on american television, you can hardly broadcast foreign tv shows...even when they are shot in english.

    Lack of open-mindedness?

    Too bad for those who only saw the US version: they really missed something because Coupling US is truly a disaster.

    Come on guys: Richard Coyle is irreplaceable

  • oh my god, how do you even get the idea? how often do remakes work, i ask you?

    the uk version rules, the us version is just sad.

  • totally agree

    and im in the US...

  • Whyyyyy would they make an American version?

  • my god, americans surely know how to fuck up things. From Iraq to good brittish sitcoms, they all screwed it up

  • I am American, but I thank God that I somehow missed the American adaptation of this show. I knew of it's existence because the UK version was (briefly) carried on public television, and I caught one episode (the one with the dildo modelled after Patrick that Steve accidentally gave to Susan's parents).

    Recently I watched the entire UK show on Netflix, and if this little clip is any indicator, no wonder Steven Moffat was so disgusted with his experience with NBC.

  • absolutelly i prefer coupling UK, american Jeff is so so so dump, he´s no funny, i don´t like him.

    UK rules!!!!!

  • This is an example of "political correctness" taking over U.S. television... can't say something slightly demeaning about a woman without making the man look as dumb as Homer Simpson.

    I give the Americanization a -1.

  • Besides, remember it was an Israeli woman...

  • the US version just sucked!!!

  • Us Jeff is simple just tryin too hard! Urk!

    Uk (Y) :-)

  • obviously seeing the same joke for the second time will not be as funny for those of us who have seen the British series, but for those Americans who dint have the opportunity to see the British one, this one was prob somewhat funny to them.

  • Awful! No wonder why it lasted so short In the U.S., God Awful! Was it a Brit trying to "dumb it down" for us? Steve Moffat needs to watch more Seinfeld before attempting another TV show across the pond. If it was a U.S. mistake...no excuse! Go right to the execution! Besides no way to imporve the U.K. version, it was perfect.

  • See my previous post... Moffat wasn't trying to dumb it down; NBC was interfering with production decisions in an attempt to pacify several affiliates (that were owned by religious organizations) who refused to carry the show.

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  • you cannot beat Richard Coyle!!! Coupling UK, no question!

  • I agree completely!

  • Oh dear! One word: Gutted!

  • Ohh my god no.

    UK UK UK ALL THE WAY

    Geoff/Jeff, who cares, is WAYYY better in UK,, awesome accent ;)

  • UK all the way

  • Coupling UK wins!! Funniest comedy ever made!!

    That is my vote from Dallas, TX.

  • UK > US.

  • cringe

  • UK UK UK UK

  • i love the original...

    COUPLING UK!!!

    there's no doubt

    i like the us productions, but i really love this version... i like the humour and all.. i mean the UK version it's better...

    that's it!!!

  • They have a US version? It seems horrible. Why would they bother?

  • it only lasted 3 eps lol

  • If they wanted to watch the same exact plot and story that worked, why would they remake it??? And then remake it HORRIBLY! Bad acting. OVER acting, bad casting, bad directing. It's like they really tried to capture the magic of the BBC version and then added a flavor called.. what's the word? Oh, crap. That's it.

  • Trying to recreate the pure gold that is British humour by slapping it in America with Americans leads only to failure.

    You want to laugh at British comedy?, watch British comedy.

  • It worked pretty well for Three's Company / Man About The House. Seems to be working for The Office as well.

  • funniest shows.

    1. Coupling

    2. Fawlty Towers

    3. Seinfeld

    4. Family Guy

  • Please The Simpsons beats Family Guy any day:) I have to give you applaus for remembering Fawlty Towers, too few people recognize the billiance acting of Cleese in that serie.

  • Titus should be on that list too the best show right after coupling

  • Futurama kicks both Family Guy and The Simpsons asses.

  • US version was god awful. I remember when NBC was hyping it as the replacement for friends. Lasted 4 episodes I think. We can't make good versions of UK shows. The UK Office is better as well. US is good UK is great.

    But if you guys think this clip was bad. You should try and find the US version of Fawlty Towers with Bea Arthur. Yes the same Bea Arthur from Maude & the Golden Girls.

    Called "Amanda's" 1983. That was torture. The UN prohibits it's showing to detainees.

  • umm ok there's no competition. UK UK UK UK!!!

  • someone needs to hit the moron who let it be made in the US

  • I watched the US version when it came out, I really thought it would be as funny as the original, but it sucked balls!!! This clip shows exactly the difference. UK's Jeff seems real with his trademark nervousness, most of the guys can relate to. The US Jeff seems fake and over acting with bad delivery. I call it Friends syndrome. I hope in the future they don't mess with what was the best, and just keep it as is.

  • And to whoever said: "We miscast actors because they're better looking." Heretic bastard! Sarah Alexander is an angel compared to Rena Sofer!

  • us version sucked ass. no wonder why they cancelled it so fast.

  • pardon, welsh accent

  • The UK Jeff makes me laugh - even with just this one line!. This US ... guy (I refuse to call him Jeff) makes me want to run away from my computer (screaming).

  • i've only ever seen the uk version... why remake it? i love the uk jeff!!!!!! with his scottish accent and all, too funny

  • I hope you're joking cos thats the funniest Welsh accent he's got "Brilliant"

    American one looks Gay!!!

  • It was remade because of American censorship. They say things like "shit" and "for christ's sake" in the UK version that people would flip out over and bitch about over here, rather than taking it for the hilarious bliss that it really is.

    Never understood how the world's largest porn distributor could get so upset over a little swearing, but that's just me I guess.

  • I will never understand why tv can't just show the ORIGINAL versions here in America. Why must we remake every good foreign show? UK Coupling was amzing, US Coupling made me ashamed. I love British humor, I love American humor(well, classic American humor). I hate Americans trying to do British humor. It just fails.

  • There's an American version of COUPLING now? Jeez... that's *horrible*!