TV: Coupling Seasons 1-4 (COM)

Netflix recommended the BBC sitcom Coupling since I'm a huge fan of Friends. Despite the similar setup (three women and three men meeting regularly in a bar to chat), Coupling is very different but every bit as funny; maybe funnier, if you count the number of laugh-out-loud moments per episode.

The story hinges on Susan and Steve, who begin dating the very first episode even though Steve hasn't quite finished dumping Jane. Susan's most recent boyfriend is Patrick, who is interested in Susan's best friend Sally. Steve's best friend Jeff works with Susan; Jeff and Susan tried dating once, but it didn't work out.

These characters are in their thirties. Jane and Sally are paranoid about being unmarried. Patrick is a shameless womanizer. Jeff blurts out insane things when talking to (or about) women and is easily the funniest character here. Steve and Susan are probably the most "normal," although Steve occasionally rants about everything from sofa cushions to men's need for bathroom locks. All of these characters give a humorous look at the differences between men and women, and identical events are often shown through the men's and women's point of view with very different results.

If Friends is rated PG-13, Coupling rates an R, with many more adult situations and the occasional (but not overused) Very Bad Word. These shows remain laugh-out-loud funny even after repeated viewings. (After renting each season from Netflix this January, my husband and I promptly bought the entire four-season boxed set.) Highly recommended! Grade: A+

Quotes:

SUSAN: It’s always scary when you see that final corner approaching. You’re thinking: did I touch his thigh often enough? Did I stare at his mouth long enough? Did I flick my hair too much? I used to over-flick. So easy to cross the line between suggesting flirtatious and approachable and suggesting there’s something living in your ear.

PATRICK: You can’t prevent death with face cream.
SALLY: Yeah? That’s what everyone thinks, but no one’s ever used it in the quantities I do.

SALLY (to Patrick): I don’t need you to think of me as "a person"-- I have women for that.

JANE: I’ve always wanted to date a gynecologist. I want to know I’m special.

JANE: Friendship (with a man) is more lasting than love, and more legal than stalking.

STEVE: When man invented fire, he didn’t say, "Hey, let's cook," he said, "Great, now we can see naked bottoms in the dark."

STEVE: It’s not genetically possible for men to have opinions about fabric.

PATRICK: I don’t have an agenda. That’s a bit offensive, actually. I’m perfectly capable of being friends with a woman without any kind of agenda.
STEVE: For how long?
PATRICK: As long as it takes.

JEFF: Rule one of playing it cool... only smile at her face.

JEFF: Men are not people--we are disgustoids in human form.

JEFF: I'm always this nervous; you're just closer, you can see it better.

JEFF: Women remember, Steve. It's like they've got minds of their own.

(Information about Richard Coyle's "Best Half-Hour Actor" Award for playing the role of Jeff Murdoch can be found here; information about his other works can be found here)