MovieChat Forums > Coupling (2003) Discussion > Why wasn't this show a success?

Why wasn't this show a success?

posted 20 years ago by matteaton81
3 replies | jump to latest

I remember watching a couple of episodes of this show back when it premiered in September '03. I cannot figure out why it wasn't a hit. You had six gorgeous people (half men and half women, of course) obsessed with sex and trying to make every situation they encountered somehow related to sex. Plus, most of their jokes were funny (though not terribly original). I guessed this show would be an instant hit.

Was its premise too much like that of "Friends", which was still on the air at the time?

[–] barneygumble742 20 years ago

it was more like a mix of seinfeld and friends. though its an unfair comparisan. i think the show didn't work because it was compared to the original in britain. i saw all the original episodes and even all the episodes of this awful show.

IMHO...the people were too sexy and the delivery of the jokes sucked. not to mention that rena sofer is a female ted mcginley and the asian looking chic was annoying as hell.

i'm sure if they had a different cast and scripts that are original (not EXACTLY the same as the one in the uk), then it might've worked for atleast half a season.

---
Homer: I'm not normally a religious man, but if you're up there, save me, Superman!

[–] Victim_Of_Fate 20 years ago

I don't think it was down to comparisons with the UK version - most people wouldn't have even realised that there was a British version. It was more to do with the acting. Ironically, despite her sharkjumping tendencies, I don't think Rena Sofer was the problem, neither was the woman playing Jane - she's supposed to be annoying. I think it was the guys who let the side down, particularly Jay Harrington. I'm sure he's a decent actor, but he seemed to be doing a bad Jack Davenport impression.

The fact that you have the right to do a thing does not make it the right thing to do

[–] slittle2 20 years ago

You have to realize that this show failed because it was a failure. You shouldn't worry about trying to establish causation, the show just failed, let's leave it at that! Oh yeah, and the actors were horrible. There was no creativity, they were merely asked to repeat what had already been perfected in England. Its like all of the cheap knock-offs of that wonderful 1939 British masterpiece "Four Feathers", the original was perfect but as of two or three years ago, they are still remaking this movie.

If I could speak in my defense, women are NOT people...