Coupling - post watch review #3

I love this show and not just because of Jack Davenport and Ben Miles! It was accused, at the time of it's airing, of being a knock-off of Friends. I tried to watch Friends years ago and hated it. Coupling was nothing like Friends IMO. Written by Steven Moffat (the new Doctor Who writer and also the lead writer of Sherlock) and loosely based on his life, Coupling is the story of Steve and Susan, who pretty much fall in love at first sight. Along for the ride are Steve's weird best friend Jeff (who leaves in series 4 and is replaced by equally weird Oliver-a Doctor Who freak BTW...prolific maybe?), and Steve's ex Jane who is dingy and over-sexed. On Susan's side is her ex Jack, who also happens to be an over-sexed womanizer, and her crazy neurotic best friend Sally. The show goes through the ups and downs of their relationships and the relationships of their friends.

I guess I also need to add that I don't like comedies...don't even like the word actually. I'm not a "laughing" person. It takes a lot to make me smile even. "Why do I watch so many romantic comedies?", you ask? I don't see them as comedies, but "light-hearted" romances with humor. Humor is different that comedy. Humor is needed to keep the romance happy and light-hearted (there's that word again, like the heart could actually be "light", especially mine), comedy is for the sake of laughs only, and that could lead to trouble in relationships, no one wants to be laughed at...laughed with maybe, but not at.

If you go by the typical comedies, then yes, I do love Mr. Bean, Blackadder, The Kids In the Hall, and I've never missed an episode of South Park, but rolling on the floor laughing is as rare an occurrence as me going the grocery store (and trust me, that's an every three month event). Plus, again, these to me are not comedies, but varying levels of humor. Mr. Bean is incredibly brilliant, Blackadder gave us such amazing talent such as Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Colin Firth, Miranda Richardson, and the wonderful Rowan Atkinson himself, need I go on? The Kids In the Hall still give me and my sister numerous quotable scenes even to this day. And as far as South Park goes, it may be vulgar, but its the most honest vulgarity you will ever see and I respect that entirely. They always tell it like it is on South Park...no sugar coating there.

Having said all that, and in so far as typical comedies go, I can't understand what people find funny about SNL, the supposed funniest show on television...I have family that watch it all the time, but I just don't get it...cow bell, dick in a box...seriously? And no need to say it, I know that the same creative team behind SNL gave us The Kids In the Hall, but KITH was more about the humor instead of laughs...that's my story and I'm sticking to it! And don't even get me started on Blue Collar Comedy Tour! I sat through that entire thing and didn't laugh not even once...almost fell asleep even. Everybody I know thinks that show is the funnest thing ever. I kid you not...EVER. I just don't get it. I guess there is no "sign" for me. I have even been told "you have to be Southern to get it". I was born and raised in Northeast Arkansas! Well, I can't really use that as an excuse for being Southern, can I? I may speak with a Southern accent, but anyone who knows me knows I don't have a Southern bone in my body. I have been told "it's all the Yankee blood" in my system...cancels out the Southern in me. As long as I don't have to eat everything fried in bacon grease or date rednecks, then I'm fine with that excuse!

I am so digressing, again, but I wanted to point out, I may watch a lot of what is considered "comedies", especially "romantic comedies", but I don't see them as such. One of my favorite shows of all time is Wings. Not a comedy IMO...it's a romantic story about a former fat girl who finally gets the guy she's been in love with her whole life. What's funny about that? I think it's the most romantic thing I've ever heard and anyone who's seen Joe's proposal to Helen would agree with me! Am I seeing the story as skewed, maybe, probably. But that's my opinion and that's what this blog is all about! And I promised myself when I started this blog I'd be honest about my feelings, and this folks, is honesty at it's rawest.

So, to make a short story even longer, I can't recommend the comedy aspect of Coupling, although I did chuckle a few times, but watching Steve and Susan's relationship grow, and even better, the relationship between Jack and Sally, made for great romantic tele, and I'm all about the romance! Same with Vicar of Dibley...in the end, it was all about Geraldine getting her happy ending. It's the Janeite in me...I want the girl to get the guy and live happily ever after, and, in that arena, Coupling does not fail to disappoint, in a brutally honest, light-hearted, humorous way!! I suppose though, a normal person might find Coupling funny. It's hard for me to say. I can't see past the romance of it.