冤家成雙對,第三季

本劇集是BBC 2臺2000年正式推出的以青年人為題材和對象的系列情景喜劇，創意和編劇均由Steven Moffat一人擔當。三男三女的主要人物構成很容易使人聯想到當時正走紅（其實已經在走下坡路）的《Friends》，因此很有不少根本沒看過本劇的媒體人士和評論家想當然地將本劇稱作英國版的《Friends》，而在那些有幸欣賞過本劇的觀眾們看來，《Coupling》在情節設定、人物表演、喜劇元素的設計和表現等諸多方面所達到的水平，要比《Friends》高幾個檔次。相比之下，《Friends》只能說是一部“業余”水平的好作品而已。當然總體來說，英劇的水準本身就高于美劇，這和英劇注意保持創意、編劇一體化是分不開的，美劇的創意一般也就為最初幾集編劇，以后主要的編劇工作都是由其它編劇根據最初的角色設定來自由發揮，編劇隊伍的構成也是不斷變化，老的走新的來，造成美劇情節連貫性差甚至前后矛盾，故事往往缺乏深度，人物性格平面化，缺少發展。這都是題外話了。　　《Coupling》的主要人物包括優柔寡斷、性格不成熟的帥哥Steve，Steve的莫逆之交、舉止語言古怪、總也找不到女友的Jeff，頭腦簡單、外表性感的“donkey” Patrick三位對Porn、特別是lesbian porn非常熱中的男士，以及Steve的前女友、神神叨叨、擅用性感作武器的Jane，Steve的繼任女友、Jeff的同事、曾經非常“不羈”（包括和Jeff還有Patrick）過的Susan，Susan的莫逆、對衰老和肥胖極度敏感的美容師Sally三位女士。在第一集中，Steve決定“再次”和女友Jane分手，結果卻被Jane三言兩語引誘到洗手間親熱；Patrick想把和Susan的關系再進一步，卻被告知根本不存在什么“關系”； Susan在洗手間碰到匆忙出來買Durex的Steve，向他表示好感，兩人訂下約會以后Steve鉆進隔間繼續……。本劇的主線包括Steve和 Susan之間逐漸正式起來的關系，Jeff尋找艷遇過程中的種種意外以及后來和上司發展出來的一段關系，Patrick和Sally之間若有若無到若即若離再到情深難舍的感情發展，還有Jane在事業和異性關系中的各種奇事，等等。　　本劇在情節設計中所達到的精致和完美程度讓人嘆為觀止，而六位當時并不算大明星的青年演員的所展現精湛演技更是具有頂尖演員的水平，無怪乎播出之后立刻走紅大洋兩岸，在IMDB、AMAZON和BBC網站可以領略到其受歡迎的程度。2002年底，第3季播畢，故事情節基本告一段落。美國NBC看到這部“英國版《Friends》”在英美兩地均廣受歡迎，覺得正好可以搬來做2004年終于要關張的《Friends》的接班人，于是2003年大張旗鼓地決定翻拍美版《Coupling》。美國的fans本來以為這是件好事，沒想到NBC的翻拍愚蠢地采用了全臺詞照搬的方法，雖然個人沒看過，不過也可以想象到有多惡心，結果只播出一集Pilot就因為罵聲太大而整個計劃擱淺（這點上美國佬是值得學習的，不象中國有些搞影視的罵聲越大越要上）。在這里http://www.nbc.com/Coupling/可以看到這個計劃的尸體，還有一些徹底走了味兒的劇照。　　2003年底，本劇獲得英國喜劇獎（BCA）最佳電視喜劇獎。BBC已經在2004年正式開拍并播出第4季，不過Jeff這個人物將不再出現，而代之以新角色——經營Sci-Fi書店的Oliver，由Richard Mylan扮演。從已經播出的幾集來看，應該說在更換主要角色之一的背景下，基本保持了前3季的水準，但是同時也流露出對前3季中成功情節進行拷貝的跡象，希望這僅僅是偶然。　　Two's company, three's a crowd... so what do you do with six? On average, men and women think about sex every six seconds. Shorten that to every second, and you've got Coupling. It's more than just a one night stand!　　When a couple gets together, it's never just the two of them - they also bring baggage - and Susan (Sarah Alexander) and Steve (Jack Davenport) are no exception. Their baggage is a crowd of best friends and exes who talk about all aspects of sex and relationships on their never-ending quest to find true love. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps...　　Susan Walker is a beautiful go-getter with an uninhibited attitude who used to date Patrick Maitland (Ben Miles), the sextet's charismatic, cocky player, London's king of conquests - a guy who's just too cool to worry about being smart. Attractive Sally Harper (Kate Isitt) is a beauty therapist who is Susan's unashamedly vain best friend, who aggressively battles aging with heavy doses of moisturizer and men - including Patrick.　　Meanwhile, Steve Taylor, while getting together with Susan, can't seem to shake loose from his vivacious and slightly vacuous ex-girlfriend Jane Christie (Gina Bellman), a woman supremely confident in her ability to seduce anyone of either sex, and who refuses to be dumped unless she's the one doing the dumping. Jeff Murdoch (Richard Coyle) is Steve's "porn buddy" who is, in equal parts, obsessed and bewildered by actual sex; charming in his way, but with an uncanny ability to say the wrong thing at the worst possible time. He works in the same office as Susan, with whom he had a disastrous and unsuccessful one-night fling.　　Coupling has been honoured with the prestigious Silver Rose of Montreux, Best TV Comedy Award, and is recent winner at the 2003 British Comedy Awards.　　With a new guy on the scene, a baby on the way, commitment in the air, and love on the horizon, the dynamics of the six friends are definitely changing.　　At the end of last season Susan and Steve discovered they were pregnant (well, mostly Susan), confirmed bachelor Patrick and Sally finally admitted their true feelings for each other, and poor Jane was left on her own, once again.　　But it's not all doom and gloom for Jane. As the new season opens, things are looking up. There's this guy called Oliver, who has his eye on her. Is it possible that lifetime loser in love Oliver might just get somewhere with lifetime loser in love Jane? Trouble is, his apartment is a little "un-edited" and his living room has lost the battle with magazine nudity...　　Susan and Steve are now well and truly an item. So why is he dreaming about being executed by a fetus with an axe?　　Meanwhile Sally and Patrick are settling into their new relationship. But since the dawn of time, men and women have been falling in love - and men have been trying to get home straight afterwards. Can fallen playboy Patrick ever find his way back from the enchanted glade of his one true love and get a decent night's sleep?…