Coupling-Complete Series 1-4 Box Set (2000) |
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Brilliant show, great box-set. You can't go wrong getting this (unless you opt for the R1 version instead!)
The video is great.
The audio is good too.
The special features are enough to be happy with until you realise how much more the US got.
There is a lot of great viewing on this set. You will not regret picking this up. You will have a ball.
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Coupling-Series 1 (2000) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Comedy | None | |
Rating | |||
Year Of Production | 2000 | ||
Running Time | 174:37 | ||
RSDL / Flipper | Dual Layered | Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Menu | ||
Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Martin Dennis |
Studio
Distributor |
Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring |
Jack Davenport Gina Bellman Kate Isitt Sarah Alexander Ben Miles Richard Coyle |
Case | Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip | ||
RPI | $34.95 | Music | Simon Brint |
Video | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None | English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) | |
Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.78:1 | ||
16x9 Enhancement |
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Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
Original Aspect Ratio | 1.78:1 | Miscellaneous | |
Jacket Pictures | No | ||
Subtitles | None | Smoking | Yes, mild |
Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
Action In or After Credits | No |
Coupling is the latest BBC sit-com to slide into my DVD player. It has a large fan base in the UK and was shown on Australian television earlier this year. In the USA, the series is being re-made for American audiences by NBC. It must therefore present some worthy viewing right?
Coupling is set in the local bar and apartments of a group of six thirty-somethings, who are all seemingly obsessed with relationships and, more pointedly, sex. The scripts are quite daring by traditional BBC standards, and seem to be taking the sexual navel-gazing of Linda Green and Manchild one step closer to the bone. Whilst the series is quite funny in places, for me it fails to live up to the high standards of either of the aforementioned shows. The characters are caricatures and the humour is more lavatorial and less witty than that found in Linda Green. The series is the closest thing to Sex and The City yet produced by the Brits, with a dash of Friends thrown in for good measure.
The six episodes from the first series all revolve heavily around relationships, the differences between men and women, pornography, sex and dating. The script is a bit of a one-trick pony and I found the joke wears a little thin if you watch all the episodes in quick succession. To best appreciate the humour, and occasional flash of comedic brilliance, I would recommend that you watch only one or two episodes per sitting.
The six episodes from the first series are:
Coupling is a fairly good attempt at racy, frank humour based around the intricacies of modern sexual relationships. Unfortunately, the characters are fairly lightweight and with the exception of Steve (Jack Davenport) and Susan (Sarah Alexander), who retain some credibility, the others are obvious comedy caricatures (the self-obsessed Sally, the borderline psycho Jane, the surreal, sex-obsessed Welshman Jeff and the slightly vacant lothario Patrick). The series did improve after the first couple of episodes, but I would not consider it as unmissable. If you are a big fan of Men Behaving Badly and Sex and The City, this may hold some appeal. This show will not enrapture everyone and I would suggest that new viewers try before they buy.
The video quality of this transfer is very good for a television series.
The series is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and it is 16x9 enhanced. The video transfer is usually quite sharp with only a hint of softness. This is about the standard of Australian standard definition digital TV broadcast.
Colours are well rendered with some nice primary colours cropping up through the series. There is no oversaturation or colour bleeding and skin tones look natural at all times. Blacks are nice and solid with no low level noise and shadow detail is just fine.
The transfer is generally free from major MPEG artefacts. There is, however, some noticeable shimmer in the image - major aliasing never quite breaks out but it is always teetering on the verge. Edge enhancement is not a major issue, although it can be seen at various stages through the series as a minor halo around several characters. Telecine wobble is absent.
The transfer is free from film (video) artefacts and this is a very clean transfer in that respect.
Surprisingly there are no subtitles available on the disc.
This is a dual layered disc but I could not spot a layer change, so I assume it has been sensibly located between episodes.
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The overall audio transfer is unremarkable and typical of a television comedy show.
The sole English audio track is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo encoded at 224 kbps. The surround flag is not enabled.
Dialogue is always clear and there are no problems with audio sync. The laughter track on this show is extremely irritating and transparently canned. This almost spoils the show, and I hope that future efforts either use a studio laughter track, or even give it a miss altogether.
The musical score is credited to Simon Brint, who has a long history of composing for television comedy shows. It is quite catchy. There is no significant musical presence during the episodes.
As might be expected for a television comedy series, the surrounds are unused. Pro Logic decoding will direct some sound to the surround speakers, but the show sounds just fine in stereo.
The subwoofer is unused throughout.
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Nothing, zip, nada, zilch.
The menu consists of a static photograph of the six characters, accompanied by a short loop of the theme song. It allows the meagre choice of episode selection or the option of playing all episodes in sequence. Each of the six episodes has a choice of five chapter stops.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The Region 1 release of this series surprisingly gets extras which are found on neither the Region 4 nor the Region 2 release. They are as follows:
The Region 1 disc would appear to be version of choice due to its slight (but present) extra features.
Coupling is a series that may grow on you. I was unimpressed for the first couple of episodes, but by mid-way through the series I was much more in the groove. This is not brilliant comedy. It is, however, pretty good stuff - if you can accept the constant fixation on sex, and the one-dimensional characters. Fans of the series will enjoy this DVD for its very good video transfer. For those who have not seen the series before, I would recommend a rental before purchase.
The video quality is very good overall, with a nice anamorphic transfer.
The audio transfer is as would be expected for a television comedy series - serviceable and with no real defects.
There are absolutely no extras on the disc.
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Review Equipment | |
DVD | Harmony DVD Video/Audio PAL Progressive, using Component output |
Display | Panasonic TX-47P500H 47" Widescreen RPTV. Calibrated with Video Essentials/Ultimate DVD Platinum. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials/Ultimate DVD Platinum. |
Amplification | Onkyo TX-SR600 with DD-EX and DTS-ES |
Speakers | JensenSPX-9 fronts, Jensen SPX-13 Centre, Jensen SPX-5 surrounds, Jensen SPX-17 subwoofer |
Coupling-Series 2 (2000) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Comedy |
Main Menu Audio & Animation Interviews-Cast & Crew Featurette-Behind The Scenes |
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Rating | ? | ||
Year Of Production | 2000 | ||
Running Time | 263:11 | ||
RSDL / Flipper |
Dual Layered Dual Disc Set |
Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Menu | ||
Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Martin Dennis |
Studio
Distributor |
Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring |
Jack Davenport Gina Bellman Kate Isitt Sarah Alexander Ben Miles Richard Coyle |
Case | ? | ||
RPI | Rental | Music | Simon Brint |
Video | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None | English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) | |
Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.78:1 | ||
16x9 Enhancement |
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Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
Original Aspect Ratio | 1.78:1 | Miscellaneous | |
Jacket Pictures | No | ||
Subtitles | None | Smoking | No |
Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
Action In or After Credits | No |
For the past few years whenever I heard of Coupling it was described as the BBC equivalent of Friends. For whatever reason that comparison put me off watching it. Coupling succeeds on a level that Friends never even dared approach. It's racier, edgier and explores sex and sexuality in singles in a way that Friends could not in conservative network television.
This is the two disc release of the second season. Because the premise has been introduced in the first season, this series really kicks into gear exploring hiccups that can occur in relatively new (and not so new) relationships, hurdling the gap between friend to lover and so on. This is my favourite of the four seasons. It's fresh and has more laugh out-loud moments than any other show that I have seen over the last few years.
The nine episodes from the second season are:
If you haven't seen Coupling, don't go out and get this set. Go and get the Complete 4 Season set instead and start watching it from the beginning. If you have the first season, get this one for sure.
The video quality of this transfer is great.
The series is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and it is 16x9 enhanced. The picture is generally pretty sharp and looks about how it would on standard definition digital TV.
Colours look good. Skin tones look natural. Blacks look good and solid with no low level noise and shadow details are good too.
There are some MPEG artefacts. Aliasing is not a problem but there is some of that ugly shimmer. Not too distracting though.
Edge enhancement is not a major issue, but it can been seen from time to time.
Overall, I can't complain - this is a great transfer for a TV show.
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There is nothing wrong with the audio but it is pretty standard for a TV show.
The English audio track is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo encoded at 224 kbps.
The dialogue is clear and is always audible, even when the annoying laugh track gets loud.
There is some music used in the show to good effect.
The surrounds are unused as is the subwoofer.
A good track but nothing that really stands out. It does the job just fine.
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Not really enlightening, but interesting to hear where the idea for the show came from. The audio for this interview was done without a boom and there is so much background noise Steve's voice is often drowned out. A real disappointment, considering there were no special features for Season 1. A real chance lost.
A fun interview. It's pretty obvious Davenport doesn't take it all too seriously. The same issues with poor sound ruin it, though.
The same sound issues apply here to. We have an intro followed by theme music which segues to behind the scenes footage which is neither revealing nor entertaining.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The R1 scores multiple audio commentaries by most cast members and Moffat. Why does R4 miss out again?
The R1 also has an extended Davenport interview and cast bios.
Arguably the best season of one of this century's best TV comedies. What are you waiting for?
The video is great.
The audio is good too.
The special features are alright, but why no commentaries?
A great way to spend time as a couch potato.
Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Review Equipment | |
DVD | Marantz DV4300, using Component output |
Display | Sony VPL HS10 projector on 100 inch 16x9 screen + Palsonic 76WSHD. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
Audio Decoder | Sony STR-DE685. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. |
Amplification | Pioneer |
Speakers | DB Dynamics VEGA series floor standers + centre, DB bipole rears, 10" 100W DB Dynamics sub |
Coupling-Series 3 (2002) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Comedy |
Main Menu Audio Audio Commentary-Steven Moffat (Writer) And Jack Davenport (Actor) Outtakes-Jack Davenport (Actor) Interviews-Cast Notes-Unfilmed Script Extracts |
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Rating | |||
Year Of Production | 2002 | ||
Running Time | 204:30 (Case: 243) | ||
RSDL / Flipper |
Dual Layered Dual Disc Set |
Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Menu | ||
Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Martin Dennis |
Studio
Distributor |
Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring |
Jack Davenport Gina Bellman Sarah Alexander Kate Isitt Ben Miles Richard Coyle |
Case | Amaray-Transparent-S/C-Dual | ||
RPI | $39.95 | Music |
Simon Brint Mykola Pawluk John Connor |
Video | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) |
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Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.75:1 | ||
16x9 Enhancement |
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Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
Original Aspect Ratio | 1.75:1 | Miscellaneous | |
Jacket Pictures | No | ||
Subtitles | None | Smoking | Yes |
Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
Action In or After Credits | No |
When I sat down to enjoy an episode of this show (by the previously revealed O.C.-loving girlfriend), I wasn’t quite sure what I was in for. I had fairly shunned Friends for its entire run and then rediscovered it on DVD. However, much to my delight, the feel-good sanitary nature of Friends just pales in comparison to this show ... but then, the British were always smarter comedians.
Coupling is the story of six friends living in London. There are the three girls – Susan (Sarah Alexander), Jane (Gina Bellman) and Sally (Kate Isitt). And then there are the three guys – Steve (Jack Davenport), Jeff (Richard Coyle) and Patrick (Ben Miles). All six are pretty much hopeless, but manage to amuse us with their various antics falling in and out of relationships.
Coupling only has very short seasons, usually running no more than seven episodes a season, and the third season of the show is no different:
1. Split (29:15)
After a series of misunderstandings, Susan and Steve break up – him to go to a strip club to try and feel better, her to a beauty salon. Can they patch up their differences?
2. Faithless (Part 1) (29:02)
With Jeff being seduced by the office bad girl and Jane trying to seduce a Christian radio presenter, there is indeed a crisis of faith going on.
3. Unconditional Sex (Part 2) (29:09)
Will Jeff be able to resist the feminine wiles of Wilma? Will Jane land her religious toy boy?
4. Remember This (29:17)
What exactly happened at the drunken party where everybody got together? “Spiderman, Spiderman...”
5. The Freckle, The Key and the Couple Who Weren’t (29:14)
With skin blemishes and bondage abounding, somebody is liable to get hurt.
6. The Girl With One Heart (29:17)
Dinner at Susan’s place ... that’s just a recipe for disaster, particularly with an incestuous group like this.
7. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (29:16)
When a series of pregnancy tests gets muddled up, we know that one of the girls is pregnant – but which one?
This is a very funny show, owing perhaps more to the writing than anything else. The third season is also the finest of the lot, overshadowing previous seasons and setting a bar that was just too high for the fourth season to meet. It is very inventive and only at times predictable. Once you get used to its silliness and take it all with a grain of salt, even the most ludicrous scenarios just become funny.
If you like your comedy crass and British and you’ve never come across Coupling, this is definitely a series to check out.
These DVDs are presented in 1.75:1, 16x9 enhanced, which is a definite saving grace. Given this show has a 1.66:1 Letterbox broadcast ratio, I do not recall how the episode Split was even achieved.
The transfer is very smooth, with great detail and only some minor graininess. Darker shots exhibit less detail and are more prone to the aforementioned graininess, but even they are not exceptionally bad.
Colour is extremely rich and vibrant, and the production crew manage to make the UK look colourful and lively rather than its actual grey drab concrete nothingness.
There are no MPEG artefacts, and only some very faint background moire and minor aliasing. These are only really noticeable when you go and get picky, however, and there is nothing overly distracting. The blinds in the background of the Christian reading group in Faithless were probably the worst of it.
There is next to nothing in the way of dirt.
Oddly enough, there are no subtitles.
The dual-layer pause on the first disc is concealed between episodes. The second disc is only single layered.
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Audio is available in 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo in English only.
This track has great dialogue reproduction, which is the most important thing. Inflection and tone come through crystal clear and there is never any trouble understanding what is being said (unless you have trouble with British accents, that is).
Other than that, though, this track is largely run of the mill. There are a few left-right directional cues, but nothing significant.
The music reproduction is decent, with a good range, but lacking in any pounding bass.
The subwoofer didn’t come to life.
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All menus are in 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced. The main menu has the theme song playing in 2.0 Dolby Stereo. All other menus are static and silent.
There are audio commentaries on the following episodes:
Presented in 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced, 2.0 Dolby Stereo, these are a series of amusing outtakes from the series.
Presented in 1.33:1, Full Frame, 2.0 Dolby Stereo, this is a look at the characters of the show and includes interviews with the principal cast.
These are a series of stills with the scripts for three scenes that were never filmed.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
This has been available in R1 since halfway through 2004. The main differences here seem to be in the extras. The R1 version misses out on the Interviews and the Unfilmed Script Extracts. The R4 version misses out on Cast Bios and Photo Gallery. Personally, I think R4 wins out on all counts. Go local with this one.
Coupling: The Complete Third Series is an amusing set of episodes, and probably the best this series has to offer so far. Some are downright hilarious, and I highly recommend this for a night in when you’re feeling kind of low.
Video is very good, although prone to some very minor aliasing and moire effect artefacts.
The audio is unremarkable, but faithfully reproduces the dialogue, which is the most important thing.
There are a few good extras here, but whether they warranted a second disc or not is really open to debate.
Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Review Equipment | |
DVD | Panasonic DVD-RV31A-S, using S-Video output |
Display | Beko 28" (16x9). This display device is 16x9 capable. |
Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. |
Amplification | Marantz SR7000 |
Speakers | Energy - Front, Rear, Centre & Subwoofer |
Coupling-Series 4 (2004) |
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General | Extras | ||
Category | Comedy |
Main Menu Animation Featurette-Documentary - From Script To Screen Outtakes-Jack Davenport (Actor) |
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Rating | |||
Year Of Production | 2004 | ||
Running Time | 226:47 | ||
RSDL / Flipper | Dual Layered | Cast & Crew | |
Start Up | Menu | ||
Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Martin Dennis |
Studio
Distributor |
Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring |
Jack Davenport Gina Bellman Sarah Alexander Kate Isitt Ben Miles Richard Coyle |
Case | Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip | ||
RPI | $29.95 | Music |
Simon Brint Mykola Pawluk John Connor |
Video | Audio | ||
Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None | English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) | |
Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.75:1 | ||
16x9 Enhancement |
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Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
Original Aspect Ratio | 1.75:1 | Miscellaneous | |
Jacket Pictures | No | ||
Subtitles | None | Smoking | Yes |
Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
Action In or After Credits | No |
This is the fourth series of the hit BBC comedy Coupling. First produced in March 2000, and with an estimated audience of 2.6 million viewers, the series is set around the lives of six individuals and their relationships with each other. It could best be described as a combination of Friends (but much sharper, sexier and funnier) and Men Behaving Badly. After its introduction, the series went from success to success and in December 2003 was awarded the best TV Comedy at the 14th annual British Comedy Awards. The main characters are: Steve Taylor (Jack Davenport - This Life, The Pirates of the Caribbean), Susan Walker (Sarah Alexander - Smack the Pony), Patrick Maitland (Ben Miles - Peak Practice, Cold Feet), Sally Harper (Kate Islett - Is it Legal), Jane Christie (Gina Bellman - Silent Trigger), and Oliver Morris (Richard Mylan).
To give the plots away would be to spoil the comedy associated with the difficult sex lives of the characters; however, a brief overview of the six episodes follows:
Episode One: Nine and a Half Minutes: The character of Oliver is introduced as a blind date for Jane. Oliver is mistaken for Jane's gynaecologist by Steve and Sally. Patrick tries to leave Sally for a boy's weekend of golf in Portugal.
Episode Two: Night Lines: Steve has nightmares about being executed. A phone call that never dies. Patrick's "cupboard of love" is further explored.
Episode Three: Bed Time: Answering the two eternal questions - why do women like to snuggle like hairy inquisitive sex octopuses, and why isn't Patrick allowed to go home? Oliver has nipple problems.
Episode Four: Circus of the Epidurals: A surprise reunion at the ante-natal class brings the lesbian spank inferno dinner from hell flooding back to Steve.
Episode Five: The Naked Living Room: Jane invites herself over to Oliver's flat. However, Oliver's living room has lost the battle with pornography. Will Jane disapprove?
Episode Six: Nine and a Half Months: Sally's determined to find out if Jane's on tape in Patrick's cupboard. Steve goes through the joys of childbirth. Jane gives Patrick a critique of his sexual techniques.
The video quality on this disc is excellent and is what should be expected given that it is taken from a digital source.
The transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.77:1 and is 16x9 enhanced.
Sharpness levels are superb with strong shadow detail, and are basically flawless.
Colours are vibrant and real.
There is no grain or pixelization and no artefacts evident in this transfer.
Overall this is a transfer of high quality.
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The audio transfer is of the same high standard as the video. We are given a solitary English Dolby Digital 2.0 surround track.
As is to be expected with a comedy series the episodes are heavy with dialogue. The sound holds up very well and even conversations in night clubs with music backgrounds are clear. There were no problems comprehending dialogue, and there are no audio sync anomalies to speak of.
Surround channel usage is minimal (commensurate with a dialogue-heavy show), with little in the way of directional effects.
Subwoofer use is minimalist but adequate.
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NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The Region 1 version contains additional deleted scenes, an interview with Richard Mylan (Oliver) and cast biographies. On the basis of additional extras the Region 1 disc must be given the vote on a technicality. However, fans of this series who have the Region 4 Series 3 set (two discs) will already have the cast biographies, so there does not really appear to be a valid reason why you shouldn't stick with Region 4.
Fans of this series will particularly enjoy this disc. Unfortunately, word from the United Kingdom is that writer Steven Moffat has said there will be no season 5, so this disc is the final outing for the coupling gang and is a "must buy" for fans. For viewers who have not seen this BBC series prior to this disc I would expect that once they have stopped laughing they will try to obtain discs of series 1, 2 and 3. This disc is a must for lovers of good quality English comedy.
Video | |
Audio | |
Extras | |
Plot | |
Overall |
Review Equipment | |
DVD | Pioneer DV-535, using Component output |
Display | LG 76cm Widescreen Flatron Television. Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
Audio Decoder | Sony HT-K215. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
Amplification | Sony HT-K215 |
Speakers | fronts-paradigm titans, centre &rear Sony - radio parts subbie |