Coupling (UK TV series)

Coupling
Coupling intertitle (series 1–3)
Written by	Steven Moffat
Directed by	Martin Dennis
Starring	Jack Davenport Gina Bellman Sarah Alexander Kate Isitt Ben Miles Richard Coyle (series 1–3) Richard Mylan (series 4)
Opening theme	"Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" (Vocals by Mari Wilson)
Ending theme	Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
Composer(s)	Simon Brint Simon Wallace
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	28 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Beryl Vertue (series 1–3) Geoffrey Perkins (series 1–2) Sophie Clarke-Jervoise (series 3–4)
Producer(s)	Sue Vertue
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Hartswood Films
Release
Original network	BBC Two (series 1–3) BBC Three (series 4)
Original release	12 May 2000 – 14 June 2004
Chronology
Related shows	Joking Apart Coupling (U.S.) Coupling (Greek)
External links
Website

Coupling is a British television sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from 12 May 2000 to 14 June 2004. Produced by Hartswood Films for the BBC, the show centres on the dating, sexual adventures, and mishaps of six friends in their late twenties and thirties, often depicting the three women and the three men each talking among themselves about the same events, but in entirely different terms.

The series was inspired by Moffat's relationship with producer Sue Vertue, to the extent that they gave their names to two of the characters. Coupling is an example of the "group-genre", an ensemble show that had proven popular at the time. Critics compared the show to the American sitcoms Friends and Seinfeld.

The critical reaction was largely positive, and the show was named "Best TV Comedy" at the 2003 British Comedy Awards. The show debuted to unimpressive ratings, but its popularity soon increased and by the end of the third series the show had achieved respectable ratings in the UK. The series began airing on PBS stations and on BBC America in the United States in late 2002 and quickly gained a devoted fanbase there as well. The show is syndicated around the world. Short-lived American and Greek adaptations were briefly produced in 2003 and 2007 respectively. In a 2004 poll to find Britain's Best Sitcom, Coupling came 54th.

Moffat had used the breakdown of his first marriage as inspiration for his 1990s sitcom Joking Apart. Retaining this semi-autobiographical trend, Coupling was based on him meeting his wife, Sue Vertue, and on the issues that arise in new relationships.

Moffat met Vertue at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in 1996. Vertue had been working for Tiger Aspect, a production company run by Peter Bennett-Jones. Bennett-Jones and his friend and former colleague Andre Ptaszynski, who had worked with Moffat on the sitcoms Joking Apart and Chalk, told Moffat and Vertue that each fancied the other. A relationship blossomed and they left their respective production companies to join Hartswood Films, run by Beryl Vertue, Sue's mother. After production wrapped on Chalk in 1997, Moffat announced to the cast that he was marrying Vertue.