本剧集(ji)是BBC 2台(tai)2000年正式推出(chu)的以青年人为题材(cai)和对(dui)象(xiang)的(de)系(xi)列情景喜剧，创意和编剧均由Steven Moffat一人担当(dang)。三男(nan)三女的主要人物构成(cheng)很容易使(shi)人联(lian)想到(dao)当时正(zheng)走红(hong)（其(qi)实已经在走下坡路）的《Friends》，因(yin)此很有(you)不少根本没看过本剧的媒体人士(shi)和评论家想当(dang)然地将本剧(ju)称作英(ying)国版(ban)的《Friends》，而在(zai)那(na)些有幸欣赏过本剧的观众们看来(lai)，《Coupling》在(zai)情节设(she)定、人物(wu)表演、喜剧元素的设计和表现等诸多方面所达到(dao)的(de)水(shui)平(ping)，要比《Friends》高(gao)几个档次。相比(bi)之下，《Friends》只能(neng)说是一部“业余”水(shui)平(ping)的好作品而已。当然总体来说，英剧的水(shui)准本身就高(gao)于(yu)美剧，这(zhe)和英剧注意保(bao)持(chi)创意、编剧一体化(hua)是分不开(kai)的，美剧的创(chuang)意一(yi)般也(ye)就(jiu)为最初几集编(bian)剧，以后主要的编剧(ju)工(gong)作都(dou)是由其(qi)它(ta)编剧根据最初(chu)的(de)角(jiao)色设定(ding)来自(zi)由发挥，编剧(ju)队伍的(de)构(gou)成(cheng)也是不断变化，老的走新的(de)来，造成美剧情节(jie)连贯(guan)性差甚至(zhi)前后(hou)矛盾(dun)，故事往(wang)往缺乏深度，人物性格平面化(hua)，缺少发(fa)展。这都(dou)是题外话了。
　　《Coupling》的(de)主要人(ren)物包括(kuo)优柔寡断、性(xing)格(ge)不成(cheng)熟的帅哥Steve，Steve的(de)莫逆之交、举止(zhi)语言古(gu)怪、总(zong)也找不到女友(you)的Jeff，头脑简(jian)单、外表性(xing)感(gan)的(de)“donkey” Patrick三位对(dui)Porn、特别是lesbian porn非常热中的男士，以及Steve的前女友、神神叨叨、擅用性(xing)感作武器的Jane，Steve的继任女(nv)友、Jeff的同事、曾经非常“不羁”（包括和Jeff还有Patrick）过的Susan，Susan的莫逆、对衰(shuai)老和肥胖极度(du)敏感(gan)的美容师Sally三位女士。在(zai)第一集中，Steve决定“再次”和女友(you)Jane分手，结果却(que)被Jane三言(yan)两语引诱到(dao)洗手间亲热；Patrick想(xiang)把和(he)Susan的(de)关系再进一步(bu)，却被告知根(gen)本不存在什么“关系”； Susan在洗(xi)手间(jian)碰(peng)到匆忙出(chu)来买Durex的Steve，向他(ta)表(biao)示(shi)好感，两人订下(xia)约会以后Steve钻(zuan)进隔间继续……。本剧的主线包括Steve和 Susan之间逐渐正式(shi)起来的关系，Jeff寻找艳(yan)遇(yu)过程中的种(zhong)种意外以及后来和上司发展出来的一段关系，Patrick和Sally之间若有若(ruo)无到若即若离再(zai)到(dao)情深(shen)难舍的感(gan)情发展(zhan)，还有Jane在事业和异性关系中的各种奇事，等等。
　　本(ben)剧在情节设计中所达到的精致(zhi)和完美程(cheng)度让人叹(tan)为观止，而(er)六位当时(shi)并(bing)不算大明星的青(qing)年演(yan)员(yuan)的(de)所展现精湛演技更是具有顶尖演员的水平，无怪(guai)乎播出之后(hou)立(li)刻(ke)走(zou)红(hong)大洋两岸(an)，在(zai)IMDB、AMAZON和(he)BBC网站(zhan)可以领略到其受欢(huan)迎(ying)的程度。2002年底，第3季播(bo)毕，故事情节基本告一(yi)段(duan)落。美国(guo)NBC看到这部“英国版《Friends》”在英美(mei)两(liang)地(di)均广受欢迎，觉得正(zheng)好(hao)可以搬来做2004年终于要关张的《Friends》的接(jie)班(ban)人，于(yu)是2003年大(da)张旗鼓(gu)地(di)决定(ding)翻拍美版《Coupling》。美国的fans本来以为这是件(jian)好事(shi)，没想到NBC的翻拍愚蠢地采用了全台词照搬的方法，虽然个人没看过(guo)，不过也可以想象(xiang)到有多恶心，结果只播出一(yi)集Pilot就因为骂声太大(da)而整(zheng)个计(ji)划搁浅（这点(dian)上美国佬(lao)是值(zhi)得(de)学习的，不(bu)象(xiang)中国有些搞影视的(de)骂声(sheng)越(yue)大(da)越要上）。在这里http://www.nbc.com/Coupling/可以看到这个计划(hua)的(de)尸体，还有一些彻(che)底走了味(wei)儿的(de)剧照。
　　2003年底，本剧(ju)获(huo)得英国喜剧奖（BCA）最(zui)佳电视(shi)喜剧奖。BBC已经在(zai)2004年正(zheng)式开拍并播出第4季，不过(guo)Jeff这个人物(wu)将不(bu)再出现，而(er)代之以新角色——经营Sci-Fi书店(dian)的Oliver，由Richard Mylan扮演。从已经(jing)播出的几集来(lai)看，应该说在更换(huan)主要(yao)角色之一的背景下(xia)，基本(ben)保持了前3季的水准，但是同时也流(liu)露出(chu)对前3季中成功情(qing)节进(jin)行拷贝(bei)的迹象，希(xi)望这(zhe)仅仅是偶然。
　　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?