Dateline: December 9, 2000
Cold Feet, the British comedy/drama TV series, comes to America on the cable channel Bravo. Starring Helen Baxendale (An Unsuitable Job For A Woman, Friends) and James Nesbitt (Waking Ned Devine, Playing The Field), it shows the trials-and-tribulations of three couples in different stages of relationships. An American remake briefly appeared on NBC in 1999.
A pilot shown on ITV in 1997 began with feckless Adam (James Nesbitt) meeting and attempting to woo Rachel (Helen Baxendale) despite a case of "cold feet," ultimately appearing in her front lawn to serenade her wearing nothing but a rose; their yuppie friends David and Karen coping with the bumpy road of childcare; and Pete and Jenny who are still trying to conceive a child. Three successive seasons have continued the three interlinking stories: Rachel and Adam's relationship woes, David's worries about success, and Pete and Jenny coping with their first baby.
What really sets this series apart is the brilliant editing which is razor-sharp and keeps crosscutting forward, back, and sometimes to fantasy sequences to keep the story racing ahead. Excellent writing and performances from the entire cast produce many true-life moments, but also scenes of extreme hilarity. It's not hard to see why NBC wanted to try an American version though of course they botched it and it was canceled after only four episodes. The original UK series though goes from strength-to-strength and continues running on British TV.
After a sneak preview on December 11, 2000, the series will officially launch on Bravo on Monday, January 8, 2001 at 10 PM, with the first of all 21 episodes so far produced. If it finds an audience on Bravo, the network will try to coax the production company Granada TV to the bargaining table to put Cold Feet back before the cameras, with the two companies sharing production costs.