The New Odd Couple

In 1982, seven years after The Odd Couple left the air and became a hit in reruns, ABC revived the show as The New Odd Couple. What was new about The New Odd Couple? Not much. First, Felix and Oscar were black with Ron Glass of Barney Miller and Demond Wilson, formerly of Sanford and Son as Felix and Oscar. The only caucasian cast member was John Schuck as Murray the Cop. It seemed that Al Molinaro, who originated the role in the original series was unavailable since he was in Joanie Loves Chachi, a Happy Days spinoff.

The familiar Neil Hefti theme is given an update and is a lot more up tempo than the original. I liked the updated theme.

As for what hasn't changed, Felix is still a photographer and Oscar is still a sportswriter. Unlike Tony Randall's portrayal of Felix, he leads a theatre group instead of an opera company. Several episodes were remakes of the original series. This was due to a writer's strike that paralyzed the television industry.

All of this adds up to a show which lacks the chemistry of Randall and co-star Jack Klugman and was canceled after only 18 episodes. I should also point out that JoMarie Payton, who played Mona, one of the Pigeon Sisters and Telma Hopkins, who portrayed Felix's ex-wife Frances, the same name as the character in the Neil Simon played would later work together in the sitcom Family Matters.

This was the second attempt to remake one of Neil Simon's plays into a series with an all black cast (the first was "Barefoot in the Park"). However, that is the only distinguishable from the original series. Ron Glass don't even come close to the team that Tony Randall and Jack Klugman were. This show only proved that writers in the eighties didn't have any good ideas and resorted to trying to remake a classic series.

In the same year that a female "Odd Couple" appeared on Broadway, ABC got the bright idea to bring an African American "Odd Couple" to the tv screen. "The New Odd Couple" had a very nice updated version of the theme song, but after the credits ended, the show went downhill. The pilot episode was practically a word for word remake of the original series episode in which Felix inadvertently tells the IRS about Oscar's delinquent tax returns. While they updated small details such as Felix getting tickets to "Annie", they kept whole stretches of dialog the same. This lead to inescapable comparisons between the old and new versions. The show would eventually produce three original scripts, but it was too little, too late.

This show was actually pretty funny and interesting. I think the reason it did not last long was the era and people were expecting it to be the exact same as the original. It was refreshing during that period of time when African Americans were finally receiving a place in our society. Their presence was somewhat sporadic, but the mid to late eighties found a place in our homes. I thought this show delivered what its intent was, to do a show staring African Americans. It included a cast to fulfill all racial cultures. The show did not just focus on the life of someone in an African American society, it showcased a wide array of diversity. I wish someone would show this program again along with others like it.