La strana coppia

I'm about the only person I know who prefers the first season (shot in cinematic style with a single camera) to later seasons, but even after they switched to the multiple-camera technique and live audience (with the accompanying broadening of the humor), it was still better than 90% of TV sitcoms ever (unlike, say, *Happy Days*, on which quality plummeted when they made a similar change).

The only thing that really interferes with my enjoyment of *TOC* is the horrible, horrible celebrity cameos.

I mean, Rodney Allen Rippy?

I grew up at a time when the Odd Couple was on ABC 09:30 Friday nights--people have said the show was a "hit" but in reality it was almost cancelled every year it was on---when it was in repeats during the summer the ratings were much higher which led ABC to renew the show every year---Jack Klugman was frustrated by the ratings and believed that once the show was off the air and in syndication that it would then be a major hit---he ultimately convinced Tony Randall to forgo a salary and take a percentage of the syndication rights--Randall although sceptical agreed--as it turned out Klugman was absolutely right---the show was an absolute gold mine in syndication (at one point you could watch it on almost every channel in the 1980's)--the Odd Couple made both Randall and Klugman very rich men

Without missing a beat, Neil Simon's The Odd Couple went from successful movie to successful TV series. After seeing the antics of Felix Unger and Oscar Madison on the big screen, we had them in our living room once a week for five seasons.

Two very big film names, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau weren't about to be had for a weekly TV series. But Tony Randall as the fussy Felix and Jack Klugman as Oscar whose room at their apartment was designed by the brothers Collier were a perfect fit for The Odd Couple.

Tony Randall as Felix was the last word in anal retentive. No wonder he drove his wife Gloria played on the series by Janis Hansen in occasional appearances crazy and she threw him out. Still she loved the fuss budget and as the series ended they were going to give marriage a try.

When that happened Oscar could go back to living like a pig. If I let it slide I would be as sloppy as Oscar. But that's why I have someone cleaning up for me. I always thought it was that Jack Klugman thought a maid was a luxury he could not afford. That was the job of the wife in this case his then real wife Brett Somers playing Blanche.

Somers appearances were few and were gold. Her scenes with Klugman reminded me of the famous Bickersons from radio's golden era. Could those two scrap and Klugman and Somers were just great. I'm not sure some of that wasn't adlibbed.

In the film version it begins with Felix coming over to Oscar's place and interrupting a weekly poker game. Those pasteboard parts from the film became real characters. We got to know Murray the cop played by Al Molinaro and Speed played by Garry Walberg and the others.

This was a great series, a real New York slice of life courtesy of Neil Simon.

Great comedic concept from Neil Simon—the slob and the neat freak, two divorced men living together in a small Manhattan apartment. But it's really Klugman and Randall that make the premise work so well—their chemistry is simply superb. Klugman seems a natural for Oscar the slob, with his sour expression and grouchy manner. Then there's Randall as Felix, with his no-fat body and absurdly picky manner. You just know he never played with mud pies or put on dirty socks.

It's amazing the writers get so many hilarious variations on the same theme—Felix carrying on with his finicky obsessions to an annoying degree. He just can't seem to help himself. At the same time, we can't help sympathizing with poor Oscar who retaliates by turning his bedroom into a city dump. Actually actor Randall pulls off a really difficult trick: he manages to make Felix annoying without being dislikable. Any hint of the latter and the show would have fallen flat.

And who can forget the superb supporting cast, especially hawk-nosed Al Molinaro as Murray, the New York City policeMAN. He fits amiably right in with whatever the shenanigans might be, maybe too amiably for a cop. Then there're the rest of the poker playing characters, plus the girls led by Klugman's real life wife Brett and Father Knows Best's Elinor Donahue. Since nearly all the hijinks occur in the small apartment, the writers have their work cut out for them, and rise to the occasion they do, with only an occasional misfire. My favorite parts are when some poor put-upon old lady gets enough of Felix's extremes and swats him with her purse—he always looks so surprised, like he can't figure out why. Anyway, it's one of the best character-based comedies of the 70's or any TV decade.

This is indeed one of the few tv series that are equal too if not better than the film and play it was based on. Simply shot and perfectly played, the scripts and the acting could not be better. These shows are fun to watch now not only for the style of clothing, but also for the fact that it's about two middle aged men! TV show-makers of today would do well to watch and learn from this classic.