The Odd Couple

When you try to recreate something that some people are considering it a classic, obviously you are going to get bashed. How about when that something tries to recreate two "classics"? So. There is a 1968 American black comedy film written by Neil Simon,and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. AND...a 1970 TV series starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman! Both are considered as "classics". (Also there was a play back in 1965 and a ...cartoon with the same characters) Haven't seen the movie and I barely remember the series (except the characteristic music theme) so I'm not going to compare them with the 2015 incarnation.

It's about Felix and Oscar. Two divorced men. Felix is neat and tidy while Oscar is sloppy and casual. They share a Manhattan apartment, and their different lifestyles inevitably lead to conflicts and laughs.

Obviously such a premise is not as modern as it might looked half of a century ago but there is still enough material to create some comical situations.

In the 2015 version Thomas Lennon stars as the neat Felix and Matthew Perry as the loose Oscar. I'm now watching the 11th episode and I can say that after a slow start, it is getting better. There is some chemistry between the 2 actors but is Thomas Lennon that holds the show in my opinion. Perry is a great comedian but here is mediocre. As Oscar, the only feeling I get from him is that he cares about Felix. Otherwise the comedic elements are less prominent.

The script in the latest episodes is good. Some of the secondary characters get more plot lines and that benefits the show. Especially Lindsay Sloane who plays Emily a bartender who is in love with Felix.

There is a fake laugh track that I always consider a minus.

Overall: It's OK. Not bad. I'll keep watching. I know there is some hate but IMO don't take it into any account. It's possibly because there is the recreation of 2-5 classics and maybe because Matthew Perry has many haters. For me it is lighthearted and enjoyable.

I remember watching the 70s incarnation of The Odd Couple with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman and to me it was one of my favorite sitcoms.

I also remember with the New Odd Couple with Ron Glass and Demond Wilson and it wasn't very good since many of the episodes were remakes of the Randall-Klugman series.

Now, more than 30 years later, The Odd Couple is back, with Thomas Lennon as Felix and Matthew Perry (who is also the executive producer) as Oscar. It doesn't look a lot like the first two versions since there is a different supporting cast. Instead of the poker gang of Speed, Vinnie and Roy and also the Pigeon Sisters, there's Dani, Oscar's assistant played by Yvette Nicole Brown and Lindsay Sloane as their upstairs neighbor Emily.

The one character that's absent from this version is Murray the Cop. Al Molinaro made the character famous in the original and John Schuck took over the role in the Glass-Wilson version.

Also, Oscar is no longer a sportswriter, he's a sports radio talk show host. Felix is still a commercial photographer.

On the plus side, Lennon and Perry have good chemistry as Felix and Oscar. On the minus side, the episodes have a lot raunchier humor than the Randall-Klugman version.

The one thing the producers did right was bringing in Garry Marshall, who produced the first two versions as a consultant. With The Big Bang Theory as a lead in, it has been even more successful in the ratings than the first two versions. But can it sustain itself without Big Bang?

first of all they should lose the laugh track even though I am a fan of it but I think it does not fit here . I really like Matthew but to be honest he is not doing so well here especially in the first half of the season. it feels like he is reading from a paper he really can do better and he is always stressed and often kind of screaming, he needs to be more comfortable. but overall the script is good and really funny and just with some improvements this show can be great. Thomas Lennon is doing really good and I like him the most in the show. I am looking forward to the next season and I think it is going to be really good. I give it a 6 of 10

This show had it's moments and at times I did laugh. I think my biggest problem with the show is that I remember how well Jack Klugman and Tony Randall played Oscar and Felix. They are very big shoes to fill and I am sure I am not the only one who will compare all of them. I also had problems trying to separate Chandler Bing and Oscar Madison. This happens frequently when an actor plays a part for a long time as Matthew did in friends(10 years).

The best part of this show was when Dave Foley and Wendell Pierce were at Oscar's. I was saddened to see that Dave is only in one episode though.

I believe the show has potential and given time they can do well with the show. But sometimes it is better to just remember how great some of the old shows are and make new comedies.

this contains all the right elements to make a good show , including the hit play , the great actors and the writers. but it doesn't bode well for the series that the pilot was so forced . the jokes and the dialog is just too fast and cramped . the whole writing seems forced . it looks like that the no of jokes that can be included are more important than timing , delivery or in some cases , even the quality.

the plot is just all too clear and the larger story seems likely to be non existent . the places to explore from hereon seems all too predictable and all too " so what else is new ?"

i don't personally have a problem with laugh tracks ( most of my favorite comedy shows have had them) . but at least nowadays,they do not seem necessary . i mean if the audience is not getting your joke without the track telling them , then it probably isn't that great . the pairing of the perry and Lennon is good and has a lot of potential but seriously , they need to put their hearts in and not increase the no of jokes just for the sake of it.