# Odd Couple. Two Felixes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2015, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064 "2015-02-19T03:48:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/21 "2015-02-19T21:06:48Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > CBS did a remake of the Odd Couple. It was called _Two and a half Men_. I didn’t really care for it though. Too sexually gross and mean. > > I liked Matthew Perry in his other short lived series but Thomas Lennon is the one that I always find funny. ABC [did another version](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Odd_Couple) a few years after the Klugman-Randall show ended in ‘75. It was a ‘black’ version with Demond Wilson (from _Sanford & Son_) as Oscar and Ron Glass (from\* Barney Miller\* and later _Firefly_) as Felix. They made the incredulous decision to use some of the previous shows’ scripts, like, \*word for word! \*The Klugman-Randall series was widely syndicated all thru the 70s so this hardly went unnoticed! Got cancelled after one season. > [@Skammer](#): > > Lisa Kudrow has been pretty successful, achieving critical acclaim and pretty good viewership for both _The Comeback_ and _Web Therapy._ I wanted to mention her, as even though I was never a \*Friends \*fan I’ve loved all the other stuff I’ve seen her in. She played the dumb blond on _Friends_, but she’s actually incredibly smart and talented. I thought \*Web Therapy \*was one of the smartest & funniest shows ever (and I think she was also a writer/producer of it). > [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > Similarly, Courtney Cox’s show Cougar Town, has very vocal fans but fairly poor ratings. But apparently it’s made it to 100 episodes, so that’s a fairly decent success. I knew see was in something but couldn’t remember what it was. I did watch a few episodes of that cable series she did about a tabloid newspaper, _[Dirt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirt_%28TV_series%29)_. It was actually pretty good, but didn’t last. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/22 "2015-02-19T21:12:30Z")
The network keeps renewing _Two Broke Girls_. Anything is possible. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/23 "2015-02-19T22:00:04Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > When ever anyone asked Tony Randall, “Who was the best Felix, you or Jack Lemmon,” he always answered… Ron Glass ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/24 "2015-02-20T03:06:43Z")
Watch it tonight. Liked it. It needs some polish to get the chemistry right, but I thought the actors were good. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/25 "2015-02-20T03:20:23Z")
Thanks to the Two and Half Men finale this was only the second worst show I saw this evening. Perry once again played the same character he always does, but what made this really bad was the writing. Lennon seems to be doing an over the top Tony Randall imitation (hard to believe there was much top left over Randall). Perry looked decidedly uncomfortable in his carefully pressed slob clothes with button down collars. The supporting cast was as weak as possible, every appearance by Dave Foley is a downer these days. But blame the writers, directors, and producers for tonight’s episode, better actors couldn’t do anything with that crap. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/26 "2015-02-20T04:33:58Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance in \*I Love Lucy \*and _The Lucy Show_? Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon in _The Lucy Show_ and _Here’s Lucy_ ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/27 "2015-02-20T06:47:05Z")
Today people would just assume that Felix is gay. I didn’t watch the show, but did they deal with this aspect? It might work better if he were portrayed as OCD. Except that doesn’t really work because today there is medication that would help tremendously. I just really think Felix Unger needs to be retired. Sheldon Cooper and Maurice Moss and others keep his genes alive and are much fresher. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/28 "2015-02-20T07:06:01Z")
Yes, they directly addressed this with the other buddies from college getting together. One complains that Felix appears to be a little bit gay, to which Oscar says, he appears a whole lot gay, but he isn’t. Randall and Lemmon played him as deeply neurotic, Lennon looks like Lennon, which is to say, a Hollywood stereotypical gay man. Perry didn’t sell as Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/29 "2015-02-20T12:26:05Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon in _The Lucy Show_ and _Here’s Lucy_ Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis in “Car 54, Where Are You?” and “The Munsters”. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/30 "2015-02-20T13:09:27Z")
All this discussion about post-_Friends_ shows and no one mentions _Episodes_??? It is a great comedy. Matt LeBlanc has gone 3 for 3 in Emmy nominations and has won a Golden Globe. As to Mr. Perry’s previous shows: _Go On_: 1 season. 22 episodes. Had a fairly normal airing schedule. _Mr. Sunshine_: 1 half-season. 13 episodes. Only the first 9 aired on schedule. _Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip_: 1 season. 22 episodes. Only the first 16 aired in a normal schedule. It was off the schedule for a bit. Then the remaining episodes were burned off. The fact that all 13 episodes of _TOC_ have been recorded and it’s just now starting is not good. These will probably be the only episodes produced. In addition to the “urban” version of _The Odd Couple_, wasn’t there also one with two women? There was an animated version called [The Oddball Couple](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oddball_Couple) that lasted one season. (Even had Joe Besser!) When Matthew Perry appeared on Letterman, he didn’t once name his co-star. :dubious: Yet, he appeared on The Late Late Show when Lemon hosted this week and they seemed reasonably friendly. Since the 3-night run was nothing but a plugorama for the show, saw several clips. Not a single one was good. They resorted to playing some weird overdubbed sped up versions. _Not_ a good sign. These people know they have a dud. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/31 "2015-02-20T13:36:26Z")
According to [Mark Evanier](http://www.newsfromme.com/2014/12/31/odd-mail/), Neil Simon sold all rights to _The Odd Couple_ to Paramount when the movie was made (Evanier says “famously,” but I never heard that before). Which is probably why, every generation or so, we seem to get a new version of the Odd Couple. It’s also why, even though his name appeared on every episode, Simon never got a dime from the Randall-Klugman TV series, and probably isn’t getting anything from this one. Not that Neil Simon is likely to be hurting for money, but it probably has a lot to do with the rather undignified way _The Odd Couple_ has sometimes been treated. After all, we never got a cartoon adaptation of _Brighton Beach Memoirs_, starring an animated dog and cat, now did we? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/32 "2015-02-20T13:45:53Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > > [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > > > Aside from Jennifer Aniston becoming an A-list movie star, I can’t really think of too much any of the former \*Friends \*have done. > > Lisa Kudrow has been pretty successful, achieving critical acclaim and pretty good viewership for both _The Comeback_ and _Web Therapy._ Also, Matt LeBlanc is in Episodes on Showtime. It’s very funny. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/33 "2015-02-20T13:59:18Z")
I watched it. I was not impressed. It used too much from previous iterations: - Felix’ sinus-clearing noises - Note (scroll) signed F.U. - Unsuccessful double date with sisters in the same building - maybe other stuff I missed and that was just the first episode. Perry throwing his arms up in disgust was more awkward and unnatural than I could have imagined. And doing his show from home in his underwear - yeah, there’s a knee-slapper. And holy crap, I didn’t recognize Dave Foley! He did not age well… I may give it another chance or two, but I don’t expect much. I don’t recall the first Randall/Klugman episode seeming so stiff and badly acted. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/34 "2015-02-20T14:14:15Z")
Having recently done the play in community theater, it was immediately obvious to me that the first episode was basically the plot of the play/movie in miniature. Felix comes to Oscar’s apartment, trying to hold it together but crying a lot. Felix moves in. Felix irritates the poker buddies, quickly driving them away. Disastrous double date with the not-Pigeon sisters. Oscar and Felix argue, Felix leaves, Felix spends the night with the not-Pigeon sisters. Oscar and Felix reconcile in the final act. They even used some actual Neil Simon dialogue. In addition to the “F.U.” bit, there was also this exchange: > [@](#): > > Felix: In other words, I irritate you. > Oscar: Not in other words. Those are the perfect words. That’s straight from the play. I thought Tom Lennon was a very good Felix, but Perry just seemed to be going through the motions as Oscar. I’m excited by the presence of Lindsay Sloane, who I have enjoyed since her days on _Sabrina_. How I wish she could get a successful sitcom, but I have a feeling that this isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/35 "2015-02-20T14:17:38Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I watched it. I was not impressed. It used too much from previous iterations: > > - Felix’ sinus-clearing noises > - Note (scroll) signed F.U. > - Unsuccessful double date with sisters in the same building > - maybe other stuff I missed Just the kind of thing I expected. On the other hand it’s just the first episode, so it’s not impossible to turn it around. This show was obviously rushed into production, poor writing and casting. But it is a mid-season replacement and may only have seen the light of day because Two and Half Men won’t be on Thursday night anymore. Now the original TV show did copy a lot from the play in it’s first episodes, so I can’t criticize them too much for that, but I find the main problem to be the miscasting of Perry. Jack Klugman had done the part on Broadway already, and he was a natural Oscar like Matthau. In this case part of the problem is that it’s the 21st century and they’re trying to shoehorn a concept from the 60s into the modern world. Neither Perry nor Lennon seem to be middle-aged divorced men in the modern world. Also, look at that ridiculous fuzz on Perry’s face. Couldn’t they just paint a shadow on him? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/36 "2015-02-20T14:23:54Z")
I watched it just out of curiosity, but likely won’t be watching again. I noticed Matthew Perry’s name in the producer credits, for whatever that’s worth. Shirley looks like she has lost some weight since Community. Even Dave Foley and Bunk couldn’t make it enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/37 "2015-02-20T14:33:10Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I watched it. I was not impressed. It used too much from previous iterations: > > - Felix’ sinus-clearing noises > - Note (scroll) signed F.U. > - Unsuccessful double date with sisters in the same building > - maybe other stuff I missed > > and that was just the first episode. Also they didn’t even bother to use original names; instead just calling the characters Felix Unger and Oscar Madison. Such sloppy, lazy writing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/38 "2015-02-20T17:18:42Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > All this discussion about post-_Friends_ shows and no one mentions _Episodes_??? > > It is a great comedy. Matt LeBlanc has gone 3 for 3 in Emmy nominations and has won a Golden Globe. > > As to Mr. Perry’s previous shows: > > _Go On_: 1 season. 22 episodes. Had a fairly normal airing schedule. > > _Mr. Sunshine_: 1 half-season. 13 episodes. Only the first 9 aired on schedule. > > _Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip_: 1 season. 22 episodes. Only the first 16 aired in a normal schedule. It was off the schedule for a bit. Then the remaining episodes were burned off. > > The fact that all 13 episodes of _TOC_ have been recorded and it’s just now starting is not good. These will probably be the only episodes produced. > > In addition to the “urban” version of _The Odd Couple_, wasn’t there also one with two women? There was an animated version called [The Oddball Couple](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oddball_Couple) that lasted one season. (Even had Joe Besser!) > > When Matthew Perry appeared on Letterman, he didn’t once name his co-star. :dubious: > > Yet, he appeared on The Late Late Show when Lemon hosted this week and they seemed reasonably friendly. Since the 3-night run was nothing but a plugorama for the show, saw several clips. Not a single one was good. They resorted to playing some weird overdubbed sped up versions. _Not_ a good sign. > > These people know they have a dud. Laverne and Shirley was also pretty much an Odd Couple without the annoying gay stereotype for either. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/39 "2015-02-20T23:02:18Z")
Tom Lennon – Good Matthew Perry – Fair Plotting – Uneven ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064/40 "2015-02-21T16:43:50Z")
Plotting is the same as the original. Maybe it just doesn’t age well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-couple-two-felixes/713064.md?page=3)