THE ODD COUPLE (TV SERIES)

'''The Odd Couple''' was a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.
Felix and Oscar are two divorced men. Felix is a neat freak while Oscar is sloppy and casual. They are sharing the same apartment, and their different lifestyles inevitably lead to some conflicts and laughs.

Contents

History

Supporting characters

Awards

Opening narration and credit sequence

Other versions

TV Stations/Cable Networks that aired the show during the syndicated run

Episode guide

DVD Releases

Trivia

External links

History

The success of the 1968 film version of the stage play of ''The Odd Couple'', which starred Jack Lemmon as Felix and Walter Matthau as Oscar, served as the catalyst to bringing the characters to television. The original casting considerations for the TV show included Mickey Rooney or Martin Balsam as Oscar and Dean Martin or Art Carney as Felix. (Carney had originated the role on Broadway.) Eventually, Tony Randall and Jack Klugman were hired. Both had starred in different productions of the play. Randall, who was hired first, had still wanted Mickey Rooney to play Oscar. The show's co-executive producer, Garry Marshall, had to lobby to get Klugman successfully hired. Once the casting was in place, the show's writers (comprised of Marshall, Jerry Belson, Jerry Paris, Harvey Miller, Bob Brunner, Mark Rothman and Lowell Ganz among others) came up with a multitude of situations for Felix and Oscar to be in, while always staying true to the soul of the play, which always reverted back to the human tensions between the two that created the comic situations.
The show premiered on ABC on Thursday, September 24 1970, at 9:30 PM. Throughout its run, ''The Odd Couple'' was juggled around ABC's programming schedule, as seen below:

★ Sep. 1970 to Jan. 1971 - Thursday nights at 9:30

★ Jan. 1971 to Jun. 1973 - Friday nights at 9:30

★ Jun. 1973 to Jan. 1974 - Friday nights at 8:30

★ Jan. 1974 to Sep. 1974 - Friday nights at 9:30

★ Sep. 1974 to Jan. 1975 - Thursday nights at 8:00

★ Jan. 1975 to July 1975 - Friday nights at 9:30
The show struggled in the Nielsen ratings and was canceled at the end of every season. But ABC renewed the show for each upcoming season because the ratings for the summer reruns were high.
The final first-run episode, aired on March 7, 1975, was entitled "Felix Remarries." In it, Felix finally wins Gloria back and they remarry as Oscar regains the freedom of living alone again. The final scene unfolds thusly, as the two say their goodbyes:[1]
:'Felix:' Oscar … thanks.…
:'Oscar:' Ah … don't mention it.
:'Felix:' In parting, I just want to say: "Oscar, I salute you." [empties waste basket onto floor]
:'Oscar:' And you know what? I'll salute ''you'' by cleaning it up.
:[They shake hands and Felix exits stage right through front door. After door closes …]
:'Oscar:' [swings his hand through the air] I'm not cleaning that up! [exits stage left to bedroom]
:[Felix sneaks back in stage right and looks at floor]
:'Felix:' [disgustedly] I knew he wouldn't clean that up! [proceeds to pick up trash] (fade out)
The 114 episodes quickly found a very successful life in syndication where they found a brand new audience which endures to this day.

Supporting characters

The Pigeon Sisters, (Monica Evans as Cecily and Carole Shelley as Gwendolyn, reprising their roles from the film and stage play) made a few appearances during the first season. Their characters were phased out by the end of the first season. Also in the first season, Oscar had a girlfriend, Dr. Nancy Cunningham (played by Joan Hotchkis), but her character disappeared after the second season. Felix gained a girlfriend in the second season, nurse Miriam Welby (played by Elinor Donahue), but they broke up in the fourth season. Bill Quinn appeared occasionally as Dr. Melnitz, Miriam's boss and the boys' physician. Christopher Shea also appeared in three episodes of the first season as Philip, Felix and Oscar's 11-year-old neighbor.
The TV show also featured their ex-wives. Janis Hansen played Felix's ex, Gloria (named Frances in the play and film) and Jack Klugman's real life wife at the time Brett Somers as Blanche, Oscar's ex. (The real couple divorced during the run of the show.) There were many episodes in which Felix felt he had made a mistake by granting Gloria a divorce and took comedically drastic measures to try to win her back. In contrast, Oscar was happy to be divorced from Blanche and the two constantly traded sarcastic barbs. The only major drawback from Oscar's point of view was the alimony he was ordered to pay.
The two other major supporting characters, Murray the Cop and Myrna Turner, Oscar's secretary, were played by Al Molinaro and Penny Marshall (Garry's sister) respectively. Garry Walberg, Ryan McDonald and Larry Gelman played Oscar's poker player friends Speed, Roy and Vinnie and rounded out the rest of the regulars. Ryan McDonald left the show after the first season and the character of Roy vanished afterwards. Willie Aames and later Leif Garrett made a few appearances as Felix's son, Leonard. Pamelyn Ferdin and later Doney Oatman made a few appearances as Felix's teenaged daughter, Edna.

Awards

During its original run the show had mediocre ratings at best (the show never cracked the Top 25 programs Nielsen ratings list during its entire run). Nonetheless, both actors were nominated for Emmy awards in each year of the shows run. Jack Klugman won two Emmy awards for his work (in 1971 and 1973) and Tony Randall won an Emmy as well (in 1975, in which, upon acceptance of the award, he commented on the fact that he wished he currently "had a job", since the show had been cancelled). Klugman was also nominated for a Golden Globe in 1972 and won one in 1974. The show itself was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in the years 1971, 1972 and 1974.

Opening narration and credit sequence

''"On November 13, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence. (Unger's unseen wife slams door. She reopens it and angrily hands Felix his saucepan) That request came from his wife. Deep down, he knew she was right, but he also knew that someday, he would return to her. With nowhere else to go, he appeared at the home of his childhood friend, Oscar Madison. Sometime earlier, Madison's wife had thrown 'him' out, requesting that 'he' never return. Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?"''
This opening narration was featured during the show's first and second seasons. It was narrated by voice actor Bill Woodson. The "childhood friend" reference was only used during the first season and was later changed to simply "friend". Also, "sometime earlier" was changed to "several years earlier" followed by Madison's wife throwing him out, requesting that he never return. The opening credit sequence consisted of Felix and Oscar in various humorous situations around New York City. In later seasons, the opening sequence featured highlights from the shows' past episodes mixed with the previous footage. The closing credit sequences for the first four years of the show consisted of more of the boys run amok in NYC or a scene where Felix meets Oscar by a big fountain. For the final season, the credits were shown against a blue background.

Other versions

Randall and Klugman did a series of commercials for different products as Felix and Oscar. In 1972, they appeared in TV commercials for Yoplait yogurt. (Klugman also did commercials without Randall for the product in the early 1980s) In 1974, they appeared in ads for the game ''Challenge Yahtzee''. For awhile, their likenesses also appeared on the game's packaging. In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Randall and Klugman reprised their characters in a series of commercials for Eagle Snacks, although they called each other by their real names.
They also reprised their roles as Felix and Oscar on Broadway and on the road, this time performing the Neil Simon play, from the late 1980s until the mid 1990s. They had also performed the Simon play on a few road shows during the TV-shows off season during the summer in the early to mid 1970s.
Randall and Klugman reunited in the 1993 CBS TV-movie ''The Odd Couple: Together Again'' to limited success. Klugman lost a vocal cord to throat cancer and this struggle was included into the script. In the film, Felix tries to help Oscar recover. He also becomes overly involved in Edna's upcoming wedding much to her and Gloria's dismay.
A cartoon version of ''The Odd Couple'' premiered on September 6 1975 on ABC titled ''The Oddball Couple'' during their Saturday morning kids' programming block, ''Funshine Saturday''. The characters were renamed, "Spiffy" (voiced by Frank Nelson) and "Fleabag" (voiced by Paul Winchell). It was directed and produced by the same team that produced the ''Pink Panther'' cartoons: David DePatie and Friz Freleng were executive producers, Gerry Chiniquy, and Robert McKimson among others, directed several episodes. The show was cancelled in 1977.
In 1982, ABC aired a new version of ''The Odd Couple'', this time with two African-Americans, Ron Glass as Felix and Demond Wilson as Oscar. It was called ''The New Odd Couple'' and ran less than half a season.

TV Stations/Cable Networks that aired the show during the syndicated run

★ KTVU TV 2/San Francisco, CA (1975-1997)

★ WPIX-TV 11/New York, NY (late 70's - early 90's)

★ KHSL-TV 12/Chico, CA (mid 70's - late 70's)

★ KOIN-TV 6/Portland, OR (late 70's)

★ KTXL TV 40/Sacramento, CA (late 70's-87, 1996-97)

★ KQCA TV 58/Sacramento, CA (1990-91)

★ USA Network (1993-94)

★ KBCW TV 44/San Francisco, CA (1997-99)

★ Nick At Nite (1996-1998)

★ TV Land (1998-2002)

★ KRVU TV 22/Chico, CA (1997-98)

Episode guide

'Season 1 (1970-1971)'

Episode Number	Title	Airdate
1	''The Laundry Orgy''	September 24, 1970Oscar and Felix's first date with their neighbors the Pigeon Sisters is a total disaster...with poker, laundry night, and Felix's cleaning all getting in the way.
2	''The Fight of the Felix''	October 1, 1970After Oscar gets into a fight with a hockey palyer, Felix tries to stand up for his roommate, but ends up in the boxing ring instead.
3	''Felix Gets Sick''	October 8, 1970Felix comes down with a 48-hour flu bug and guilts Oscar into taking care of him, ruining Oscar's weekend with a beautiful stewardess.
4	''The Jury Story''	October 15, 1970One night, Oscar and Felix tell the Pigeon Sisters how the first met. Oscar was the foreman on a jury and, sure enough, Felix was the lone holdout.
5	''The Breakup''	October 22, 1970After a big fight, Oscar kicks Felix out for good. And while Felix moves from apartment to apartment, Oscar can't help but notice that his life is going downhill.
6	''Oscar's Ulcer''	October 29, 1970When the doctor tells Oscar he has a stomach ulcer, Felix plays nursemaid for one week. His three rules? No stress, no poker, and no women!
7	''I Do, I Don't''	November 5, 1970During a wedding rehearsal, best man Felix recalls his own marriage and divorce, causing the groom to get cold feet and call off the wedding.
8	''Oscar the Model''	November 12, 1970When a young ad exec sees a photo of Oscar, he claims to have found a fresh face, and orders Felix to use him in a big cologne campaign.
9	''The Big Brothers''	November 19, 1970After volunteering for the Big Brothers program, Felix tries to impress a little boy with his knowledge of the arts. But, the kid is more impressed with Oscar.
10	''It's All Over Now, Baby Bird''	December 3, 1970When Felix’s beloved parrot dies, he has trouble finding a final resting place for it. But then, he and Oscar visit a pet cemetery, where a funeral is planned.
11	''Felix is Missing''	December 10, 1970When Felix flies to Canada for work without leaving word, his poker buddies assume he’s dead, and Oscar is accused of foul play.
12	''Scrooge Gets an Oscar''	December 17, 1970Oscar refuses to act in a benefit performance of “A Christmas Carol,” then has a nightmare that he is the character of Scrooge in the classic holiday tale.
13	''The Blackout''	December 24, 1970During poker night, there is a power outage and $50 is stolen. Oscar is the prime suspect, so he insists on recreating the crime to prove he is innocent.
14	''They Use Horseradish, Don't They?''	January 7, 1971Even tough Oscar divulged a secret recipe to a competitor at a cooking contest, Felix still needs his help. Felix’s nerves have caused his arms to go stiff!
15	''The Hideaway''	January 14, 1971An Alaskan football player is a houseguest while Oscar negotiates his contract. But then, Felix discovers he is a cellist and urges him to give up sports.
16	''Lovers Don't Make House Calls''	January 29, 1971Felix needs a doctor in the middle of the night. So when pretty Dr. Nancy Cunningham arrives at the door, Oscar is smitten and asks her out.
17	''Engrave Trouble''	February 5, 1971When his ex-wife’s watch is stolen from a jewelry store, Felix lets Oscar contact his shady underworld friends to try and get it back.
18	''Bunny is Missing Down by the Lake''	February 12, 1971Oscar brings a depressed Felix up to his cabin, where a pretty camp counselor and three girls seek shelter from the rain. But then, one little girl gets lost.
19	''You've Come a Long Way, Baby''	February 19, 1971Oscar doesn’t want anyone ruining his big night at the sportswriters’ dinner. But then, Felix arrives home with a baby left behind at his studio.
20	''A Taste of Money''	February 26, 1971When young Phillip next door is found with $2000 in cash, Felix is worried that it’s been stolen, so he and Oscar have to find out where the money came from.
21	''Oscar's New Life''	March 5, 1971After Oscar is fired from his job, Felix gets him a position on staff with a popular girlie magazine, where Oscar discovers he is no swinger.
22	''What Makes Felix Run''	March 12, 1971In order to cure Felix of his neatness and win back his ex-wife, Oscar comes up with a plan to turn his finicky roommate into a slob.
23	''What Does a Naked Lady Say to You?''	March 19, 1971Felix is dating a wholesome librarian who looks familiar to Murray. Then, he remembers he busted her for indecent exposure-as an actress in a nude play!
24	''Trapped''	March 26, 1971On their way to a costume party, Felix, Oscar, and Oscar’s girlfriend Nancy are accidentally locked in the building’s dusty basement, with no way out.

'Season 2 (1971-1972)'

Episode Number	Title	Airdate
25	''Natural Childbirth''	17 September, 1971Oscar’s niece turns up in New York alone and pregnant, insisting she wants to deliver her child naturally…in the Bronx!
26	''Felix's Wife's Boyfriend''	24 September, 1971With Felix away in Canada, Oscar and Nancy feel safe fixing up his ex-wife Gloria with Nancy’s brother. Then, Felix returns early…
27	''Hospital Mates''	1 October, 1971Oscar is looking forward to Felix’s operations so that he stops honking his nose. However, when Oscar injures his ankle, they end up sharing a hospital room.
28	''Sleepwalker''	8 October, 1971Oscar has started walking in his sleep. But, while sleepwalking, he’s also started to physically attack his roommate Felix!
29	''A Grave for Felix''	15 October, 1971After he loses Felix’s cemetery plot money on a horse, Oscar has to help his finicky roommate find an acceptable burial place.
30	''Murray the Fink''	29 October, 1971Taunted by Oscar for being weak, Murray gets tough with his poker buddies and has them all thrown in jail for illegal gambling.
31	''Does Your Mother Know You're Out, Rigoletto?''	5 November, 1971Oscar gets an opera star to appear in Felix’s amateur production of Rigoletto. But when the singer is injured, Oscar must perform the title role himself.
32	''The Fat Farm''	12 November, 1971Oscar is encouraged by Nancy to try to lose a few pounds. So, Felix takes his roommate to a strict health farm, where he is caught sneaking in food.
33	''The Odd Couple Meet Their Host''	19 November, 1971When he goes on a talk show, Oscar ends up telling funny stories about his neurotic roommate. So, Felix demands equal airtime to get back at him.
34	''Win One for Felix''	3 December, 1971Hoping to be a better father to his son Leonard, Felix replaces Oscar as the coach for the boys’ footballs team…and watches the players turn on him.
35	''Being Divorced is Never Having to Say I Do''	10 December, 1971When Oscar’s ex-wife Blanche decides to remarry, Oscar is thrilled. But, Felix objects to what appears to be a loveless relationship.
36	''Surprise, Surprise!''	17 December, 1971Felix holds his daughter Edna’s 10th birthday party at the apartment, the same day that Oscar has a scheduled a big poker game.
37	''Felix the Calypso Singer''	24 December, 1971When Nancy can’t go on their Caribbean vacation, Oscar takes Felix. But then, Nancy arrives on the island unexpectedly and Felix becomes a fifth wheel.
38	''And Leave the Greyhound to Us?''	31 December, 1971When Oscar wins a racing dog in a poker game, he wants to take him to Miami and race him. But, Felix would rather treat him like a pet.
39	''Security Arms''	7 January, 1972After Felix and Oscar are robbed, they move into a maximum-security building, which feels more like a prison than an apartment.
40	''Speak for Yourself''	14 January, 1972Oscar tells Murray the story of how he and Felix first met, and how he had to propose to Gloria when Felix lost his voice.
41	''You Saved My Life''	21 January, 1972Now that Oscar has saved Felix’s life, Felix is killing him with kindness. So, Oscar decides to turn the tables on his roommate and even the score.
42	''Where's Grandpa?''	28 January, 1972Insanely jealous of his wife, Felix’s grandfather flees his retirement community and comes to stay with Oscar while Felix is out of town.
43	''Partner's Investment''	4 February, 1972Felix takes Oscar’s gambling money and invests it in a successful Japanese restaurant. But then the cook quits and they are forced to work there.
44	''Good, Bad Boy''	11 February, 1972Felix insists that a boy form the local reform school has changed…until the kid asks his daughter Edna to the school dance.
45	''A Night to Dismember''	18 February, 1972On the anniversary of their divorce, Oscar and Blanche reminisce about the night they split up, with each telling their version of the big blowout.
46	''Oscar's Promotion''	25 February, 1972Felix has been hired by Oscar to take photos of a champion Chinese wrestler. Then Felix advises the athlete to give up the sport.
47	''Psychic, Shmychic''	3 March, 1972Whenever he comes down with a fever, Felix becomes highly accurate about predicting the future-even predicting that someone is going to murder Oscar!

'Season 3 (1972-1973)'

Episode Number	Title	Airdate
48	''Gloria, Hallelujah''	15 September, 1972
49	''Big Mouth''	22 September, 1972While Felix is shooting an ad campaign for a soft drink with Howard Cosell at his studio, Oscar shows up and starts a feud with Cosell who is so incensed he walks away from doing the shoot. It will take some mending by the boys to get Cosell to return.
50	''The Princess''	29 September, 1972
51	''The Pen is Mightier Than the Pencil''	6 October, 1972Felix, disturbed to learn that writers for the magazines he sells his photos to write unflattering captions, decides to learn creative writing to write his own copy. Oscar however, begins to question the integrity of the teacher of the writing class Felix is in.
52	''The Odd Monks''	13 October, 1972After a heavy day at the job for both of them, the boys take the advice of a monk who dropped out of society 10 years ago and joined a retreat. They decide to try the retreat for themselves, with Felix giving it his all and Oscar realizing he made a mistake the minute he gets there.
53	''I'm Dying of Unger''	20 October, 1972Oscar is trying to write a sports book entitled ''Knockout'', from the point of view of the ''killer instinct''. Murray the Cop gives Oscar the use of a friends isolated cabin in the woods to try and help Oscar, who hasn't been able to write a single page. Felix tags along and accidentally helps Oscar solve the problem.
54	''The Odd Couples''	27 October, 1972
55	''Felix's First Commercial''	3 November, 1972
56	''The First Baby''	10 November, 1972
57	''Oscar's Birthday''	17 November, 1972Felix plans a ''This is Your Life'' surprise birthday party for Oscar.
58	''Password''	1 December, 1972After he's invited to be a celebrity contestant on a game show, Oscar reluctantly brings Felix along to be his partner...and then regrets it.
59	''The Odd Father''	8 December, 1972
60	''Don't Believe in Roomers''	22 December, 1972
61	''Sometimes a Great Ocean''	5 January, 1973
62	''I Gotta Be Me''	12 January, 1973Felix and Oscar's constant fighting is driving their friends away from them. They try to resolve the situation with group therapy and get kicked out, but not before the therapist suggests that they try role reversal.
63	''The Ides of April''	19 January, 1973Felix is summoned to the Internal Revenue Service because he forgot to sign his check, and winds up convincing them to audit Oscar, much to Oscar's chagrin.
64	''Myrna's Debut''	2 February, 1973
65	''The Hustler''	9 February, 1973
66	''My Strife in Court''	16 February, 1973
67	''Let's Make a Deal''	23 February, 1973Oscar smokes a cigar in bed and falls asleep, thus ruining the bed, which is Felix's. Oscar's old college pal, Monty Hall, gives him tickets to his game show ''Let's Make a Deal''. Oscar and Felix try to go on to win back the money for the bed Oscar now owes Felix.
68	''The Odyssey Couple''	2 March, 1973
69	''Take My Furniture, Please''	9 March, 1973While Oscar is preoccupied with writing a new sports book, Felix uses the opportunity to repaint the apartment and redecorate in ultra modern. Oscar, hating all the new changes, decides to start over by redecorating with his own ideas.
70	''The Murray Who Came to Dinner''	23 March, 1973

'Season 4 (1973-1974)'

Episode Number	Title	Airdate
71	''Gloria Moves In''	14 September, 1973
72	''Last Tango in Newark''	21 September, 1973When a famous male ballet star is late for a children's performance of "Swan Lake", Felix realizes he must dance the lead role himself.
73	''The Odd Decathlon''	28 September, 1973After Felix's insurance premiums go up, he challenges Oscar to a mini decathalon to prove his physical superiority.
74	''That Was No Lady''	5 October, 1973
75	''The Odd Holiday''	12 October, 1973
76	''The New Car''	19 October, 1973With Felix's help, Oscar wins a new car in a radio contest. But when Oscar decides he wants to sell it, Felix won't let him.
77	''That is the Army Mrs. Madison''	26 October 1973
78	''The Songwriter''	2 November 1973
79	''Felix Directs''	9 November 1973Murray The Cop is sick of self-righteous Felix, who pompously denounces movies. He challenges him to do better. Felix makes a documentary of Oscar, entitled, ''Mondo Filth''. Oscar brings a film producer to see the film and the producer offers Felix a directing job which becomes way over his head.
80	''The Pig Who Came to Dinner''	16 November 1973
81	''Maid for Each Other''	23 November 1973
82	''The Exorcists''	7 December 1973Felix hears noises in the air conditioner and insists the apartment is haunted. He hires an exorcist but he charges too much so Felix buys a book on "how to exorcise at home". Oscar figures out the problem in the end however.
83	''A Barnacle Adventure''	21 December 1973Oscar's dentist, has invented a new kind of glue, made from barnacles. Oscar wants Felix to invest in it.
84	''The Moonlighter''	4 January 1974Felix entrusts Oscar with $400 to buy Yankees season tickets for a client of his. Oscar bets the money on a losing horse instead. Instead of telling Felix what he did, he moonlights as a short-order cook down by the docks. Felix discovers him and makes Oscar work in his studio to pay off the debt.
85	''Cleanliness is Next to Impossible''	11 January 1974
86	''The Flying Felix''	18 January 1974Felix is due to fly to Houston to shoot an ad for "Buckaroo Barbecue Sauce", but he's afraid of planes. Oscar lends a hand.
87	''Vocal Girl Makes Good''	25 January 1974
88	''Shuffling Off to Buffalo''	8 February 1974
89	''A Different Drummer''	22 February 1974Monty Hall is hosting a new nostalgia variety show, and Felix and his band "The Sophisticados" are dying to be on it. Oscar however, becomes a roadblock as he is mad at his old friend Hall, who is rerunning Felix and Oscars ''Let's Make a Deal'' segment (episode 67), which turned out to be a disaster.
90	''The Insomniac''	1 March 1974Felix can't sleep. Oscar, Murray and Myrna all try to help Felix get to bed.
91	''New York's Oddest''	8 March 1974Felix and Oscar sign up with the Civilian Reserves, and both begin to patrol the apartment building they live in. Felix takes his job a bit seriously and soon has the entire building hating him.
92	''One for the Bunny''	22 March 1974A flashback episode as one of Felix's earliest photo jobs, is for ''Playboy'' magazine. Felix has to photograph six girls, one of which will be chosen as the centerfold. Gloria, his fiancee at the time, turns out to be one of those six girls.

'Season 5 (1974-1975)'

Episode Number	Title	Airdate
93	''The Rain in Spain''	12 September 1974
94	''To Bowl or Not to Bowl''	19 September 1974Felix's bowling team is about to compete in the finals of a bowling tournament when his back goes out. Everybody else on the team rides Felix's coat tails and feels doomed about losing the finals.
95	''The Frog''	26 September 1974
96	''The Hollywood Story''	3 October 1974A group of sportswriters has been invited to Hollywood for bit parts in a movie, and Oscar is one of them. Felix is non-plussed about the idea until Oscar invites him along.
97	''The Dog Story''	10 October 1974
98	''Strike Up the Band or Else''	17 October 1974Oscar owes Billy Joe Babcock, who is throwing a square dance at a fancy hotel in town, $500, and coerces Felix to change his band's style of music (they are called "The Sophisticados") and play the square dance, as the original band meant to play cancels out at the last minute. By doing so, Oscar's debt to Babcock will be wiped out.
99	''The Odd Candidate''	24 October 1974The incumbent Councilman in the 34th Council District, plans to tear down neighborhood playgrounds and put up office buildings. Felix objects and, without Oscars knowledge, decides to run him against the Councilman on the playground issue.
100	''The Subway Story''	31 October 1974Felix has been upset with Oscar putting down New York City in his column. It takes a subway ride in which the two of them take, which breaks down, where New Yorkers come to the aid of a pregnant seeing-eye dog to renew Oscars faith in New Yorkers.
101	''The Paul Williams Show''	7 November 1974
102	''Our Fathers''	21 November 1974
103	''The Big Broadcast''	28 November 1974
104	''Oscar in Love''	12 December 1974
105	''The Bigger They Are''	14 December 1974For his work on the Fat-A-Way Diet Pill ad campaign, an association of advertising and commercials is presenting Felix with the 100th annual "Dink Award". But via a flashback, it is discovered that Felix may have won the award dishonestly.
106	''Two on the Aisle''	19 December 1974Oscar is assigned to cover the New York theater scene while the regular critic is on vacation. Afraid that he's out of his league, he gives all the tickets to Felix, and after each performance secretly takes notes on Felix's remarks. It doesn't take too long before the whole situation snowballs.
107	''Your Mother Wears Army Boots''	16 January 1975Martina Arroyo, Howard Cosell, Jack Carter and Roone Arledge all wind up in this episode in which it's Cosell VS. Madison round two. Jack Carter plays a comedy writer who writes jokes for Oscar to use against Cosell.
108	''Felix the Horse Player''	23 January 1975
109	''The Rent Strike''	31 January 1975The new building manager, Mr. Lovelace, isn't providing services to the tenants, because he's too busy tending to his beloved house plants. Felix, angered and annoyed like the rest of the folks in the building, calls a rent strike.
110	''Two Men on a Hoarse''	7 February 1975
111	''The Roy Clark Show''	14 February 1975
112	''Old Flames Never Die''	21 February 1975Felix learns that his high school girlfriend Mildred Fleener has become a grandmother and he begins to convince himself that's he's an old man. Oscar gets influenced by Felix's anxiety and he too begins to feel old.
113	''Laugh, Clown, Laugh''	28 February 1975Richard Dawson is doing a new variety show, and Oscar has been chosen to be his co-host. Felix however, holds a grudge against Dawson, they were in the army together and used to be part of a song and dance act, and Felix feels that he taught Dawson everything he knows about show business. Dawson sees it the other way around.
114	''Felix Remarries''	7 March 1975

'CBS TV Movie'
24 September 1993 ''The Odd Couple: Together Again''

DVD Releases

''The Odd Couple: The Complete First Season'' was released on DVD in Region 1 on August 18, 2006. It features all 24 episodes from the first season and was released by Time Life Video instead of Paramount Home Entertainment. (Paramount Television was the program's original distributor.) (Some episodes, mainly from the first season, were available on a VHS videotape set during the 1990s, and distributed by Columbia House.)
On April 24th, 2007, Paramount Home Entertainment released the first season On DVD (the same set as distributed by Time Life Video) to retail outlets. Paramount released the second season on August 28, 2007. [2]

DVD Name	Ep #	Release Date
The 1st Season	24	April 24 2007
The 2nd Season	22	August 28 2007

Trivia

★ Neal Hefti's instrumental theme music from the 1968 film was re-used for the show.

★ The apartment building the boys lived in was 1049 Park Avenue, as shown in the opening credits by the exterior shot of them outside the building under the awning which has the address on it. There was one occasion, however, in the 1973 episode ''The New Car'' in which Oscar wins a car on the radio from Dick Clark, where Felix and Oscar were said to be living at 74th St. and Central Park West. 1970s child star Rodney Allen Rippy appeared as himself in the 1975 episode ''The Rent Strike'' where it was revealed that he was the owner of 1049 Park Avenue.

★ Felix's last name was changed from Ungar (which it was in the play and film) to Unger for the TV series.

★ Felix worked as a photographer but in the play he was a newswriter for CBS. Oscar was a sportswriter, which was also his profession in the play; he wrote for the fictional ''New York Herald''.

★ During the first season, the show was filmed in a apartment similar to the one used for the 1968 movie; the configuration was scaled down for easier filming for television. Beginning with the second season, the show was filmed three-camera-style in front of a live audience; this required a major redesign of the apartment set, which was used for the remainder of the series. Many fans prefer the first-season apartment because it looked more like a typical Manhattan pre-war apartment.

★ A canned laugh track was used for the first season. Reportedly, Randall and Klugman were so vocal in their distaste for it that an episode aired in early 1971 without the laugh track, and Randall asked viewers to contact ABC with their preference.

★ Many entertainment and sports personalities (most of whom regularly appeared on ABC-TV at the time) appeared on the show as themselves including Howard Cosell (whose two appearances were responsible for some of the highest ratings during the shows original run), Roone Arledge, David Steinberg, Paul Williams, Roy Clark, Bobby Riggs, Billie Jean King, Marilyn Horne, Dick Cavett, 1970s child star Rodney Allen Rippy, Monty Hall (in one episode the boys appear on Hall's game show ''Let's Make A Deal''), Allen Ludden and Betty White (both appearing on Ludden's game show ''Password''), Dick Clark, Hugh Hefner, Richard Dawson and Deacon Jones among others.

★ Neil Simon's only contribution to the show was a cameo appearance in a 1974 episode entitled "Two On The Aisle".

★ A book about the show's history and popularity, called ''Odd Couple Mania'', appeared in book stores in 1983 and was written by Rip Stock.

★ Producer Garry Marshall made cameos in four episodes as different characters.

★ Felix's children were named Leonard and Edna. In real life, Tony Randall's real name was Leonard (Rosenberg) and his sister was named Edna.

★ Elinor Donahue's character was named "Miriam Welby" in honor of her former ''Father Knows Best'' co-star, Robert Young. At the time, Young was the star of the hit drama series, ''Marcus Welby, M.D.''

★ Rob Reiner, Penny Marshall's husband at the time, appeared in one episode as Myrna's new boyfriend, Sheldn. (The "o" was left off his birth certificate.)

★ Since the show was filmed in Hollywood, California, but took place in New York's Manhattan, Randall and Klugman would have to fly to New York City to do any exterior shots of their respective characters in outside settings.

★ In one episode, Felix and Oscar were arrested because a police officer thought they were trying to "scalp" (sell) a theater ticket to a woman named Beth Olam. Beth Olam is the name of a Jewish cemetery near the Paramount lot where the show was filmed.

★ Richard Stahl appeared on the show nine times, playing nine different roles[3].

★ Billy Sands character actor, known as Pvt. Dino Paparelli on The Phil Silvers Show and Tinker from McHale's Navy was on four episodes.

★ Comedian John Byner appeared in two episodes.

★ Gary Walberg also appeared in Klugman's series "Quincy, M.E." as Detective Monahan.

★ John Fiedler, who played "Vinnie" in both the original Broadway show and the 1968 movie version, appeared in two episodes of the show, "Security Arms" and "The Dog Story", as different characters.

★ Randall and Klugman were also involved in the creative process of the TV show. They improvised on occasion, and sometimes they would receive scripts that simply said something like "Jack teaches Tony football" and nothing else written on the next four pages.

★ Randall and Klugman released a musical record during the run of the TV show, (in 1973) entitled ''The Odd Couple Sings''.[4] The record was exactly that, as Randall and Klugman warbled standards, and even pop hits from the time, like Carly Simon's "You're So Vain". It did not climb the charts but is regarded today as a scarce curio.

★ Klugman and Randall appeared on the cover of ''TV Guide'' twice during the shows original run, appearing on its February 6 1971 issue (which was a photograph of Felix wincing at Oscars looming cigar smoke) and on its September 2 1972 issue (which was an illustration of the two, done by renowned illustrator Jack Davis).

★ In the episode "Our Fathers," Randall and Klugman ditched their respective hairpieces for a flashback sequence.

★ Felix's middle name was Alex, and Oscar's middle name was Trevor.

★ In 2006, VH1 spoofed the opening of the show when promoting its shows Hogan Knows Best and Breaking Bonaduce. In the promo, a split-screen showed Hulk Hogan (assuming the Felix role) and Danny Bonaduce (in the Oscar role) in various situations very similar to the TV shows opening (helping an old lady across the street, dancing together at the end, etc.). Theme music very similar to ''The Odd Couple'' played over the commercial.

★ In 2007, A&E extended this spoof to the actual opening credits of their reality show The Two Coreys.

External links

★

★ The Odd Couple - Fan based website

★ Essay on The Odd Couple and Gilligan's Island