The Odd Couple (Matthew Perry-Thomas Lennon)

Just wondering what you all thought?
This was not as bad as some of the really critical and almost nasty reviews I've seen. This is an iconic piece of American comedy, and it's hard to look at it in an entirely fresh light. So many great lines from the movie (some of which were rehashed for this show), and if you're of a certain age you probably have a great fondness for the original TV version. Personally it's in my top 5 series of all time, and so I was very curious about this new incarnation. So how'd it do?
First off, it's a multi-camera production, so that in and of itself instantly turns off a certain portion of the audience. It's interesting to note that in this age of multi-camera, laugh-track hating viewers, The Big Bang Theory is one of the top shows (not just sit-coms) on the air right now, and to be honest it's a format that I generally prefer having grown up on these. This Odd Couple, just judging from the pilot, does suffer from one of the oft mentioned negatives of multi-cam: exaggerated performances, especially Matthew Perry. Some have mentioned a speech impediment, but careful watching of Perry's previous work shows that this is the way he talks (even in Friends), but it seems to be more evident in his manic, almost shouting line delivery. Lennon, on the other hand, seems to dial it down a bit, ironic for a character that's as flamboyant as Felix. The beauty of multi-cams for me is the inherent energy that a stage performance can bring; I hope some modulation of this effect will come with future episodes.
The "laugh track" is not as obnoxious as on some other multi-cams, especially Big Bang Theory, and it's interesting that almost the entire episode takes place in Oscar's very large apartment (like the original series). This places more pressure on the actors to really deliver the goods, and while I don't see much chemistry between Perry and Lennon, hopefully that will develop over time.
Otherwise, there were other positives to note: the very welcome return to primetime of Dave Foley as Roy, and Lindsay Sloane (Emily) adds some very good comic timing to her lines. The writing was fairly pedestrian, even by modern sit-com standards, and I think the feeling was probably just "Let's put Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon in a room and see what happens". As long as it follows BBT it should get decent ratings and hopefully a pickup beyond the original 7 episode order. I'm going to try to look at this show on its own merits, something that may be hard for the general public to do with a pedigree as golden as The Odd Couple.

 

I enjoyed it. Better than I expected, and it had more than a few genuinely good laughs.

The execution/performances were a bit stiff and projected, but I think it's all about the actors getting comfortable with the characters over time and settling into a rhythm. I think the only thing that bugged me is that Jack Lemmon and Tony Randall played Felix as a fairly normal guy with certain eccentricities, and both were brilliant, whereas Thomas Lennon comes off as a bit too flamboyant, making Felix too much of a stereotype/caricature. Hope they tone that down a little.

Otherwise, good start IMO, and I will definitely make a point of watching again.

 

Lennon makes a good Felix but I'm not sure about Perry as Oscar. Seems to me he'd make just as good--if not a better--Felix.

 

I seemed to enjoy this more than I expected due to what I was reading. I hope that the network allows some time for the actors to find their way and get into character. But overall I enjoyed it.

My only complaint, and it is one that myself and many others have stated before, is that can't Hollywood come up with something original? Though if this show was anything but The Odd Couple then all the reviews would be saying "This is just the Odd Couple with a new title and new names" so I guess there is no winning at that.

 

Is this a remake of a TV show based on a movie based on a play?

Neil Simon never made a dime on the original TV show, BTW. Is this inspired by the real "Odd Couple" or is this just two guys living together and lame "joke"/laugh track/lame "joke"/laugh track, repeat..?

What's the spin on this? Or is this just a another sitcom? Laugh tracks are my mortal enemy, and I couldn't even sit though an episode of "Seinfeld" because of it. No one believe me, but true. Love Jerry, but told him I couldn't ever watch his TV show because of the format (when I worked with him on an Amex commercial). He laughed, but understood. Told him I loved his live stand-up, though (he tipped me off when he was trying new material late night at the Improv to come along..)

But when will this three-camera laugh track set up die already?

Jeff

 

That's a shame you can't watch Seinfeld - you're missing out on one of the most creatively inspired shows on television.

 

I thought Seinfeld was in front of a live audience. even scenes show off stage was shown to an audience for their laughter?

 

I love "Curb"...

Just hate the sitcom format. So ridiculous and constrains the comedy and/or story... plus it's like nails on a chalkboard. Yes - "Seinfeld" was filmed in front of a live audience just like other three-camera sitcoms. I assume "The Odd Couple" is the same.

Not the same as sitting in a theater watching Walter Matthau and Art Carney doing the play live and hearing actual laughter - and if something doesn't "work"... no laughs, and they tweak...

Sitcoms are just for the lowest common denominator in my book. If "The Simpsons" had a laugh track, we'd never have heard of them today.

Jeff

 

I guess technically it could be a remake of a remake of a TV show based on a movie based on a play if you count The New Odd Couple.

 

The old "F.U." joke still cracks me up.

Yes he did. Neil Simon sold film and TV rights to Paramount Pictures in 1967.

 

Really a shame because Jerry and Larry slaved over those scripts to create some of the most exciting comedy of that period. The constraints you talk about actually work for the show because Jerry and Larry crammed so much story and characters into each show that the show came off as a dynamic alternative to most every other comedy on TV at the time. The story arc that Larry uses as his trademark on Curb was born on the show Seinfeld. And unlike other shows, Seinfeld used a real audience.

The brilliant writing of Seinfeld and David, the amazing performances from Dreyfus, Alexander and Richards and also Stiller; really too big to skip over. That's like saying you never got into the Beatles because you didn't like the guitars they used.

 

Matthew Perry is hilarious - and that is coming from someone that didn't like Friends much.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I'd rather see Perry paired with someone else as Oscar.

John K.

 

exactly what I thought...Perry a better Felix!

 

I enjoyed Perry in film more than TV...he was hilarious in The Whole Nine Yards...also was not a fan of Friends...

 

Meh. The original TV show is a classic. Why bother with a rehash? The next Odd Couple remake I'd watch would be a scifi comedy with the parts of Felix and Oscar played by aliens.

 

yes, but the TV Odd Couple was a remake of sorts from the original movie.

 

This is the 2nd Odd Couple remake. The first one was a black version with Demond Wilson (Sanford & Son) and Ron Glass (Barney Miller). That one sucked. There's at least a 50/50 shot that this one will suck worse. The original is my favorite TV show ever, so it's unlikely I'll ever see any of these remakes as its equal.

 

Wasn't "Two And A Half Men" an updated version of "The Odd Couple"?

 

All you need :

 

I wasn't very impressed with the reboot. It was like they took the script from the original TV show, but wasn't as funny, IMO.

 

Klugman and Randall were just as good, if not better.

 

Much better IMO. I didn't really care for the movie at all.

 

Yes, and I'm sure there are those that feel that Bugsy Malone is every bit as good as, if not better, than The Godfather.
That is why we have trailer parks.

 

I was trying to be tactful

The only time interaction between 2 actors in a sitcom has even come close to Klugman/Randall has been Grammer/Hyde-Pierce, or maybe Alda/Farrell.