“When you ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U and ME!”
By Brian Kramer
I love Lucy, Cheers, Seinfeld, the Simpsons, South Park– so many funny shows over the years. I am writing here about one of my favorites– The Odd Couple.
Neil Simons hit Broadway show, then a feature film, was turned into a TV series that was on from 1970-1975. When you are starting with material from multi-Tony winning writer Neil Simon, it’s hard to go wrong. You are at a big advantage already. The Odd Couple was created by Garry Marshall and starred Jack Klugman and as infamous slob sportswriter Oscar Madison and Tony Randall as the neat freak hypochondriac Felix Unger.
Gary Marshall took elements of the play and sprinkled them through the shows five year Multi Emmy winning seasons. The interplay between Klugman and Randall is what classic and timeless comedy is made of. If it this reason that almost 40 years after the show went off the air, you can still see it anywhere in syndication.
I remember watching the show in first run, but watched the show over and over again and have memorized so many episodes verbatim its silly.
To me the series has many amazing moments. TV Guide picked an episode of the Odd Couple as Number Five of the Funniest Shows of All Time. The “Password Episode” where Oscar completely loses it over Felix’s insipid clues is my favorite. I can still hear Tony Randall in my head, “It’s a known fact that Lincoln loved mayonnaise!”
Felix’s constant honking, cleaning and opera, are all parts of the show character the made it so funny. Of course the amazing chemistry between the stars carried all throughout the series run. Tony Randall won two Emmys for his neat freak, goose-sounding, hypochondriac. Jack Klugman also won Television’s top honor twice.
So watch as two divorced men live together while driving each other crazy!
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