Patssy Stoned May 16, 2014 Share May 16, 2014 There IS no comparison--Randall and Klugman were absolutely perfect in their roles--even better than the original movie. 2 Link to comment
prican58 June 5, 2014 Share June 5, 2014 (edited) They tried this before many years ago with Ron Glass (Barney Miller) and someone else that I've forgotten and I think they used the same scripts from the original TV show. Needless to say it didn't work. Is there no original thought in show biz anymore? Good luck to these folks. They're gonna need it. Edited June 5, 2014 by prican58 1 Link to comment
Actionmage June 15, 2014 Share June 15, 2014 Out of curiosity, I checked on The New Odd Couple, and the leads were Ron Glass and Demond Wilson, of Sanford and Son fame. ( Interesting fun fact care of IMDb: there was apparently a version made for Thai television in 2007!) I might watch the premiere as I like Matthew Perry and Tom Lennon. The premise is still fun and could be a nice, quiet hit for its network. Link to comment
prican58 June 15, 2014 Share June 15, 2014 Yes, I may tune in as well for the same reason you stated, actionmage. At least we have two leads that know a thing or two about comedy. Will Lennon be able to tell Murray the cop to use his coaster with the same conviction as Tony Randall? Will there even be a Murray? Link to comment
Kromm June 15, 2014 Share June 15, 2014 Yes, I may tune in as well for the same reason you stated, actionmage. At least we have two leads that know a thing or two about comedy. Will Lennon be able to tell Murray the cop to use his coaster with the same conviction as Tony Randall? Will there even be a Murray? If there's no Murray I will be pissed OFF. I don't care if they cast another "type" though. An African-American Murray, for example, would bring some welcome diversity. Admittedly nobody's gonna match Al Molinaro, nevertheless I think it's an essential role. This WAS genius: Actually, we need ALL of the Poker buddies. In SOME form. Them and the ex-wives are really the cast, and that shouldn't be changed. Felix having kids could be optional though. Link to comment
prican58 June 15, 2014 Share June 15, 2014 OK, Kromm, this is so damned funny! Every Murray scene is funny. I wonder if ABC would slot this exact series into its line up with Modern Family, how well would it do? I love Klugman. Link to comment
Kromm June 15, 2014 Share June 15, 2014 Well according to IMDB, even Murray was only on about half the episodes, Speed on only a dozen, the other poker buddies even less, Felix's ex only about a dozen, and Oscar and Felix each had ongoing girlfriends at different points for 11 and 17 episodes each, respectively. So really I was wrong to say these others are "cast". Murray is the only one who was on enough for that, and... if you go back to the play/movie I don't think he's any more important in those than any of the other poker buddies. Link to comment
Bellalisa February 20, 2015 Share February 20, 2015 Watching the pilot last night made me go to youtube and watch 3 episodes of the original. You just can't reproduce the genius and the chemistry of the orginal TV show Oscar and Felix. They were perfect...watching the new show makes me long for the originals! I did like the felix much more than the Oscar. He was pretty spot-on. Then Again I feel like I'm comparing and watching an impersonation. In the orginal Oscar's bedroom was so so funny! I'll give it more of a chance but I don't think you can update such an iconic show and a cast of legends. 1 Link to comment
Kromm February 21, 2015 Share February 21, 2015 Watching the pilot last night made me go to youtube and watch 3 episodes of the original. You just can't reproduce the genius and the chemistry of the orginal TV show Oscar and Felix. They were perfect...watching the new show makes me long for the originals! I did like the felix much more than the Oscar. He was pretty spot-on. Then Again I feel like I'm comparing and watching an impersonation. In the orginal Oscar's bedroom was so so funny! I'll give it more of a chance but I don't think you can update such an iconic show and a cast of legends. The issue with that logic is that the 70s TV show was a redo of the late 60s movie. And the late 60s movie was a redo of the mid 60s stage play. So that idealization of exactly how the THIRD version of those characters appeared and what they felt like sounds more like nostalgia than a reverence for the origin of something. Not that I'm saying it's wrong (or inaccurate) to value that 70s interpretation over the current one and find the current one lacking. It's just that the phases "original version" and "iconic" are being tossed around a bit, and while the current DOES seem to lack a lot (at least so far) I don't know if I can base that inherently on how close or how far they are from Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. In fact, in some ways I found myself wishing these new versions were maybe even further away from the 70s show than they were. I didn't need to see Lennon do a Randall sinus honk, for example. 2 Link to comment
AstaCharles February 21, 2015 Share February 21, 2015 But isn't Felix's sinus problem part of the play? Lemmon did his version in the movie and I recall Lennon saying that he avoided watching the 70's version when the role was offered to him. Does it sound closer to Randall's? I'm more of a Matthau/Lemmon fan of the Odd Couple. Link to comment
backformore February 22, 2015 Share February 22, 2015 I didn't need to see Lennon do a Randall sinus honk, for example. yes - the sinus honking made it seem as though he was playing Tony Randall playing Felix Unger. The characters were being updated, and that honking made me immediately think of Tony Randall. That was the only point in the show where the previous cast was brought to mind for me, and it took away from the show. It's not a necessary part of the character. Link to comment
Bellalisa February 22, 2015 Share February 22, 2015 (edited) The issue with that logic is that the 70s TV show was a redo of the late 60s movie. And the late 60s movie was a redo of the mid 60s stage play. So that idealization of exactly how the THIRD version of those characters appeared and what they felt like sounds more like nostalgia than a reverence for the origin of something. Not that I'm saying it's wrong (or inaccurate) to value that 70s interpretation over the current one and find the current one lacking. It's just that the phases "original version" and "iconic" are being tossed around a bit, and while the current DOES seem to lack a lot (at least so far) I don't know if I can base that inherently on how close or how far they are from Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. In fact, in some ways I found myself wishing these new versions were maybe even further away from the 70s show than they were. I didn't need to see Lennon do a Randall sinus honk, for example. I am aware of the play and the movie. I meant the original TV show. My post states "original TV show"-That was the original TV show. And I do idealize it. It was an iconic TV Show. I did love the characters in the movie as well. I did not see the play. I was not revering the origin of the characters rather the original TV show. It's like any I Love Lucy redo or The Honeymooners redo is just gonna suck. I can't seem to get past although I'd like to since I am such a fan. In fact the name of this thread is updating a classic:Pros and Cons. Edited February 22, 2015 by Bellalisa Link to comment
Kromm February 22, 2015 Share February 22, 2015 But isn't Felix's sinus problem part of the play? Lemmon did his version in the movie and I recall Lennon saying that he avoided watching the 70's version when the role was offered to him. Does it sound closer to Randall's? I'm more of a Matthau/Lemmon fan of the Odd Couple. Lemon and Randall did indeed both do it, and I'm sure every stage version has had actors doing it too. I just though Lennon's sounded so dead on for Randall's version, but if he says he avoided watching the 70s version (and one must assume from that hadn't seen it before), then I believe him. There are only so many ways to honk, so I guess it was just a coincidence. Link to comment
MaryMitch February 27, 2015 Share February 27, 2015 Oscar needs to be a slob. Matthew Perry's Oscar isn't really a slob, he's just a modern sit-com guy. And Felix just makes me think of Sheldon Cooper. Link to comment
DeLurker February 27, 2015 Share February 27, 2015 I'm thinking they should have cast MP as Felix and TL as Oscar. Link to comment
DeLurker March 12, 2015 Share March 12, 2015 Not a compare/contrast post... the time when the show comes on is a problem for me. I watch CBS later on Thursday for Elementary, but I avoid it like the plague earlier because I never found any of their Thursday night "sitcoms" to be remotely funny or interesting. The last CBS comedy I did find funny was the short lived Crazy Ones. Link to comment
configdotsys May 24, 2015 Share May 24, 2015 I just found the forum for this show... I have such mixed emotions because the original show is my favorite if all time. I can probably quote every episode and do so with some co-workers. One of them has been watching the show and said a couple of episodes in it gets better and you are more easily able to view the show standing on its own rather than in comparison to the original. Yesterday I tried to watch an episode. I don't know the title of it but at the beginning the Felix guy won a softball game for them and were doing to have a decathlon (similar to the original, I guess). I watched up until the decision to have this decathlon and just could not watch anymore. It didn't grab me. Matthew Perry didn't strike me as a slob at all. He has the sort of disheveled look that is not unlike many guys today. The Felix guy I had never heard of before. He seems okay but I didn't see anything neat-freak about him. Are these characters supposed to have these traits too or are they just an "odd couple" because of their personalities? I will try to watch it again at some point but it's really difficult for me because I'm so in love with the original. Link to comment
auntjess September 23, 2017 Share September 23, 2017 For fans of the original Odd Couple, who are on Facebook. There's a I Love the Odd Couple group, and this was posted" 'Hi all, daughter of Joan Hotchkis here. We will be celebrating her 90th brthday this weekend! Small gathering at my home in Los Angeles with a few cherished family members. She asked for the richest, darkest chocolate brownie ever, so I am going brownie shopping today. This photo shows her four years ago on her 86th birthday; she looks the same today and is doing well! Any well wishes from you will be passed on to her at the party. Thanks for continuing to care." Joan played Dr.Nancy Cunningham, Oscar's girlfriend, in some of the episodes. Link to comment
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