The New Odd Couple
Encyclopedia
The New Odd Couple is an American sitcom
that aired on ABC
from 1982 to 83, and was an updated version of the 1970s television series The Odd Couple
. The New Odd Couple was the second attempt to remake a series of one of Neil Simon
's plays with a primarily African-American cast. The first was Barefoot in the Park (which also premiered on September 24, 1970, the same day the original Odd Couple series did).
and Oscar was portrayed by Demond Wilson
. The characterizations were still the same, as Felix was a prissy neatfreak and Oscar was a fun loving and sloppy character. John Schuck
also appeared as Murray the Cop, who was kept Caucasian
, as was the character of Roy, who was played by Bart Braverman
.
The show ran for 16 episodes; eight of the episodes used recycled scripts from the original series. By the time the writers began producing new scripts, it was too late, as the show never found an audience. The series was cancelled in 1983.
and Anthony W. Marshall, and distributed by Paramount Television
. The theme music was still the same as the original series (composed by Neal Hefti
), but it was played with a more urban arrangement.
s of the series aired on BET
in the early 1990s. TV Land
occasionally aired reruns when they were airing reruns of the original 1970s series.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from 1982 to 83, and was an updated version of the 1970s television series The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple (TV series)
The Odd Couple is 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....
. The New Odd Couple was the second attempt to remake a series of one of Neil Simon
Neil Simon
Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
's plays with a primarily African-American cast. The first was Barefoot in the Park (which also premiered on September 24, 1970, the same day the original Odd Couple series did).
Synopsis
In this series, Felix and Oscar were both African-American. Felix was portrayed by Ron GlassRon Glass
Ronald E. "Ron" Glass is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as the witty Det. Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller , and as the spiritual Shepherd Derrial Book in the short-lived 2002 science fiction series Firefly and its sequel film Serenity.-Early life:Glass was...
and Oscar was portrayed by Demond Wilson
Demond Wilson
Grady Demond Wilson is an American actor, author, and pastor. He is best known for his role opposite Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford's long-suffering son, Lamont Sanford, in the 1970s’ NBC-TV sitcom Sanford and Son....
. The characterizations were still the same, as Felix was a prissy neatfreak and Oscar was a fun loving and sloppy character. John Schuck
John Schuck
Conrad John Schuck Jr. is an American actor, primarily in stage, movies and television. He is best-known for his roles as police commissioner Rock Hudson's mildly slow-witted assistant, Sgt. Charles Enright in the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife, and as Lee Meriwether's husband, Herman Munster...
also appeared as Murray the Cop, who was kept Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
, as was the character of Roy, who was played by Bart Braverman
Bart Braverman
Bartley Louis "Bart" Braverman is an actor who is well known for guest starring on many shows. He is probably best known today for his Match Game appearances...
.
The show ran for 16 episodes; eight of the episodes used recycled scripts from the original series. By the time the writers began producing new scripts, it was too late, as the show never found an audience. The series was cancelled in 1983.
Cast
- Ron Glass .... Felix Unger
- Demond Wilson .... Oscar Madison
- Sheila Anderson .... Cecily Pigeon
- Bart Braverman .... Roy
- Ronalda Douglas .... Gwendolyn Pigeon
- Jo Marie PaytonJo Marie PaytonJo Marie Payton is an American television actress, and singer, who starred most notably as Harriette Winslow on the ABC sitcom, Family Matters, and its parent series Perfect Strangers. From 2001 to 2005 Jo Marie Payton provided the voice for Suga Mama Proud on Bruce W. Smith's The Proud Family,...
.... Mona - John Schuck .... Murray
- Liz TorresLiz TorresElizabeth "Liz" Torres is an actress, singer, and comedienne of Puerto Rican descent.-Early years:Torres was born in the Bronx borough of New York City where her parents had settled after moving from Puerto Rico. There she received her primary and secondary education...
.... Maria
Production notes
The New Odd Couple was executive produced by GarryGarry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
and Anthony W. Marshall, and distributed by Paramount Television
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
. The theme music was still the same as the original series (composed by Neal Hefti
Neal Hefti
Neal Hefti was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, tune writer, and arranger. He was perhaps best known for composing the theme music for the Batman television series of the 1960s, and for scoring the 1968 film The Odd Couple and the subsequent TV series of the same name.He began arranging...
), but it was played with a more urban arrangement.
Episodes
| Series # | Season # | Title | Notes | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Ides of April" | Felix receives a letter from the IRS. While correcting the error at the IRS Office, he accidentally gives away the information about Oscar's tax violations. Felix helps Oscar with his backlogged taxes and saves the day. | October 29, 1982 |
| 2 | 2 | "The Hustler" | Oscar is suckered into a contest with a pool hustler. | November 5, 1982 |
| 3 | 3 | "Frances Moves In" | Felix's ex-wife moves in, interrupting the weekly poker game. | November 12, 1982 |
| 4 | 4 | "That Was No Lady" | Felix falls for the girlfriend of a boxing great, KO'ing Oscar's hopes of writing a book on the champion. | November 19, 1982 |
| 5 | 5 | "Brother, Can You Spare a Job?" | At Felix's prodding, Oscar demands a raise and is immediately promoted into the ranks of the unemployment. | November 26, 1982 |
| 6 | 6 | "The New Car" | In this episode, Felix and Oscar win a car. The car becomes a problem when the two are forced to take turns getting up early to move it across the street. Problems are made worse when Felix refuses to let Oscar drive the car for fear that something will happen to it. Eventually they decide to get rid of the car so that it does not come between their friendship. | December 3, 1982 |
| 7 | 7 | "The Cordon Bleus" | A socialite friend thinks Felix has the panaches to manage her new restaurant. | December 10, 1982 |
| 8 | 8 | "The Odd Triangle" | Felix suspects the model Oscar is dating is using his roommate to get to Felix - and his influence as a fashion photographer. | December 17, 1982 |
| 9 | 9 | "Opening Night" | Felix helps Oscar review a Broadway play whose backer insists on a favorable notice - or else. | December 31, 1982 |
| 10 | 10 | "Security" | In the aftermath of a robbery, Felix gets a guard dog and looks for an apartment with tighter security. | January 7, 1983 |
| 11 | 11 | "Bachelor of the Year" | Felix and Oscar are pitted against each other in a magazine's Man of the Year contest | January 14, 1983 |
| 12 | 12 | "A Grave for Felix" | The money Felix entrusts to Oscar for a cemetery-plot deposit becomes ready cash for Oscar's gambling. | January 21, 1983 |
| 13 | 13 | "My Strife in Court" | Oscar can't find a date for a concert, so Felix gets them both arrested for scalping at the doo | January 28, 1983 |
| 14 | 14 | "Oscar Dates Felix's Frances" | Oscar agrees to accompany Felix's ex-wife to a boring lecture. The unexpected happens when Oscar and Frances decide to begin dating. | February 18, 1983 |
| 15 | 15 | "Murray's Hot Date" | Oscar gives the household money to Charity - a prostitute he hires as Murray's date for the Civil Servant | February 25, 1983 |
| 16 | 16 | "The Night Stalker" | Oscar's pals surprise him with a word processor, but Oscar can't compose without "Pauline" - his trusty typewrite. | May 26, 1983 |
| 17 | 17 | "The Perils of Pauline" | Murray's palm reading points to bad luck down the line for Felix, beginning with Oscar ruining his roommate's chances to enter a photo exhibition. | Unaired |
| 18 | 18 | "The Only Way to Fly" | A crazed man throws a brick through Felix's studio window, and it's wrapped with a message threatening Felix for dating his wife. | Unaired |
Syndication
RerunRerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
s of the series aired on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
in the early 1990s. TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
occasionally aired reruns when they were airing reruns of the original 1970s series.