RELATED? I saw the New Odd Couple Yesterday but never saw the Original Odd Couple and it just looked odd for Two Grown Men to Share an Apartment. I'm thinking this is why the show never Caught On

RELATED? I saw the New Odd Couple Yesterday but never saw the Original Odd Couple and it just looked odd for Two Grown Men to Share an Apartment. I'm thinking this is why the show never Caught On
Felix's wife kicked him out of the house and he needed a place to stay. Him and Oscar were good friends so Oscar let him move in. Although it wasn't popular during it's original run, it became a big hit in syndication. I think you might like this show if you give it a chance. Theres an episode of the Odd Couple "Password" airing on TV Land on Saturday, June 25 at 1:30 PM. I'd say if you don't like this episode, you wouldn't care for the rest of the episodes. It's one of the best episodes of the series and was ranked by tv guide as one of the top 100 greatest episodes of all time a few years back.

Felix's wife kicked him out of the house and he needed a place to stay. Him and Oscar were good friends so Oscar let him move in. Although it wasn't popular during it's original run, it became a big hit in syndication. I think you might like this show if you give it a chance. Theres an episode of the Odd Couple "Password" airing on TV Land on Saturday, June 25 at 1:30 PM. I'd say if you don't like this episode, you wouldn't care for the rest of the episodes. It's one of the best episodes of the series and was ranked by tv guide as one of the top 100 greatest episodes of all time a few years back.


Ok I will make I watch on the 25th.

The Odd Couple was a fantastic show. There really wasn't any goofy characters, so you might like it.

I saw the original movie at the theatre and it was an absolute RIOT! Even as a kid I could appreciate the jokes. It explains (and I think even the theme song explains) how they ended up as roommates.

In the movie, Felix gets the boot from his wife, heads to his buddy Oscar's place who's holding a poker game. Felix is suicidal and its just funny watching him with all his quirks work through it. I could never warm up to Tony Randall's version after seeing Jack Lemmon in the movie.


Actually The Odd Couple sure did catch on - it was hugely popular. Like I said, it wasn't one of my favourites, but it was considered a hit in the 70s

I saw the original movie at the theatre and it was an absolute RIOT! Even as a kid I could appreciate the jokes. It explains (and I think even the theme song explains) how they ended up as roommates.

In the movie, Felix gets the boot from his wife, heads to his buddy Oscar's place who's holding a poker game. Felix is suicidal and its just funny watching him with all his quirks work through it. I could never warm up to Tony Randall's version after seeing Jack Lemmon in the movie.


Actually The Odd Couple sure did catch on - it was hugely popular. Like I said, it wasn't one of my favourites, but it was considered a hit in the 70s



A Hit???-LOL OK these were the Ratings for the Odd Couple when it aired from 70-75

70-71-beyond Top 30
71-72-beyond Top 30
72-73-beyond Top 30
73-74-beyond Top 30
74-75-beyond Top 30

A Hit???-LOL OK these were the Ratings for the Odd Couple when it aired from 70-75

70-71-beyond Top 30
71-72-beyond Top 30
72-73-beyond Top 30
73-74-beyond Top 30
74-75-beyond Top 30


Really?! That surprises me!! Like I said, I didn't like it myself, so I can actually understand those numbers, but the way I remember people talking and the hype about it back then, it was like it was a huge hit!! :crazy:
Maybe it was just the network trying to promote it or something! :lol:

Yeah, I thought it was a dog myself - rent the movie instead Solomon - its much better!

Really?! That surprises me!! Like I said, I didn't like it myself, so I can actually understand those numbers, but the way I remember people talking and the hype about it back then, it was like it was a huge hit!! :crazy:
Maybe it was just the network trying to promote it or something! :lol:

Yeah, I thought it was a dog myself - rent the movie instead Solomon - its much better!



The Waltons helped knocked it off the air.

The Waltons helped knocked it off the air.


Oh o.k. - that explains it! Yeah, believe it or not, the Waltons were also huge back then. I liked it the first few seasons myself, but it jumped the shark eventually too.

It became a hit after going into syndication.

there's a rumor that the show is being considered for release on DVD.

there's a rumor that the show is being considered for release on DVD.


It's about time!

Back to the subject, my roommate and I have shared an apartment for several years. With the cost of rent (especially here in NYC) its quite common for grown adults to share apartments.

With the cost of rent (especially here in NYC) its quite common for grown adults to share apartments.

But the question is, can two grown men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

;)

It's about time!

Back to the subject, my roommate and I have shared an apartment for several years. With the cost of rent (especially here in NYC) its quite common for grown adults to share apartments.
yea, I've heard about grown adults sharing an apartment a lot of times.

It's about time!

Back to the subject, my roommate and I have shared an apartment for several years. With the cost of rent (especially here in NYC) its quite common for grown adults to share apartments.
yes, it is about time! If the rumor's true, we can only hope, however, that the episodes won't be edited like those tapes of the show that Columbia House released in the 90s.

But the question is, can two grown men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

;)

:lol:

Man, I walked into that one...

;)

A Hit???-LOL OK these were the Ratings for the Odd Couple when it aired from 70-75

70-71-beyond Top 30
71-72-beyond Top 30
72-73-beyond Top 30
73-74-beyond Top 30
74-75-beyond Top 30


This is true, the show was never a "hit" in the sense of having great (or even decent) Neilson ratings... however, the then-executives at ABC were so impressed with the quality of the show, they kept it on the air, even though the ratings did not exactly justify it...

The Odd Couple's normal time slot was Friday nights at 9:30 I believe... we would watch the Brady Bunch at 8:00, then my sister would watch the Partridge Family at 8:30, Room 222 at 9:00 and then I would be back for the Odd Couple at 9:30, followed by Love American Style at 10:00... I always wondered if the Odd Couple wouldn't have done much better in a better time slot... it was a good enough show to anchor a line up on just about any night of the week...it just got stuck in that 9:30 Fri spot, and never took off...

It's really strange when you realize that the ratings were so poor... ALL of the kids in school liked this show when it was on, and even our parents all liked it... makes me wonder who WASN'T watching it...everyone I knew loved the show...

As far as the original move version... it does seem to me that people who saw the movie first and then the TV show could not always get used to Randall and Klugman in these roles... but the opposite is true for a lot of us who saw the TV show before we ever saw the movie... although I liked a number of his movies, I never cared much for Walter Matthau as an actor... he always played the exact same part in every movie I've ever seen him in... he played a grump...Hello Dolly... a grump... Bad News Bears.... a grump... Odd Couple... a grump... Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old men... well, need I say more? To me Jack Klugman will always be Oscar Madison.

This is true, the show was never a "hit" in the sense of having great (or even decent) Neilson ratings... however, the then-executives at ABC were so impressed with the quality of the show, they kept it on the air, even though the ratings did not exactly justify it...

The Odd Couple's normal time slot was Friday nights at 9:30 I believe... we would watch the Brady Bunch at 8:00, then my sister would watch the Partridge Family at 8:30, Room 222 at 9:00 and then I would be back for the Odd Couple at 9:30, followed by Love American Style at 10:00... I always wondered if the Odd Couple wouldn't have done much better in a better time slot... it was a good enough show to anchor a line up on just about any night of the week...it just got stuck in that 9:30 Fri spot, and never took off...

It's really strange when you realize that the ratings were so poor... ALL of the kids in school liked this show when it was on, and even our parents all liked it... makes me wonder who WASN'T watching it...everyone I knew loved the show...

As far as the original move version... it does seem to me that people who saw the movie first and then the TV show could not always get used to Randall and Klugman in these roles... but the opposite is true for a lot of us who saw the TV show before we ever saw the movie... although I liked a number of his movies, I never cared much for Walter Matthau as an actor... he always played the exact same part in every movie I've ever seen him in... he played a grump...Hello Dolly... a grump... Bad News Bears.... a grump... Odd Couple... a grump... Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old men... well, need I say more? To me Jack Klugman will always be Oscar Madison.




Here is the Big Question, why would ABC moved the Odd Couple to Thursdays Nights in thefall of 1974 to compete against a show that had just finished #2 the previous season. That show is the WALTONS

Here is the Big Question, why would ABC moved the Odd Couple to Thursdays Nights in thefall of 1974 to compete against a show that had just finished #2 the previous season. That show is the WALTONS
There is a book about the Odd Couple that says that the ratings were never good, but ABC kept it on because it was one of the few shows ABC had at the time that was critically acclaimed and was nominated for emmies (if you check the emmy nominations from the early 70s this is actually true. No other ABC sitcom was getting emmy attention between 1972 and 75 and the only other ABC show at all that was getting any nominations was Marcus Welby). I think that they sort of knew going into year 5 that it was going to end as it is normal in TV for shows and their actors to sign 5 year contracts, so ABC probably figured lets get rid of this, it's served its purpose and lets cash in on the reruns. The reruns ran on ABC's daytime line up during 1975-76, but it seems that the show didn't really become a "hit" until it was syndicated in the fall of 1976.

Also, they will retain the Paramount logo that used to be on there until the late 1980's because now there is the Paramount CGI Mountain that says viacom. There is to be music not it. Some stations cut off the logo too though. Paramount brought back the logo on Happy Days and the Brady Bunch though.

I mean I hope they do reatain it.

Also if they keep even the logos that do not have a red back round like the one from the next to the last season with the orange backround and the 1972 jingle version and the one withe purple or simular to purple backround from its last season. I hope I do not seem strange for brining it up. Also here is somthing about The Odd Couple it self though. I saw that Penny Marshal was on there, but I did see any eps with her until after Lavern and Shirely. My sister and I said there's the lady who plays Lavern.

Also if they keep even the logos that do not have a red back round like the one from the next to the last season with the orange backround and the 1972 jingle version and the one withe purple or simular to purple backround from its last season. I hope I do not seem strange for brining it up. Also here is somthing about The Odd Couple it self though. I saw that Penny Marshal was on there, but I did see any eps with her until after Lavern and Shirely. My sister and I said there's the lady who plays Lavern.


The fact that the Odd Couple ended in the spring of 75 and Laverne and Shirley started in the spring of 76, It was no possible for you to see Penny Marshall on the Odd Couple while L&S was on the air. So you have to be talking about syndication.

Also, they will retain the Paramount logo that used to be on there until the late 1980's because now there is the Paramount CGI Mountain that says viacom. There is to be music not it. Some stations cut off the logo too though. Paramount brought back the logo on Happy Days and the Brady Bunch though.

I did see that epsidode in syncication and later when I had not watch if for a long time I saw the other episodes with Penny Marshal on it.

I meant that that version of the logo with Gulf+Western on it until the late 90's. I saw first saw it with the viacom version in 2000 and last year I saw an entry for a guest book on a web site about The Odd Couple from 1998 saying one of my friends mentioning about the viacom version being on it.

I meant episode in syndication

I meant that that version of the logo with Gulf+Western on it until the late 90's. I saw first saw it with the viacom version in 2000 and last year I saw an entry for a guest book on a web site about The Odd Couple from 1998 saying one of my friends mentioning about the viacom version being on it.

I saw on a website about The Odd Couple that Columbia released a second set of VHS tapes in 2000 after they stop having the first set. I know that the original Paramount Gulf+Western which we at the closing group call Paramount Split Rectagle 2 was on the that second set from 2000. By The Way it is not out anymore either.

But the question is, can two grown men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?

;)

The answer to that appears to be no.

But a grown man and grown woman can't either.

I agree with Tweety, i saw the TV show first and will always prefer the TV show to the movie, and that goes for the actors too, although, both were great...i watched every ep of the TV show in first run, from 1rst to last show, never missed it.

I used to watch it when it was new too with my parents and they stopped watching it before the last episodes. I liked watching in reruns and liked the closing logo at the end too. They had a scene of Oscar and Felix on the closing credits and there were two of them exept for the last season. The them song sounded different in the last seasons closing credits. I saw that in 1996 Program exchange was on after Paramount. I liked old Paramount logo better on The Odd Couple.

I forgot to say there is a website about the Odd Couple and a guest book where two people say they have taped it. Some people are trying to find tapes and now a dvd. I hope there will be one too that will not only have all of the scenes intact but the closing logos too.

I agree with Tweety, i saw the TV show first and will always prefer the TV show to the movie, and that goes for the actors too, although, both were great...i watched every ep of the TV show in first run, from 1rst to last show, never missed it.
same here - I saw the show first and preferred it over the movie

...as for who was NOT watching it, I'd ask all those old people cornering the market on Nielsen's boxes watching the Waltons :cuss:
(they were also responsible for that DANG MATLOCK :mumble: )

The show was never a big hit during it's original 5 year run on ABC. The reason the network kept it on was because the network execs believed in the show and wanted to give it a chance. As mentioned before it was never in the Nielson top 30, but caught on in syndication. As a kid in the 70's I never watched in prime time but remember watching the reruns after school.Certain shows and movies don't have a huge following at first but years later become big hits.For example Star Trek, The Brady Bunch,the films The Wizard of Oz and It's a Wonderful Life did nothing when they originally came out but over the years because everyone watches them we assume they were always big hits.

it lasted five years, the ratings couldnt have been THAT bad :crazy:

same here - I saw the show first and preferred it over the movie

...as for who was NOT watching it, I'd ask all those old people cornering the market on Nielsen's boxes watching the Waltons :cuss:
(they were also responsible for that DANG MATLOCK :mumble: )
:lol: :lol: :lol:

it lasted five years, the ratings couldnt have been THAT bad :crazy:


I'm surprised it lasted that long-lol

I'm surprised it lasted that long-lol
not me, I loved it

I'm surprised it lasted that long-lol

It was a great show.

...were merely "marginal". Not a "HIT", but just enough viewers for the network to renew it every season it was on. It was the show's move to Thursday nights in the fall of 1974 that did the most damage...it was quickly moved back to its old Friday time slot in early 1975, but by then, EVERYBODY felt it was time to move on, and end the series.

...were merely "marginal". Not a "HIT", but just enough viewers for the network to renew it every season it was on. It was the show's move to Thursday nights in the fall of 1974 that did the most damage...it was quickly moved back to its old Friday time slot in early 1975, but by then, EVERYBODY felt it was time to move on, and end the series.


The strange thing was why was it moved to Thursday Nights to compete with CBS top rated show the Waltons when the Odd Couple couldn't even crack the top 30 the previous season.

Because ABC wanted to establish a "beachhead" on Thursday nights, with "THE ODD COUPLE" at 8:00pm(et) and "PAPER MOON" at 8:30...both Paramount series. It didn't work...."THE WALTONS" already had the majority of viewers watching them.

Actually, the show was very popular when it originally aired in fact many people wanted to be on it,howard Cosell, monty hall,Allen Ludden,Hugh Hefner,David Steinberg,Wolfman Jack,Richard Dawson,Marilyn Horne,Jaye P. Morgan, they wouldnt want to be on a show that wasnt popular.

I would watch this if it was added to Decades or Me-TV

I would watch this if it was added to Decades or Me-TV

It's on Decades. Monday-Friday, 5 PM ET

https://decadescdn.decades.com/hmCSd-1624288901-DECADES%202021%20Q3%20Programming.pdf

It's on Decades. Monday-Friday, 5 PM ET

https://decadescdn.decades.com/hmCSd-1624288901-DECADES%202021%20Q3%20Programming.pdf

I work 9 to 5, I need 10pm

The show was never a big hit during it's original 5 year run on ABC. The reason the network kept it on was because the network execs believed in the show and wanted to give it a chance.

Sometimes, it takes a while for a new show to catch on with viewers. And having veteran actors like Randall and Klugman might have been the reason ABC was a little more patient than they would have been otherwise.

The highest rated season was season 2, 37th ranked show

I would watch this if it was added to Decades or Me-TV

The complete series set isn't that much to own. I did a blind buy on it because I like the remake with Matthew Perry and Tom Lennon. So far the show isn't LOL funny like I thought it would be. The actors are really great in their parts but the writing isn't funny. Out of the first ten episodes, The Jury Story and Felix Gets Sick are the only two I've enjoyed. Hopefully it gets better.

The complete series set isn't that much to own. I did a blind buy on it because I like the remake with Matthew Perry and Tom Lennon. So far the show isn't LOL funny like I thought it would be. The actors are really great in their parts but the writing isn't funny. Out of the first ten episodes, The Jury Story and Felix Gets Sick are the only two I've enjoyed. Hopefully it gets better.

It gets so much better when they go from single camera/laugh track to three camera/studio audience.

The complete series set isn't that much to own. I did a blind buy on it because I like the remake with Matthew Perry and Tom Lennon. So far the show isn't LOL funny like I thought it would be. The actors are really great in their parts but the writing isn't funny. Out of the first ten episodes, The Jury Story and Felix Gets Sick are the only two I've enjoyed. Hopefully it gets better.

I've always felt the first season was the weakest, probably due to the smaller apartment set and the canned laughter. While I like the whole series, the later seasons have more energy and zany plots that translate to better comedy.

I see the complete series is only $34 on amazon. Probably ten dollars cheaper on ebay

The complete series set isn't that much to own. I did a blind buy on it because I like the remake with Matthew Perry and Tom Lennon. So far the show isn't LOL funny like I thought it would be. The actors are really great in their parts but the writing isn't funny. Out of the first ten episodes, The Jury Story and Felix Gets Sick are the only two I've enjoyed. Hopefully it gets better.

You are right, its 20 on ebay and 35 on amazon

i'm pretty sure penny was in more than just a couple of shows though

It seems like some people answering the question never saw the movie.

Oscar lived in a huge, expensive penthouse with almost a dozen rooms. I don't remember where it was located exactly but on the show, we saw that it was located on Park Avenue, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in NYC.

In the movie, Oscar had alimony payments, was living in this cavernous space and struggling to upkeep the apartment. So, part of the reason why he asked Felix to move in was to help pay the bills, make use of all this extra space but also turn it into a "bachelor pad," where he and Felix would have wild parties and get togethers with loose women.

Two or more people bunking together is something that people used to do all the time, which is why grown adults moving in together in major cities like NYC has been a popular theme (Bosom Buddies, Three's Company, Friends, Perfect Strangers, etc.).

Felix's wife kicked him out of the house and he needed a place to stay. Him and Oscar were good friends so Oscar let him move in. Although it wasn't popular during it's original run, it became a big hit in syndication. I think you might like this show if you give it a chance. Theres an episode of the Odd Couple "Password" airing on TV Land on Saturday, June 25 at 1:30 PM. I'd say if you don't like this episode, you wouldn't care for the rest of the episodes. It's one of the best episodes of the series and was ranked by tv guide as one of the top 100 greatest episodes of all time a few years back.

Definitely one of the best shows ever, television and the original film/play as well.

Sometimes, it takes a while for a new show to catch on with viewers. And having veteran actors like Randall and Klugman might have been the reason ABC was a little more patient than they would have been otherwise.

I think the show may have been relatively cheap to produce. I know Randall owned a percentage of the show, and from that I presume Klugman did, too. They may have taken lesser salaries knowing that syndication profits lay at the end of five seasons. Note that by the end Al Molinaro was the only other regular.

With respect to The Odd Couple ratings it's important to understand the multiple elements that make up the viewership of the series. The ratings were stronger in a handful of major markets, and the audience composition gave the sales department a product they could market to advertising agencies.