SYNOPSIS

The Odd Couple was based on a Neil Simon Broadway play (1965), which was turned into a movie starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau (1968).

Felix was a prim, fastidious photographer and a compulsive cleaner. Oscar was a sloppy, gruff sportswriter for the fictional New York Herald and a total slob. Both were divorced and only a mutual need for companionship and a place to stay brought them together to live in the same apartment.

The conflicts were pretty obvious and endless as each upset the other's way of life and attempted to mix with the other's friends. Some of the cast included: Murray the cop; Speed, the compulsive gambler and Vinnie, a mild-mannered, meek man - all of whom were Oscars poker buddies. Nancy Cunningham was Oscar's girlfriend during the first season and Myrna his secretary. The Pigeon Sisters were two silly English girls who lived upstairs. Blanche, Oscar's ex-wife, was played by Jack Klugman's real-life wife, Brett Somers. Edna was Felix's seldom-seen daughter who was played to by two separate actresses in the series.

For 2 seasons, Miriam served as Felix's girlfriend but by the final season, he had reconciled with his ex-wife, Gloria. The situation on which the series had been built was nearly resolved in the final episode when Felix moved out to remarry Gloria. Oscar returned to the apartment alone, looked around, and exploded into noisy, messy celebration knowing the apartment was his and only his!

The series returned to ABC's schedule seven years later as The New Odd Couple, with an all-new cast. It starred Ron Glass as Felix and Demond Wilson as Oscar. The setting was the exact same and many of the same characters were back. Felix's ex-wife's name was now Frances.