DVD Review: The Odd Couple - Season One

As more and more classic television series appear on DVD, a glaring problem has become obvious: while some of these shows were huge hits and very successful at the time, they don’t hold up to viewing decades later. What was once fun and great becomes terribly dated and stale.

Other TV shows, however, lose absolutely nothing. In fact, viewing them years after their initial release and noticing they are still clever, still relevant, and still fun provides a testament to the brilliance of those who created and took part in the series. 

I am happy to report one of Time Life’s newest DVD releases, The Odd Couple – Season One fits squarely into the latter category. The series is just as fresh, just as clever, and just as wonderful as it has ever been. It proves itself to be completely timeless. 

Felix Unger and Oscar Madison, portrayed by Tony Randall and Jack Klugman respectively, shine now as they did more than 30 years ago.  The jokes and the way they are told work exceedingly well and the only thing that dates the series (and this only remotely so) are the clothes the cast wears.  Of course, no small part of the kudos here should go to Neil Simon, who wrote the original play (and the screenplay for the film), for creating the two timeless characters. 

Time Life and CBS DVD have done a great job restoring the footage; it looks crisp, clean, and almost completely unmarked. The colors are, more often than not, sharp and wonderful. There are problems from time to time, going into or coming out of a freeze-frame or during a fade-in or a fade-out, but they are all quite minor. 

The extras included on the DVDs are also wonderful looks behind the scenes or stimulating trips down memory lane. It is on the first of the DVDs in the set that the best of these extras is to be found: a snippet of Tony Randall on The Mike Douglas Show prior to The Odd Couple’s premiere. Randall is funny, charming, and clearly in love with the show. In truth, it’s a reminder not just of what kind of a man Tony Randall was, but also of how great Mike Douglas and his show were. 

Article Author: Josh Lasser

Josh Lasser, formerly known as "TV and Film Guy," and complete with a Masters Degree in Critical Studies in said areas, gives his opinions on TV, Film, and Entertainment in general. All of which he does in a shameless attempt to try to get paid to do the exact same thing. …

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