The Odd Couple

The Odd Couple was an American sitcom based on Neil Simon's play by the same name. It ran for five seasons from 1970 to 1975.

Fast Facts

1. Starring: Tony Randall and Jack Klugman
2. Premiered: September 24, 1970
3. No. episodes: 114
4. Finale: July 4, 1975
5. Producer: Garry Marshall
6. Network: ABC
7. Neil Hefti composed the theme song

Plot

The premise for The Odd Couple is simple: two men with extremely different lifestyles room together after being thrown out by (and divorced from) their wives.

Felix Unger (Tony Randall) is a "neat freak" who is allergic to just about everything. His roommate, Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman), is a slob that cares little for just about all the things Felix stands for.

Somehow, though, they manage to stay roommates, developing a unique friendship in he process.

Random Trivia

--Randall and Klugman both starred in productions of The Odd Couple play, but never together. Randall initially wanted Mickey Rooney to be Oscar, but producer Garry Marshall got his way and Klugman was cast instead.

--The show was actually canceled at the end of every season due to poor ratings, but since its summer reruns got much better numbers, ABC kept renewing it.

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