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During its first season, The Odd Couple had been filmed movie-style with a single camera, and a prerecorded laughtrack was used. At the insistence of stars Tony Randall (Felix Unger) and Jack Klugman (Oscar Madison), the second season--and all seasons thereafter--were filmed before a live studio audience, utilizing three cameras in order to effectively capture the "feel" of a live stage presentation. This decision did wonders for The Odd Couple's overall popularity and appeal. . .to say nothing of its ratings. As before, the series focuses on the misadventures of two ill-matched roommates, slovenly sportscaster Oscar and neat-freak photographer Felix, who remain best friends despite their quarrels and personality conflicts. Of Oscar's perennial card-playing buddies Murray (Al Molinaro), Speed (Garry Walberg), Vinnie (Larry Gelman) and Roy (Ryan McDonald), only Murray will continue to show up on a regular basis, with the rest reduced to recurring characters and Roy disappearing entirely. Also gone are Felix and Oscar's kooky neighbors the Pigeon sisters, though Joan Hotchkis continues to show up from time to time as Oscar's girlfriend Dr. Nancy Cunningham. Making their first appearances this season are the two protagonists' much-discussed but hitherto unseen ex-wives; Janis Hansen as Gloria Unger, and Bret Somer (the then-wife of Jack Klugman) as Blanche Madison. Likewise, Pamelyn Ferdin and Willie Aames are seen respectively as Felix's daughter Edna and son Leonard; and in the episode "The Odd Couples," Jane Dulo is cast as Oscar's mother. Finally, Penny Marshall, sister of series producer Gary Marshall and later a prominent TV star and film director in her own right, makes her debut appearance as Oscar's ditzy secretary Myrna Turner in "You Saved My Life." For the first time, The Odd Couple serves up a couple of guest stars as "themselves"; opera singer Richard Fredericks in "Does Your Mother Know You're Out, Rigoletto?" and comedian David Steinberg in "The Odd Couple Meet Their Host." And upholding a tradition established in Season One, Season Two features a brace of flahback episodes, the first, "Speak for Yourself" recounting the initial meeting of Felix and Gloria, and the second, "A Night to Disremember" puts a "Rashomon" slant on the events leading to the divorce of Oscar and Blanche. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 097361227429
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Pan & Scan
• Time: 9:46:00
• Sales Rank: 10,508

This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:

• The Odd Couple: Natural Childbirth
• The Odd Couple: Felix's Wife's Boyfriend
• The Odd Couple: Hospital Mates
• The Odd Couple: Sleepwalker
• The Odd Couple: Murray the Fink
• The Odd Couple: A Grave For Felix
• The Odd Couple: Does Your Mother Know You're Out, Rigoletto?
• The Odd Couple: The Fat Farm
• The Odd Couple: The Odd Couple Meet Their Host
• The Odd Couple: Win One For Felix
• The Odd Couple: Being Divorced is Never Having to Say I Do
• The Odd Couple: Surprise! Surprise!
• The Odd Couple: Felix the Calypso Singer
• The Odd Couple: And Leave the Greyhounds to Us?
• The Odd Couple: Security Arms
• The Odd Couple: Speak For Yourself
• The Odd Couple: You Saved My Life
• The Odd Couple: Where's Grandpa?
• The Odd Couple: Partner's Investment
• The Odd Couple: Good, Bad Boy
• The Odd Couple: A Night to Dismember
• The Odd Couple: Oscar's Promotion
• The Odd Couple: Psychic, Shmychic

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