The Odd Couple

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See Odd Couple (disambiguation) for other works with the same title

The Odd Couple was a hit 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spinoffs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one uptight and the other slovenly.

Simon was inspired to write the play when he saw his brother Danny and theatrical agent Roy Gerber living together after recent divorces. Danny, also a writer, took the first crack at the play, but later handed over the idea to Neil. The show, directed by Mike Nichols, ran for 966 performances and won several Tony Awards, including Best Play.

Felix Ungar, a neurotic, neat-freak newswriter, is thrown out by his wife, and moves in with Oscar Madison, a slovenly sportswriter. Ungar was played by Art Carney and Madison by Walter Matthau. Matthau was later replaced with Jack Klugman.

In 1968 The Odd Couple was made into a highly successful movie starring Jack Lemmon as Felix and Matthau (once more) as Oscar.

It was later the basis for a 1970-75 ABC prime-time television show of the same name, this time starring Tony Randall as Felix (now a commercial photographer) and Jack Klugman as Oscar. In 1982, there was a short lived new version of the series, The New Odd Couple, with Ron Glass playing Felix Ungar and Demond Wilson playing Oscar Madison. (Aside from both actors' being African-American, that series was notable for featuring one of the few instances of product placement for the Apple Lisa computer.)

In 1998 Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau resurrected their roles for the film Odd Couple II, produced by Neil Simon, while Randall and Klugman also reunited in 1993 for a made-for-TV reunion film based upon the series.

The Odd Couple was also revised by Neil Simon in 1985 for a female cast. It was based on the same story line and same lead characters, now called Florence Ungar and Olive Madison. The play ran on Broadway for 295 performances.

Neil Simon later wrote an updated version of the play called "Oscar and Felix: a New Look at the Odd Couple." It premiered in Los Angeles in 2002, starring John Larroquette and Joe Regalbuto. The production was not transferred to Broadway.

There will be another Broadway production, based on the original script, opening October 27, 2005. It will star Matthew Broderick as Felix and Nathan Lane as Oscar. Broderick and Lane have already enjoyed tremendous success on Broadway in The Producers.