The Odd Couple - The Final Season
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 11/18/2008 Run time: 562 minutes
"No learning" was Seinfeld?s misanthropic mantra. But Jerry and company had nothing on Oscar and Felix. For five years, these two divorced men, the best of friends but the worst of roommates, failed hilariously as they tried to live together without driving each other crazy. Oscar (Jack Klugman) and Felix (Tony Randall, an Emmy winner this season) may each proclaim they are turning over a new leaf in this beloved series? finale, but Oscar will always be a slob and Felix will always be a neurotic fussbudget. The Odd Couple may not have delivered the ratings in its five season run, but episode after episode, it dependably delivered the laughs, thanks to Klugman and Randall?s pure chemistry and the palpable charge they got from performing in front of a live audience. The Odd Couple pretty much goes out on top with several standout episodes. In the flashback episode, "Our Fathers," Klugman and Randall portray their characters? fathers in Roaring ?20s Chicago. Brett Somers, who portrayed Oscar?s dread ex-wife, is missed this season, but there are plenty of familiar faces and star cameos. Paul Williams, Howard Cosell, opera singer Martina Arroyo, Richard Dawson, Bob Hope, and--trivia alert--Rodney Allen Rippy appear as themselves, while Roy Clark, oddly enough, doesn?t portray Roy Clark in "The Roy Clark Show." Pernell Roberts (Bonanza) is a gambler to whom Oscar finds himself in debt in "Strike Up the Band or Else." The great Elisha Cook, Jr. (The Maltese Falcon) is a mob hit man (or is he?) in "Our Fathers." And in "The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly in Vain," that?s Rob Reiner as "Sheld?n," the boyfriend of Oscar?s steadfast secretary Myrna, portrayed to nasal perfection by Reiner?s then-wife, Penny Marshall. As with Seinfeld, The Odd Couple is inextricably bound to New York. " Two on the Aisle" finds theatre buff Felix in his element, unwittingly reviewing plays for sportswriter Oscar (this episode features a better late than never cameo by Odd Couple playwright Neil Simon, as well as theatre critic John Simon). In "The Subway Story," Felix is determined to prove to Oscar that all New Yorkers aren?t rude. Sudden fade ins and outs suggest that some musical performances could not be cleared for this DVD, but at least the Paul Williams and Roy Clark episodes seem to have emerged unscathed. There?s one more Seinfeld connection. In "Strike Up the Band or Else," we may hear the origin of the odd exclamation, "You can stuff your sorrys in a sack, mister," which was a recurring bit in "The Betrayal" from Seinfeld?s own final season. "Felix Remarries" brings The Odd Couple to a satisfying conclusion, and brings down the curtain on one of TV?s great comedy teams. --Donald Liebenson
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The Odd Couple - The Final Season Reviews
IT BROKE OUR HEARTS TO SEE SOME OF THE MUSIC EDITING OR SHOULD I SAY SLASHING THAT WAS DONE TO THE SHOWS ON THE DVD RELEASE. I AM GLAD THIS IS THE LAST SET AS I WOULD NOT BUY ANY MORE FROM PARAMOUNT/CBS. WAS THAT REALLY NECESSARY. TIME-LIFE DID THE BEST JOB OF PUTTING OUT ANY SET OF THE ODD COUPLE EXCEPT FOR THE DVD CASE. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE ODD COUPLE FANS FROM WAY BACK. I FELT CHEATED AND WANTED TO RETURN MY SET. SHAME ON YOU.
Had I known this was going to be the case for the series, I might not have purchased them, even as a long time fan of the Odd Couple waiting for the series to be released. I don't know what Paramount was thinking, but they should re-release new volumes showing the episodes in their entirety. Much like the rest of the video series, I found this last volume disappointing. Some episodes were shortened due to video time constraints (and this is without any extras), which cut my enthusiasm.
Maybe someday, there will be complete episodes, but for now we are at the mercy of blood sucking corporate greed. So far I have noticed 3 big edits in Season 5 (and I'm sure there are more): In "Strike Up The Band or Else", Felix and later Billy Joe sing "Cocktails For Two" - CUT.In "The Subway Show", Felix and Scatman Crothers sing "Give My Regards To Broadway" - CUT.and in "Your Mother Wears Army Boots", Martina Arroyo sings "For Once In My Life" - CUT. Boy what a gyp. Every season from 2 thru 5 has been clipped and chopped just to avoid the chance that music royalties might have to be paid, yet they have the nerve to charge $40 for each season and still give us edits and complete scene removals. I would give this show 10 stars if I could, but as previous reviewers have pointed out, CBS/Paramount has given The Odd Couple such disrespect with their DVD releases (Season One was originally released by Time-Life).
Charge a little extra with the guarantee that all the episodes are intact and you'll sell just a many if not more. How expensive can these songs be that you have to butcher these episodes. This season, one of my favorite episodes, "Strike up the band or else." had gags cut involving the song "In Some Secluded Rendezvous"(sung twice in the show by Tony Randall and Pernell Roberts). Less 2 stars due solely to the editing of content. I am in complete agreement with other buyers about the edits and I use the word "complete" literally, unlike Paramount/CBS when they say "The COMPLETE Final Season". In a previous season, an entire gag about trying to get Felix to go to sleep (featuring the song "Dream") was cut.
So much better than watch the re-runs on TV. We now own all 5 seasons. He watches them over and over again. I bought this DVD because my husband is a hugh fan of the odd couple. The quality is great.
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