An Odd ODD COUPLE

Article first published as THE ODD COUPLE Review on Seat42F.

Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon | THE ODD COUPLE

 

 

Many have said that CBS’s new remake of THE ODD COUPLE, premiering this week, is unnecessary. Those people are absolutely correct. THE ODD COUPLE is a classic play, a classic movie, a classic television show, and is still performed on stages across the country (I, myself, was Felix in high school), so why does it need yet another on-screen version? Well, the key here would be were the series to be updated to reflect modern sensibilities. But it hasn’t been long enough since it was written to need even that.

CBS’s THE ODD COUPLE stars Matthew Perry (Friends, Go On) as Oscar Madison, a sloppy sportscaster who isn’t dealing with the emotional heft of his divorce. When Oscar’s friend, neat freak Felix (Thomas Lennon, Reno 911!, Night at the Museum), is similarly dumped, Felix comes to stay with Oscar. They quickly get on each other’s nerves.

Now, this will sound familiar because the basic story has not been changed in any way. Some of the lines of dialogue in the pilot come straight out of the original source, and the leading characters are essentially the exact same as their earlier counterparts. There is nothing distinguishing about this version, except perhaps that Felix makes vegetarian cuisine.

Everything else about this ODD COUPLE is sanitized and dated. Oscar’s mess is purely surface-level, a clearly staged disaster that is easily cleaned. The dialogue is hokey for 2015, and the story is not edgy enough. This feels like a sitcom from another era, which it is.

The first major mistake The Odd Couple makes is condensing the entire plot of the play into twenty minutes. From the poker night spoiled, to the awkward double date, the pilot of this show rockets right on through everything fans of the play or movie remember, condensed incredibly. This is really bad because the emotional arc between Oscar and Felix is similarly compacted, meaning Felix gets on Oscar’s nerves before he really has time to, and they come to an understanding way too early. I wasn’t a viewer of the old series, which aired long before my time, so I don’t know if they made the same error, but it feels very strange here, as if they should have taken a minimum of two half-hours, or preferably more, to cover this.

Interestingly, it’s actually emotional depth that makes THE ODD COUPLE work, though. Yes, the initial arc is too quick, but I like that Felix is determined to make Oscar face his feelings and Oscar realizes he needs that help. Felix also understands he needs Oscar to help him loosen up. Now that the pilot is out of the way, I’m interested to see where they build their relationship over time, and if they can make it evolve, rather than staying stagnant.

The supporting cast may help with that. Oscar’s assistant, Dani (Yvette Nicole Brown, Community), is only in the early bit of the first episode, so we don’t know what her reaction will be to Felix’s interference, but by her disgusted looks, she should approve. Oscar’s friend, Teddy (Wendell Pierce, Treme), must have his loyalties divided, not enjoying having the poker night ruined, but certainly glad for the assistance in getting Oscar back on track. Felix’s love interest, Emily (Lindsay Sloane, Horrible Bosses), is very much like Felix, so could hinder his growth. Guest star Casey (Leslie Bibb, About a Boy) could do the same for Oscar.

But in order for this to work, a lot must be overcome. Lennon and Perry are hilarious, to be sure, but THE ODD COUPLE makes me wish they’d created original characters instead of trying to use Felix and Oscar, as I’d be curious to see what they could do together without being boxed in by history. As it is, their considerable talents seem wasted, at least for now.

THE ODD COUPLE premieres Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

American Dad Bursts the "Piñata"

     I think that American Dad has figured out that episodes featuring Stan (Seth MacFarlane) and Roger (also MacFarlane) competing with each other, especially when the stakes are mere pride, work very well. As such, that was one of the two major stories going on in last night's episode, "A Piñata Named Desire". Stan claimed he could act, as he said he did it for a living working for the CIA. Roger, an alien with the voice of Paul Lynde who is a master of disguise and characters, challenged Stan's boast. What was unusual was that Stan appeared to give up very quickly, going to Roger for acting lessons early on in the episode.

     Then things took a twist. Stan learned so well from Roger that he beat his friend out for the male lead part in what I presume to be a local community theater production. Not wanting to be outdone, Roger took out the female lead and assumed her role. What resulted was a hilarious make out session (and more) between the two, as somehow convincing gay sex became the epitome of acting.

     It is well known that MacFarlane goes for shockingly offensive humor, and there was plenty of that. I'm not saying gay sex is necessarily offensive in of itself, but any sex between any two genders, whether they be a same-sex of opposite-sex couple would have grossed anyone out the way it was depicted here. I was grateful that the height of Stan and Roger's love making was not explicitly shown. But the egos of these two characters play so well off of each other, it's like a very strange, yet welcome, remake of The Odd Couple.

     I would like to know why American Dad only acknowledged the conceit that Roger is always showing up as someone else in such a half-hearted way. Sure, Stan called him out on it when he was heading to the acting classes, asking if the teacher Roger recommended was just going to be Roger in another costume. Roger admitted it was likely. Yet, later in the show when Roger dressed as a women to win the female lead, Stan was still the only one at the theater that recognized him. Let's be honest: Roger is an alien with a huge gray head. He's not exactly subtle. With television, especially animation, we often suspend disbelief. But since the series poked fun at its own tool anyway, why not go whole hog? I want an episode where EVERYONE recognizes Roger, no matter how many times he changes wigs and clothing.

     The B plot involved Steve (Scott Grimes) planning the 'best sleep over ever' as his final overnight gathering with his pals. OK, I see why bullies poked fun at the geeky gang for calling their hang out a sleep over, but plenty of cool kids spend the night at their friends' houses through high school, and even college and beyond. Why couldn't the characters just realize they should change what they call it, rather than throwing away the whole convention? At least in the end? I did like their 'long lost black friend', though. Very funny stuff.

     American Dad currently airs news episodes just outside of prime time, Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. on FOX. Make sure you remember the odd timeslot, because the show is worth it.

Article first published as TV Review: American Dad Bursts the "Piñata" on Blogcritics.

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