# The Odd Couple (1970)

> Two divorced men with clashing habits, a fastidious Felix and a slovenly Oscar, turn their shared Manhattan apartment into a battleground of wisecracks.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1706

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 114
- Episode runtime: 26 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Garry Marshall, Neil Simon
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Tony Randall, Jack Klugman, Rona Barrett, Guy Marks, Howard Cosell, Alice Ghostley, Ellen Corby, Dale Ishimoto
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065329/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: witty, breezy, warm, comforting, wistful

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard the series as a warm, well-crafted sitcom whose central odd-couple pairing carries the show.

## Synopsis

The Odd Couple (1970-1975) is a United States network sitcom created by Garry Marshall and Neil Simon for ABC. Tony Randall plays fastidious Felix Unger and Jack Klugman plays sloppy sportswriter Oscar Madison, two divorced men who share a Manhattan apartment and cannot agree on anything from dishes to dinner plans. The engine of each episode is simple and sharp: Felix's neatness collides with Oscar's casual disorder, and their everyday arguments escalate into verbal sparring that is built on timing, exasperation, and wisecracks. The series runs five seasons of self-contained studio-audience episodes, a classic multi-camera format where each story is a small domestic skirmish that resolves before the credits. Its tone is breezy, witty, and warm, with an undercurrent of wistfulness about two men rebuilding friendship and daily life after divorce. Set in 1970s New York City, it carries the texture of the era's urban apartment comedies. Fans of The Honeymooners, Two and a Half Men, and The Nanny will find familiar pleasures in its mismatched chemistry and comfortable, upbeat rhythms.

## Shows like The Odd Couple

- [Three's Company (1977)](https://ember.film/tv/2551)
- [Who's the Boss? (1984)](https://ember.film/tv/599)
- [Sanford and Son (1972)](https://ember.film/tv/2458)
- [Seinfeld (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/1316)
- [Will & Grace (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/4235)
- [The Exes (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/37140)
- [Mad About You (1992)](https://ember.film/tv/470)
- [Bosom Buddies (1980)](https://ember.film/tv/2446)
- [The Golden Girls (1985)](https://ember.film/tv/1578)
- [The Bob Newhart Show (1972)](https://ember.film/tv/1866)

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