History Theatre / TheOddCouple

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Odd_Couple_3187.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Jack Klugman as Oscar, Tony Randall as Felix.]]

''The Odd Couple'' is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, which was later adapted [[Film/TheOddCouple1968 into a 1968 movie]], which itself was later adapted into an Creator/{{ABC}} sitcom which ran from 1970–75. All three are highly regarded. The play also spawned a couple less highly regarded television adaptations: ''WesternAnimation/TheOddballCouple'', a 1975 animated series (starring a cartoon dog and cat), and ''The New Odd Couple'', a 1982 sitcom with black actors in the lead roles.

The premise is simple: NeatFreak photographer Felix Ungar[[note]]Unger in the 1970 and 2015 series[[/note]] (Art Carney on stage; Creator/JackLemmon in the film; Tony Randall, Ron Glass, and Thomas Lennon on TV) is kicked out by his wife, and with no place else to go, must move in with his friend, sports writer Oscar Madison (Creator/WalterMatthau on stage and film, Jack Klugman on stage and TV, Demond Wilson and Matthew Perry on TV), a [[TrashOfTheTitans total slob]]. The TV show added a small supporting cast, including Murray, a dim-witted but lovable police officer.

** In "The Ides of April," Felix is summoned to the IRS office and he thinks he's in serious trouble. It turns out that he simply forgot to sign a check, but Felix accidentally lets it slip that Oscar has been filing shady tax returns and so now Oscar is the one getting an audit.

* AsianSpeekeeEngrish: A Chinese wrestler whom Oscar sponsors and Felix wants to photograph. Especially hilarious when he drops by their place the night before he returns to China, with bags of food in hand, to have dinner with them. Among some of the goodies he brings over are "rocks" and "cheese brintzes."

* InentionalMessMaking: At the height of tension between them, Oscar throws a plate of linguini at the wall and just leaves it there in order to upset neat freak Felix.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar (combined with a subverted PrecisionFStrike): In the original play/film:
--> '''Oscar:''' I've told you 158 times I can't stand little notes on my pillow. "We're all out of cornflakes. F.U." Took me three hours to figure out F.U. was Felix Unger!

** "Natural Childbirth": Oscar's niece ran away from her home in Iowa so she could give birth outside of a hospital-she wants to deliver her baby in the "simple setting" of a motel in the Bronx. This elicits shock and serious concern from Oscar, Felix, and other characters to the point that everyone's trying to get her to go to a hospital to give birth-only for her to end up giving birth in Oscar and Felix's apartment!

* StraightMan: Usually Oscar, but Felix could make a few jokes at Oscar's expense, too. What made the characters so well-regarded in every incarnation was that there WAS no straight man: both exhibit extreme tendencies of their respective personalities (Felix being a control freak and Oscar being too laid-back) and the conflicts usually resulted from one being more extreme than the other in a given situation. As a result, the viewer or occasional third party character is the OnlySaneMan.

* {{Adorkable}}:
** Especially on the TV series, Felix takes practically everything, from his habits to his pastimes to his relationships, to extremes, which is why he often finds himself being called a lunatic. In the end, though, his childlike enthusiasm and good heart win out over any annoyance he causes. Felix is especially {{adorkable}} when he's happy or excited. In "I'm Dying of Unger", he rolls on the bed like a little kid after tricking Oscar's agent into giving him three more days.
** Oscar's secretary Myrna has her moments too, especially when she just wants to be loyal and helpful to him.

* AnnoyingLaugh: Oscar's secretary, Myrna Turner, laughs in a slow monotone which is both irritating and hilarious.

* CanonDiscontinuity: In "You Saved My Life", Felix comments that he's "never considered the possibility of Felix Unger dying", yet the earlier episode "A Grave for Felix" was about Felix losing a grave plot he'd been trying to buy.

* FamilyThemeNaming: The Pigeon sisters are named Gwendolyn and Cecily, after the heroines of ''Theatre/TheImportanceOfBeingEarnest}}''.

* DisneyDeath: In "It's All over Now, Baby Bird", [[spoiler: Felix's pet parrot, Albert, turns out to not be dead, but rather, in a coma. He wakes up at his own funeral!]] Felix is [[CrowningMomentofHeartwarming over]][[TearsOfJoy joyed]].

* BigRottenApple: Not a main feature of the series, but given that it does take place in 1970s New York City this trope ends up showing up a few times. In addition to occasional quips from the characters about getting mugged and scenes of Oscar checking out a titty bar (just watch the Season One end credits and read the text on that building Oscar walks up to towards the end) in at least one version of the end credits, it provided the setup or a plot point for a few episodes:

** "Natural Childbirth": Oscar's niece ran away from her home in Iowa so she could give birth outside of a hospital-she wants to deliver her baby in the "simple setting" of a motel in the Bronx. This elicits shock and serious concern from Oscar, Felix, and other characters.

** "The Subway Story": Oscar's annoyed with the city, so Felix takes him out on the town to show him that New York isn't a completely lost cause. They get stuck in the subway.

* IntimidatingRevenueService: In "The Ides of April," Felix is summoned to the IRS office and he thinks he's in serious trouble. It turns out that he simply forgot to sign a check, but Felix accidentally lets it slip that Oscar has been filing shady tax returns and so now Oscar is the one getting an audit.

* JumpingOnAGrenade: Felix in "You Saved My Life". It was fake.

%%* TheGhost: Crazy Rhoda Zimmerman.

* RecycledINSPACE: ''The New Odd Couple'' is the exact same show... but the two leads were African-American, with Ron Glass and Demond Wilson as Felix and Oscar respectively.