Decoupled

It's hard to believe there was a time when we didn't have The Odd Couple.  First there was the 1965 play, one of the funniest ever written.  Then there was the hit movie, followed by the TV series in the 70s starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman.  There was an African-American TV version in the 80s, as well as a female version on Broadway, plus later movie and TV sequels, and stage revisions, but they don't matter--what mattered was Felix and Oscar were introduced and have held a place in our imaginations ever since.

And now we've got the new CBS Odd Couple, starring Matthew Perry as Oscar and Thomas Lennon as Felix.  The pilot was shown last night right after The Big Bang Theory, so I suspect a fair number of people watched.  Co-written by Perry, who also produces, it was a vague rehash of Neil Simon's original play--even using a few of his lines.  But that wasn't why it felt tired.

Part of it is the idea--the mismatched couple forced to live together--has been done so often it takes a lot to make it work.  Instead, we mostly get clichés here.  And Matthew Perry seemed tired.  Since achieving fame and fortune on Friends, he's tried several series--Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, Mr. Sunshine and Go On--which all had potential but were canceled before they could truly develop.

And now here he is, three-time loser, trying to make it in a known property.  And, along with Lennon, he's got a talented cast, including Yvette Nicole Brown--she left Community for this?--Lindsay Sloane, Wendell Pierce, Leslie Bibb and Dave Foley (though I believe the last two only appear in the pilot).  Though they give it their best shot, the writing just isn't there.

I find the cast appealing enough that I may give it another shot, but unless it does a major turnaround, I don't think this'll last too long.