The Odd Couple: Season One

This latest rehash of Neil Simon's landmark 1965 play is an innocuous and mildly amusing diversion with charms based primarily on casting and the can't-miss sitcom setup. Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon take over the roles of Oscar Madison and Felix Unger, a pair of middle-aged pals who decide to share an apartment after their respective divorces. The question of whether they can do so “without driving each other crazy,” as the intro to the smash 1970's Jack Klugman/Tony Randall series asked, is still the premise—and the answer is still, no. Sports podcaster Oscar is a slob and photographer Felix is a neat freak, and the emotional resonance of their opposites-attract relationship is at the center of the action. Unfortunately, the writing never rises to the level of earlier iterations, and the Perry/Lennon wrangling can't quite measure up to the classic Klugman/Randall squabbles—let alone the original Walter Matthau/Jack Lemmon Broadway and 1968 movie pairing. Also featuring Wendell Pierce, Yvette Nicole Brown, Geoff Stults, and Dave Foley as friends and coworkers, The Odd Couple is far from hall of fame material but it does serve up a decent amount of TV laughs. Presenting all 12 episodes from the 2015 debut season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. A strong optional purchase. (T. Fry)