1049 Park Avenue: An Odd Couple Podcast

"A Night To Dismember"

This week we cover S2E21 "A Night To Dismember" -- a Rashomon-style episode depicting the New Year's Eve episode that led to Oscar and Blanche's divorce.   Among the details we discuss are 1) the timeline inconsistencies this episode create 2) the origin and use of Rashomon in pop culture 3) Ted's search for the restaurant depicted in the opening scene and 4)guest star Joan Van Ark

"Good, Bad Boy"

S2E20 "Good, Bad Boy" is our topic this week.  Oscar and Felix help out a reform-school teen ager who asks Edna to the school dance.  We discuss the KLM building in NYC, the career of guest actor Johnny Silver and the careers of Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Walt Frazier and Earl The Pearl Monroe.

"Partner's Investment"

In our Podcast this week we analyze S2E19 "Partner's Investment".  In this episode Felix invests his money, and money he has stolen/secured from Oscar, in a Japanese restaurant.  The topics we address include 1) the biography of guest star Pat Morita 2) the racist undertones of this episode 3) the absurd moments of this episode 4) and the history of Japanese food popularity in the U.S. in the 1970s.  Enjoy!

"You Saved My Life"

In this installment we discuss S2E17 "You Saved My Life" in which Felix becomes a pest by constantly thanking Oscar who saves him from falling out a window. Oscar tries to get Felix to save HIS life so they can be even.  We discuss the introduction of Penny Marshall as Myrna Turner, the location of Oscar's office building and the bizarre Japanese grenade scene.

Here is the picture of Felix we discuss in the episode: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5db718_bdcc28fc357444e29e9462e6855c347a~mv2.png

"Speak For Yourself"

S2E16 “Speak For Yourself” Is our topic this week.  We go back in time to watch the story behind Oscar proposing to Gloria for Felix in the 1950s. Among the topics covered are the major inconsistencies of the plot compared to other tales of how Felix and Oscar met; the bizarre fact that an actress plays a character named Mitzi in this episode set in the 1950s and essentially the same character in another episode set in the 1970s; and the brilliant pantomime work from Tony Randall.

"Security Arms"

This week we analyze S2E15 - the classic "Security Arms".  Felix and Oscar movie into a high-security apartment building after determining their building and neighborhood is unsafe. Topics include - character actor John Fiedler, what NYC was really like in the 1970s, the wonderful set design in this episode and the cartoonish scene that propels the storyline.  

“And Leave The Greyhound To Us?”

This week we analyze S2E14 in which Oscar wins a racing greyhound named Golden Earrings in a poker game.  References/topics we discuss include Tuesday Weld, Death Of A Salesman, Father Flanagan, hijackings to Cuba and custom felt card-playing mats.

"Felix, The Calypso Singer"

This week our topic is S2 E13 "Felix, The Calypso Singer".  Oscar takes Felix on his Caribbean vacation when Nancy has to stay behind for work, but when Nancy eventually shows up Felix is kicked to the curb.  We discuss the terrible tragedy of actress Barbara Colby who appears in this episode, the state of air travel in the 1970s and how Felix loves to be a martyr.

"Surprise, Surprise"

This week we dive into S2E12 "Surprise, Surprise".  Felix throws his daughter Edna a party for her 10th birthday. The surprise for Edna is  his hiring of Sherman The Clown.

Among the topics we cover are 1) Garrett's personal connection to one of the writers of this episode who had a bad experience with Tony Randall working on the show  2) the meaning of "x-rated movies" in the early 1970s and 3) why its weird that Oscar refers to Edna as "your kid" when talking to Felix.

CORRECTION: In the episode we say that Pamelyn Ferdin played Bunny in a S1 episode of the show but she actually played Cindy.

Here is the link to the YouTube clip from the interview with the writer  that we reference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lyz7RJftLQ

 

 

"Being Divorced Is Never Having To Say I Do"

This week we cover S2E11 - "Being Divorced Is Never Having To Say I Do" - in which Oscar's ex-wife Blanche gets married to a man she just met.  We discuss Brett Somers, since this is her first appearance on the show, and her on-screen chemistry with her-real-husband-at-the-time Jack Klugman, + how we learned about alimony as children from watching The Odd Couple.