1049 Park Avenue: An Odd Couple Podcast

”Two On The Aisle”

Oscar uses Felix to write off-Broadway theater reviews in S5E14 “Two on the Aisle”. We dive into such details as 1) Neil Simon’s cameo 2) the appearance of real-life theater critics John Simon, Dan Sullivan and Joan Crosby, 3) appearance of real-life TV host John Barbour, 4) the theater critic George Jean Nathan, 5) the playwright Jean Anouilh 6) the apartment bathroom, 7) Felix’s dates, 8) an appearance by Myrna as Oscar’s secretary although she got married and quit months earlier 9) the continuity error regarding Felix’s large “Thanks” photo of himself, 10) and the Joe Louis and Max Schmeling fights.

”The Bigger They Are”

Oscar wears a fat suit for a TV commercial Felix is directing in S5E13 “The Bigger They Are”.  We discuss 1) The silliness of the plot and all the holes it brings including the fraud being committed  2) whether or not the opening shot is of the Plaza hotel 3) the return of John Byner 4) the return of other guest actors Peter Hobbs and Cliff Emmich 4) the bizarre fake ads shown at the end of the episode 5) the fat suit 6) famous NYC newscasters of the 1980s 

”Oscar In Love”

Oscar dates a widower with two kids in S5E12 “Oscar In Love”.  The many topics we discuss include 1) episode writer Carl Gottlieb 2) guest star Dina Merrill, 3) I Love Lucy on Paramount+, 4) the child actors who play the kids 5) words we learned from TV shows 6) the current state of RKO pictures, 7) the magic tricks depicted and how Tony Randall “milks” a joke using an illogical gesture, 8) How long Felix and Oscar have lived together 9) the return of Richard Stahl and Garry Walberg 9 ) how Anita goes the way of Yawbus.

”The Big Broadcast”

Felix meddles in Oscar’s radio show in S5E11 “The Big Broadcast”.  Topics discussed include:  1) Tony Randall and writer Frank Buxton’s enthusiasm for old-time radio, 2) Dick Butkus’ wedding 3) How audiences of the 1970s remember entertainment from the 1920s-1930s. 4) Angry radio in the 1970s and host Bob Grant 5) How S5 of The Odd Couple was aired out of production order and how that impacts the character of Tina, Oscar’s new/temporary secretary, 6) the lackluster “Adventuring Ranger” scene 7) the fantastic Babe Ruth / penicillin scene and 8) and how this episode has some of the best lines in the whole series.  

”Our Fathers”

Felix tells the story of how Oscar’s father tried to kill Felix’s father via a flashback to the 1920s in S5E10 “Our Fathers”.  We cover 1) the exact year of the episode 2) the character timelines and inconsistencies that occur and the ones that don’t 3) the way the 1920s/1930s setting is established 3) the connections to The Untouchables 4) the career of guest star Elijah Cook Jr. 5) Garrett’s impression of Morris Unger, 6) the removal of Tony and Jack’s toupees to play their fathers, 7) and the return of many guest players from other episodes.

”The Paul Williams Story”

Edna runs away from home to follow Paul Williams and Felix and Oscar go after her in S5E9 “The Paul Williams Story”.  Topic covered include 1) the career of guest star Paul Williams, 2) the fact that this episode was originally written for John Denver, 3) an Odd Couple reference in the current season of Billions, 4) the illogic in the episode’s plot, 5) the very funny bit when Felix reads Edna’s note after Oscar hands it to him, 6) the first meaty role for perennial bit actor Eddie Garrett, 7) and how quickly Paul Williams wrote an original song in the episode.

”The Subway Story”

Felix and Oscar get trapped on a stuck subway car in S5E8 “The Subway Story”.  We go off on multiple tangents such as 1) catching up on the homework we had regarding some scenes from the prior episode ‘The Odd Candidate’, 2) Jack Klugman’s pre Odd Couple sitcom Harris Against The World, 3) New York crime in the 1960s and 1970s and a brief history of the NYC subway system, 4) the guest stars including Scatman Crothers, Barney Martin, Billy Sands and Garry Marshall himself, 5) the impressive subway set and the Marine recruiting poster that is shown, 6) The nature of Felix and Miriam’s relationship, 7) the cut music scene from the DVD, 8) and the introduction of a pet for Felix and Oscar that we never see or hear about again.

”The Odd Candidate”

Oscar runs for NYC Council in “The Odd Candidate.”   We dive into such minutiae as 1) The many street scenes filmed in NYC, 2) the unusual angle of the kitchen that is shown which brings up issues of weirdly-placed shelving units, absence of 4^th walls and a mysterious set of keys 3) 1970s local TV horror hosts 4) what footage is being used for The Mysterious Planet Debbie, 5) smoking cigarette billboards in Times Square, 6) Oscar’s campaign posters, 7) and Miriam as pollster.

”Strike Up The Band or Else”

Oscar owes $500 and tricks Felix into using his band into playing at a charity barn dance as payment in S5E6 “Strike Up The Band Or Else”. Topics covered include: 1) the horrendous musical cuts on the DVD featuring Cocktails For Two, while the Hulu version preserves the scenes with this song 2) the career of guest star Pernell Roberts, 3) the return of Felix’s band now called the Sophisticados 4) the connection between a poker player in this episode and The Honeymooners, 4) how “stuff you sorries in a sack mister” went from The Odd Couple to Seinfeld, 5) Ma Gump, 6) and the references to Gabby Hayes and Ish Kabibble.

”The Dog Story”

Felix kidnaps a famous acting dog after witnessing poor treatment during a photo shoot in S5E5 The Dog Story.  We discuss among other topics: 1) the return of guest star John Fiedler 2) Odd Couple writer Bill Idelson who plays the judge, replacing Curt Conway, 3) the many Sanford and Son spin-offs which ties into the episode’s writers 4) how much the studio audience loves the episode, 5) the appearance of Rona Barrett, 6) the multiple returning bit players in the courtroom scene, 7) the 70s being the era of the animal-as-hero in family movies, 8) the use of a flashback in the episode, 9) and the odd Central Park scenes set in the dark and the light which were cut for TV.