Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Odd Couple: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 4, 2024

Paramount has released all five seasons of the hit 1970s SitCom 'The Odd Couple,' created by Garry Marshall and starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, to Blu-ray. The five seasons are spread across 15 discs. The presentation is excellent, sporting wonderful 1080p 4x3 video and 2.0 mono lossless audio. A few extras are scattered around the set, though the majority are centered on the first season.

Official synopsis: Based on the play by Neil Simon, this Emmy-nominated series features the antics of two divorced men living together in New York City. Felix Unger (Tony Randall) is an uptight photographer, continually at odds with his unkempt sportswriter roommate, Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman). This classic comedy series has plenty of laughs and plenty of trouble when two unlikely friends share one small space!

After half a century and a little more, what more can be said of The Odd Couple? TV's adaptation of Neil Simon's 1965 Broadway show of the same name, which starred Walter Matthau and Art Carney, also follows on the 1968 feature film of the same name, also starring Matthau alongside Jack Lemmon. The film, directed by Gene Saks, was the highest grossing picture of 1968 and nominated for two Oscars. Needless to say, the TV series had quite a bit of legacy behind it but also pretty big shoes to fill, which it filled quite admirably. While the show was never quite the hit that the Broadway show or the film were, but it has nevertheless withstood the test of time as one of the more affably goofy and endearing shows of its era.

Stars Tony Randall and Jack Klugman were no strangers to the material in 1970, both having appeared in various stage productions of Simon's show, and Klugman having replaced Matthau on the Broadway show. The familiarity with the characters and the material not only facilitated the transition to the small screen but allowed the characters, and as a character-driven series the show in its entirety, to thrive from the opening moments of episode one. The Odd Couple launches into its characters and their world with gusto and confidence from the outset, aided in large part by the stars who know their characters inside and out and find instant chemistry with one another, especially in the more antagonistic aspects of their relationship but also beyond the fuel for the laughs as evidenced in those moments of closer connection that plays well against the tensions that serve as the show's primary draw. Both Randall and Klugman received Emmy nominations throughout the series' run, with the former winning one and the latter two, cementing a legacy of excellence.

The Odd Couple is not a show that is necessarily one ripe with "obvious" comedy; it's not a show of overtly delivered gags and jokes and physical follies, but rather a situational comedy in which the humor arises from the very real goings-on in the shared lives of each character. While through the five seasons there are familiar, and at times almost routine, dynamics in play, the actors prove well capable of mixing up the response to any given situation and elicit sincere humor from even the slightest tweaking of a line or a mildly different or unique response to a particular element that keeps the show moving forward and feeling fresh. This is definitely a product of its stars, and the show is an absolute joy to watch simply for the interplay, again and especially in those moments of clashing personalities and lifestyle antagonism but also along the shared journey of desperately looking for love and companionship beyond their friendly-not-friendly relationship as mismatched roommates. They are supported by steady, if not unassuming, production design and basic direction, both of which only serve to focus all the more tightly on the leads and allow them to rightly dominate the proceedings.

The Odd Couple: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Odd Couple and Blu-ray are certainly not an odd coupling. Paramount's 1080p transfer, framed at 4x3 to preserve the original broadcast integrity (and placing vertical "black bars" on either side of the 1.78:1 display), looks absolutely striking. While there are some odd speckles, scratches, and stray fibers, such are generally scattered and not very bothersome. They also represent the only real blemish on this otherwise pristine presentation. The image captures the source's natural grain structure with faithful integrity. It's even in density, flattering to the fullest, and very attractive. The result is an image that appears untampered and content to let the natural source sharpness shine through, and shine through it does. This is a very sharp, highly textured, natural image that does the film source proud and reveals the source material for all its worth at 1080p. Period clothes and furnishings are gorgeously rendered in practically every shot, revealing film sharpness and clarity to everything in frame. Likewise, faces are incredibly complex, capturing the finest pore and freckle and line details with commanding clarity. Color reproduction is uniformly excellent. Colors are bold and vivid, especially clothes and period furniture. There is no mistaking the excellence at work to capture wonderful tonal nuance and integrity in every shot, scene, and sequence. Better, white balance is excellent, black level depth is superb, and skin tones appear natural. With no immediately obvious encode issues to report, this is easily one of the best-looking vintage TV shows that Paramount has released.

The Odd Couple: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Odd Couple arrives on Blu-ray with a two-channel mono DTS-HD Master Audio encode. The presentation satisfies basic needs within this limited configuration, offering faithful fidelity to the famous opening and closing theme music which is nicely spaced and surprisingly hearty for volume and overall impact. Clarity is good to basic supportive score and sound effects. Light ambient fill occasionally seeps into the track, but not much. Aside from the music, dialogue is the only real sonic consideration at play with this presentation, and it comes across as clearly as one could want of a 50+ year old TV show. It images nicely to the center area.

The Odd Couple: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The Odd Couple includes extras scattered throughout the season, but most are clustered on the season one discs. Everything after that amounts to, very simply, a few Garry Marshall audio intros ahead of a few key episodes. Each season ships in unique Amaray cases (no induvial slipcovers are included). All five Amaray cases ship inside a slip box. No DVD or digital copies are included.

Season One, Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: For "The Laundry Orgy:" Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson. Also for "The Laundry Orgy:" Carole Shelley (Gwendolyn Pigeon).
• The Mike Douglas Show with Tony Randall (480i, 4x3, 5:59): As per the disc: "An episode that aired before series premiered on ABC." Also includes an audio intro with Garry Marshall (1080p, 0:18).
• Series Promo (480i, 4x3, 1:03): A minute-long promo introducing the series basics. Also includes an audio intro with Garry Marshall (1080p, 0:08).
• Audio Intros (1080p): Garry Marshall introduces "The Laundry Orgy" (0:40), "The Fight of the Felix" (0:12), "Felix Gets Sick" (0:14), "The Jury Story" (0:25), "The Breakup" (0:13), "Oscar's Ulcer" (0:15), "I Do, I Don't" (0:10), and "Oscar the Model" (0:26).

Season One, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: For "It's All Over Now, Baby Bird:" Jack Klugman. For "They Use Horseradish, Don't They?:" Garry Marshall.
• Tony Randall and Jack Klugman on the Mike Douglas Show 11/19/70 (480i, 4x3, 7:13): Another clip from The Mie Douglas Show; this time Randall is joined by co-star Jack Klugman. Also includes an audio intro with Garry Marshall. (1080p, 0:10).
• It's All Over Now, Baby Bird Series Promo (480i, 4x3, 0:55): Also includes an audio intro with Garry Marshall (1080p, 0:09).
• Audio Intros (1080p): Garry Marshall introduces "The Big Brothers" (0:13), "It's All Over Now, Baby Bird" (0:15), "Felix Is Missing" (0:12), "Scrooge Gets an Oscar" (0:34), "The Blackout" (0:10), "They Use Horseradish, Don't They?" (0:18), "The Hideaway" (0:10), and "Lovers Don't Make Housecalls" (0:12).

Season One, Disc Three:

• Jack Klugman's Book Tour Home Videos (480i, 4x3, 6:23): Also includes an audio intro with Garry Marshall (1080p, 0:16).
• Gag Reel (480i, 4x3, 1:13): Humorous moments from the shoot. Also includes an audio intro with Garry Marshall (1080p, 0:16).
• Tony & Jack on Stage in "The Odd Couple" (1993) (480i, 4x3, 2:54): A snippet from the stage production starring the TV cast. Also includes an audio intro with Garry Marshall (1080p, 0:31).
• Emmy Presentation --Jack Klugman -- Outstanding Continued Performance in a Leading Role (1971) (480i, 4x3, 1:04): Also includes an audio commentary by Jack Klugman. Also includes an audio intro with Garry Marshall (1080p, 0:25).
• Audio Intros (1080p): Garry Marshall introduces "Engrave Trouble" (0:18), "Bunny Is Missing Down By the Lake" (0:17), "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" (0:16), "A Taste of Money" (0:09), "Oscar's New Life" (0:32), "What Makes Felix Run" (0:18), "What Does a Naked Lady Say to You" (0:13), and "Trapped" (0:27).

Season Two, Disc One:

• Audio Intro (1080p, 0:26): Garry Marshall introduces "Sleepwalker."

Season Three, Disc Two:

• Audio Intro (1080p, 0:13): Garry Marshall introduces "Password."

Season Four, Disc One:

• Audio Intros (1080p): Garry Marshall introduces "Last Tango in Newark" (0:54) and "The New Car" (0:34).

The Odd Couple: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's been great to see Paramount working hard to bring some classic TV to Blu-ray over the past few months, and The Odd Couple is another feather in the studio's TV output cap. The technical presentation is simply marvelous -- imperfect, but nevertheless marvelous -- while the included extras are few, but satisfactory. Fans will be left hungry for a little more, but what's here is solid. This is a good value that should keep fans occupied for some time. Highly recommended!