vjsingleton

This show was actually pretty funny and interesting. I think the reason it did not last long was the era and people were expecting it to be the exact same as the original. It was refreshing during that period of time when African Americans were finally receiving a place in our society. Their presence was somewhat sporadic, but the mid to late eighties found a place in our homes. I thought this show delivered what its intent was, to do a show staring African Americans. It included a cast to fulfill all racial cultures. The show did not just focus on the life of someone in an African American society, it showcased a wide array of diversity. I wish someone would show this program again along with others like it.

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Brian Washington

This was the second attempt to remake one of Neil Simon's plays into a series with an all black cast (the first was "Barefoot in the Park"). However, that is the only distinguishable from the original series. Ron Glass don't even come close to the team that Tony Randall and Jack Klugman were. This show only proved that writers in the eighties didn't have any good ideas and resorted to trying to remake a classic series.

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saltire-2

In the same year that a female "Odd Couple" appeared on Broadway, ABC got the bright idea to bring an African American "Odd Couple" to the tv screen. "The New Odd Couple" had a very nice updated version of the theme song, but after the credits ended, the show went downhill. The pilot episode was practically a word for word remake of the original series episode in which Felix inadvertently tells the IRS about Oscar's delinquent tax returns. While they updated small details such as Felix getting tickets to "Annie", they kept whole stretches of dialog the same. This lead to inescapable comparisons between the old and new versions. The show would eventually produce three original scripts, but it was too little, too late.

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