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In the history of television, there are only a handful of sitcoms that are as popular as Friends.But as one of the core actors of this legendary series, Matthew Perry has a deep understanding of "failed sitcom".
This is not a derogatory view of his talent—quite the contrary, his comedy style influenced a whole generation of humor.This is just to illustrate the fact: how difficult it is to be born a truly successful TV series.
But this is not an isolated case.Matthew tried many times in his early years but failed to make a fortune.He also starred in Second Chance (later renamed Boys Will Be Boys) and Sydney, but both of them were cancelled before the first season was finished.Not to mention the pilot episodes that failed to air, including his role as a beggar at a future Los Angeles airport in LAX 2194.That time, he almost lost the role of Chandler in Friends because of this.
Luckily, The talented actor died in 2023 in an accident at the age of 54.But before that, Friends' success did push him to the top of the superstars.However, his career brilliance did not fill the hole in his heart—that was a matter of frankness, he talked about his struggles in his memoir Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing.
With the end of Friends, Matthew fell into the dilemma of finding a new direction again.Although most projects are short-lived, he still has one piece that barely gains foothold—although far less successful than Friends, it survived at least the first season.
After the end of "Friends" in 2004, several starring actors took different paths.Matt LeBlanc starred in the spin-off series Joey, but only lasted for two seasons.Matthew stayed away from sitcoms for a time and did not return to the small screen until 2013, bringing "Go On".As a result, it only survived for one season.
He then made a guest appearance in "Cougar Town" starring former partner Courteney Cox, and once again tried to launch a new sitcom in 2015.This time, he chose to restart the classic IP - "The Odd Couple".
When Neil Simon created this stage comedy in the 1960s, he probably wouldn't have thought it would become one of the most lasting and changing series in film and television history.
The show was originally staged on Broadway in 1965 and tells the story of a conflict between roommates with very different personalities, Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison.The former is a meticulous cleanliness, while the latter is a typical example of sloppy and casualness.This distinctly contrasting character setting has made it one of the most classic duo in film history.
After the stage play was a great success, it was adapted into a movie in 1968, with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon playing Oscar and Felix respectively.This pair of enemies conquered the audience again, marking the official role of "The Odd Couple" as a cultural symbol.
In the 1970s, ABC launched a TV version, starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman, and has aired for five consecutive seasons.There were also cartoon versions, remakes from the 1980s, TV movie sequels from the 1990s, and even the 1998 movie sequel "The Odd Couple II".
By the end of the 1990s, however, the series seemed to have exhausted its vitality.The audience began to feel aesthetically tired.But when Matthew Perry decided to take over the IP, he believed that times have changed and perhaps the audience was willing to give another chance.
It's a pity that it changes only time, not people's expectations for it.
Matthew's version of The Odd Couple is a sitcom aired by CBS between 2015 and 2017.This is the seventh time the story has been on screen and the only work he has developed and served as executive producer.In the end, the show lasted for three seasons. Although it was not very popular, it was longer than most of his other works.
This new version was mainly inspired by the 1968 movies - not the TV series from the 1970s.According to Matthew himself, he watched the movie "no less than fifty times" during the preparations.In the series, he plays Oscar as a sports columnist and radio host, while Thomas Lennon plays Felix, a professional photographer who had to live in an Oscar apartment because his wife was kicked out of the door.
Sadly, the review of this drama is not ideal.Currently on Rotten Tomatoes, its first season has received only 26% of the media ratings.The critics generally believe that the plot is too old and the jokes lack novelty, and the overall feeling is like another meaningless remake.
Season 2 performed slightly better than expected, however, helping it win the chances of season 3.But the third season's ratings have been declining, becoming one of the least-watched works in the season's CBS comedy.In the end, CBS decided not to renew the book, and this modern version of the "Brothers of the Legend" story ended.
But as the history of The Odd Couple proves, the happy couple will always return at some point—regardless of the form, they will always have an audience.
