1049 Park Avenue: An Odd Couple Podcast

In this episode of 1049 Park Avenue we review two very important documents: 1) Courtesy of the Garry Marshall archives at Northwestern University is the actual pilot testing report for the first episode of The Odd Couple – “The Laundry Orgy”. 2) The script for The Rain In Spain which we compare to the actual filmed episode. Also, Garrett has a new book out about the famous screenwriter and playwright Ben Hecht which can be purchased on Amazon or here

Scott Marshall returns for part two of our interview with him to celebrate his father's legacy.  In this second installment we discuss Laverne and Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Angie, Joanie Love Chachi, The New Odd Couple, the 2010s Odd Couple reboot, failed pilots and hit on Garry's movie career too especially Nothing in Common / Jackie Gleason.  We also cover Scott's acting work on the sitcoms and his career.

In this episode we are joined by Scott Marshall, Garry Marshall's son, who provides us an inside, charming and humorous look at his father's legendary career and his exposure to all of it growing up.  This is only part one of our interview as there is so much to cover.  We discuss: Garry's upbringing in the Bronx and his family His college days at Northwestern University Writing for Jack Paar and Joey Bishop Moving to LA and meeting his wife / Scott's mother Barbara Writing on Dick Van Dyke, The Lucy Show, and I Spy Garry's first series Hey Landlord How Garry got to work on The Odd Couple; Scott's memories being on set; Jack and Tony; the writers; casting Penny & nepotism; Albert Brooks Other shows he worked on during The Odd Couple including the terrible Me & The Chimp. The origins of Happy Days; Scott acting on the show; studio and network interference; his friendship with the cast.

This week we welcome Lowell Ganz back for part two of our interview.  In these two hours we cover: The trouble with The Odyssey Couple The furniture in Take My Furniture Please The stories behind the appearances of Hugh Hefner, Bobby Riggs and Rob Reiner Why there was a series finale when most 5-season shows don't get that chance What the plans were if there was a S6 Lowell's move to Happy Days How he and Mark Rothman accidentally created Laverne and Shirley Some of his shorter-lived such as Busting Loose, Making It, and Joanie Loves Chachi Casting of two of his earliest movies – Night Shift and Splash How three of his movies were turned into TV shows: Gung Ho, A League Of Their Own and Parenthood. The latter two were turned into TV series – twice! Feedback or questions?  Please email 1049pod@gmail.com

In this episode we are honored to be joined by Lowell Ganz who, with his partner at the time Mark Rothman, wrote more episodes of The Odd Couple than anyone else - 12.  They were also on the writing staff for S3-S5 so they have a hand in all episodes for those seasons. In this first of a two-part interview we discuss Mr. Ganz's background and the incredible story of how he got his first job in showbiz which was on The Odd Couple; a week in the life of The OC writing staff and how an episode went from script to film; and go into detail on each of his 12 episodes which are: - The Ides Of April - The Hustler - My Strife In Court - Gloria Moves In - The New Car - Barnacle Adventure - Cleanliness Is Next To Impossible - The Flying Felix - Shuffling Off To Buffalo - The Odd Candidate - The Subway Story - Two On The Aisle   Please note that at one point there was a Wifi outage which forced the interview to move from Zoom Video to phone and you may hear the quality of Mr. Ganz's audio change a bit.    

In this episode we review an original "pre-production" script for S5E13  The Bigger They Are.  Among the topics covered are 1) how John Byner's casting, which was clearly not known at the time of this draft, changed several key elements of the script, 2) the difference in motivations for Felix and Oscar in the script vs. the finished episode, 3) what distinguishes catsup vs. ketchup [will make sense if you listen to the episode], and 4) some key scenes in the script not in the episode and vice verse.  If you want to see a pdf of the actual script please email us at 1049pod@gmail.com and ask for the dropbox link  

This week we are joined by one of television's best comedy writers Dave Mandel (SNL, Seinfeld, Veep) to discuss an unproduced episode of The Odd Couple for which we have obtained an official script from 1973.  It is a Thanksgiving episode and would have been for the 4th season to air in November 1973.    We start by discussing Dave's history with The Odd Couple and how it influenced his TV writing. We then get into the script itself and -- spoiler - it  is not very good so we discuss in depth why it doesn't work and how it maybe could have become a workable episode. We also start going into it line by line but that is too painful ultimately so we summarize the last few acts.  We also discuss why The Odd Couple had no traditional holiday episodes after S1 like so many of its fellow sitcoms did during the 1970s. If you want to get a dropbox link to the script to read it for yourself please email us at 1049pod@gmail.com

In this episode we welcome Adam Klugman to talk about his father's legendary career in depth – for more than two hours.  Among the many topics we cover are:  Jack's childhood in Philadelphia and a shocking story about his mother; how he discovered acting; his early working days in theater and live television; The Twilight Zone; performing in The Odd Couple the play; of course playing Oscar on the series; Adam's two appearances on the show; Quincy; Jack's marriage to Brett Somers; her role on The Match Game; Jack's throat cancer and his final days.  Adam was a delightful guest and storyteller with great vocal impressions of many of the people involved in Jack's life.  We hope the fans find this a great celebration of Jack Klugman's life and career.

In this episode we analyze the differences in “final” scripts vs the filmed episode for Win One For Felix and Oscar In Love.  The script for Win One For Felix is called Little League Football and is lacking four pages so we spend less time on this one.  Also, it is not dramatically different than the filmed episode but it is missing the emotional motivations behind Felix's actions as we discuss. The script for Oscar In Love, here called Oscar Remarries, is quite different from the filmed episode in many ways – narrative flow, story devices, motivations for actions and the lack of Speed's reappearance.  We get a little lost as we try to break down the differences but ultimately get back on track. If you want access to all the PDFs for the scripts we have acquired please email us at 1049pod@gmail.com and ask for the dropbox link.

We welcome back Marty Nadler to discuss his TV writing career after The Odd Couple including his work on Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Chico & The Man, The Last Resort (not a well-known show), and Perfect Strangers.  Marty shares some get great inside stories about such topics as 1) ABC wanting to rename Happy Days "Fonzie's Happy Days", 2) the toxic environment of Laverne & Shirley, 3) his theory on Freddie Prinze's tragic, early death, 4) a very funny story about the late, great Richard Lewis, 5) and the original casting of Perfect Strangers.   Marty also worked on nine Garry Marshall movies including Pretty Woman which we only briefly touched on as there was just not enough time.  

In this episode we interview TV writer Marty Nadler who worked for Garry Marshall for 40 years. As one of his first jobs Marty punched up scripts and wrote jokes for S5 of The Odd Couple.  Marty discusses the process of how Odd Couple scripts were written; a few specific classic bits he remembers witnessing; interacting with some of the show's famous guest stars and other insider knowledge from someone who was there!

We are honored and delighted to welcome Heather Randall to the podcast.  Heather was married to Tony Randall from 1995 until his passing in 2004 and they had two children together.  Heather shares many stories passed down by Tony and those she lived through regarding: his early life in Tulsa, Oklahoma, career beginnings on stage and radio, becoming a star on Broadway and movies, The Odd Couple of course, The Tony Randall Show, Sidney Shorr TV Movie, Love Sydney his work establishing The National Actors Theatre where he and Heather met and his appearances on David Letterman.  We also learn about Tony as a person off-camera + Heather's early life and work, both professional and philanthropic.  Please join us for this 2 hour discussion about Tony Randall from the person who knows it best .  

This week we welcome a special guest – Peter K Ackerman who is the son of Elinor Donahue and legendary TV producer Harry Ackerman.  He has written a new book called Mom, Dad, Me and Classic TV about their lives and his experiences growing up as the son of two TV legends. It is available wherever books are sold including here on Amazon We discuss his father's career helping to create I Love Lucy, producing Bewitched, and also his passion for collecting.  We also review his Mom's extensive career on such shows as Father Knows Best, Star Trek, Get A Life and, of course, as Miriam Welby on The Odd Couple.  Peter also shares his experiences working in TV and how he transitioned into a very different vocation. Join us for this fun, two-hour discussion that covers many different aspects of TV history as Peter's parents touched so many different programs.

In this episode we discuss the differences between original production scripts for Felix The Horseplayer (known as The Stung on the script) and Two On The Aisle.  Both scripts feature known-but-never-seen characters who are referenced during the series that are supposed to make actual on-camera appearances but were written out before the episodes were filmed.  There are some other significant scene differences between script and episode which we believe are changes that made the show better.   If you would like to get PDFs of any of the scripts we have reviewed please email us at 1049pod@gmail.com and ask for the dropbox link.  

In this episode we review two early drafts of these classic episodes and how different they are from the actual filmed episodes.  Among the topics covered are: 1) Whether or not the most famous line from The Odd Couple about assuming is in the script for Court. 2) The fact that the script for Court is structured as a flashback and how so many of the classic gags from the episode are missing while other scenes we have never seen before are included. 3) The set-up for Furniture is very different as it starts in the furniture store that was Felix's client.  4) How the clock was described in Furniture. 5) The very different tags in both episodes.

This week we discuss scripts for two more episodes of The Odd Couple - this time from S3 - The Odd Monks and The Ides of April - and the differences between what's on the page and what's on the air.  In a major piece of revelation we find out what was said in the missing Louis Guss scene at the IRS in the Ides of April.  We also find out how The Odd Monks could have been very different as the script contains the name of a different actor playing Brother Ralph - not Richard Stahl.  These are biggies!

In this episode we discuss the differences between  "Revised Final Scripts" for the two S2 episodes "Security Arms" and "You Saved My life" and the actual released episodes.  If you want access to PDFs of the scripts please email us at 1049Pod@Gmail.com.  

We celebrate Felix Unger Day with a new podcast previewing an exciting new project that will fuel some more episodes of 1049 Park Avenue.  Take a listen to find out more details!

The second half of our discussion about Jack and Tony's series after The Odd Couple contains in-depth looks at The Tony Randall Show (1976-78), Love Sydney (1981-1983) and You Again? (1986-87).

In this episode we start looking at the four series Jack and Tony did after The Odd Couple - Quincy, The Tony Randall Show, Love, Sydney and You Again?.  This is part one where we cover only Quincy.  The next episode will cover the three sitcoms.  

This episode covers Jack Klugman and Tony Randall's TV appearances as themselves - on talk shows, in ads, on Dean Martin roast, and in song. 

In this episode our subjects are: 1) The 1993 reunion movie featuring Jack and Tony.  We cover the behind-the-scenes talent that was and was not involved with the project; who was and was not in front of the camera; the quality of the writing (or lack of it); and how it performed in the ratings. 2) The 2015-2017 CBS reboot starring Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon.  Topics include how this fits into the other CBS sitcoms of the era; the differences in characters vs. the original series; how Matthew Perry was the driving force behind its existence; and two episodes that made headlines - both for negative reasons. 3) The 1975 short-lived cartoon The Oddball Couple.  We discuss the few similarities to the Odd Couple concept and the acclaimed voices and animators involved with the production.  We also play the variations of the theme from each production.

We start the episode intending to discuss both the 1982/83 New Odd Couple (“NOC”) AND the 1993 Odd Couple reunion TV-movie but end up speaking so long about New Odd Couple we decide on the fly to hold the movie for another episode.  Before we start I surprise Garrett with an item I bought on eBay – the full PDF can be seen here  Odd Couple Program Regarding NOC we 1) provide our overall opinion on the series 2) discuss the cast 3) analyze the TV ratings situation for the time 4) review why the show is made up of recycled scripts from the original series and the impact that decision had 5) discuss individual episodes 6) focus on the most annoying part of the series involving their names 7) play clips comparing and contrasting scenes from the original series that are duplicated in NOC 8) play clips of Garry Marshall, Mark Rothman and story editor Winifred Hervey who discuss various difficulties behind the scenes.   

This week we delve into the world of The Odd Couple centering around the plays and the movies, some of which were made before the TV show and some of which came after.  We discuss the origins of the play and how that turned into the movie; our thoughts on the film; the updated versions of the play that Neil Simon wrote later in his career and the unnecessary film sequel. We play dialogue from the movie that was re-used in the series and the Neal Hefti theme WITH lyrics.

This week Ted and Garrett stop talking so much and let two other Odd Couple fans discuss the show with them.  First up: James Bradley discusses his love of S1 and explains why there is a group of fans who enjoy it passionately.  Second is Lee Spilberg who has helped the podcast with lots of information especially regarding all of the music cuts.  These are two separate interviews.  

This week, Ted and Garrett  hand out The Murray Awards for various "best of" categories regarding The Odd Couple.  Examples include - Best Use Of Honking, Best Scene Where Felix Gets Mad at Oscar (and vice verse), Best Performance by a Male Celebrity Playing Themself, and many others. Yes, we could have just called it "The Oscars", but we have been using Murray as a metric since early on the podcast so we stuck with it.  

With the episode by episode recap now over we look back and discuss our most and least favorite episodes by season and of the series overall.  We focus on S2-S5 but do have some discussion of S1.   

Felix and Gloria get back together in the series finale “Felix Remarries”.  In our discussion we cover 1) some new info our listeners provided to fill in the gaps on our prior episode about Laugh Clown Laugh, 2) the return of Janis Hansen / Doney Oatman / Leif Garrett 3) the multiple classic lines in the episode – some of which came from the play/movie 4) goop mélange 5) who is and who is not at the wedding, 6) the behind the scenes planning for the finale 7) and our plans for future episodes of the podcast now that the episode-by-episode analysis is over.

Felix has a feud with Oscar's latest TV show co-host Richard Dawson in the series' penultimate episode Laugh Clown Laugh.  We cover 1) Dawson's career and how he came to appear on this episode 2) the resume of guest star magician Mark Wilson, the quality of his on-air tricks and the way he comes out onto the show 3) the mystery of who wrote this episode 4) Felix's history in WWII 5) the multiple funny bits with Murray 6) the acrobats /  teeter-totter scene, the actors involved and the connection to a prior episode, 7) the unintentional appearance of Tony Randall in an establishing shot 8) the history of the song Laugh Clown Laugh, 9) the origins of the vaudeville song at the end, 10) Garrett talks about meeting Tony Randall

Felix feels old after finding out his high school sweetheart is a grandmother, and drags Oscar into his misery, in S5E20 “Old Flames Never Die”.  We discuss 1) the production order of this episode 2) the implications of this storyline on how old Felix and Oscar are; 3) the second appearance of Oscar's “new” secretary Tina; 4) the numerous guest stars including the return of some old favorites; 5) how one of those guest stars, Leonard Barr, breaks the fourth wall and does his stand-up act for the studio audience; 6) the dancing in the episode; and 7) the reference to the wreck of the Hesperus.

Roy Clark guest stars on an episode named after him in S5E19 “The Roy Clark Show”.  We discuss the many songs and pieces of music in this episode; Clark's resume and his time on Hee Haw; the return of John Wheeler a Mr. Felscher; guest star Albert Paulsen; edits on the version airing on Decades TV; our observations of ad-libs and laugh tracks in the episode.

Oscar and Felix both lose their voice in “Two Men On A Hoarse” - S5E18. We discuss 1) guest star Dick Cavett 2) Jack Klugman's real appearance on The Dick Cavett Show and discussion of his real-life throat issues, 3) guest star Phil Foster,  4) The return of guest actors Louis Guss, Filip Field, and Joshua Shelley, 5) a mention of The Odd Couple on the new Paramount+ series The Offer 6) Laurence Oliver's Polaroid TV ads, 7) the music cut in this episode, 8) Jack Klugman singing “Together" on the cast album of Gypsy, 9) Tony Randall breaking the 4th wall and Jack Klugman visibly laughing on camera at Al Molinaro, 10) TV edits of this episode, 11) how the doctor dresses down Felix AND supports Oscar which is unusual for the series, 12) how often the apartment is robbed. 

Felix organizes a rent strike against 1049 Park Avenue after its new manager fails to keep up the building in S5E17 “The Rent Strike”.  Topics covered include 1) The Library of Congress receiving Neil Simon's archives 2) Jerry Lewis' failed talk shows 3) guest star Victor Buono 4) the potential tie-in of his character's name and The Wild Wild West 5) guest star Rodney Allen Rippy and his Jack In The Box ads 6) the song “Buckle Down Winsocki” 7) Miriam knowing that Felix sees other women 8) the music edit on the DVD 9) the return of actors Ed Peck, Herbie Faye, and Peter Hobbs  10) the weird way Christmas is referred to twice in one small section 11) the building's doormen 12) the way Oscar wants Felix to leave only when it won't make Oscar feel guilty 13) the use of the word “chiffonier” 14) the tag that wraps up everything too nicely 15) the weird way extras walk away in the background of a scene 16) David Janssen 

Oscar and Felix use inside source Harry Tallman, a horse exercise rider, to make a lot of money at the track in “Felix The Horse Player”, S5E16. Topics discussed include 1) guest player Jerry Maren, 2) the two entrances of the San Remo which stands in for 1049 Park Avenue, 3) the many uses of the Press Box restaurant exterior, 4) guest star Fritz Feld and his “popping” noise, 5) the return of OC guest stars Johnny Silver and Robert Ball 6) the use of NYC exteriors and obvious stand-in for Jerry Maren in those scenes, 7) Felix's lucky sweater, 8) the very memorable lines in this episode overall.  

Howard Cosell and opera singer Martina Arroyo co-star in the infamous “Your Mother Wears Army Boots”, S5E15.  We discuss and/or debate: 1) Other appearances of TV show creators on their own shows in reference to last week's Neil Simon appearance 2) how this episode came together 3) when it was filmed 4) similarities to the prior Cosell episode 5) Arroyo's background 6) guest star Jack Carter 7) guest star Roone Arledge, 8) an instance where Felix now refers to them living on CPW although we hold 1049 Park Avenue as canon 9) the logistics of Arroyo's entrance into the living room after being introduced by Felix 10) the stock footage of the football game and conflicting implications of where the game is being played, Cincinnati or NYC.

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.

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 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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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 4th 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.

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.

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.

Felix and Oscar go to Hollywood for Oscar's cameo in a sports movie but Felix poses as his agent to help get him more screen time and money in S5E4 "The Hollywood Story”.  Topics covered include 1) the many plot similarities to I Love Lucy 2) the career and scandals of guest star George Montgomery 3) Bob Hope's appearance 4) the return of Leonard Barr and Allan Arbus 5) the authentic location shooting, 6) the multiple times when TV's 4th wall is kind of broken.

Felix and Oscar must deal with Leonard's missing/hurt frog in S5E3 “The Frog.” Topics covered include: 1) The career of guest star Leif Garett who plays Leonard for the first time 2) the career of Sabu who is referenced in the episode 3) the return of the great Richard Stahl, 4) the dangerous stunt with the frog and the blender 5) when the frog is real and when it is fake, 6) the music cut in the DVD version of the episode.

Felix, the star bowler of Oscar's bowling team, refuses to play in the championship out of principle but Oscar think Felix has a fear of losing in S5E2 “To Bowl Or Not To Bowl.” Topics covered include: Murray mentioning he has a son we have never heard about before; the careers of guest stars Noam Pitlik and Leonard Barr; the origins of the scene where Oscar sprays cleaner into Felix's food; the phrase “Sorry doesn't feed the admiral's cat.”; the misattribution of one of the bowling players on IMDb; the return of Vinnie; and the unusual scenes with the back-stretching contraption, the discussion of additional bowlers and Felix's conscience. 

We are back for our first episode of 2022 with the first episode of season five, “The Rain In Spain”.  We discuss guest star Rob Reiner, All In The Family, other guest star Garo Yepremian, the chopped liver football, the reason Penny Marshall left the series and her wonderful performance here, and Jerry Vale + Corbett Monica.

In a flashback we see Oscar get Felix a job at Playboy, where Oscar works, but trouble arises when then-fiancée Gloria wants to pose nude in the S4 Finale “One For The Bunny”. Topics discussed include 1) the career of Melvin Belli, 2) the casting of Asian-American actor Lloyd Kino as Al Fischer 3) the Playboy magazine edition used in the episode 4) the third and final appearance of Curt Conway as a judge, 5) and the dubbed-in applause for Hugh Hefner.

Felix decides to get involved in his community and join the NYPD civilian patrol, and drags Oscar along, in S4E21 “New York's Oddest”.   Topics covered include 1) the set design when we are looking into the apartment from the outside hallway 2) the silent film history of guest star Lassie Lou Ahern 3) the credits of guest Michael Lerner, and 4) the multiple returning guest performers.