Friends star Matthew Perry is set to return to the small screen in a new version of Neil Simon’s classic The Odd Couple. Deadline confirmed the news that Perry would star as Oscar Madison, exec-produce and co-write the new multi-camera show for CBS in the US.
The origins of the store of the duo of roommates thaty fail to get on, the other being the character of neat freak Felix Unger, stems all of the way back to a 1965 Broadway play by Simon, which was turned into a famous movie starring Walter Mattau and Jack Lemmon in 1968. It was then a hit TV series from 1970 starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, running for five seasons.
The role of Felix in the new version remains uncast, but Perry had this to say to Deadline.
“Ever since seeing the movie The Odd Couple when I was 10 years old, it has been a dream for me to play Oscar Madison,” he said. “To be given the opportunity to develop a modern version of it for CBS has put a permanent smile across my face. I met up with a wonderful writing partner in Danny Jacobson. We both have such a passion for the source material that we have instantly become obsessed with making this great. Plus, I think it’s time for me to be in front of a live audience again. I miss that. The search for Felix Ungar is on!”
Source: Deadline
