1049 Park Avenue: An Odd Couple Podcast

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...

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 p...

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...

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.

Felix has insomnia and it’s driving Oscar crazy in The Insomniacs – S4E20.  Topics covered include 1) The old time actors mentioned by Felix on the “late, late, late show”, 2) the cut song “Dream” by Johnny Mercer, 3) the popularity of waterbeds, 4) the many visual gags in this episode, 5) how TV stations used to sign off the air overnight, and 6) Tony Randall showing off his poker chip tricks.

Monty Hall returns and Felix tries to get his band on Monty’s new TV show but needs Oscar’s help to make it happen in S4E19 “A Different Drummer”.  Topics covered include: 1) the many songs from the 1920s that are sung in the show and the multiple music cuts 2) the firing of Julius LaRosa 3) another debate about whether is Oscar is 40 or 50 given that Monty, who is 53, and Oscar were in college to...

Felix moves to Buffalo to work with his brother at his bubble gum company in S4E18 “Shuffling Off To Buffalo.” Discussion includes the following topics: 1) Oscar’s wearing 74 on his jersey and our assumed reference to Merlin Olsen 2) The career of the main guest star William Redfield 3) the resume of some of the other guest stars 4) the early deaths of some of those guest stars 5) the use of teleg...

A shy but talented woman whom Oscars works with has a crush on him while Felix wants her to sing Carmen in his opera in S4E17 “Vocal Girl Makes Good”.  Topics discussed:  The career of Marilyn Horne; the gullible and moronic nature of her character; the amount of singing in the episode; the timeline problems caused by an unnecessary prop that is very visible; and several oddly or incorrectly said...

Oscar helps Felix get over his fear of flying in S4E16 “The Flying Felix.”  We discuss the numerous guest actors in the show including Teri Garr in one of her earliest roles; the state of air travel and air travel advertising in the early 1970s; the episode’s reference to the movie Patton; the higher budget of the episode given multiple sets and large number of guest actors and extras; the classic...

Oscar is hypnotized in order to become neat for his new girlfriend in S4E15 Cleanliness Is Next To Impossible.  We discuss: 1) whether Felix said “specialty” or “special” when discussing Oscar’s crane operator date 2) the wonderful psychiatrist scene with Richard Stahl and the connection of the actress who plays the secretary to I Love Lucy 3) the famous Shakespeare quote used in the episode 4) th...

Oscar moonlights at a greasy spoon in order to pay back money Felix gave him for Yankees tickets that Oscar lost gambling.  Among the many details we discuss are: 1) The tricky list of guest cast especially Sam Nudell 2) the return of Bella Bruck and Phil Leeds 3) the implausibility of having a cow, alone, in a NYC building zoned for commercial use, 4) non-dairy creamer 5) and how Tony Randall bre...

Oscar want Felix to invest in a new invention created by his dentist – barnacle glue in S4 E13, “A Barnacle Adventure”.  Topic covered include the careers of the multiple guest stars including Val Avery who plays Dr. Elmo Most; Ted’s naïve wonderment at how they did the bowling ball / pencil gag; how Oscar wants to invest in the glue without using any of his own money; how Felix becomes President...

We discuss S4E12 “The Exorcists” in which Felix thinks the air conditioner is haunted.  Ted really doesn’t like the episode and makes that clear early, Garrett is much more generous. Topics:  1) how Herbie Faye played the super in multiple episodes and seemed to always have a different name 2)   guest star Victor Buono, 3) the jingle for Italian Swiss Colony wines 4) the similarities of the tag sc...

Felix hires a Nanny for Oscar in S4E11 “Maid For Each Other”.  Topics discussed: 1) The mystery of  writer Marlene Barr who has no other major credits 2) The IMDB error crediting “Crony 1” as the noted acting teacher Robert Lewis instead of the character actor Buddy Lewis and how Garret determines this is a mistake 3) how much the audience enjoys the episode 4) the great casting of Reta Shaw as Cl...

Oscar loses “everything”, including Felix, to hustler Bobby Riggs in “The Pig Who Came To Dinner.” We discuss the historical significance of this episode because of its timing just weeks after the “Battle Of The Sexes” Primetime tennis match, the fact Ted thinks Billie Jean King is a horrible actress while both Ted and Garrett agree Bobby Riggs is good, Ted being confused by the exact nature of th...

Felix sets out to make a documentary about Oscar and ends up almost directing a porno film in “Felix Directs”.   Items of discussion include: the use of prunes for breakfast, the multiple NYC location shots, the career of guest actors David White and how he and character actor Louis Guss have a unique scene in the episode, how PBS’s American Family and the movie Mondo Cane are referenced, the diff...

Jaye P. Morgan and Wolfman Jack guest star on “The Songwriters” as Felix writes the classic song “Happy and Peppy and Bursting With Love” for Morgan. Topics covered include 1) the biographies of Jaye P. Morgan and Wolfman Jack 2) the clever way the song come together 3) where the piano comes from and 4) is Tony Randall playing the piano?

We flashback to Oscar and Blanche’s wedding night at an army base in This Is The Army Mrs. Madison.  Topics examined include 1) the dizzying amount of continuity issues in this episode 2) the attempts and non-attempts to make the actors look younger 3)  the odd names in this episode and the fact Blanche’s maiden name in this episode is the same as the actress that plays her 4) and Richard Stahl’s...

It’s our one year anniversary and 50th recorded episode! Oscar and Felix win a new car which ends up causing more problems than benefits in “The New Car”.  We discuss 1) the geographic inconsistencies this episode causes regarding where Felix and Oscar live 2) the many external street scenes 3) John Byner and 4) Bella Bruck who plays Pushover Page  

In “The Odd Holiday”, a flashback episode, Felix and Oscar go to the Caribbean with their wives and Felix tries to help Oscar’s marriage while not realizing his in jeopardy.   

Felix falls for a football player’s wife but doesn’t know she is married in S4E4 “That Was No Lady”. Topics covered include: 1) Listener feedback to our question about the line “Every body loves pizza and beer” in our last episode 2) The biography of guest stars Alex Karras and Patricia Harty 3) phrases we are not familiar with such as “good offices”, “honky tonk”, “red dog”.  4) the way this epis...

Felix and Oscar compete in athletic events to prove who is the better insurance risk in S4E3 “The Odd Decathlon”.  Topics discussed include 1) Our confusion as to why the studio audience applauds at the line “Every body needs Pizza and beer”, 2) Murray's terrible refereeing skills and 3) The state of employment insurance in the 1970s 

World-renowned ballet dancer Edward Villella guest stars in S4E2.  We discuss 1) the selling of orange and orange beverages at theaters 2) the potential skittishness of ABC regarding the assumption that ballet implies lack of manliness 3) the resume of Dan Dailey and 4) the physical humor of Jack Klugman in this episode.

Gloria stays at Felix and Oscar’s apartment while her house is being painted in the 4th season premiere “Gloria Moves In”.  Topics covered include 1) When this episode was filmed vs aired and how that impacts the living room furniture which had just been changed in the prior aired episode 2) The directing flourishes of Garry Marshall 3) Tony Randall’s great performance of Felix playing cards while...