The Odd Couple: Cancelled? Season Four Renewal from CBS Unlikely

It looks like Oscar and Felix may be parting ways after 39 episodes. While the sitcom has not been officially cancelled, CBS has decided not to order any more season three episodes and a fourth season renewal is highly unlikely.

On The Odd Couple, endearing slob Oscar Madison (Matthew Perry) is a sportswriter and uptight neat freak Felix Unger (Thomas Lennon) is a photographer. They’re two former college buddies who become unlikely roommates after the demise of their marriages. Despite how exasperated Oscar and Felix make each other, in the end, these mismatched friends agree they can help each other move on from their divorces. Somehow they seem to make their crazy living arrangement work. Lindsay Sloane, Wendell Pierce, and Yvette Nicole Brown round out the sitcom’s cast.

Based on the successful play by Neil Simon and the successful sitcom of the 1970s, this version of The Odd Couple debuted in early 2015 and averaged a 2.21 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 9.77 million viewers. Thanks in part to having solid lead-ins on Thursday nights, it was the fourth highest-rated sitcom on CBS.

Season two launched in April 2016 and switched between Monday and Thursday nights. The season ended up averaging a 1.41 in the demo and 6.74 million viewers — a season-to-season decline of more than 30%. The final installment of the season hit a new low with a 0.93 in the demo and 4.47 million.

For the first time, The Odd Couple launched as a fall show with season three. The premiere was way down in the ratings and the numbers have gotten even worse. The seven episodes that have aired thus far have averaged a 1.03 in the demo with 4.66 million viewers. It’s currently CBS’ lowest-rated comedy, by far.

The first two seasons of The Odd Couple had just 13 installments each by necessity because it was a mid-season replacement. This time around, the CBS network had the option to order more episodes but has opted not to do so. As a result, the show’s expected to be off the schedule by early 2017 and, given the poor ratings, it seems highly unlikely that The Odd Couple will be renewed for a fourth season. It just doesn’t make sense to try to relaunch a sitcom during the 2017-18 season when so few people were watching during the 2016-17 season.

What do you think? Do you like The Odd Couple TV show on CBS? Are you hoping that it ends up being renewed for a fourth season or, do you think it should be cancelled?