The Odd Couple pulls in strong audience despite being lame

An unshaven slob living with a fastidious control freak. That’s the basic premise for TV’s lame new sitcom — and apparently people are watching it.

An unshaven slob living with a fastidious control freak. Only chaos could ensue.

Sounds like the premise for a sitcom, right?

It could be Two And A Half Men. Or Frasier (yeah, yeah, Frasier and Niles didn’t live together).

And now it’s also The Odd Couple.

Another incarnation of the classic 1965 play, Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing from Friends) serves as the show’s executive producer and stars as lazy Oscar Madison, while Thomas Lennon plays the uptight Felix Unger.

Two deadbeats and a hot girl.

It’s full of dad jokes, stereotypes, audience laughs and daggy guys who have managed to score hot girls.

Matthew Perry constantly looks dishevelled — it’s not clear whether that’s the character or just Matthew. And occasionally he looks like he has a bad fake tan.

The Odd Couple seems to be a vehicle for Matthew Perry to show off a ridiculous tan.

— Mossy (@BrotherAmos) March 30, 2015

Matthew Perry's tan in the Odd Couple makes him look like a burnt orange. I miss his fat Chandler days.

— Jack Franklin (@SugarfootJack) March 30, 2015

But despite it being incredibly basic, apparently SOMEONE is watching it. Actually, an unusually large amount of people are.

We’re not sure what storyline this relates to.

When it premiered in Australia last week, it pulled in 709,000 viewers in metro areas. While this week’s figures pulled back to 630,000 — it’s still an odd amount of viewers for a naff sitcom.

The feedback on social media centres around one key word: lame.

Somehow, every time I see the promo for The Odd Couple, the more eye-rollingly lame it looks.

— Anouska (@AnouskaHaaket) March 12, 2015

#TheOddCouple was extremely lame. It almost felt like sketch comedy. The writing is awful and recycled. It really doesn't deserve my time.

— Jeffrey Davies (@teeveejeff) February 21, 2015

Watched the new Odd Couple; verdict: lame. And disappointing because I like Matthew Perry. Wish he could find himself a great show.

— Kimberly Hanes (@WritingTheWorld) February 20, 2015

Just bored enough to try new Odd Couple. The laugh track is going to cause brain damage before the lame dialog has a chance to.

— Shelley MacGregor (@ShelleySaysSew) February 28, 2015

It seems we have a new Big Bang Theory on our hands. Or a new Two And A Half Men.

A cringe-worthy show that’s the butt of jokes and that no one admits to watching — but somehow rates through the roof anyway.