Many Happy “Returns”: Laugh Away Tax Day with Two Classic Sitcoms

By Michael Lyons

For many, April 17th will be just another Tuesday.  Others, however, have seen that deadline looming like a dark cloud on an every approaching horizon.

Tax Day.

A large part of our collective, responsible society, who have procrastinated since W2’s made their first appearance in their mailboxes earlier this year will spend the days before April 17th pouring over Tax Forms like they’re cramming for a final exam.

If filing your income taxes has you stressed, take an hour break and spend some time with two classic TV sitcom episodes that centered on income taxes and did what few have done: they found humor in the I.R.S.

“The Honeymooners:” “The Worry Wart” (Originally aired April 6, 1956)

Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason, who else?!?) receives a letter from the I.R.S.  At first, thinking it’s his tax return, he believes that this is good news...until he realizes it’s a letter asking him to report to their office the next morning.

The already nervous Brooklyn bus driver becomes completed bug-eyed and anxious, when he becomes convinced that he is being audited.  What follows is a night in which Ralph and best friend Ed Norton (Art Carney, again, who else?!?) stay up, pouring over Ralph’s tax return, searching desperately for any mistakes.

The scene ranks as one of the comic duo’s most hysterical moments, filled with sharp, back-and-forth banter (and a “flub” by Gleason that remained in the show), which results in Ralph, once again, throwing Ed out of the apartment.

“When I get to five,” bellows Ralph, “You better be out the door.  Now, I’m going to count!”

“I’m not scared of you,” answers Norton.  “If you could count, they wouldn’t be investigating your taxes!”

Of course, the next day, at the I.R.S., things are not as dire as they seem (no spoilers here), but through it Ralph and Ed learn a lesson about honesty and integrity.  That’s right, the whole 75 cents Ralph won at the company picnic gets accounted for!

“The Odd Couple”:  “The Ides of April.” (Originally aired January 19, 1973)

One stormy and rainy New York night, a letter from the I.R.S. arives at the apartment of sloppy sportswriter Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman) and fastidious photographer Felix Unger (Tony Randall).

Oscar seems like the perfect candidate for an audit letter, but instead, they find out it was meant for Felix, who, just like Ralph on “The Honeymooners,“ has to report to the I.R.S. office the next morning.

Felix gets himself so worked up that when Oscar finds him the next morning he thinks Felix has taken a whole bottle of sleeping pills.  What he finds out is that Felix has only taken one pill...at seven in the morning!

When Felix gets to the I.R.S., he is so worked up that he unwittingly turns in Oscar, when, the heat of the moment, he suggests that instead of him that the Agent investigate someone like his roommate, whose returns are sloppy and late.

Felix then discovers the real reason they called him in: he forgot to sign his check.  In fact, the reason that the I.R.S asked him to come in, in person, is that they wanted to meet the person who turns in the most perfect tax return year after year.  As the staff gathers and applauds, Felix smiles and says, “Many happy ‘returns!’”

However, it’s not all smiles when Felix gets home, when it’s learned that, thanks to Felix’s off-handed remark, Oscar is now being audited.  In fits of panic Oscar attempts to fix his return and pour over receipts that are written on everything from footballs to cocktail napkins.

It’s not looking good for Oscar when he gets his turn at the I.R.S., but Felix arrives at the last minute with some new found information that may just save his roommate!

Again, no spoilers, except that this is Randall at his neurotic-best as Felix while Klugman does a great, slow-burn with his frustration and anxiety.

Both of these episodes, like both series themselves, do what they do best: finding the character and humor in life’s trails and tribulations.  In fact, DVD’ sets of both “The Honeymooners” and “The Odd Couple” would be a great way to spend one’s tax return!

Sources: Wikipedia

IMDb