Three's Company

[Jock's Ghost]

I also preferred the Chrissy of the early seasons. Once she went platinum blonde, the character became an idiot.

Also, the setup was fresher in the early seasons. In those years, the cast was in their late 20s but playing early 20s, and the setup made sense. By the time you got to seasons 4 and 5, the cast was looking their age and you were wondering why the hell they were still living together.

It's expensive to live alone in California in that era or any era.

 

[Crimson]

It's expensive to live alone in California in that era or any era.

True, but people usually go through life changing updates by their late 20s -- new jobs, relocation, settle down into relationships. If Suzanne had stayed with the show for all 8 seasons, it would have looked very odd that these three people were so socially stagnant. FRIENDS suffered from that too, no matter how much they tried to shuffle things around.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

The show definitely wasn't the same without Suzanne Somers. The whole situation surrounding her exit was handled lazily. The network didn't want to loose Somers because they saw her too important to the show, while the producers wanted her gone as soon as possible. They kept her around in the clunkiest way imaginable in my opinion.

I hate how Jenilee Harrison was done. They basically hired her to absorb some of the scripts they had already written with Somers in mind, but had no intention of keeping her full-time. I actually thought she did pretty good, even if her inexperience shined through occasionally. And they keep her for season six, add her to the intro, and then casually discard her towards the end of the year.

Priscilla Barnes was a good addition, even if I think she lacked the chemistry with John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt that Somers had. I don't find her as funny, either.

Don Knotts was hilarious, and he filled a vacancy Norman Fell and Audra Lindley had left, even if he filled it differently. I like both eras of landlords.

The biggest casting waste to me was Ann Wedgeworth. Her interpretation of Lana in the fourth season was hilarious, but the kinks with her and the writers couldn't get worked out, so she was gone by mid-season. It's a shame, too, because Wedgeworth is an attractive and talented actress.

Good post. Don Knotts is always great, but I preferred Norman Fell and Audra Lindley because they seemed to be better at the "straight man"
function, which was lost completely after their departures.
Jenilee Harrison did quite well, given her inexperience.
I wanted Anne W to stay, I thought she was a good character
Priscilla Barnes was quite good, but no one really ever was going to be as oimpactful as Suzanne Somers.

 

[Soaplover]

Good post. Don Knotts is always great, but I preferred Norman Fell and Audra Lindley because they seemed to be better at the "straight man"
function, which was lost completely after their departures.
Jenilee Harrison did quite well, given her inexperience.
I wanted Anne W to stay, I thought she was a good character
Priscilla Barnes was quite good, but no one really ever was going to be as oimpactful as Suzanne Somers.

I thought Jenilee Harrison and John Ritter were a good slapstick team.. she set it up so effortlessly that he was able to deliver.

I think the show was trying hard to make Priscilla Barnes' Teri the complete opposite of Chrissy that the show took away any potential comedic potential for the character. Her intro episode where she had a bit of bite and sarcasm sadly wasn't maintained.

Also, I noticed that Janet became all spastic and ditzy once Chrissy left the show. And the thing was that Joyce Dewitt's comic ability was her facial expresions at the craziness around her, and her sarcastic ribbing of Jack. All gone in the later seasons.

 

[Chris2]

Also, I noticed that Janet became all spastic and ditzy once Chrissy left the show. And the thing was that Joyce Dewitt's comic ability was her facial expresions at the craziness around her, and her sarcastic ribbing of Jack. All gone in the later seasons.

I never noticed that before, but you are spot on. I’m sure that wouldn’t have happened had Chrissy stayed. The decision to make Terri so different from Chrissy upset the chemistry between the three leads - it was never the same.

 

[ClassyCo]

For those possibly interested, THE ROPERS is available for free on Tubi. I've watched the first episode, and I may or may not watch the rest of them.



Tubi also hosts THREE'S A CROWD. I haven't watched any of those yet.



John Ritter's other sitcom, HEARTS AFIRE, is on Amazon Prime.

 

[ClassyCo]

I watched this made-for-TV docudrama (if you want to call it that) this morning. I've seen it before, just like I've watched the ones about CHARLIE'S ANGELS and MORK & MINDY and many, many other shows.

We've talked about it constantly in this thread, but Suzanne Somers overstated her importance to THREE'S COMPANY. She was the celebrity of the bunch, the magazine cover girl, but literally any and everyone is replaceable. Had she not let the "next Farrah Fawcett" tag go to her head, she might've gotten a raise and rode the show its whole eight seasons. She wouldn't have been gray listed in Hollywood, either.

The producers at ABC were willing to negotiate a higher salary with Somers, but she and her agent-hubby Alan Hamel asked for far too much of an increase in her per-episode pay. And then ABC decided to make an example out of her, or so the story goes, because Farrah, Loni Anderson, Penny Marshall, and Cindy Williams had all held out for more money at one time or another.

THREE'S COMPANY stayed a Top 10 show without Somers, even though it slipped from #2 to #8 (and lost 4% of its audience) between 1980 and 1981. How much was this due to Somers' leaving? You tell me. Once Priscilla Barnes joined the cast for season six, the show finished at #4 in 1982 and placed #6 in 1983. Did this have anything to do with Priscilla? Again, you tell me.

I know the chemistry between the "three's company" wasn't the same unless it was Ritter, DeWitt, and Somers, and Norman Fell was arguably the best foil to their zaniness.

This made-for-TV movie focuses a good deal on how the events effected Joyce DeWitt, which isn't surprising since she co-produced it.

I totally doubt the accuracy of events, but this was a fun watch.

 

[ClassyCo]

I know Somers' syndicated sitcom SHE'S THE SHERIFF is considered one of the worst TV shows ever, but I found it interesting today to learn that Jenilee Harrison (her replacement on THREE'S COMPANY) guest starred on the show in 1988.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

THREE'S COMPANY stayed a Top 10 show without Somers, even though it slipped from #2 to #8 (and lost 4% of its audience) between 1980 and 1981. How much was this due to Somers' leaving? You tell me. Once Priscilla Barnes joined the cast for season six, the show finished at #4 in 1982 and placed #6 in 1983. Did this have anything to do with Priscilla? Again, you tell me.

Well, Priscilla Barnes was funnier. Somers just stood -- or shook -- around mugging the camera and looking dumb and very, very blonde.

 

[ClassyCo]

Well, Priscilla Barnes was funnier. Somers just stood -- or shook -- around mugging the camera and looking dumb and very, very blonde.

I haven't watched any of Priscilla's episodes in a really long time, but I remember preferring Suzanne on the show. But that doesn't mean Priscilla wasn't funnier. She probably was a better actress than either Suzanne or Jenilee (but no brainer there).

 

[Soaplover]

The show lost something without Somers. Neither Jennilee nor Priscilla had the charisma that Somers had.... nor the chemistry with Ritter/Dewitt.

 

[ClassyCo]

The show lost something without Somers. Neither Jennilee nor Priscilla had the charisma that Somers had.... nor the chemistry with Ritter/Dewitt.

That's my memory from when I watched the show a lot. The original trio of John/Joyce/Suzanne had the best on-screen chemistry, Jenilee was mere Suzanne-filler for scripts they didn't want or couldn't afford to disregard for Season 5, and Priscilla was the long-term replacement that brought a stability back to the core trio.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I know Somers' syndicated sitcom SHE'S THE SHERIFF is considered one of the worst TV shows ever, but I found it interesting today to learn that Jenilee Harrison (her replacement on THREE'S COMPANY) guest starred on the show in 1988.

Ironically Don Knots was in the same episode. If I’m recalling this correctly though, Jenilee and Don were in the same scene but with no interaction. Jenilee and Suzanne did not share a scene together from what I remember.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I watched this made-for-TV docudrama (if you want to call it that) this morning. I've seen it before, just like I've watched the ones about CHARLIE'S ANGELS and MORK & MINDY and many, many other shows.

We've talked about it constantly in this thread, but Suzanne Somers overstated her importance to THREE'S COMPANY. She was the celebrity of the bunch, the magazine cover girl, but literally any and everyone is replaceable. Had she not let the "next Farrah Fawcett" tag go to her head, she might've gotten a raise and rode the show its whole eight seasons. She wouldn't have been gray listed in Hollywood, either.

The producers at ABC were willing to negotiate a higher salary with Somers, but she and her agent-hubby Alan Hamel asked for far too much of an increase in her per-episode pay. And then ABC decided to make an example out of her, or so the story goes, because Farrah, Loni Anderson, Penny Marshall, and Cindy Williams had all held out for more money at one time or another.

THREE'S COMPANY stayed a Top 10 show without Somers, even though it slipped from #2 to #8 (and lost 4% of its audience) between 1980 and 1981. How much was this due to Somers' leaving? You tell me. Once Priscilla Barnes joined the cast for season six, the show finished at #4 in 1982 and placed #6 in 1983. Did this have anything to do with Priscilla? Again, you tell me.

I know the chemistry between the "three's company" wasn't the same unless it was Ritter, DeWitt, and Somers, and Norman Fell was arguably the best foil to their zaniness.

This made-for-TV movie focuses a good deal on how the events effected Joyce DeWitt, which isn't surprising since she co-produced it.

I totally doubt the accuracy of events, but this was a fun watch.

I preferred seasons 1-2-3 when Ritter, Somers and DeWitt were the trio with Norman Fell and Audra Lindley.
Norman Fell was the perfect staightman IMHO. He was such a superb, versatile actor with a long list of credits.
Don Knotts is a terrific actor as well, all due respect to him,
but I thought Norman Fell was a better presence on the show.

I never thought Priscilla Barnes was funny.
She seemed to be more of a "Straight man" and Joyce DeWitt became a bit more overtly comic
while Don Knotts comic presence also allowed Priscilla Barnes to be more balanced.
Ratings Wise, there was not a large drop in season 6 and 7, as you indicate, but it was a different
show without Suzanne Somers - One that was not as funny, not as good, and not as charismatic IMHO

An overlooked part of this discussion is that Richard Kline,
who became a regular cast member starting in season 4,
added a lot to the show.
He was an excellent supporting character in his scenes with John Ritter, as well as other cast members

Basically, I think Threes Company sustained strong ratings post Suzanne Somers
more because of Richard Kline's increased role and Don Knotts rather than the addition of Priscilla Barnes

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

As this thread would certainly encourage, yours truly has gotten a renewed interest in Three's Company here recently. Because of this, I decided to re-watch the first season of the show that I've had on DVD for some time, but that I haven't watched in a couple of years.

Episodic Overview
Three's Company came onto the airways on March 15, 1977. Its first episode, "A Man About the House", is perhaps one of the best pilot episodes I've seen for a TV series in a long time. (Keep in mind, however, it's been a while since I've started watching a new series, and this itself wasn't technically new, but it some ways it kind of reads that way in my mind.) As we know, the episode follows this plot: roommates Janet (Joyce DeWitt) and Chrissy (Suzanne Somers) awaken one morning after having a going away party for their fellow roommate Eleanor. Once they go into their bathroom, they find a man, by the name of Jack (John Ritter), asleep in their bathtub. To make a long story short, the two girls take a liking to Jack, and they decide to ask him to move in with them. The girls' landlords, however, Stanley (Norman Fell) and Helen Roper (Audra Lindley), aren't keen to the idea of two young women living with a man. Although the trio assures them the arrangement is strictly a platonic one, the landlords don't permit it until Janet sprinkles a fib that Jack is gay.

Thus starts one of the signature farcical comedies the television screen as ever known.

There are only five more episodes in this single disc set. Three's Company was a late-starting mid-season replacement (it's actually like an end-season replacement really), so there was only six episodes scheduled. In "And Mother Makes Four", the second episode, Jack is forced to hide the fact that he's living with Janet and Chrissy from Chrissy's mother, who turns out to be a preacher's wife. All is well, however, when it's learned at the end that Mr. Roper's told Chrissy's mother of Jack, and that nothing was indecent because Jack is said to be gay. (In this episode, Mrs. Roper learns of Jack's heterosexuality, but keeps it secret from her husband.) The next episode, "Roper's Niece", has Jack masquerading as a date for Roper's niece, an arrangement Roper only okays because he thinks Jack is gay, and therefore he won't make a pass at his attractive niece. (Do you see a recurring theme? A common tactic early on is Jack's faking homosexual tendencies.)

In "No Children, No Dogs" (Season 1, Episode 4), the trio of roommates have to head a cute puppy from their landlords given to them by Jack's womanizing car salesman buddy Larry (Richard Kline). Mr. Roper forbids them to keep the pup, but Chrissy devises a plan where the little dog is left on the Ropers' doorstep, and Mrs. Roper passes it off as an anniversary present from her husband. Jack's true masculinity, not a false one, is called into question in the next episode entitled "Jack the Giant Killer". A rude bar patron makes unwanted advances towards Janet and Chrissy, but Jack seemingly cowers from any confrontation. In the end, Janet again bails him out with a fake Vietnam war hero charade. In the season finale, "It's Only Money", the trio believes their apartment to be a victim of local robbery. Their rent money has disappeared, and they worry about how to explain their inability to pay for it to the Ropers. At he conclusion, Mr. Roper says that he took the money from their apartment while he was their fixing their doorbell.

Show Popularity & Overall Thoughts
After watching this abbreviated pilot season, I found myself particularly thrilled at the outcome. While the video quality wasn't necessarily the best (especially not on my 55" HD-TV), the shows themselves were very good. The writing here is more sedate than anything I've seen the show offer in the following seasons. The physical comedy isn't as broad, but that slapstick humor comes to full form in Season Two.

Three's Company was an immediate hit back in 1977, with its first episode finishing at #28 in the weekly ratings. Within a week or two, the show was placing in the Nielsen Top Ten, where it would stay until its final season started in 1983. The critical reviews, however, were nothing less of horrific. The series was critiqued for its plot, humor, acting, and not surprisingly, for being immoral and corrupting America's youth. Religious leaders and organizations took stances against the show, but ABC stood by their baby, feeding it to the top of the Nielsen's.

Overall, I can say that I really enjoyed this first season. I can understand how fans waited --- perhaps impatiently --- for the second season to come out a decade or so ago because this pilot year is show brief. The writing, from a fan's point of logic, is well done, as are the performances themselves.

Buy it. Watch it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The six episode first season was quite entertaining.
I was glad to see an entire season on tv after that.

Personally, I always preferred the original cast.
Norman Fell was the best straight man to the trio IMHO
Don Knotts was certainly great and iconic, though
The show was never as good after Suzanne Somers left, IMHO

I think that Richard Kline's Larry character was an underrated strength of the show post Suzanne Somers.
He worked well with John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt

 

[ClassyCo]

The show was never as good after Suzanne Somers left, IMHO

Love or hate how she demanded more money, the show was never the same with Suzanne Somers.

Norman Fell was the best straight man to the trio IMHO

He was a very good straight man for the original trio.

 

[ClassyCo]

I was totally psyched when I saw that THREE'S COMPANY was streaming on Peacock. But then quickly disappointed to see that the episode copies were syndicated cuts probably stripped from TV Land or Nick at Nite.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

I saw a recent interview with Patrick Duffy, in which he spoke well of Suzanne Somers.
I don't think he mentioned his other TV wife.

 

[ClassyCo]

I don't think he mentioned his other TV wife.

Who?

 

[ClassyCo]