Three's Company
Encyclopedia
Three's Company is an American sitcom
that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC
. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House
.
The story revolves around three single roommates: Janet Wood
, Chrissy Snow
and Jack Tripper
who all platonically share Apartment 201 in a Santa Monica, California
, apartment building owned by Mr.
and Mrs. Roper
. Later, following Suzanne Somers
's departure, Jenilee Harrison
joined the cast as Cindy Snow
(Chrissy's cousin), who was later replaced by Priscilla Barnes as Terri Alden
. After the Ropers were spun-off into their own sitcom, Don Knotts
joined the cast as Ralph Furley
, brother of the new building owner.
The show, a comedy of errors
, chronicles the escapades and hijinks of the trio's constant misunderstandings, social lives, and struggle to keep up with rent.
, Jack quickly accepts the offer to move in.
However, due to landlord Stanley Roper's intolerance for co-ed living situations, even in a multi-bedroom apartment, Jack is allowed to move in only after Janet tells Mr. Roper that Jack is gay
. Although Helen Roper figures out Jack's true sexuality in the second episode, she does not tell her husband. Frequently siding with the three roommates instead of her husband, Mrs. Roper's bond with the roommates grows until the eventual spinoff
The Ropers
.
Jack continues the charade when new landlord Ralph Furley takes over the apartment complex because Mr. Furley insists that his hard-nosed brother Bart (the building's new owner) would also never tolerate such living situations.
The show was set minutes from the beach in Santa Monica
, California
, and was filmed using three main sets: the trio's apartment, their landlord's apartment and the neighborhood pub called The Regal Beagle. In later seasons more sets were used, frequently depicting Larry's apartment, Angelino's restaurant, Jack's Bistro, the hospital where Terri worked, and Janet's flower shop.
Humor in the show was based on farce
, often relying on innuendo
, misunderstanding, as well as physical comedy
to punctuate the hare-brained schemes the characters would invariably conjure up to get themselves out of situations and dilemmas. Running jokes were frequently based on Jack's (supposed) sexuality, Mr. Roper's lack of sexual prowess, and Chrissy's blonde moments
. Conflict in the show came from the dysfunctional marriage of the Ropers, Jack's lust for Chrissy versus Janet's intolerance for a roommate romance, and later on, Larry's and Jack's friendship and Larry's abuse thereof.
The theme song was composed by Joe Raposo
(known for his composing for the children's television
show Sesame Street
), and sung by Ray Charles (not to be confused with the late rhythm and blues
musician Ray Charles
) and Julia Rinker.
.
Two changes took place in the fall of 1979, at the beginning of the fourth season. The first was the addition of Lana, an older woman who chased Jack around. She liked to pursue him but he did not appreciate her advances. Since Ann Wedgeworth did not appreciate her diminishing role in the series, Lana was dropped from the show without any explanation before the season was half over. The other new addition that fall was the new building manager, Ralph Furley (played by Don Knotts, who wore a toupee
for the role), whose brother Bart bought the building from the Ropers. Mr. Furley pursued Lana unsuccessfully, as she unsuccessfully pursued Jack. Unlike Lana, he appeared until the end of the series.
Season five (1980–1981) marked the beginning of contract re-negotiations and sparked friction on the set. When Somers' demands for a heavily increased salary (from $30,000 to $150,000 per episode, plus 10% of the show's profits) were not met, Somers went on a strike of sorts and was absent for several taping days, providing false excuses such as a strained back or a broken rib. Executives believed that a complete loss of Somers could damage the program's popularity so a compromise was reached. Somers, who was still under contract, continued to appear in the series, but only in the one-minute tag scene of a handful of episodes. Somers' scenes were taped on separate days from the show's regular taping; she did not appear on set with any of the show's other cast members. According to the story, her character had returned to her hometown of Fresno
to care for her ailing mother, and was only seen when she telephoned her former roommates, and they recounted that week's adventures to her. This arrangement continued for one season. Somers' contract was not renewed and Chrissy's place in the apartment was taken by her clumsy cousin Cindy Snow (Jenilee Harrison
).
Another replacement, Terri Alden
(played by Priscilla Barnes), a clever, sometimes sassy nurse, joined the cast in the sixth season (1981–1982). In the script, Cindy was to move to college to fulfill her dream of becoming a veterinarian, and would continue to visit throughout the sixth season.
The show ended with the departure of all cast members except Ritter, who moved on to the spin-off Three's a Crowd
, itself based upon Man About the House’s spin-off Robin's Nest
.
gladly renewed the show for a formal television season, giving it a permanent primetime spot during the 1977
-1978
year. Ratings continued to climb throughout the years. The very first episode, "A Man About the House", hit #28 overall. The first time a Company episode hit the #1 spot was the airing of "Will the Real Jack Tripper...", which aired February 14, 1978. The most watched Company episode aired on March 13, 1979, immediately preceding the series premiere of its spinoff, The Ropers. The episode, entitled "An Anniversary Surprise", centered around Stanley selling the apartment, and the Ropers moving out. Here is how the show ranked overall in popularity throughout its eight-season run among all television programs:
were shot for Three's Company, a rarity for American television. The show was recast several times at the instruction of ABC's Fred Silverman
.
The show was first penned by famed Broadway writer Peter Stone
who set the series in New York. Stone envisioned the Jack Tripper character as a successful, yet underpaid, chef in a fancy French restaurant while the characters who were to become Janet and Chrissy were to be a secretary for a CEO, and a high style fashion model respectively. Although superbly written, Silverman felt that the treatment would not play to middle America and thus passed on the script. Silverman then enlisted the services of famed television writer Larry Gelbart
, best known for his Emmy-award winning work on CBS
's M*A*S*H. Gelbart initially wanted nothing to do with the show, feeling that its relatively simple premise made it substandard in comparison to M*A*S*H. Nonetheless as a favor to Silverman, Gelbart went ahead and developed a pilot episode with his son in law who named the series Three's Company. Gelbart's adaptation closely followed the British series. He envisioned Ritter as "David Bell", an aspiring film maker looking for a place to live who just happened to be a great cook. Ritter's better halves were portrayed by Valerie Curtin
who played "Jenny" an employee of the DMV, and Suzanne Zenor as an aspiring actress named "Samantha". Gelbart reset the Ropers' apartment building, which he called the Hacienda Palms, from New York to North Hollywood, California. This plot of this pilot looked much like that of the first episode of the actual show. Liked by Silverman, a pilot was ordered by ABC which taped in early 1976. This format of the show just barely made it on to the fall 1976 ABC lineup but was ousted by what ABC felt were more promising series. Ironically, all the new sitcoms that premiered on ABC for the 1976-77 television season with the exception of Three's Company, and the summer premiere of What's Happening!!
did not survive past one season. While ABC was in negotiations to re-shoot the pilot, CBS became interested in the show, and made a firm commitment to TTC productions (producers Don Taffner and Ted Bergman's New York based company) to air the show as a mid season replacement in February 1977 with the Gelbart cast. However, at the last minute ABC decided that they wanted the show and made a firm commitment to air the show at midseason with a new cast.
The second pilot was penned by writers Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West
, better known as NRW, who had gained fame in adapting another British series, Till Death Us Do Part, into All in the Family
. The second pilot followed the British series even more closely, with the filmmaker character David Bell becoming cooking student Jack Tripp like his English counterpart, chef Robin Tripp, and one of the women being renamed Chrissy. Jack's female roommates were portrayed by Joyce DeWitt as florist Janet Wood, and Susan Lanier
as secretary Chrissy Snow (actress Denise Galik
had originally been given the role but was dismissed a couple of days before the pilot taped). The setting of the show was also moved from North Hollywood to the beachside in Santa Monica
. NRW went on to conceive the show as an all out farce, building the show's plot line heavily on the many misunderstandings encountered by each of the characters. This pilot was actually a remake of the British series episode And Mother Makes Four which was the second episode of the show. The new concept was well liked, with the exception of Lanier's portrayal of Chrissy.
Despite the doubts about Lanier's portrayal as Chrissy, Silverman put the show on the network lineup, to air in March 1977, yet ordered a search for a new Chrissy. In an interview with The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation, Silverman said that Suzanne Somers barely made it as a member of the cast. "I was very involved in the casting of Suzanne Somers. We did three pilots", he recalls, "and the Chrissy character still wasn't right. We got to the day before we're starting the production of the series and we didn't have a Chrissy. I was so desperate, I took all the audition tapes and just kind of fast forward them. All of a sudden, they went by Suzanne Somers who I hadn't seen, but I recognized her from her appearance on The Tonight Show
, I said 'back that up' and she was great. She's been passed on! And I said 'I don't understand. This girl could play that part, why was she been passed on?' and I couldn't get a straight answer. Anyway, we got her in that day and she was on the set tomorrow and she was terrific in that part. And that was an accident because she never should have gotten the part.". With Somers set in the role the third pilot hastly went into production in January 1977. NRW had initially thought about recasting Ritter at the last minute before the pilot taped. Although liked by test audiences, the producers felt Ritter's foolish and clumsy portrayal of Jack made his character seem somewhat effeminate; Barry Van Dyke
, and future television director Michael Lembeck
, who had originally auditioned for the now renamed Jack Tripper, were initially considered to take the role. Nonetheless Silverman championed for Ritter to stay on the show. The third pilot was accepted by ABC, and was followed by five additional episodes for the show's spring tryout.
(ABC aired back-to-back repeats during daytime in the summer of 1981) on local stations such as WNEW-TV
in New York City
and the sales on the project realized more than $150,000,000 of which Thames took 12.5% ($19,000,000). It debuted on cable in 1992
on TBS and ran through 1999
. Then Nick at Nite
bought the show in 2000
and have a seven-year term with other Viacom networks such as TV Land
and TNN. In 2007, Viacom renewed their contract for reruns of the show for another six years.
In March 2001, after being notified by a viewer, Nick at Nite
quickly edited an episode ("The Charming Stranger") where John Ritter's scrotum
skin was briefly visible through the bottom of a pair of blue boxer shorts. The most famous quip about this issue was uttered
by John Ritter, who told the New York Observer
when they asked him about the controversy: "I've requested that Nickelodeon
air both versions, edited and unedited, because sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't."
The show currently airs on TV Land
, Antenna TV
, TVtropolis
and DejaView
(the latter two, both Shaw Media
properties).
while the second through sixth season were taped in Studio 31 at CBS Television City
. The cast would get the script on Monday, rehearse from Tuesday to Thursday, and shoot on Friday. Each episode was shot twice in a row using two different audiences. Three cameras were used.
The taping was done in sequence and there were rarely any retakes because the producers were strict. Priscilla Barnes once said, "Our bosses were very, very controlling. If my hair was too blond, I'd get called up in the office."
The opening credits where the trio are frolicking on a boardwalk and riding bumper-cars was shot at the Santa Monica Pier, prior to the building of a larger amusement park adjacent to the pier.
A later opening sequence that was shot when Priscilla Barnes joined the show featured the new threesome and the other cast members riding a zoo tram and looking at various animals around the zoo. Those sequences were filmed at the Los Angeles Zoo
in Griffith Park.
aired a two hour television movie entitled Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company
, a docudrama
featuring actors portraying Ritter, Dewitt, Somers and other actors on the series. The movie covered the entire run of the series from the pilots to the final episode but the contract negotiations and subsequent departure of Suzanne Somers provided much of the drama. Joyce Dewitt co-produced and narrated the movie; Ritter and Somers both had some input but neither appeared in the project.
has released all eight seasons of Three's Company on DVD in Region 1.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House
Man About the House
Man About the House is a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett that was broadcast for six seasons on ITV from 1973 to 1976. It was created and written by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke. The series was considered daring at the time due to its subject matter of...
.
The story revolves around three single roommates: Janet Wood
Janet Wood
Janet Wood is a fictional character on the television sitcom Three's Company played by Joyce DeWitt.-Fictional character biography:Janet and Chrissy shared an apartment in Santa Monica, California, and needed a third roommate to pay the rent after their old roommate, Eleanor, got married and moved...
, Chrissy Snow
Chrissy Snow
Christmas "Chrissy" Noelle Snow was a fictional character on the sitcom Three's Company. Chrissy was played by Suzanne Somers.In the original unaired pilot to Three's Company, the character that became Chrissy was portrayed by Susanne Zenor. Zenor was not picked for the second filming, so actress...
and Jack Tripper
Jack Tripper
Jack Tripper is a fictional character on the sitcoms Three's Company and Three's a Crowd, based upon the character, Robin Tripp, of Man About the House and Robin's Nest. Jack was played by the late John Ritter.-Introduction:...
who all platonically share Apartment 201 in a Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, apartment building owned by Mr.
Stanley Roper
Stanley Roper is the name of a fictional character from the sitcom Three's Company and its spinoff The Ropers.-Background:In Three's Company, Stanley Roper owns and manages the apartment building in Santa Monica that is home to Jack Tripper, Janet Wood and Chrissy Snow. He has a love-hate...
and Mrs. Roper
Helen Roper
Helen Roper is a character on the situation comedy series, Three's Company and its later spin-off series The Ropers. In both shows, she is played by Audra Lindley....
. Later, following Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers
Suzanne Somers is an American actress, author, singer and businesswoman, known for her television roles as Chrissy Snow on Three's Company and as Carol Lambert on Step by Step....
's departure, Jenilee Harrison
Jenilee Harrison
Jenilee Harrison is an American actress possibly best known for her role as replacement blonde roommate Cindy Snow on the hit sitcom Three's Company from 1980–1982 and Jamie Ewing in Dallas from 1984–1986.- Early years :...
joined the cast as Cindy Snow
Cindy Snow
Cindy Snow is a fictional character on the 1977-1984 sitcom Three's Company, portrayed by Jenilee Harrison during the show's fifth and sixth seasons . The cousin of the character Chrissy Snow, Cindy was phased out to make way for Chrissy's permanent replacement Terri Alden...
(Chrissy's cousin), who was later replaced by Priscilla Barnes as Terri Alden
Terri Alden
Terri Alden is a major fictional character during the final three seasons of the sitcom Three's Company, born in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She is played by Priscilla Barnes and is the third "token blonde" on the show ; however, she works as a registered nurse and is portrayed as far less "ditzy"...
. After the Ropers were spun-off into their own sitcom, Don Knotts
Don Knotts
Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
joined the cast as Ralph Furley
Ralph Furley
Ralph "RF" Furley is the name of a fictional character from the sitcom Three's Company, played by Don Knotts.Mr. Furley is the landlord of a Santa Monica apartment building that is owned by his brother, Bart, who acquired it from Stanley Roper. It is the home to Jack Tripper, Larry Dallas, Janet...
, brother of the new building owner.
The show, a comedy of errors
Comedy of errors
A comedy of errors is a narrative work that is light and often humorous or satirical in tone, in which the action usually features a series of comic instances of mistaken identity, and which typically culminates in a happy resolution of the thematic conflict.-Satire and farce:A slight variation of...
, chronicles the escapades and hijinks of the trio's constant misunderstandings, social lives, and struggle to keep up with rent.
Plot
After crashing Eleanor's wedding reception and finding himself passed out in the bathtub, cooking school student Jack Tripper happens across Janet Wood, a florist, and Chrissy Snow, a secretary, in need of a new roommate after Eleanor gets married and moves out. Having only been able to afford living at the YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, Jack quickly accepts the offer to move in.
However, due to landlord Stanley Roper's intolerance for co-ed living situations, even in a multi-bedroom apartment, Jack is allowed to move in only after Janet tells Mr. Roper that Jack is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. Although Helen Roper figures out Jack's true sexuality in the second episode, she does not tell her husband. Frequently siding with the three roommates instead of her husband, Mrs. Roper's bond with the roommates grows until the eventual spinoff
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
The Ropers
The Ropers
The Ropers is an American sitcom that ran from March 13, 1979 to May 22, 1980 on ABC. The series is a spinoff of Three's Company and based on the British sitcom George and Mildred...
.
Jack continues the charade when new landlord Ralph Furley takes over the apartment complex because Mr. Furley insists that his hard-nosed brother Bart (the building's new owner) would also never tolerate such living situations.
The show was set minutes from the beach in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and was filmed using three main sets: the trio's apartment, their landlord's apartment and the neighborhood pub called The Regal Beagle. In later seasons more sets were used, frequently depicting Larry's apartment, Angelino's restaurant, Jack's Bistro, the hospital where Terri worked, and Janet's flower shop.
Humor in the show was based on farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
, often relying on innuendo
Innuendo
An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging , that works obliquely by allusion...
, misunderstanding, as well as physical comedy
Physical comedy
Physical comedy, also known as slapstick, is a comedic performance relying mostly on the use of the body to convey humour.Physical comedy, whether conveyed by a pratfall , a silly face, or the action of walking into walls, is a common and rarely subtle form of comedy...
to punctuate the hare-brained schemes the characters would invariably conjure up to get themselves out of situations and dilemmas. Running jokes were frequently based on Jack's (supposed) sexuality, Mr. Roper's lack of sexual prowess, and Chrissy's blonde moments
Dumb blonde
The blonde stereotype, the stereotypical perception of blond-haired women, has two aspects. On one hand, over the history, blonde hair in women has been considered attractive and desirable...
. Conflict in the show came from the dysfunctional marriage of the Ropers, Jack's lust for Chrissy versus Janet's intolerance for a roommate romance, and later on, Larry's and Jack's friendship and Larry's abuse thereof.
The theme song was composed by Joe Raposo
Joe Raposo
Joseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was a Portuguese-American composer, songwriter, pianist, television writer and lyricist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green" and "C is for Cookie"...
(known for his composing for the children's television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
), and sung by Ray Charles (not to be confused with the late rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
musician Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
) and Julia Rinker.
Primary characters
| Role | Seasons on show | About | Actor or actress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Tripper Jack Tripper Jack Tripper is a fictional character on the sitcoms Three's Company and Three's a Crowd, based upon the character, Robin Tripp, of Man About the House and Robin's Nest. Jack was played by the late John Ritter.-Introduction:... |
Season 1-8 | A clumsy culinary student (later chef, then restaurant owner) from San Diego, Navy veteran, and swinging bachelor. | John Ritter John Ritter Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively... |
| Janet Wood Janet Wood Janet Wood is a fictional character on the television sitcom Three's Company played by Joyce DeWitt.-Fictional character biography:Janet and Chrissy shared an apartment in Santa Monica, California, and needed a third roommate to pay the rent after their old roommate, Eleanor, got married and moved... |
Season 1-8 | Born in Indiana, she is a down-to-earth brunette who worked as manager of the "Arcade Flower Shop". | Joyce DeWitt Joyce DeWitt Joyce Anne DeWitt is an American actress most famous for playing Janet Wood on the ABC sitcom Three's Company.-Early life:... |
| Chrissy Snow Chrissy Snow Christmas "Chrissy" Noelle Snow was a fictional character on the sitcom Three's Company. Chrissy was played by Suzanne Somers.In the original unaired pilot to Three's Company, the character that became Chrissy was portrayed by Susanne Zenor. Zenor was not picked for the second filming, so actress... |
Season 1-5 | A ditzy blonde secretary from Fresno whose real name is Christmas Snow. | Suzanne Somers Suzanne Somers Suzanne Somers is an American actress, author, singer and businesswoman, known for her television roles as Chrissy Snow on Three's Company and as Carol Lambert on Step by Step.... |
| Cindy Snow Cindy Snow Cindy Snow is a fictional character on the 1977-1984 sitcom Three's Company, portrayed by Jenilee Harrison during the show's fifth and sixth seasons . The cousin of the character Chrissy Snow, Cindy was phased out to make way for Chrissy's permanent replacement Terri Alden... |
Season 5-6 | Chrissy's accident-prone cousin, a secretary and later, veterinary student at UCLA. | Jenilee Harrison Jenilee Harrison Jenilee Harrison is an American actress possibly best known for her role as replacement blonde roommate Cindy Snow on the hit sitcom Three's Company from 1980–1982 and Jamie Ewing in Dallas from 1984–1986.- Early years :... |
| Terri Alden Terri Alden Terri Alden is a major fictional character during the final three seasons of the sitcom Three's Company, born in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She is played by Priscilla Barnes and is the third "token blonde" on the show ; however, she works as a registered nurse and is portrayed as far less "ditzy"... |
Season 6-8 | An intelligent blonde nurse, unlucky in love. | Priscilla Barnes |
Secondary characters
| Role | Seasons on show | About | Actor or actress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Dallas Larry Dallas Larry Dallas is a fictional character on the 1977 - 1984 ABC sitcom Three's Company, portrayed by Richard Kline. He lives upstairs from Jack, Janet, and Chrissy/Cindy/Terri, and is Jack's best friend. He is a womanizer and often lies about his job to impress girls, from being "Playboy's best... |
Season 1-8 | A playboy Playboy (lifestyle) A playboy is a modern version of a public Casanova — a man of means with ample time for leisure, who demonstratively appreciates the pleasures of the world.The term has also been applied to a flashy womanizer, such as a player, pappagallo, or Don Juan.... neighbor, used car salesman, and Jack's best friend. |
Richard Kline Richard Kline Richard Kline is an American actor and television director. He is best known for playing the sleazy neighbor and used car salesman, Larry Dallas, on the sitcom, Three's Company.-Early life:... |
| Stanley Roper Stanley Roper Stanley Roper is the name of a fictional character from the sitcom Three's Company and its spinoff The Ropers.-Background:In Three's Company, Stanley Roper owns and manages the apartment building in Santa Monica that is home to Jack Tripper, Janet Wood and Chrissy Snow. He has a love-hate... |
Season 1-3 | A hard-nosed landlord. | Norman Fell Norman Fell Norman Fell , born Norman Noah Feld, was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers.-Early life:... |
| Helen Roper Helen Roper Helen Roper is a character on the situation comedy series, Three's Company and its later spin-off series The Ropers. In both shows, she is played by Audra Lindley.... |
Season 1-3 | Stanley's muumuu Muumuu The muumuu or muumuu is a loose dress of Hawaiian origin that hangs from the shoulder. Like the Aloha shirt, muumuu exports are often brilliantly colored with floral patterns of generic Polynesian motifs. Muumuu for local Hawaiian residents are more subdued in tone... -wearing, love-starved wife. |
Audra Lindley Audra Lindley Audra Marie Lindley was an American actress, most famous for her role as landlady Helen Roper on the sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers.-Career:... |
| Ralph Furley Ralph Furley Ralph "RF" Furley is the name of a fictional character from the sitcom Three's Company, played by Don Knotts.Mr. Furley is the landlord of a Santa Monica apartment building that is owned by his brother, Bart, who acquired it from Stanley Roper. It is the home to Jack Tripper, Larry Dallas, Janet... |
Season 4-8 | A goofy, yet friendly, flamboyantly-dressed landlord who fancies himself a ladies' man. | Don Knotts Don Knotts Jesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards... |
| Lana Shields Lana Shields Lana Shields was a short-lived character on Three's Company played by Ann Wedgeworth.-Background:Lana, a bosomy, amorous, and somewhat older neighbor has an unrequited crush on Jack Tripper. She is constantly flirting with Jack and trying to seduce him as Jack tries his best to avoid her. Mr... |
Season 4 | An older female love-starved neighbor who pursued Jack and was in turn pursued by Mr. Furley. | Ann Wedgeworth Ann Wedgeworth Ann Wedgeworth is a Tony award winning American actress, best known for her role as Lahoma Vane Lucas on the daytime dramas Another World and Somerset .-Early life:... |
Recurring characters
| Role | Years on show | About | Actor or actress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim | 1977–1981 | Bartender at The Regal Beagle | Paul Ainsley |
| Mike | 1981–1984 | Bartender at The Regal Beagle | Brad Blaisdell |
| Dean Travers | 1977–1981 | Dean at Jack's cooking school | William Pierson William Pierson William Pierson was an American television, motion picture and stage actor, best known for his raspy voice and his role as Marko the Mailman in the film Stalag 17.-Biographical Sketch:... |
| Reverend Luther Snow | 1978–1979 | Chrissy's minister father | Peter Mark Richman |
| Linda | 1978–1979 | Jack's girlfriend and one-time roommate | Anne Schedeen Anne Schedeen Luanne Ruth Schedeen , known professionally as Anne Schedeen, is an American actress, best known as Kate Tanner on ALF, which ran from 1986-1990.... |
| Frank Angelino | 1981–1983 | Jack's short-tempered boss | Jordan Charney Jordan Charney Jordan Charney is an American character actor.Many of his earliest roles were on daytime television, with appearances in numerous soaps. Jordan created... |
| Felipe Gómez | 1981–1982 | Jack's jealous co-worker at Angelino's also worked at Jack's Bistro as cook for a few episodes. | Gino Conforti Gino Conforti Gino Conforti is an American actor best known for his television roles.-Life and career:From 1962 to 1971, Conforti appeared in several Broadway musicals, including the role of the fiddler in the original production of Fiddler on the Roof with Zero Mostel. Beginning in the late 1960s, he appeared... |
Cast changes
Three's Company had many cast changes over its run. The first of these changes took place in the spring of 1979 with the relocation of the Ropers to their own television series (The Ropers), which revolved around Helen and Stanley, and their neighbors in a townhouse community after Stanley had sold the apartment building. Man About The House had similarly spun the Ropers off for the series George and MildredGeorge and Mildred
George and Mildred is a British sitcom produced by Thames Television that aired from 1976 to 1979. It was a spin-off from Man About the House and starred Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as an ill-matched married couple, George and Mildred Roper...
.
Two changes took place in the fall of 1979, at the beginning of the fourth season. The first was the addition of Lana, an older woman who chased Jack around. She liked to pursue him but he did not appreciate her advances. Since Ann Wedgeworth did not appreciate her diminishing role in the series, Lana was dropped from the show without any explanation before the season was half over. The other new addition that fall was the new building manager, Ralph Furley (played by Don Knotts, who wore a toupee
Toupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
for the role), whose brother Bart bought the building from the Ropers. Mr. Furley pursued Lana unsuccessfully, as she unsuccessfully pursued Jack. Unlike Lana, he appeared until the end of the series.
Season five (1980–1981) marked the beginning of contract re-negotiations and sparked friction on the set. When Somers' demands for a heavily increased salary (from $30,000 to $150,000 per episode, plus 10% of the show's profits) were not met, Somers went on a strike of sorts and was absent for several taping days, providing false excuses such as a strained back or a broken rib. Executives believed that a complete loss of Somers could damage the program's popularity so a compromise was reached. Somers, who was still under contract, continued to appear in the series, but only in the one-minute tag scene of a handful of episodes. Somers' scenes were taped on separate days from the show's regular taping; she did not appear on set with any of the show's other cast members. According to the story, her character had returned to her hometown of Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
to care for her ailing mother, and was only seen when she telephoned her former roommates, and they recounted that week's adventures to her. This arrangement continued for one season. Somers' contract was not renewed and Chrissy's place in the apartment was taken by her clumsy cousin Cindy Snow (Jenilee Harrison
Jenilee Harrison
Jenilee Harrison is an American actress possibly best known for her role as replacement blonde roommate Cindy Snow on the hit sitcom Three's Company from 1980–1982 and Jamie Ewing in Dallas from 1984–1986.- Early years :...
).
Another replacement, Terri Alden
Terri Alden
Terri Alden is a major fictional character during the final three seasons of the sitcom Three's Company, born in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She is played by Priscilla Barnes and is the third "token blonde" on the show ; however, she works as a registered nurse and is portrayed as far less "ditzy"...
(played by Priscilla Barnes), a clever, sometimes sassy nurse, joined the cast in the sixth season (1981–1982). In the script, Cindy was to move to college to fulfill her dream of becoming a veterinarian, and would continue to visit throughout the sixth season.
The show ended with the departure of all cast members except Ritter, who moved on to the spin-off Three's a Crowd
Three's a Crowd
Three's a Crowd is an American television sitcom spinoff of Three's Company...
, itself based upon Man About the House’s spin-off Robin's Nest
Robin's Nest
Robin's Nest is a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp, one of the lead characters in the sitcom Man About the House, which had ended in 1976. Robin's Nest aired for six series from 1977 to 1981, and co-starred Tessa Wyatt as Robin's girlfriend and later wife and Tony Britton...
.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere Season premiere In North America, a season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a given television show. It often airs in September or October, after several months of reruns.-Evaluating the changes:... |
Season finale Season finale A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program... |
||
| 1 | 6 | March 15, 1977 | April 21, 1977 |
| 2 | 25 | September 13, 1977 | May 16, 1978 |
| 3 | 22 | September 12, 1978 | May 15, 1979 |
| 4 | 25 | September 11, 1979 | May 6, 1980 |
| 5 | 22 | October 28, 1980 | May 19, 1981 |
| 6 | 28 | October 6, 1981 | May 18, 1982 |
| 7 | 22 | September 28, 1982 | May 10, 1983 |
| 8 | 22 | September 27, 1983 | September 18, 1984 |
- March 1977 – September 1977, Thursday 9:30 p.m.
- September 1977 – May 1984, Tuesday 9:00 p.m.
- May 1984 – September 1984, Tuesday 8:30 p.m.
Ratings
Three's Company premiered in the spring, in the middle of the season. Usually in the 1960s and 1970s, midseason television programs were cancelled after their original six-episode run in the spring. Network observers did not believe that Three's Company would go anywhere after its first six shows. They were proved wrong when it racked in record ratings, breaking barriers at the time as the highest-rated midseason show ever broadcast on network television. ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
gladly renewed the show for a formal television season, giving it a permanent primetime spot during the 1977
1977 in television
The year 1977 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1977.For the American TV schedule, see: 1977-78 American network television schedule.-Events:...
-1978
1978 in television
The year 1978 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1978.For the American TV schedule, see: 1978-79 American network television schedule.-Events:...
year. Ratings continued to climb throughout the years. The very first episode, "A Man About the House", hit #28 overall. The first time a Company episode hit the #1 spot was the airing of "Will the Real Jack Tripper...", which aired February 14, 1978. The most watched Company episode aired on March 13, 1979, immediately preceding the series premiere of its spinoff, The Ropers. The episode, entitled "An Anniversary Surprise", centered around Stanley selling the apartment, and the Ropers moving out. Here is how the show ranked overall in popularity throughout its eight-season run among all television programs:
- Spring 1977: #11
- 19771977 in televisionThe year 1977 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1977.For the American TV schedule, see: 1977-78 American network television schedule.-Events:...
–19781978 in televisionThe year 1978 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1978.For the American TV schedule, see: 1978-79 American network television schedule.-Events:...
: #3 - 19781978 in televisionThe year 1978 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1978.For the American TV schedule, see: 1978-79 American network television schedule.-Events:...
–19791979 in televisionThe year 1979 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1979.For the American TV schedule, see: 1979-80 American network television schedule.-Events:...
: #2 - 19791979 in televisionThe year 1979 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1979.For the American TV schedule, see: 1979-80 American network television schedule.-Events:...
–19801980 in televisionThe year 1980 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1980.For the American TV schedule, see: 1980-81 American network television schedule.-Events:...
: #2 - 19801980 in televisionThe year 1980 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1980.For the American TV schedule, see: 1980-81 American network television schedule.-Events:...
–19811981 in televisionThe year 1981 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1981.For the American TV schedule, see: 1981-82 American network television schedule.- Events :...
: #8 - 19811981 in televisionThe year 1981 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1981.For the American TV schedule, see: 1981-82 American network television schedule.- Events :...
–19821982 in televisionThe year 1982 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1982.For the American TV schedule, see: 1982-83 American network television schedule.-Events:...
: #4 - 19821982 in televisionThe year 1982 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1982.For the American TV schedule, see: 1982-83 American network television schedule.-Events:...
–19831983 in televisionThe year 1983 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1983.For the American TV schedule, see: 1983-84 United States network television schedule.-Events:...
: #6 - 19831983 in televisionThe year 1983 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1983.For the American TV schedule, see: 1983-84 United States network television schedule.-Events:...
–19841984 in televisionThis article is a list of television-related events in 1984.-Events:*January 9 – Wendy's "Fluffy Bun" ad first airs, which propels Clara Peller and her "Where's the beef?" catchphrase to national prominence....
: #35
Development and pilots
Three's Company went through a lengthy development process. Two different sets of writers attempted to Americanize the British A Man About the House. Three pilot episodesTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
were shot for Three's Company, a rarity for American television. The show was recast several times at the instruction of ABC's Fred Silverman
Fred Silverman
Fred Silverman is an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at the CBS, ABC and NBC networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as the series Scooby-Doo , All in the Family , The Waltons , and Charlie's Angels , as well as the...
.
The show was first penned by famed Broadway writer Peter Stone
Peter Stone
Peter Hess Stone was an American writer for theater, television and movies.-Life and career:Stone was born in Los Angeles. His mother, Hilda , was a film writer, and his father, John Stone was the writer and producer of many silent films, including Shirley Temple and Charlie Chan movies...
who set the series in New York. Stone envisioned the Jack Tripper character as a successful, yet underpaid, chef in a fancy French restaurant while the characters who were to become Janet and Chrissy were to be a secretary for a CEO, and a high style fashion model respectively. Although superbly written, Silverman felt that the treatment would not play to middle America and thus passed on the script. Silverman then enlisted the services of famed television writer Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
, best known for his Emmy-award winning work on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's M*A*S*H. Gelbart initially wanted nothing to do with the show, feeling that its relatively simple premise made it substandard in comparison to M*A*S*H. Nonetheless as a favor to Silverman, Gelbart went ahead and developed a pilot episode with his son in law who named the series Three's Company. Gelbart's adaptation closely followed the British series. He envisioned Ritter as "David Bell", an aspiring film maker looking for a place to live who just happened to be a great cook. Ritter's better halves were portrayed by Valerie Curtin
Valerie Curtin
-Biography:Curtin was born in New York City, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin...
who played "Jenny" an employee of the DMV, and Suzanne Zenor as an aspiring actress named "Samantha". Gelbart reset the Ropers' apartment building, which he called the Hacienda Palms, from New York to North Hollywood, California. This plot of this pilot looked much like that of the first episode of the actual show. Liked by Silverman, a pilot was ordered by ABC which taped in early 1976. This format of the show just barely made it on to the fall 1976 ABC lineup but was ousted by what ABC felt were more promising series. Ironically, all the new sitcoms that premiered on ABC for the 1976-77 television season with the exception of Three's Company, and the summer premiere of What's Happening!!
What's Happening!!
What's Happening!! is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976 to April 28, 1979. The show premiered as a summer series. With good ratings and reviews, and after the failure of several other shows on the network, What's Happening!! returned in November 1976 as a weekly...
did not survive past one season. While ABC was in negotiations to re-shoot the pilot, CBS became interested in the show, and made a firm commitment to TTC productions (producers Don Taffner and Ted Bergman's New York based company) to air the show as a mid season replacement in February 1977 with the Gelbart cast. However, at the last minute ABC decided that they wanted the show and made a firm commitment to air the show at midseason with a new cast.
The second pilot was penned by writers Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West
Bernie West
Bernie West was an American television writer best known for his work in sitcoms such as All in the Family, its spinoff The Jeffersons and Three's Company.-Biography:...
, better known as NRW, who had gained fame in adapting another British series, Till Death Us Do Part, into All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
. The second pilot followed the British series even more closely, with the filmmaker character David Bell becoming cooking student Jack Tripp like his English counterpart, chef Robin Tripp, and one of the women being renamed Chrissy. Jack's female roommates were portrayed by Joyce DeWitt as florist Janet Wood, and Susan Lanier
Susan Lanier
Susan Lanier-Bramlett is an American film, television actress and entertainer.Born as Susan Jean Engledow in Dallas, Texas to Gene and Dorothy Lanier Engledow, she moved to New York City to pursue an acting career in 1967 where she attended New York University...
as secretary Chrissy Snow (actress Denise Galik
Denise Galik
Denise Galik-Furey is an American actress who has starred on television and in film.-Career:Born in in Cleveland, Ohio, Galik has starred in television on soap operas, daytime and night time soaps. Her first soap opera role was in the 1980s CBS soap Knots Landing as Linda Stricker from 1980 to 1981...
had originally been given the role but was dismissed a couple of days before the pilot taped). The setting of the show was also moved from North Hollywood to the beachside in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
. NRW went on to conceive the show as an all out farce, building the show's plot line heavily on the many misunderstandings encountered by each of the characters. This pilot was actually a remake of the British series episode And Mother Makes Four which was the second episode of the show. The new concept was well liked, with the exception of Lanier's portrayal of Chrissy.
Despite the doubts about Lanier's portrayal as Chrissy, Silverman put the show on the network lineup, to air in March 1977, yet ordered a search for a new Chrissy. In an interview with The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation, Silverman said that Suzanne Somers barely made it as a member of the cast. "I was very involved in the casting of Suzanne Somers. We did three pilots", he recalls, "and the Chrissy character still wasn't right. We got to the day before we're starting the production of the series and we didn't have a Chrissy. I was so desperate, I took all the audition tapes and just kind of fast forward them. All of a sudden, they went by Suzanne Somers who I hadn't seen, but I recognized her from her appearance on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
, I said 'back that up' and she was great. She's been passed on! And I said 'I don't understand. This girl could play that part, why was she been passed on?' and I couldn't get a straight answer. Anyway, we got her in that day and she was on the set tomorrow and she was terrific in that part. And that was an accident because she never should have gotten the part.". With Somers set in the role the third pilot hastly went into production in January 1977. NRW had initially thought about recasting Ritter at the last minute before the pilot taped. Although liked by test audiences, the producers felt Ritter's foolish and clumsy portrayal of Jack made his character seem somewhat effeminate; Barry Van Dyke
Barry Van Dyke
Barry Van Dyke is an American actor and the second son of actor and entertainer, Dick Van Dyke, and nephew of Jerry Van Dyke. He has one older brother, Christian, and two younger sisters, Stacy and Carrie Beth...
, and future television director Michael Lembeck
Michael Lembeck
Michael Lembeck is an actor, television and film director.Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Caroline and Harvey Lembeck, an actor and comedian. He began acting in the late-1960s and directing in the 1970s. His most notable acting role was as Julie Cooper's husband, Max Horvath, on...
, who had originally auditioned for the now renamed Jack Tripper, were initially considered to take the role. Nonetheless Silverman championed for Ritter to stay on the show. The third pilot was accepted by ABC, and was followed by five additional episodes for the show's spring tryout.
Syndication
The show has been in local syndication since 19821982 in television
The year 1982 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1982.For the American TV schedule, see: 1982-83 American network television schedule.-Events:...
(ABC aired back-to-back repeats during daytime in the summer of 1981) on local stations such as WNEW-TV
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and the sales on the project realized more than $150,000,000 of which Thames took 12.5% ($19,000,000). It debuted on cable in 1992
1992 in television
The year 1992 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1992.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:*Hallmark Hall of Fame .*Guiding Light .*The Today Show ....
on TBS and ran through 1999
1999 in television
The year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
. Then Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite is the nighttime Cable network that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon on Sundays from 8.p.m.-7.am., Monday through Fridays from 9 p.m.-7 a.m. and Saturdays from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. . Though it shares channel space with Nickelodeon, A.C. Nielsen Co...
bought the show in 2000
2000 in television
The year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:...
and have a seven-year term with other Viacom networks such as TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
and TNN. In 2007, Viacom renewed their contract for reruns of the show for another six years.
In March 2001, after being notified by a viewer, Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite is the nighttime Cable network that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon on Sundays from 8.p.m.-7.am., Monday through Fridays from 9 p.m.-7 a.m. and Saturdays from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. . Though it shares channel space with Nickelodeon, A.C. Nielsen Co...
quickly edited an episode ("The Charming Stranger") where John Ritter's scrotum
Scrotum
In some male mammals the scrotum is a dual-chambered protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles and divided by a septum. It is an extension of the perineum, and is located between the penis and anus. In humans and some other mammals, the base of the scrotum becomes covered with curly...
skin was briefly visible through the bottom of a pair of blue boxer shorts. The most famous quip about this issue was uttered
Utterance
In spoken language analysis an utterance is a complete unit of speech. It is generally but not always bounded by silence.It can be represented and delineated in written language in many ways. Note that in such areas of research utterances do not exist in written language, only their representations...
by John Ritter, who told the New York Observer
New York Observer
The New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and...
when they asked him about the controversy: "I've requested that Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
air both versions, edited and unedited, because sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't."
The show currently airs on TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
, Antenna TV
Antenna TV
Antenna TV is an American digital broadcast television network, primarily featuring classic television series from the 1950s to the 1990s, along with some feature films. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
, TVtropolis
TVtropolis
TVtropolis is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Shaw Media and Rogers Media.The channel operates two time shifted feeds: East and West .-Programming:...
and DejaView
DejaView
DejaView is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Shaw Media. It airs television shows from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.-History:In November 2000, Global Television Network Inc...
(the latter two, both Shaw Media
Shaw Media
Shaw Media is the television broadcasting division of Shaw Communications. Shaw Media owns the Global Television Network, which broadcasts via 11 television stations, as well as various specialty channels including HGTV Canada, Showcase, Food Network Canada, and History Television.Despite also...
properties).
Technical aspects
Three's Company was recorded at two locations: the first, seventh, and eighth seasons were taped at Metromedia SquareMetromedia Square
Metromedia Square was a radio and television studio facility located at 5746 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on the southeastern corner of Sunset and Van Ness Avenue. For decades it was recognizable by the white, ladder-like snake on the building's roof...
while the second through sixth season were taped in Studio 31 at CBS Television City
CBS Television City
CBS Television City is a television studio complex located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of North Fairfax Avenue...
. The cast would get the script on Monday, rehearse from Tuesday to Thursday, and shoot on Friday. Each episode was shot twice in a row using two different audiences. Three cameras were used.
The taping was done in sequence and there were rarely any retakes because the producers were strict. Priscilla Barnes once said, "Our bosses were very, very controlling. If my hair was too blond, I'd get called up in the office."
The opening credits where the trio are frolicking on a boardwalk and riding bumper-cars was shot at the Santa Monica Pier, prior to the building of a larger amusement park adjacent to the pier.
A later opening sequence that was shot when Priscilla Barnes joined the show featured the new threesome and the other cast members riding a zoo tram and looking at various animals around the zoo. Those sequences were filmed at the Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...
in Griffith Park.
TV movie
In May 2003 NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
aired a two hour television movie entitled Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company
Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company
Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company is a 2003 American made-for-television movie, made by NBC, documenting the success of the sitcom Three's Company, as well as the interpersonal conflicts that occurred among its staff and cast...
, a docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
featuring actors portraying Ritter, Dewitt, Somers and other actors on the series. The movie covered the entire run of the series from the pilots to the final episode but the contract negotiations and subsequent departure of Suzanne Somers provided much of the drama. Joyce Dewitt co-produced and narrated the movie; Ritter and Somers both had some input but neither appeared in the project.
DVD releases
Anchor Bay EntertainmentAnchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
has released all eight seasons of Three's Company on DVD in Region 1.
| DVD name | Ep# | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 6 | November 11, 2003 |
| Season 2 | 25 | May 4, 2004 |
| Season 3 | 22 | November 2, 2004 |
| Season 4 | 25 | May 3, 2005 |
| Season 5 | 22 | November 15, 2005 |
| Season 6 | 26 | March 7, 2006 |
| Season 7 | 22 | July 25, 2006 |
| Season 8 | 22 | October 3, 2006 |