For those who don't remember when sitcoms were the ones that made you laugh out loud one minute and then laugh crying the next and to keep you guessing what Jack Tripper was up to next,then this was the show to watch.....During its run on ABC-TV from 1977-1984,Three's Company was the best American sitcom ever to grace the airwaves. Hands down. John Ritter to me was the all-time Macdaddy that kept it real. His portrayal of stumble-prone Jack was ingenious not to mention hilariously funny. Jack always knew what to do(or so it seems)when it came to the ladies especially dealing with his roommates Janet Wood and Chrissy Snow and even the upstairs neighbors The Ropers who was on Jack's every move.
Out of his other roommates only Joyce DeWitt's character Janet Wood,who was a stunning brunette beauty who was reasonable and sweet and reliable was Ritter's ONLY long-standing roommate throughout the shows' entire run. However,during and probably the best,and frankly the early years of the show(during the first four seasons),Suzanne Somers was the center of attention as ditzy,and sometimes not very bright Chrissy Snow,the lovable blonde. Somers became an overnight success during her four seasons on the show becoming a hottie for every junior high school boy in America who idolized her on their bedroom walls. Somers left the show in 1981 which was then in the top ten.
Also during the first four seasons of the show was the constant feuding and sometimes hilarious quarrels between the kids' landlord neighbors The Ropers. Actor Norman Fell was a comic genius(usually he'll played cops and detectives on other shows but here was a departure from that)here when he played Stanley Roper and Audra Lindley who was his wife Helen Roper who was bugged Stanley every time he did something. In 1981,The Ropers got their own sitcom show which didn't last very long.
During the shows' fourth season,Jenilee Harrison had a short stint as Chrissy's cousin Cindy Snow,who was another ditzy,not so bright,clumsy blonde. After Harrison's departure from the show,former "Dallas" star Priscilla Barnes tied things up as registered nurse Terri Alden,who was not like Chrissy or Cindy but this blonde had style and wasn't clumsy or ditzy and very bright. Also during that season,Don Knotts(aka Deputy Fife on Andy Griffith) filled in the gap as the "bachelor at large",Ralph Furley. Richard Kline starred as the lovable stud Larry who was a used car salesmen and swinger extraordinaire who was always getting Jack blind dates. In was here that Knotts and Ritter kept the show in the Top 10 for the next five seasons including Emmy nominations for Best Actor.
In all Three's Company was a laugh-a-minute riot and nothing more. The only element was the serious relationship of the roommates. They always had a understanding of each other and loved each other very much who would not let anyone get in the way of a friendship. However,it was always would not be that way.
The final episode of Three's Company in 1984,saw the departure of Jack Tripper as he finds that his bachelor days are finally over by finding the girl of his dreams,and eventually going down the aisle to get married on the show,leaving his two beautiful roommates behind. The show however,had a spin-off on this which featured Jack Tripper adjusting to the conditions of being married with his new wife and his new surroundings as a loyal and faithful husband.
However,this show is based on the 1960's British sitcom "A Man About The House".
Kudos to John Ritter,Joyce DeWitt,especially for their talents and bringing the laughs. You rock! Catch the re-runs on Nick at Nite.
