Gaining widespread popularity from the hit sitcom "Three's Company", producers looked to give the Ropers (Norman Fell and Audra Lindley, respectively) their own series. The result is this short-lived spin-off (itself based on "George and Mildred", the British spin-off of "Man About the House", on which "Three's Company" was based). True to their characters, Lindley was excited for the opportunity while Fell was reluctant to leave a good role on a proven hit show. He was finally won over by a promise from the producers to give the show a year, and if canceled before that, they would return to their roles on "Three's Company". However, the legendary Don Knotts had come on board to replace the Ropers, and became a highly popular character in his own right. "The Ropers" ran for 28 episodes over two short seasons in 1979-80. The sitcom finds Stanley and Helen having sold their apartment building to move into a more luxurious locale in the affluent neighborhood of Cheviot Hills. Unlike her husband, Helen tries hard to fit in. Stanley is often at odds with their realtor, next-door neighbor Jeffrey P. Brooks III (Jeffrey Tambor), while Helen befriends his wife Anne (Patty McCormack) and their seven-year-old son David (Evan Cohen).
Make no mistake, the Ropers are beloved characters of television. But, they thrive in short bursts or working off top talent, as the case with John Ritter and "Three's Company". A show revolving around them was a struggle to ever find a way to takeoff. The kept their character traits, but the writing was prone to weak plots. The comedy was there, however, and at times hilarious. In some episodes there are two plots- a storyline with the Ropers and a completely unrelated one with the Brookes. Unlike a show such as "Seinfeld" where the different storylines ingeniously connect, the ones presented here sometimes exist well apart from one another. In these instances, the Brooke's plot is vague, limited and weak. In the second season they "jumped the shark" by adding a young homeless girl who had unknowingly been living in their attic to stay on in a recurring role.
A few personal favorite episodes are "The Party" (the only one with Jack, Janet, and Chrissy from "Three's Company"), "The Other Woman", and a tender script for "Baby Talk".
