''Three's Company'' is an American television

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

that aired for eight seasons on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. Developed by

Don Nicholl Donald Nicholl (August 9, 1925 – July 5, 1980) was an English screenwriter and producer who later worked in the United States. Early life Nicholl was born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, Sunderland, England. He worked as a journalist, columnis ...

Michael Ross Michael or Mike Ross may refer to: Politics * Mike Ross (politician) (born 1961), former United States Representative from Arkansas's 4th congressional district * Michael Ross (Washington politician) (1941–2007), member of the Washington House ...

and

Bernie West Bernie West (May 30, 1918 – July 29, 2010) was an American television writer and actor best known for his work in situation comedies such as ''All in the Family'', its spinoff ''The Jeffersons'', and '' Three's Company''. Biography Born on ...

, it is based on the

British sitcom A British sitcom or a Britcom is a situational comedy programme produced for British television. British sitcoms have predominantly been recorded on studio sets, while some include an element of location filming. Live audiences and multi-camera ...

Man About the House ''Man About the House'' is a British sitcom created by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer. It starred Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox, Sally Thomsett, Yootha Joyce and Brian Murphy (actor), Brian Murphy. Six series were broadcast on ITV (TV netw ...

'' created by

Brian Cooke Brian Cooke (born 1937) is a British comedy writer who, with co-writer Johnnie Mortimer, penned scripts for and devised many top 1970s/80s television sitcoms, including '' Man About the House'', '' George and Mildred'', and '' Robin's Nest''. ...

and

Johnnie Mortimer John Edward Mortimer (2 July 1930 – 2 September 1992) was a British scriptwriter for British TV whose work, along with creative writing partner Brian Cooke, also served as inspiration for American television projects. Career John Edward ...

. The story revolves around three single roommates:

Jack Tripper Jack Tripper is a fictional character on the sitcom ''Three's Company'', which is based upon the character Robin Tripp from ''Man About the House'' created by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer. Jack was played by the actor John Ritter. Introducti ...

, Janet Wood, and Chrissy Snow, who all platonically live together in a

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, apartment complex owned by Stanley and Helen Roper. The show, a

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of delibe ...

, chronicles the escapades and hijinks of the trio's constant misunderstandings, social lives, and financial struggles. A top-10 hit from 1977 to 1983, the series has remained popular in syndication and through

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

releases. The show also spawned similar spin-offs to those that ''Man About the House'' had: ''

The Ropers ''The Ropers'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from March 13, 1979, to May 15, 1980. It is a Spin-off (media), spin-off of ''Three's Company'' and loosely based on the British sitcom ''Geo ...

'' and ''

Three's a Crowd ''Three's a Crowd'' (also known as ''Three's Company, Too'' in the ''Three's Company'' syndication package) is an American sitcom television series produced as a spin-off sequel and continuation of '' Three's Company'' that aired on ABC from ...

'', based upon ''

George and Mildred ''George and Mildred'' is a British sitcom produced by Thames Television and first aired between 1976 and 1979. It is a spin-off from ''Man About the House'', and starred Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as constantly-sparring married couple Geo ...

'' and '' Robin's Nest'', respectively.

Synopsis

Florist Janet Wood (

Joyce DeWitt Joyce DeWitt (born April 23, 1949) is an American actress best known for playing Janet Wood on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''Three's Company'' from 1977 to 1984. Early life Joyce DeWitt was born on April 23, 1949, in Wheeling, ...

) and secretary Chrissy Snow (

Suzanne Somers Suzanne Marie Somers (; October 16, 1946 – October 15, 2023) was an American actress, author, and businesswoman. She played the television roles of Chrissy Snow on ''Three's Company'' (1977–1981) and Carol Foster Lambert on '' Step by Step' ...

) live in

sharing a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with their roommate Eleanor Garvey ( Marianne Black). When Eleanor marries and moves out, culinary student Jack Tripper (

John Ritter Johnathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American comedian and actor. He was a son of the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father of actors Jason Ritter, Jason and Tyler Ritter. He is best known for ...

) crashes her going-away party at the apartment. He's found the next morning by Janet and Chrissy passed out in the bathtub. Needing someone to cover Eleanor's share of the rent, the women offer Jack the second bedroom. He quickly accepts so that he can have a place to live other than the local

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

. Jack's attracted to Chrissy, but all three agree to live platonically. However, overbearing landlord Stanley Roper (

Norman Fell Norman Fell (born Norman Noah Feld; March 24, 1924 – December 14, 1998) 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'', and his ...

) refuses to allow unmarried men and women to live together in his building. He allows Jack to move in only after Janet tells him that Jack is

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...

. Stanley's wife, Helen (

Audra Lindley Audra Lindley (September 24, 1918 – October 16, 1997) 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''. Life and career Audra Lindley was born in L ...

), quickly figures out that Jack is actually

straight Straight may refer to: Slang * Straight, slang for heterosexual ** Straight-acting, normal person * Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture Sport and games * Straight, an alternative name for the cross, a type of punch in boxing * Str ...

, but she trusts him with the girls and promises to keep their secret from Stanley. Helen's bond with the three roommates grows throughout the series until the couple's departure, leading into the

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

, ''

''. In 1979, Ralph Furley (

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...

) joins the cast as the roommates' new building manager. Early in season 5, with Chrissy away on an extended visit with her parents from which she would ultimately never return, Cindy Snow (

Jenilee Harrison Jenilee Harrison (born June 12, 1958) is a retired American actress who appeared as Cindy Snow, a cousin of and replacement for blonde roommate Chrissy Snow on the hit sitcom '' Three's Company'', between 1980 and 1982. She went on to play Jam ...

), Chrissy's first cousin, moves into the apartment. Cindy gets on-campus housing at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

in the first episode of season 6 and thereafter becomes a recurring character. Cindy is replaced in the apartment by Terri Alden (

Priscilla Barnes Priscilla Barnes (born ) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Terri Alden in the ABC sitcom'' Three's Company'' between 1981 and 1984. Barnes also has appeared in films, including '' A Vacation in Hell'' (1979), ''Licence to ...

), a nurse who had treated Jack for a severe cut in the emergency room the day Cindy moved out.

Cast and characters

Main

as Janet Wood *

as Christmas "Chrissy" Snow (seasons 1–5) *

as Stanley Roper (seasons 1–3; season 5, guest star) *

as Helen Roper (seasons 1–3; season 5, guest star) *

Richard Kline Richard Kline (born April 29, 1944) is an American actor and television director. His roles include Larry Dallas on the sitcom ''Three's Company'', Richie in the later seasons of ''It's a Living'' and Jeff Beznick in '' Noah Knows Best''. Ear ...

as Larry Dallas (seasons 1–3, recurring; seasons 4–8, main) *

as Ralph Furley (seasons 4–8) *

Ann Wedgeworth Elizabeth Ann Wedgeworth (January 21, 1934 – November 16, 2017) was an American character actress, known for her roles as Lana Shields in '' Three's Company'', Hilda Hensley in '' Sweet Dreams'', and Merleen Elldridge in '' Evening Shade''. Sh ...

as Lana Shields (season 4) *

as Cindy Snow (seasons 5–6) *

as Terri Alden (seasons 6–8) File:Threes company 1977.JPG, 1977 series premiere photo File:Threes Company full cast 1977.JPG, The trio with the original landlords, the Ropers, in 1977

Recurring

* Paul Ainsley as Jim, the bartender (seasons 1–4) * William Pierson as Dean Travers (seasons 1–5) *

Peter Mark Richman Peter Mark Richman (born Marvin Jack Richman; April 16, 1927 – January 14, 2021) was an American actor in films and on television, who was for many years credited as Mark Richman. He appeared in about 30 films and 130 television series from th ...

as Reverend Snow (seasons 2–4) *

Gino Conforti Gino Conforti (born January 30, 1932) is an American film, television, and theatre actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as kitchen helper/chef Felipe Gomez in the American television sitcom '' Three's Company''. Early life C ...

as Felipe Gomez (seasons 5–7) * Jordan Charney as Frank Angelino (seasons 5–8)

Episodes

Background and production

Development

Famed Broadway writer

Peter Stone Peter Stone may refer to: *Pete Stone, Australian footballer in the 1956 Summer Olympics *Peter G. Stone (born 1957), British archaeologist *Peter Stone (cricketer) (born 1938), New Zealand cricketer *Peter Stone (professor) (born 1971), professor ...

tried to Americanize the British sitcom ''

''. He originally set the series in New York, and he envisioned the male roommate as a successful, yet underpaid, chef in a fancy French restaurant, while the two female roommates were an executive secretary and a high-fashion model. When

Fred Silverman Fred Silverman (September 13, 1937 – January 30, 2020) was an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at all of the Big Three television networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as '' ...

read the script, he felt that middle America would not like the concept, and he decided to pass on the script. Silverman asked

Larry Gelbart Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009) was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series '' M*A*S*H'', and as co-writer of the ...

, creator and producer of ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richa ...

'', for help with the series. At first, Gelbart wanted nothing to do with the show, feeling that its relatively simple premise made it substandard in comparison to ''M*A*S*H''. Ultimately, as a favor to Silverman, Gelbart developed a

pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...

with the help of his son-in-law, who named the series ''Three's Company''. Gelbart's adaptation closely followed the British series. Gelbart named the male roommate David Bell, an aspiring filmmaker looking for a place to live and who just happened to be a great cook. The two female roommates were portrayed by

Valerie Curtin Valerie Curtin is an American actress and screenwriter. Personal life Curtin was born in Jackson Heights, New York on March 31, 1945, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She attended Lake Erie College. She is a paternal cousin of TV come ...

who played Jenny, an employee of the DMV, and

Susanne Zenor Susanne Zenor (born November 26, 1946) is a retired American actress best known for the role of "Margo Anderman Horton" on ''Days of Our Lives''. Early life Sue Zan Zenor was born in Louisville, Kentucky on November 26, 1946. Hollywood, California. It was produced by Don Taffner and Ted Bergmann. Silverman liked Gelbart's version, and ABC ordered a pilot, which was taped in early 1976. The format of the show just barely made it on to the fall 1976 ABC lineup, but the network later removed it for what network executives felt were more promising series. While ABC was considering how to re-shoot the pilot,

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

expressed an interest in the show. CBS made a firm commitment to producers Taffner and Bergmann to air the show with the Gelbart cast as a

mid-season replacement In American network television scheduling, a mid-season replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after ...

in February 1977. At the last minute, ABC decided that it wanted the show after all, and made a firm commitment to air the show at mid-season with a new cast. For help in remolding the show, producers hired

, and

, the writers who adapted the British series ''

Till Death Us Do Part ''Till Death Us Do Part'' is a British television sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1965 to 1975. The show was first broadcast in 1965 as a '' Comedy Playhouse'' pilot, then as seven series between 1966 and 1975. In 1981, ITV continued the sitc ...

'' into ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American sitcoms in the United States, sitcom television series that aired on CBS for nine seasons from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979, with a total of 205 episodes. It was later produced as ''Archie Bunker's Pla ...

''. Their revised version of the pilot followed the British series even more closely. The male roommate changed from filmmaker David Bell to Jack Tripp (later changed to Tripper), a cooking student, similar to his British counterpart chef Robin Tripp. Aspiring actress Samantha became secretary Chrissy, portrayed by Denise Galik. Galik was dismissed a couple of days before the pilot taped, and

Susan Lanier Susan Lanier-Bramlett better known as Susan Lanier, is an American actress. Career Lanier had a guest appearance on ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' where she played a flirtatious student named Bambi, who initially makes a move on Gabe. During the 1970s, ...

replaced her. The other female roommate, DMV employee Jenny became Janet Wood, a florist, portrayed by Joyce DeWitt. They also moved the setting of the show from North Hollywood to the beachside in Santa Monica. Nicholl, Ross, and West went on to conceive the show as an all out

, 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 second episode of the British series, titled "And Mother Makes Four". The new concept was generally 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, scheduled to air in March 1977. Meanwhile, he ordered a search for another actress to portray Chrissy. The day before production of the series began, Silverman desperately watched the audition tapes again, fast-forwarding through them quickly. Suddenly, he noticed Suzanne Somers's audition, which he hadn't seen previously. Silverman recognized Somers from her appearance on ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...

'', watched her audition and decided she was ideal for the part. No one on the production staff could give Silverman a straight answer why Somers had originally been rejected. Producers contacted her immediately, and she was on the set the next day. At the last minute before the pilot taped, the producers considered whether to recast John Ritter. Although test audiences liked Ritter, the producers felt Ritter's foolish and clumsy portrayal of Jack made his character seem somewhat effeminate. Earlier in the casting process, actors such as Barry Van Dyke and future television director

Michael Lembeck Michael Lembeck (born June 25, 1948) is an American actor and television and film director. He is best known as Max Horvath in ''One Day at a Time (1975 TV series), One Day at a Time'' (1979–1984). Life and career Lembeck was born in Brookl ...

were considered for the role. Silverman was confident in Ritter, and he advocated that he remain on the show. With Somers, Ritter, and DeWitt set in their roles, the third version of the pilot hastily went into production in January 1977. ABC accepted this version, and five additional episodes were filmed for the show's spring debut.

Filming

''Three's Company'' was recorded at two locations: the first, seventh, and eighth seasons were taped at

Metromedia Square Metromedia Square (later known as Fox Television Center from 1986 to 1996) 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 ...

and ABC Television Center, while the second through sixth seasons were taped in Studio 31 at

CBS Television City Television City, alternatively CBS Television City, is a television studio complex located in the Fairfax District, Los Angeles, Fairfax District of Los Angeles, California, United States. The facilities are located at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at ...

. The cast would receive the script on Monday, rehearse from Tuesday to Thursday, and then shoot on Friday. Each episode was shot two consecutive times using different audiences and a three

multicamera setup The multiple-camera setup, multiple-camera mode of production, multi-camera or simply multicam is a method of filmmaking, television production and video production. Several cameras—either film cameras, film or professional video cameras—are ...

. 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 blonde, I'd get called up in the office." The scenes in the opening credits with the trio frolicking on a boardwalk and riding bumper-cars were shot at the

Santa Monica Pier The Santa Monica Pier is a large pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California, United States. It contains a small amusement park, concession stands, and areas for views and fishing. The pier is part of the greater Santa Monic ...

, prior to the construction of the adjacent larger amusement park. Producers shot a new opening sequence when Priscilla Barnes joined the show, featuring the new threesome and the other cast members riding a zoo tram and observing various animals around the park. These sequences were filmed at the

Los Angeles Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California, United States. The city of Los Angeles owns the zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals. History Eastlake Zoo, opened in Eastlak ...

Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the Amer ...

. During this sequence, a baby boy in overalls who approaches Janet while feeding the goats at the zoo was portrayed by

Jason Ritter Jason Morgan Ritter (born February 17, 1980) is an American actor. The son of actors John Ritter and Nancy Morgan, he is known for his work in television series such as ''Joan of Arcadia'' (2003–2005), ''Gravity Falls'' (2012–2016), '' Anot ...

, John Ritter's oldest son. The exterior shots of the apartment building were filmed at 2912 4th Street in Santa Monica. Of all the new sitcoms that premiered on ABC for the 1976–77 television season, only ''Three's Company'' and the summer premiere of ''

What's Happening!! ''What's Happening!!'' is an American sitcom television series that first aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, premiering as a summer series. It also returned as a weekly series, that later aired for the rest of the three seasons, from November 1 ...

'' returned for a second season.

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, which revolved around Helen and Stanley and their neighbors in a townhouse community after Stanley had sold the apartment building; it lasted for one and a half seasons. ''Man About the House'' had similarly spun off the Ropers for the series ''

''. Three changes took place in the fall of 1979, at the beginning of the fourth season. The first was the addition of Lana Shields, an older woman who chased Jack. She kept pursuing him but he was unappreciative of her advances. Since

disliked her diminishing role in the series, producers dropped Lana from the show with no explanation before mid-season. The second addition that fall was the new building manager, Ralph Furley (played by Don Knotts), whose brother Bart bought the building from the Ropers. Mr. Furley pursued Lana unsuccessfully, as she unsuccessfully pursued Jack. Unlike Lana, Mr. Furley remained until the end of the series. Third,

as Larry Dallas, previously in a recurring role, was upgraded to a full cast member. Season five (1980–1981) marked the beginning of contract re-negotiations and sparked friction on the set. Somers demanded a substantial increase in salary, from $30,000 to $150,000 per episode plus 10% of the show's profits. John Ritter, as the show's top-billed actor, was making $150,000 per episode at the time. When Somers' demands were not met, Somers went on a strike of sorts. 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 closing 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 Somers, an off-

hiatus Hiatus may refer to: * Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure * Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy *''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species '' Hiatus fulvipes'' * G ...

contract with CBS as well as tension between her and producer Michael Ross led to her being fired, and her dismissal was on the personal level as she states that Ted Harbert confirms this. According to the story within the show, her character had returned to her hometown of

Fresno Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...

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 (1981–82). 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. Janet gets married and starts a new life, and Terri moves to Hawaii. Ritter moved on to the spin-off ''

'' (syndicated as ''Three's Company, Too'' in the ''Three's Company'' syndication package), itself based upon the ''Man About the House'' spin-off, '' Robin's Nest''. After three decades of not speaking to each other, Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt finally reconciled and reunited for Somers' web series ''Breaking Through'', which aired February 2, 2012. Previously, Somers reconciled with Ritter just days before his death from aortic dissection on September 11, 2003. They had even discussed her making a cameo appearance on Ritter's new show, ''

8 Simple Rules ''8 Simple Rules'' (originally ''8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter'') is an American television sitcom originally starring John Ritter and Katey Sagal as middle-class parents Paul and Cate Hennessy, raising their three children. ...

''.

Music

The theme song was composed by

Joe Raposo Joseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH (February 8, 1937 – February 5, 1989) was an American composer and songwriter. He is best known for his work on the children's television series ''Sesame Street'', for which he wrote the theme song, and several no ...

(known for composing for the children's television shows ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...

'' and ''

The Electric Company ''The Electric Company'' is an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW, now known as Sesame Workshop). It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. ...

''), and sung by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

(not to be confused with the R&B musician of the same name) and Julia Rinker. In the first pilot the melody was sung with a series of "doo doo doo" vocalizations rather than the final lyrics.

Themes

Humor in the show was based on farce, often relying on innuendo and 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) sexual orientation, Mr. Roper's lack of sexual desire, and Chrissy's blonde moments. Conflict in the show came from the dysfunctional marriage of the Ropers, Janet's intolerance for a roommate romance, and later on, Jack's friendship with Larry and Larry's abuse thereof. Of all the characters, only Jack, Janet, and Larry appeared in all eight seasons of the series. Jack is the only character to appear in every episode; Janet appears in all but one episode (season 3's "Stanley's Hotline").

Release

Home media

Anchor Bay Entertainment The revived Anchor Bay Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company owned by Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz. Anchor Bay Entertainment markets and releases "new release genre ...

has released all eight seasons of ''Three's Company'' on

in Region 1. These are the original, unedited and uncut network television broadcast versions and not the edited versions which have been broadcast in syndication since the Fall of 1982. Some episodes include commentary as a bonus feature. Also, the season 2 set includes the first of the two unaired pilots as a bonus feature, while the season 3 set contains the other. Anchor Bay released a complete series set on August 19, 2014. The set was subsequently re-released on February 13, 2018, this time by

Lionsgate Home Entertainment Lionsgate Studios Corp. (simply known as Lionsgate Studios) is a Canadian-American film and television production and distribution conglomerate, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, and primarily based in Santa Monica, California. It was f ...

. On December 22, 2023, Visual Entertainment Inc. released the Official 40th Anniversary Collection of the series that also includes spin-offs ''The Ropers'' and ''Three's a Crowd''.

Syndication

ABC aired back-to-back repeats of ''Three's Company'' during

daytime Daytime or day as observed on Earth is the period of the day during which a given location experiences Daylight, natural illumination from direct sunlight. Daytime occurs when the Sun appears above the local horizon, that is, anywhere on the ...

from June 15 to September 11, 1981 at 11:00 a.m. EST/10:00 CST. The show has been in syndication since 1982 on local stations such as WNEW-TV (now

WNYW WNYW (channel 5) is a television station in New York City, serving as the Flagship (broadcasting), flagship of the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside Secauc ...

) in New York City and the sales on the project realized more than $150million, of which Thames took 12.5% ($19million). It debuted on cable in 1992 on TBS and ran through 1999.

Nick at Nite Nick at Nite (stylized as nick@nite since 2009) is an American nighttime programming block on Nickelodeon. List of programs broadcast by Nick at Nite, The block's programming broadcasts from prime time to Late-night television, late night, with ...

bought the show in 2000 and have a seven-year term with other Viacom networks such as

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division's MTV Entertainment Group. It was originally launched as Nick at Nite’s TV Land as a spinoff of Nick at Nite programing block consisting e ...

and TNN. In 2007, Viacom renewed its 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 In most terrestrial mammals, the scrotum (: scrotums or scrota; possibly from Latin ''scortum'', meaning "hide" or "skin") or scrotal sac is a part of the external male genitalia located at the base of the penis. It consists of a sac of skin ...

skin was briefly visible through the bottom of a pair of blue boxer shorts. The most famous quip about this issue was uttered by Ritter himself, who told the ''

New York Observer New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

'' when they asked him about the controversy: "I've requested that

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

air both versions, edited and unedited, because sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't" (quoting an

advertising jingle Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of interest to consumers. It is typically us ...

for

Almond Joy Almond Joy is a candy bar manufactured by The Hershey Company, consisting of sweetened, shredded coconut topped with whole almonds and covered in milk chocolate. The company also produces Mounds bars, a similar confection without nuts, coated in ...

and

Mounds A mound is an artificial heap or pile, especially of earth, rocks, or sand. Mound and Mounds may also refer to: Places * Mound, Louisiana, United States * Mound, Minnesota, United States * Mound, Texas, United States * Mound, West Virginia * Moun ...

candy bars). The incident was also brought-up during a "Celebrity Secrets" comedy bit on ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...

'' in the late 1990s, in which a nervous-acting Ritter jokingly says, "Somebody asked me if I did that on purpose..." After taking a nervous sip of water, he responds, "You bet I did!" Since 2011, the show has aired on

Antenna TV Antenna TV is an American digital television network owned by Nexstar Media Group. The network's programming consists of classic television series, primarily sitcoms, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Antenna TV's programming and advertising operatio ...

where its spin-offs have also aired. Because the spin-offs cannot be stripped due to a lack of episodes for syndication, they are aired at the same time with the show. In Canada,

DejaView DejaView is a Canadian English language specialty television channel owned by Corus Entertainment. It primarily airs television shows from the 1970s to 2010s. The channel's name is a play on the phrase Deja Vu. History In November 2000, Global ...

Corus Entertainment Corus Entertainment Inc. (often simply known as Corus) is a Canadian mass media and television production company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It h ...

property) re-airs the show. In 2020,

Pluto TV Pluto TV is an American free ad-supported streaming television service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Founded by Tom Ryan (business executive), Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in ...

added the show to their channel lineup. and also made its IFC debut on November 27, 2020.

Reception

''Three's Company'' premiered in the spring, in the middle of the 1976–77 season. In the 1960s and 1970s, midseason television programs were often 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 episodes. They were proven wrong when it raked in record ratings, breaking barriers at the time as the highest-rated midseason show ever broadcast on network television. ABC gladly renewed the show for a formal television season, giving it a permanent primetime spot during the 1977–78 television season. Ratings continued to climb throughout the years. The first episode, "A Man About the House", reached No. 28 for the week. The first episode to hit the No. 1 spot was February 14, 1978, when "Will the Real Jack Tripper..." was aired. The most-watched episode aired on March 13, 1979. It was titled "An Anniversary Surprise", and it centered around Stanley Roper selling the apartment, and the Ropers moving out. Immediately after the episode was the series premiere of the spinoff, ''The Ropers''.

TV movie

In May 2003,

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

aired a two-hour television movie entitled '' Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company'', a

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docu ...

featuring actors portraying Ritter (Bret Anthony), Dewitt (

Melanie Paxson Melanie Moore Paxson (née Moore; born September 26, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jaclyn in ''Cupid'', Sara Brennan in '' Happy Family'', and Julie in ''Notes from the Underbelly''. She also played Fairy Godmother ...

), Somers (

Jud Tylor Jud Tylor (born March 24, 1979) is a Canadian television and film actress. She has had recurring roles in a number of television programs including ''That '70s Show'' and ''Edgemont (TV series), Edgemont''. Career Tylor was born on March 24, 197 ...

) 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 Somers provided much of the drama. Dewitt co-produced and narrated the movie. Ritter and Somers both had some input, but neither appeared in the project.

Film adaptation

In 2016,

New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...

began negotiations to obtain the film rights to ''Three's Company'' with Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein penning the screenplay. Robert Cort and Don Taffner, Jr. would produce the film and planned to have it set in the 1970s.

Legacy

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...

initiated a “Mrs. Roper Romp” on April 25, 2025, related to the Mrs. Roper character on Three’s Company. The Romp, to benefit the homeless and following a similar event in

Yorba Linda, California Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and had a population of 68,336 at the 2020 United States ...

, prominently features women wearing carrot-red frizzy hairstyles, big glasses, and caftans, similar to the Mrs. Roper character. The theme is said to be based on Mrs. Roper’s warmth, humor and style, embodying bringing people together for a worthy cause.

Notes

References

External links

Official current WebsiteThree's Company Official past Website
*
''Three's Company'' on TVLand.com
*
Three's Company Show Memorabilia''The Show “Three's Company ” Cast, Pictures, and Trivia! at endedtvseries.com''\
{{Authority control 1970s American multi-camera sitcoms 1970s American sex comedy television series 1977 American television series debuts 1980s American multi-camera sitcoms 1980s American sex comedy television series 1984 American television series endings American television series based on British television series American English-language television shows Nielsen ratings winners Television series by Fremantle (company) Television controversies in the United States Television shows set in Los Angeles Television shows set in Santa Monica, California Fictional trios American Broadcasting Company sitcoms Television shows about landlords