Three's Company
American sitcom about three platonic roommates and their misunderstandings.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Three's Company was an American sitcom that ran on ABC for eight seasons, from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It was developed by Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West, and adapted from the British series *Man About the House*, created by Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer. The show centered on three single roommates—Jack Tripper, Janet Wood, and Chrissy Snow—who lived together platonically in a Santa Monica, California, apartment complex. A top-10 hit from 1977 to 1982, it remained popular in syndication and on DVD. The series also generated two spin-offs, *The Ropers* and *Three's a Crowd*, which were based on the British spin-offs *George and Mildred* and *Robin's Nest*, respectively.
The story begins with florist Janet Wood and secretary Chrissy Snow sharing a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in Santa Monica with their roommate Eleanor Garvey. When Eleanor marries and moves out, culinary student Jack Tripper crashes her going-away party, and the next morning Janet and Chrissy find him passed out in the bathtub. Needing someone to cover Eleanor’s share of the rent, they offer Jack the second bedroom, which he quickly accepts to avoid living at the YMCA. Though Jack is attracted to Chrissy, all three agree to live platonically.
Their landlord, Stanley Roper, refuses to allow unmarried men and women to live together, so Janet tells him Jack is homosexual to get permission for him to move in. Stanley’s wife, Helen, soon realizes Jack is straight but trusts him with the girls and keeps the secret from her husband. Helen’s bond with the trio grows until the Ropers leave the series to star in their own spin-off, *The Ropers*. In 1979, Ralph Furley, played by Don Knotts, joined the cast as the new building manager. Early in season five, Chrissy leaves for an extended visit with her parents and never returns; her first cousin, Cindy Snow, moves in. Cindy gets on-campus housing at UCLA in the first episode of season six and becomes a recurring character. She is replaced by Terri Alden, a nurse who treated Jack for a severe cut in the emergency room on the day Cindy moved out.
The main cast included John Ritter as Jack Tripper, Joyce DeWitt as Janet Wood, and Suzanne Somers as Chrissy Snow (seasons 1–5). Norman Fell played Stanley Roper (seasons 1–3, with a guest appearance in season 5), and Audra Lindley played Helen Roper (same seasons).
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Don Nicholl · Michael Ross · Bernie West
- Director
- Bill Hobin (seasons 1–2) / Dave Powers (seasons 3–8) / Various (seasons 2 & 8)
- Genre
- Sitcom
- Based On
- Man About the House · Brian Cooke · Johnnie Mortimer
- Starring
- John Ritter · Joyce DeWitt · Suzanne Somers · Norman Fell · Audra Lindley · Don Knotts · Richard Kline · Ann Wedgeworth · Jenilee Harrison · Priscilla Barnes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Executive Producer
- Michael Ross · Bernie West · Don Nicholl · Budd Grossman · George Burditt
- Camera
- Videotape; multi-camera
- Theme Music Composer
- Joe Raposo
- Open Theme
- "Come and Knock on Our Door", performed by Ray Charles & Julia Rinker
- End Theme
- "Come and Knock on Our Door" (instrumental)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series was developed from a British sitcom, with early attempts by Peter Stone and later Larry Gelbart to Americanize it. ABC initially passed on Gelbart's pilot, but after CBS expressed interest, ABC committed to airing the show with a new cast. Producers Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West revised the pilot, changing the male roommate from a filmmaker to a cooking student named Jack Tripp (later Tripper), and moving the setting from North Hollywood to Santa Monica. The show was conceived as an all-out farce, building plots on misunderstandings. Suzanne Somers was cast as Chrissy Snow at the last minute after ABC executive Fred Silverman discovered her audition tape.
Reader's Guide
Three's Company was a top-10 hit from 1977 to 1983 and has remained popular in syndication and through DVD releases. The show spawned two spin-offs: The Ropers, based on the landlords Stanley and Helen Roper, and Three's a Crowd, based on Jack Tripper's later life. The series is noted for its farcical humor, built on constant misunderstandings, and for its cast changes, including the departure of Suzanne Somers and the introduction of Jenilee Harrison as Cindy Snow and Priscilla Barnes as Terri Alden. Its legacy includes continued syndication and cultural recognition as a classic American sitcom.
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