One fictional apartment in Santa Monica, California is a little less funny now. Suzanne Somers passed away at the age of 76 on October 15, 2023. She was one of the main cast members in the 1970s/80s series “Three’s Company” alongside John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt, playing the joyful and (as much as I hate this word) ditzy Christmas “Chrissy” Snow. As someone who watched the show as a very tiny person, I’ve seen most of the episodes. What I didn’t know was that Somers was also playing another character, hiding in plain sight the whole time.
“Three’s Company” was based on the British show “Man About the House,” and ran on ABC from 1977-1984, with Somers playing her role in seasons 1-5, leaving after contract negotiations failed. The show centered around two women, Chrissy Snow and Janet Wood (DeWitt), who lose their roommate and need someone to take over her portion of the rent. They find Jack Tripper (Ritter), but to get around the “no unmarried men” rule that the landlords have, they have to pretend that Jack is gay. Look, it was the 1970s, and even then, even as a very little kid, I realized that was a stupid rule and that the blonde jokes about Chrissy were really offensive. That said, it was one of those shows that everyone knew (there weren’t nearly as many stations to watch back then), and the actors were wonderful.
So where was Somers hiding in her second, secret appearance? Think back to those episodes and see if you can spot her in your mind’s eye. You probably won’t guess it. I certainly didn’t. But according to the 1998 book “Come and Knock on Our Door: A Hers and Hers and His Guide to Three’s Company” by Chris Mann, Somers was actually featured in a second role in the intro for the series.
Come and knock on our door
In the book, it’s Ritter who reveals Somers’ mysterious second role. If you recall the opening (I apologize for getting the theme song stuck in your head, but if I have to hear it for the next few hours in my brain, so do you — it’s extremely catchy), Jack is riding his bicycle on the Ocean Front Walk on Venice Beach in Southern California. As he does, he sees a woman in very short shorts walking towards him, and he’s so distracted by her that he falls off his bike. We only see the woman from the back, and she’s got curly, brown hair. According to Ritter, that’s Somers. “That brunette is Suzanne with a wig,” he said. “You can tell by her little Suzanne buns.” Well, that sure is one way to put it!
Look, things were different back then and it’s not exactly something we’d say now. Somers was also known in earlier decades for her ThighMaster and ButtMaster exercise systems, so perhaps that makes it a little better? I don’t know. I may have been alive during that decade, but I also remember talking to my friends about how much I hated its blond jokes, particularly because I am one. It was a weird-yet-popular show back then, and the comedy talents of Joyce DeWitt and the late Somers and Ritter (Ritter passed away in 2003 from an aortic dissection) are undeniable. Whatever you think of the show and its premise, these folks are comedy treasures, and it’s fun to know about this secret little appearance from Somers. Rest in peace to her.
