“Three’s Company” was a hit sitcom during the ’70s and ’80s and became a helpful boost to the celebrity careers of the show’s stars, John Ritter, Suzanne Somers, and Joyce DeWitt. The plot of the show revolved around three roommates, Chrissy, Janet, and Jack, and their everyday lives sharing an apartment in Santa Monica.
The Fans loved the show for its unconventional plot and comedic moments, but there were some even more interesting happenings behind the scenes. Want to know more? Let’s knock on the”behind the scenes-door” to see what happened on the other side of the camera!
Loni Anderson Auditioned for the Part of Chrissy.
Actress Loni Anderson auditioned for the role of Chrissy on the show but ultimately lost the role to Suzanne Somers. However, it wasn’t at all a devastating blow to Anderson as she went on to play the character, Jennifer Marlowe, on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati.”
The show landed her both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
There Were Three Pilot Episodes Made for The Show
A pilot is a sort of “first impression” of a new show for the audience and for “Three’s Company,” there were actually three of them.
Surprisingly, ABC rejected the first two pilots submitted by the show, but finally picked up the third, which aired on March 15, 1977. Thankfully, the show made it past the pilot premiere to have a successful 8 seasons.
Billy Crystal Auditioned for the Part of Jack.
Billy Crystal (who probably would have made a great Jack) auditioned for the lead role that eventually went to John Ritter.
But seeing how successful Crystal is today, it certainly wasn’t a major loss for the legendary comedian.
The Theme Song Was by The Same Composer Who Did “Sesame Street”
Some theme songs just get stuck in our heads, which is often how they are designed to be. The “Three’s Company” theme song became a very catchy tune and was actually created by the same composer who did the “Sesame Street” theme.
Composer Joe Raposo wrote the theme song for both of the shows, as well as for “The Electric Company.”
Stanley Roper Was Based on a Real Person.
The landlord-tenant relationship isn’t always the most congenial. The character of Mr. Roper was the high-strung landlord to the three roommates, but he wasn’t a complete work of fiction.
Norman Fell, who played Roper, confessed that he modeled the character after someone he knew in real life. He summarized the character as someone who “just can’t do things right…and yet he thought he was the cat’s meow.”
Jeffrey Tambor Had Roles As Three Different Characters.
Actor Jeffrey Tambor became a familiar face on the show and ended up starring as three wildly different characters–a rich man, a psychiatrist, and a dentist.
But, as the plot of the show would have it, none of the roomies ever seemed to notice that these three “different” characters looked suspiciously similar.
Suzanne Somers Wanted More Money
Suzanne Somers was discontented with her given salary and faced the producers head-on to negotiate a better contract. Somers, who was already raking in $30,000 an episode, wanted to up the here salary to $150,000 per episode, the amount that Ritter got. Can’t blame her for fighting for equality!
The producers were not enthused by her request but Somers was unwilling to compromise. The ensuing drama led to Somers receiving the cold shoulder from her castmates and her character ultimately being written out of the show.
Heather Locklear Had an Embarrassing Audition
With the messy exit of Suzanne Somers, Producers were looking for someone to replace her. And, unfortunately for blonde bombshell Heather Locklear, it would not be her. In an interview, Locklear said that she was worried about sweating during the audition, so she had Kleenex under her arms.
When she finished her audition, she heard laughter and realized she had forgotten to remove the Kleenex. Sadly, along with the embarrassment, she did not get the role.
John Ritter’s Son Made an Appearance On the Show
In the opening credits for the later seasons, you can see a child run up to Janet at the zoo. This little boy was actually Jason Ritter, John Ritter’s son.
The moment made actress Joyce DeWitt laugh and became an endearing, unscripted encounter, which led producers to leave it in.
John Ritter Accidentally Flashed the Camera
Even after “Three’s Company” ended, it lived on in television through reruns. But one particularly observant viewer noticed a shocking wardrobe malfunction. Apparently, in a certain scene, John Ritter’s short shorts were a bit too short and showed more than they should have.
It’s still unclear today if there was in fact, an unintended “cameo” in the scene but the shot was reedited just to be safe!
Stanley Roper Got His Own Spin-off.
Sometimes a character will be so successful on a tv series that they will get their own show and that’s just what happened for landlord Stanley Roper and his wife. After three seasons, they starred in The Ropers.
Actor Norman Fell was apprehensive at first but he was assured that if the show didn’t make it more than one year, he could return to “Three’s Company.” Sadly, The Ropers didn’t do well, but it did hang on for a year and a half, which unfortunately meant that Roper would never return to “Three’s Company.”
Suzanne Somers Was Hired at the Last Minute.
Many actresses auditioned for the coveted role of Chrissy Snow, but producers were not impressed with any of them who stopped by.
However, while reviewing the tapes again, they developed a new-found interest in Suzanne Somers’ audition and cast her as Chrissy the day before production began. What a lucky break!
The Cast Almost Sang the Theme Song
The producers could look back at “Three’s Company” and see the show as a success but they almost made a highly questionable move in the sitcom’s development. Producers originally decided that they wanted Ritter, DeWitt, and Somers to sing the theme song.
It was revealed later though, that the actors were, well, best at just acting so the actual singers’ Ray Charles (not the Blues musician) and Julia Miller were brought in instead.
John Larroquette Had a Memorable Guest Appearance On The Show.
John Larroquette (who would go on to star in “Night Court” and a number of other projects) landed the role of a police officer in one episode of “Three’s Company.”
Apparently, his face wasn’t supposed to be seen, but Larroquette boosted his cameo appearance by removing his hat so the audience could see who he was.
Somers Departure from The Show Hurt Her Friendship with Ritter and DeWitt
On-set tension can be a major test of an actor’s performance. After the major salary drama involving Somers and her departure from the show, she sadly ended her relationship with her co-stars.
It was revealed that things were rocky well before her exit as DeWitt and Ritter would not even speak to her during filming.
Suzanne Somers Shows Up in the Credits Wearing a Wig
In the opening credits for the show, viewers see Jack ride his bike past a brunette woman who has her back turned to the camera.
She is apparently very beautiful and makes Jack crash his bike. Well, the beautiful brunette was actually Suzanne Somers in a wig!
You Can See Boom Mics and Other Equipment In Multiple Episodes
Though “Three’s Company” was a professional production, it did have a rather surprising on-set slip-up.
In fact, in multiple episodes, you’re likely to catch a glimpse of a stray boom mic or crew member’s hand falling into the shot. Hey, it happens to the best of them!
Jack Tripper Got His Own Spin-off.
After the end of “Three’s Company,” there was yet another spin-off attempt by the producers of the show. ABC then attempted to launch the show, “Three’s a Crowd.”
The plot centered around Jack Tripper moving in with his new girlfriend but (maybe because it was too similar to “Three’s Company”) this spin-off fizzled out as well.
Priscilla Barnes Got In Trouble For Her Hair Being “Too Blonde.”
Producers really struggled to find a replacement for Somer’s character. After the departure of Chrissy, she was replaced by Cindy, and after Cindy was written out of the show, she was replaced by Terri (played by Priscilla Barnes).
According to Barnes, she said the producers didn’t want her because her hair was dyed “too blonde”. What’s a girl to do?
The Main Cast Didn’t Meet Until The Night of The First Taping.
Even though the plot centers around three roommates, the three cast members didn’t actually meet until the night of the first taping. This was partly because Suzanne Somers was such a last-minute addition to the cast.
But the three actors proved their talents by creating collective, on-screen chemistry for the show.
Jack Tripper is The Only Character to Appear in Every Episode.
Even though the show had three stars, John Ritter was clearly number one (for both the writers and the producers apparently).
His character, Jack, was the only one to appear in every episode of the show. That might explain his big salary
Don Knotts Was Nervous When He Got Hired
After the departure of the Ropers, Jack, Chrissy, and Janet needed a new landlord, that’s when actor Don Knotts was cast. Surprisingly, though Knotts was a veteran of TV, he said that he was nervous at first because the show was already so popular and the cast so funny.
On the other side, many cast members confessed they were nervous to work with an actor as seasoned as Knotts
Suzanne Somers Lied About Her Age.
John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt claimed that Somers told them she was 17 when she had her son, who was 11 at the time (which would have made her 28). However, when you do the math, her claim didn’t add up.
If you consider her birthday and the start date of the show, she was most likely in her 30s when she made the statement
The Show Didn’t Get its Name Until The Last Minute.
In keeping with the last-minute theme of the show’s development, the producers admitted that the pilot episode was actually written before the show even had a proper name.
But even though it was another quick idea, the title “Three’s Company” went over well with the audience
Joyce DeWitt Was Left Out
Producers tried to keep the development of Three’s A Crowd (the soon-to-be failed spin-off) under wraps. But Joyce DeWitt accidentally walked in on the auditions, and when she discovered she wasn’t going to be a part of the show, she was very disappointed.
Unfortunately from there, tensions between her and the rest of the cast and crew began to rise
Suzanne Somers Was Replaced Twice
After Somers left the show because of her contract drama, the character of Chrissy was replaced by Chrissy’s cousin, Cindy (played by actress Jenilee Harrison).
But it seems that Jenilee wasn’t a great choice for the part and, after poor performance numbers, Cindy was also replaced. The next replacement for Chrissy was then Terri (played by actress Priscilla Barnes)
