From the iconic Three’s Company cast to the theme song, there are so many unforgettable elements of the sitcom. Running for eight seasons from 1977 to 1984, Three’s Company stands among the most celebrated sitcoms of the era. Featuring what was, at that time, considered to be a fairly controversial central conceit, Three’s Company made for must-see television, and its impact on sitcoms to come cannot be understated. The series was about three roommates, one man and two women, living in Santa Monica, with plenty of misunderstandings and wacky hijinks fueling the comedy of the series.
It has been nearly 40 years since the beloved sitcom went off the air and its imprint on pop culture remains strong, adding to its legacy. As with any television series of such acclaim, there’s quite a bit of background information surrounding Three’s Company to which even seasoned fans may not be privy. From Priscilla Barnes’ hair color to John Ritter’s surprising cameo, it’s time to catch up with everyone’s favorite Santa Monica-based roommates.
15 The Show Is A Remake
It’s Based On A British Series
Despite the controversy that came about due to the living situation of the main characters in the series, Three’s Company was not actually an original idea. Instead, it was based on the British comedy series Man About the House, about a man sharing a London flat with two women which was likewise seen as a daring idea at the time. Interestingly, Three’s Company even borrowed the ideas for the original series’ spinoffs with The Ropers and Three’s a Crowd, based upon George and Mildred and Robin’s Nest, respectively.
14 The Three Main Cast Members Met On The First Day of Shooting
Their Chemistry Makes This Surprising
The Three’s Company cast of Suzanne Somers, John Ritter, and Joyce DeWitt had such great chemistry on set even at the very beginning of the series. Their comfort on screen is made even more impressive given that the first time the three main cast members met was on the first day of shooting. The three were thrown together on the first day of production, and, luckily for everyone involved with Three’s Company, the talented actors were able to pull it off. Though the cast could go through some changes throughout the series, making sure this original ensemble clicked was necessary for the show’s success.
13 The Opening Credits Woman Was Suzanne Somers
She’s The One Who Makes Jack Fall
Chrissy and Suzanne Somers were both known for their showstopping blonde hue, but the talented actress looks stunning as a brunette, as well. In the opening credits of Three’s Company, Jack is seen riding his bike along a pathway by the beach. He loses his balance and falls off his bike when a beautiful brunette catches his eye. However, in a clever bit of casting that most fans never noticed, the woman was none other than Suzanne Somers in a wig.
12 Billy Crystal Was Almost Jack Tripper
The Entire Show Would’ve Felt Different
John Ritter was the breakout star of Three’s Company as Jack, earning popularity and acclaim thanks to his hilarious and physical performance. However, Ritter almost didn’t get the part, as Billy Crystal was up for the role of the male roommate (via Outsider). Crystal was an up-and-coming comedian with some notoriety thanks to appearances on talk shows. However, he ultimately lost out on the role to Ritter and it is hard to imagine anyone else in the part. Of course, Crystal would go on to find great success elsewhere, first joining Saturday Night Live and then starting a movie career with the likes of When Harry Met Sally.
11 Somers Left Due To Unequal Pay
This Started Several Casting Changes
Suzanne Somers, Joyce DeWitt, and John Ritter made such a perfect team that the news of Somers leaving the series in 1981 was a shock. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was common for male actors to get paid more than their female costars. While Somers was only making $30,000 per episode, Ritter was earning $150,000 per episode (via People). When Somers demanded equal pay, they found a way to write her off the series. However, her established popularity on the show helped her to have a successful career in Hollywood, starring in another sitcom called Step by Step.
10 Ritter, DeWitt, & Somers Were Meant To Sing The Opening Theme
Alas, It Wasn’t Them
The Three’s Company theme song is well remembered as one of the catchiest television tunes of its era, but it may not have been quite as memorable had the initial pitch of forcing the stars of the show to sing it gone through. According to legendary television songwriter and composer of the Three’s Company theme Joe Raposo in Come and Knock on Our Door: A Hers And Hers And His Guide To Three’s Company, the show’s producers entertained the idea of having the cast sing at least part of the theme. However, in his own words, the cast “…tried,” but “they didn’t even come close.”
9 Larry Was Not Supposed To Be A Regular
The Fan Favorite Character Almost Wasn’t
Jack’s best friend Larry became a fan-favorite character since he often had some of the funniest lines as the lady’s man. Three’s Company would not have been the same without Larry, but, originally, he was not supposed to be a regular on the sitcom. The original plan for Larry was to be a one-time character. However, the response to the character was more positive than anticipated, while Richard Cline and John Ritter had such great chemistry that the producers decided to keep him on as a regular.
In fact, Larry was often a key part of some of the best Three’s Company episodes throughout its lengthy run. The popularity of the character ended up being so great that he and Ritter are the only two characters to appear on Three’s Company as well as its two spinoffs.
8 Stanley Roper Was Based On A Real Person
The Hilarious Landlord’s Roots
Norman Fell was a natural at playing Stanley Roper, the money-minded landlord of Jack, Janet, and Chrissy. Some of the biggest laughs in the series came from the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Roper. Norman Fell might fit the role so well since he based the character on someone he knew in real life. He stated the man he based his character on thought very highly of himself, feeling he was attractive and that people were looking at him because of how well-kept he was. Fell described the character (via Outsider):
“I was thinking of a guy I really know in Philadelphia. The clothes are all wrong … He was innocent and a guy who just can’t do things right, whether it’s being with a woman or fixing something. And yet he thought he was the cat’s meow. He thought he was attractive, he liked his clothes. He thought people were looking at him because of how well-preserved he looked. He thought he was all things he’s not.”
7 Suzanne Somers Got The Part At The Last Minute
Chrissy Barely Made It Onto The Show
Part of the reason the Three’s Company cast were so late in meeting each other was due to the fact that the role of Chrissy had not been cast until the day before production began. The producers still had not found their perfect Chrissy, and the deadline was rapidly approaching. The production team desperately went through audition tapes, and they stumbled upon Suzanne Somer’s audition. Network executive Fred Silverman felt that Somers was the lady for the job, hired her that day and she started filming the very next day.
6 Suzanne Somers’ Near-Death Experience Helped Her Get The Part
She Was Saved From A Plane Crash
Suzanne Somer’s last-minute audition might have been a stressful moment for most actors, but an unusual circumstance allowed her to take a carefree approach to the process. In a strange coincidence, Somers reveals that the day before her audition, she was on a plane that nearly crashed, only to be saved at the last minute. The experience almost made her quit acting on the spot as she wasn’t finding much success. However, she was convinced to go in for the audience, and Somers credits her no-pressure attitude for landing her the role.
5 Suzanne Somers And John Ritter Reconciled Just Before His Death
Their Relationship Wasn’t Great For Years
The firing of Suzanne Somers from the show also affected her relationship with the rest of the Three’s Company cast. Specifically, Somers remembers that she and John Ritter had a falling out that lasted for decades. She assumes that, given their chemistry, Ritter bore some resentment for her leaving the show. However, when they finally spoke again, Somers revealed Ritter had a plan to reunite on his new show 8 Simple Rules along with Joyce DeWitt in a nightmare sequence. However, Somers reveals she was not sold on the idea (via ET):
“I said, ‘You know, the public has such a craving for you and I to be together again. I don’t think my coming back as a nightmare is the best thing that we can do.’ I said, ‘Why don’t we look for a proper project for the two of us?’ and so we decided to do that. Let’s find a show for the two of us and then a month later he died.”
4 Don Knotts Was Intimidated
He Had Big Shoes To Fill
Don Knotts was already a well-known actor before he landed the role of Mr. Furley on Three’s Company. He starred in The Andy Griffith Show as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife in the 1960s. So, it is surprising that such a television veteran was intimidated by Three’s Company. Don Knotts might have already starred in a sitcom before, but, in the 1960s, they only used one camera to film, and Three’s Company used three cameras. This new working environment made Knotts nervous, but his nerves quickly subsided when he received a standing ovation for his first performance on Three’s Company.
3 The Toddler In The Season 6 Intro Was Actually John Ritter’s Son
He’s Now A Notable Actor, Jason Ritter
Introduced during the series’ sixth season, the intro featuring the characters goofing around at the Los Angeles Zoo is perhaps its most memorable. Interestingly enough, during Joyce DeWitt’s spotlight, she’s seen petting a goat before being approached by a small child. That child was actually cast member John Ritter’s then one-year-old son. In a 2010 interview with The Huffington Post, Jason Ritter admits that he doesn’t actually remember the event, but, allegedly, he slipped away from his mother and wandered into the shot, and producers liked the take enough to add it in. The youngster has moved on to have a strong film and TV career, appearing in Frozen 2, Parenthood, The Event, and more.
2 Priscilla Barnes Did Not Enjoy Her Time On The Show
The Actress Has Been Vocal About This
When Suzanne Somers left Three’s Company in 1981, it left a significant hole that needed to be filled in the apartment, and Priscilla Barnes was just the person to occupy the space. She starred as Terri Alden, the nurse who became Janet and Jack’s new roommate. Barnes was on the series for its final three seasons. While Barnes expressed warm memories of her costars and a shared respect, the experience was not pleasant overall. According to CNN, Barnes has stated that the producers were controlling, and she often got in trouble for small things such as her hair being too blonde.
1 There Were Three Pilots Made
The Show Took A Lot To Perfect
Despite all its success, getting Three’s Company off the ground was a harder endeavor than it might have seemed. Three separate pilots were made for the series before it was determined it was ready to go on the air. Casting changes and story problems meant there was a lot of reworking in building the classic sitcom. Similarly, Game of Thrones had to reshoot the majority of its expensive pilot, which was deemed a disaster initially. All that work paid off for Three’s Company, as the series went on to win several prestigious awards, such as Primetime Emmys and Golden Globes.
