If Three's Company Didn't Come On the Air Until March 2007, Just Like It Did In Reallity Back in 1977 do you Think It Would Have Been A Hit?

And How Do You Think The Viewers And The Critics Would React?

I think it would be a hit. Not as huge as in 77-84, certainly without 30-33 ratings and 50% shares (!!!!), but enough, given audience fragmentation, to qualify for monster hit status.

That is, by the way, if the content/stars were (hypothetically) identical, and the 77-84 run did not exist.If they adjusted it and made it dirtier, all bets are off, and what follows is meaningless.

It certainly would not be controversial, but I don't think controversy was what drove the show's popularity 30 years ago, and certainly not its endurance. Ah, that happened, as we all know, because Three's Company comes as close to... no, let me rephrase that: the show, as written, produced, and acted, is TV as comedic art at its most profound, light, funny, and universal. So, yeah, that's why I think audiences would continue to respond.

As regards critics... Given that the element of prudishness would be absent, the critics would likely be a little more favorable. But it would still be held in contempt by all those, critics and audience alike, who believe that everything good must be serious, everything funny must be ironic or sharp, and deep meaning is never present unless it is evident. In other words, those who suffer from excess earnestness in one form or another.

But the show would endure. As it has and will.

I think it would be a hit. Not as huge as in 77-84, certainly without 30-33 ratings and 50% shares (!!!!), but enough, given audience fragmentation, to qualify for monster hit status.

That is, by the way, if the content/stars were (hypothetically) identical, and the 77-84 run did not exist.If they adjusted it and made it dirtier, all bets are off, and what follows is meaningless.

It certainly would not be controversial, but I don't think controversy was what drove the show's popularity 30 years ago, and certainly not its endurance. Ah, that happened, as we all know, because Three's Company comes as close to... no, let me rephrase that: the show, as written, produced, and acted, is TV as comedic art at its most profound, light, funny, and universal. So, yeah, that's why I think audiences would continue to respond.


Yeah I agree the only difference today is that the roomates would not have to have Jack pretend to be gay to live with the 2 girls. It would have been acceptable today for a man to live with 2 girls and be friends. :)


As regards critics... Given that the element of prudishness would be absent, the critics would likely be a little more favorable. But it would still be held in contempt by all those, critics and audience alike, who believe that everything good must be serious, everything funny must be ironic or sharp, and deep meaning is never present unless it is evident. In other words, those who suffer from excess earnestness in one form or another.

But the show would endure. As it has and will.

I think it would be a hit. Not as huge as in 77-84, certainly without 30-33 ratings and 50% shares (!!!!), but enough, given audience fragmentation, to qualify for monster hit status.

That is, by the way, if the content/stars were (hypothetically) identical, and the 77-84 run did not exist.If they adjusted it and made it dirtier, all bets are off, and what follows is meaningless.

It certainly would not be controversial, but I don't think controversy was what drove the show's popularity 30 years ago, and certainly not its endurance. Ah, that happened, as we all know, because Three's Company comes as close to... no, let me rephrase that: the show, as written, produced, and acted, is TV as comedic art at its most profound, light, funny, and universal. So, yeah, that's why I think audiences would continue to respond.

As regards critics... Given that the element of prudishness would be absent, the critics would likely be a little more favorable. But it would still be held in contempt by all those, critics and audience alike, who believe that everything good must be serious, everything funny must be ironic or sharp, and deep meaning is never present unless it is evident. In other words, those who suffer from excess earnestness in one form or another.

But the show would endure. As it has and will.


I agree with you except that today Jack would not have to pretend to be gay to live with 2 girls. It would be acceptable today for 2 girls to live with a man and still be friends. :)

I agree with you except that today Jack would not have to pretend to be gay to live with 2 girls. It would be acceptable today for 2 girls to live with a man and still be friends. :)

I think actually that element does have to be there ;). By 1977 the coed living together wasn't a problem either, in general, in the big cities at least, but the Ropers and the Furleys are always around, regardless...

Apparently there was a (licensed) version of Three's Company done in Russia a couple of years ago. For the first while, they followed the American scripts almost to the letter, and predictably the ratings went through the roof. Then they adjusted things, dropped the gay pretense, and essentially concentrated on a (hooked-up) Jack/Lana affair. Guess what? Instant tank. No renewal.