TC got its start as jiggle TV. Girls (plus Jack) in tight-fitting outfits engaged in various comedic high-jinks. Then along came the 80s: shoulder pads, flowing, oversized clothes. Gone was the jiggle.

TC dropped DRAMATICALLY in the ratings between the 7th season and the 8th. Could it be that oddly conservative, 80s fashions killed the show?

TC got its start as jiggle TV. Girls (plus Jack) in tight-fitting outfits engaged in various comedic high-jinks. Then along came the 80s: shoulder pads, flowing, oversized clothes. Gone was the jiggle.

TC dropped DRAMATICALLY in the ratings between the 7th season and the 8th. Could it be that oddly conservative, 80s fashions killed the show?
Well I will agree Season 8 episodes were a lot lamer compared to the earlier seasons.

The edge was gone. While I don't think it was the clothes that killed the show, it didn't help.

And yeah, shoulder pads were never sexy.

The same fashion problem happened in Season 5 of Rhoda. Rhoda's hair and clothes were ugly compared to the other seasons.

And let's not forget the puffy poodle hair look on gals in the 80s. Not good.

Janet started dressing differently starting in Season 4, and Chrissy got her 80's heavy-makeup/bleached doll makeover, too. I preferred the more natural looks at the beginning of the show.

It's an interesting question. Terri was a lot less provocative with her outfits (and I'm sorry, the culottes are not attractive in any era), but when she first came on she sometimes went braless and had a more natural, carefree look. By the end of the series she had those awful bangs and a lot of frosted lipstick. Perhaps the 80s was just an unattractive fashion era, and everyone suffered, lol.

When I think about it, the more natural look of earlier seasons inspires a kind of nostalgia and affection for the 70s, whereas the hard look of the 80s seems more recent and therefore more drab to me. Weird, I know.

people like to see retro theme fashion program mes

But 80s fashion wasn't retro when the show came out.

It makes me wonder how Charlie's Angels would've dealt with changing tastes in fashion had it been on much longer than five years. Charlie's Angels ended its run in 1981 (it generally takes a few years for the aftertaste of the past decade's style to disappear) and if of course, considered to be the ultimate "jiggle show" of that time.

The fashion on Three's Company isn't bad. I was watching some Man About The House episodes yesterday and talk about fashion! The girls wearing these big puffy sleeved dresses that you see in the old Hammer Films. Robin could have dressed better, he seemed to be always wearing a pullover sweater or sweatshirt. But Man About The House had a lot better sets and just about everything else. It really looked like a roomy two bedroom apartment. The furnishings on Three's Company looked sparse in comparison.

I was watching some Man About The House episodes yesterday and talk about fashion! The girls wearing these big puffy sleeved dresses that you see in the old Hammer Films. Robin could have dressed better, he seemed to be always wearing a pullover sweater or sweatshirt.


And let's not forget MATH Chrissy's puffy hair-do. What was that even?

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fvignette.wikia.nocookie.net%2Femmerdalepastpresent%2Fimages%2Fb%2Fbb%2FPaula_Wilcox_as_Chrissy-Man_About_the_House-1976.JPG%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20160121000525&f=1&nofb=1

As John Ritter himself said it was the lack of quality scripts that was the death knell of TC.

If they had great scripts to keep us laughing the show would've gone on one way or another! Already in 8 seasons most of the plots involved a misunderstanding or mixup and that was kind of getting old eventhough they always made it funny thanks to Jack.

I always wondered couldn't they get new writers to try other plotlines besides the usual mixup/misunderstanding??

The fashion on Three's Company isn't bad. I was watching some Man About The House episodes yesterday and talk about fashion! The girls wearing these big puffy sleeved dresses that you see in the old Hammer Films. Robin could have dressed better, he seemed to be always wearing a pullover sweater or sweatshirt. But Man About The House had a lot better sets and just about everything else. It really looked like a roomy two bedroom apartment. The furnishings on Three's Company looked sparse in comparison.

I always thought MAtH sets looked drab and cramped, especially George and Mildred's apartment compared to Three's Company Ropers' apartment. The film quality may have washed it out a little, though. I agree with you that the MAtH sets were much more cluttered than Three's Company's.

80s fashion ruined many 70's show. Threes Company had 3 struggling roommates in the 70s. Janet had patches on her jeans, etc. When the 80s hit, they kept this crummy apartment but suddenly had a big budget for fashion. Janet wore lots of make up too. Their wardrobe was all about flashy 80s fashion. I wonder how they would have made Mrs Roper dress in 1984 LOL

You make a good point regarding the apartment. They struggled to pay the rent, yet bought lots of clothes. But I will say that a lot of people spend beyond their means for a lot of clothes & shoes they don't really need.

I think to me the attractiveness of the actors overrides what they're wearing. There continued to be some very sexy stuff worn in later seasons anyway. For example we see Priscilla Barnes / Terri in a bikini in 1983, Season 8...!

262980

Yeah baby, EXTREMELY hot!

80s fashion ruined many 70's show. Threes Company had 3 struggling roommates in the 70s. Janet had patches on her jeans, etc. When the 80s hit, they kept this crummy apartment but suddenly had a big budget for fashion. Janet wore lots of make up too. Their wardrobe was all about flashy 80s fashion. I wonder how they would have made Mrs Roper dress in 1984 LOL

Personally, I thought Janet and Jack looked better in the 80s.

Janet started dressing differently starting in Season 4, and Chrissy got her 80's heavy-makeup/bleached doll makeover, too. I preferred the more natural looks at the beginning of the show.

It's an interesting question. Terri was a lot less provocative with her outfits (and I'm sorry, the culottes are not attractive in any era), but when she first came on she sometimes went braless and had a more natural, carefree look. By the end of the series she had those awful bangs and a lot of frosted lipstick. Perhaps the 80s was just an unattractive fashion era, and everyone suffered, lol.

When I think about it, the more natural look of earlier seasons inspires a kind of nostalgia and affection for the 70s, whereas the hard look of the 80s seems more recent and therefore more drab to me. Weird, I know.

Some people in the 80s were natural and some people in the 70s had a hard look. Everyone did not look the same. Also, people wore "awful" bangs and frosted lipstick in other decades, not just the 80s. All decades had good and unattractive fashions.

80's hair was the worst. Guys with mullets and everyone with just big hair. I think the show that suffered the worst was The Facts Of Life. Nothing but shoulder pads and giant sprayed hair. Awful.

Mr. Furley was still wearing godawful polyester clothes until the very end.

80's hair was the worst. Guys with mullets and everyone with just big hair. I think the show that suffered the worst was The Facts Of Life. Nothing but shoulder pads and giant sprayed hair. Awful.

People had big hair in other decades as well. Farrah Fawcett's hairstyle was big, Afros, and beehive hairdo are big. I don't see the big deal with shoulder pads, but some people wore them and some didn't. There is good and bad in all decades.

Well I will agree Season 8 episodes were a lot lamer compared to the earlier seasons.

The edge was gone. While I don't think it was the clothes that killed the show, it didn't help.

And yeah, shoulder pads were never sexy.

The same fashion problem happened in Season 5 of Rhoda. Rhoda's hair and clothes were ugly compared to the other seasons.

And let's not forget the puffy poodle hair look on gals in the 80s. Not good.

Poofy hair was in the 70s. I liked Janet's hair a lot better in the 80s.

TC got its start as jiggle TV. Girls (plus Jack) in tight-fitting outfits engaged in various comedic high-jinks. Then along came the 80s: shoulder pads, flowing, oversized clothes. Gone was the jiggle.

TC dropped DRAMATICALLY in the ratings between the 7th season and the 8th. Could it be that oddly conservative, 80s fashions killed the show?

I don't think it was the fashion as much as A) the writers had really run out of ideas. They'd pretty much done all they could with the characters, and B) After Suzanne Sommers and Jennilee Harrison, they didn't want to have another dumb blond roommate. Terri Alder definitely wasn't dumb, but they didn't give her much character development. She was a single nurse, period. End of story.

I would say the lack of creativity from the writers/producers killed the show.

No, despite Ralph Furley’s valiant wardrobe attempts.

I would say the lack of creativity from the writers/producers killed the show.

This was it as John Ritter said himself.

He said they knew they were running out of ideas when they tried to hide a puppy from Roper early in the series & then they tried to hide a cat from Furley later in the series! :lol:

This was it as John Ritter said himself.

He said they knew they were running out of ideas when they tried to hide a puppy from Roper early in the series & then they tried to hide a cat from Furley later in the series! :lol:

I know you and others have mentioned running out of ideas before, but I wanted to restate it in harsher terms, since many of the ideas the writers and producers "came up with" were the dozens of scripts that they purchased from the original English version of the show. Plus their spinoffs were identical to the ones from England as well!

I consider the main achievements by the writers and producers to be changing the show to a more physical form of comedy (especially with John Ritter), casting Don Knotts to play the Ropers' replacement, and maybe promoting Richard Kline to cast regular. Other than that, the credit for the show's success lies mostly with the actors and actresses IMO.

Nothing killed the show, it lasted 8 seasons with a continuation season and was in the top ten for 7 of those seasons

I was never fond of the hairstyle that Priscilla Barnes sported in the final season with the gigantic bangs and it being trimmed down to her shoulders:
https://simkl.in/episodes/30/302384239d207056_w.jpg

And in some of the latter episodes, she has what appears to be a little bit of a perm:
https://i0.wp.com/jacksonupperco.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/screen-shot-2015-04-20-at-1-31-21-am.png?ssl=1

I always preferred her hairstyle from her first season, which gave off a more timeless and classic feel.

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/09/d0/df/09d0df40d072b9a6039e2befcb577bdd.jpg

I was never fond of the hairstyle that Priscilla Barnes sported in the final season with the gigantic bangs and it being trimmed down to her shoulders:
https://simkl.in/episodes/30/302384239d207056_w.jpg

And in some of the latter episodes, she has what appears to be a little bit of a perm:
https://i0.wp.com/jacksonupperco.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/screen-shot-2015-04-20-at-1-31-21-am.png?ssl=1

I always preferred her hairstyle from her first season, which gave off a more timeless and classic feel.

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/09/d0/df/09d0df40d072b9a6039e2befcb577bdd.jpg



That hairstyle of Terri in the hospital was awful

It wasn't anything outside of running out of ideas. Although I own every season,I think season 7 should've been their last because season 8 barely had any reason to exist outside of wrapping up with the series in the last 3 episodes even if everything happened too fast

Priscilla was gorgeous regardless of her hairstyle!

Priscilla was gorgeous regardless of her hairstyle!

I prefer Terri with long hair not the perm.

Clothes and hairstyles were great. Throughout.:lol:

i don't blame hair or clothes

Had the show not updated the wardrobe (even if the fashion would be later deemed tacky and god awful) it would have been a sign to viewers that the show was not fresh or current with viewers.

Janet started dressing differently starting in Season 4, and Chrissy got her 80's heavy-makeup/bleached doll makeover, too. I preferred the more natural looks at the beginning of the show.

It's an interesting question. Terri was a lot less provocative with her outfits (and I'm sorry, the culottes are not attractive in any era), but when she first came on she sometimes went braless and had a more natural, carefree look. By the end of the series she had those awful bangs and a lot of frosted lipstick. Perhaps the 80s was just an unattractive fashion era, and everyone suffered, lol.

When I think about it, the more natural look of earlier seasons inspires a kind of nostalgia and affection for the 70s, whereas the hard look of the 80s seems more recent and therefore more drab to me. Weird, I know.

I was watching Three's Company yesterday on the Logo channel, and I was reminded that during the early seasons with the Ropers, Joyce DeWitt had sported a short, curly hairstyle (almost like a perm). And then around the time that Don Knotts joined the cast as Mr. Furley, it was when Joyce started sporting I suppose what you can call the Liza Minnelli (https://www.google.com/search?q=liza+minnelli+hairstyles&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwis7o_CsPf_AhXDYzABHUSnA9AQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=liza+m+hairstyles&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgYIABAHEB46BAgjECc6BggAEAgQHjoKCAAQigUQsQMQQzoICAAQgAQQsQM6BwgAEIoFEEM6BQgAEIAEUNkEWIQWYIgmaABwAHgAgAGIAogBngySAQUwLjguMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=rkilZKzfC8PHwbkPxM6OgA0&bih=757&biw=1600) look or Pat Benatar (https://www.google.com/search?q=pat+benatar+hairstyles&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjrupvNsPf_AhUikrAFHQ1sB_8Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=pat+b+hairstyles&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgYIABAHEB4yCAgAEAUQBxAeOgQIIxAnUNyUA1jnpANg3bEDaAJwAHgAgAHEA4gBrRSSAQowLjExLjIuMC4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=xUilZKvEG6Kkwt0Pjdid-A8&bih=757&biw=1600) look. You know that sort of layered, short and dark hairstyle. It was like Joyce was trying harder to "glam herself up" when she at the start of Three's Company, may have looked kind of frumpy in comparison.

I was watching Three's Company yesterday on the Logo channel, and I was reminded that during the early seasons with the Ropers, Joyce DeWitt had sported a short, curly hairstyle (almost like a perm). And then around the time that Don Knotts joined the cast as Mr. Furley, it was when Joyce started sporting I suppose what you can call the Liza Minnelli (https://www.google.com/search?q=liza+minnelli+hairstyles&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwis7o_CsPf_AhXDYzABHUSnA9AQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=liza+m+hairstyles&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgYIABAHEB46BAgjECc6BggAEAgQHjoKCAAQigUQsQMQQzoICAAQgAQQsQM6BwgAEIoFEEM6BQgAEIAEUNkEWIQWYIgmaABwAHgAgAGIAogBngySAQUwLjguMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=rkilZKzfC8PHwbkPxM6OgA0&bih=757&biw=1600) look or Pat Benatar (https://www.google.com/search?q=pat+benatar+hairstyles&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjrupvNsPf_AhUikrAFHQ1sB_8Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=pat+b+hairstyles&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgYIABAHEB4yCAgAEAUQBxAeOgQIIxAnUNyUA1jnpANg3bEDaAJwAHgAgAHEA4gBrRSSAQowLjExLjIuMC4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=xUilZKvEG6Kkwt0Pjdid-A8&bih=757&biw=1600) look. You know that sort of layered, short and dark hairstyle. It was like Joyce was trying harder to "glam herself up" when she at the start of Three's Company, may have looked kind of frumpy in comparison.

People always mention she had a nose job too, which changed her look in the later seasons.

I always preferred season 1-3 looks for Janet and Chrissy.

I prefer Terri with long hair not the perm.

It seems like Priscilla Barnes during the last season, was really trying to "Eighties-Up" her look. Like I said, I think that she looked her best in her first season (which would've been Season 6 overall), when her hair was really long, voluminous, and thick. She looked far more elegant and sophisticated. In a way, the drastic change in hairstyle towards the end of Three's Company's run actually kind of aged her in my mind. Or it sort of seemed like Terri was going through a mid-life crisis.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3ZC2CnksolU/maxresdefault.jpg

I always thought MAtH sets looked drab and cramped, especially George and Mildred's apartment compared to Three's Company Ropers' apartment. The film quality may have washed it out a little, though. I agree with you that the MAtH sets were much more cluttered than Three's Company's.

They were supposed to be. The apartments in MATH were supposedl to be very low class places to live.

I would say the lack of creativity from the writers/producers killed the show.

I recently posted about how the Jack's Bistro storyline was cited (https://popculturereferences.com/when-did-threes-company-jump-the-shark/) as the exact moment that Three's Company jumped the shark (not Suzanne Somers' departure as most commonly accepted (https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-threes-company-jumped-the-shark.html/) or believed). And I wouldn't disagree with that argument. When did Jack ever express interest in wanting to run a restaurant when previously, he just wanted to be a world class chef? It isn't like Jack had the business acumen to run a restaurant to begin with.

Plus, having Jack running is own business really stretches the credibility of the show's premise. I mean, when you really think of it, why would Jack still need to live with two roommates and presumably, still not own his own car, and yet be "well off" enough to manage a restaurant?

The show was evolving to keep up with the times. It couldn't stay in the 70s forever.

The show was evolving to keep up with the times. It couldn't stay in the 70s forever.

It just occurred to me that it has been over a week since the 40th anniversary of the penultimate episode of Three's Company (https://www.google.com/search?q=Three%27s+Company+ABC&sca_esv=8aeb3926740031f7&tbs=bkt%3As%2Ccdr%3A1%2Ccd_min%3AJanuary+1_2+1984%2Ccd_max%3ADecember+31_2+1984&tbm=bks&sxsrf=ACQVn0-r0jsdhGuAOlw0wy4j3xvA7BYxXg%3A1711256994917&ei=orX_ZZHKN_GgkvQP8ZG28Ac&ved=0ahUKEwiRo7SKkYyFAxVxkIQIHfGIDX4Q4dUDCAk&uact=5&oq=Three%27s+Company+ABC&gs_lp=Eg1nd3Mtd2l6LWJvb2tzIhNUaHJlZSdzIENvbXBhbnkgQUJDSOgOUMwCWN4KcAB4AJABAJgB2wKgAf4JqgEHMC40LjEuMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCAKACAJgDAIgGAZIHAKAH8AQ&sclient=gws-wiz-books), "Cupid Works Overtime" (https://transcripts.foreverdreaming.org/viewtopic.php?t=67061) officially occurred. "Cupid Works Overtime" (https://threescompany.fandom.com/wiki/Cupid_Works_Overtime) was originally broadcast (https://tvtango.com/listings/1984/03/13/threes_company_1977) on ABC on March 15, 1984. That is the episode that introduces Vicky Bradford (played by Mary Cadorette) and would plant the seeds (https://jacksonupperco.com/2015/07/28/the-ten-best-threes-company-episodes-of-season-eight/) for the forthcoming Three's a Crowd spin-off.

0h7kJIhBouE

OsOyEz85-5w

80s fashion ruined many 70's show. Threes Company had 3 struggling roommates in the 70s. Janet had patches on her jeans, etc. When the 80s hit, they kept this crummy apartment but suddenly had a big budget for fashion. Janet wore lots of make up too. Their wardrobe was all about flashy 80s fashion. I wonder how they would have made Mrs Roper dress in 1984 LOL

Mary Cadorette (Vicky Bradford) probably got hit with this the worst (https://moviechat.org/tt0086816/Threes-a-Crowd/58c740e56b51e905f66e53f4/Vicky-was-dressed-by-her-worst-enemy) come Three's a Crowd.

People always mention she had a nose job too, which changed her look in the later seasons.

I always preferred season 1-3 looks for Janet and Chrissy.

Somebody else argued (https://moviechat.org/tt0075596/Threes-Company/60bf8cd7b91a675a677d9eb7/This-show-died-when-Janet-grew-her-hair-out-long-again-in-S7) that the show really "died" when Joyce DeWitt began to grow her hair out instead of keeping her pixie cut in Season 7.

That hairstyle of Terri in the hospital was awful

In the series finale (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3i1R_2YeYc) in 1984 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8_DuWCHD0M), Priscilla Barnes sported (https://www.gettyimages.dk/photos/1984-priscilla-barnes?family=editorial&assettype=image&sort=mostpopular&phrase=1984%20priscilla%20barnes) what I suppose in retrospect, was something close to a "fem-mullet" (https://www.google.com/search?q=1980s+female+mullet&sca_esv=d88e1983e8fdb79e&sca_upv=1&udm=2&sxsrf=ACQVn0_ma9kfxPYOjiaX7IJ0bG0JjxqhDA%3A1712900756275&ei=lMoYZsfCEK2FkvQP0tmQuAg&ved=0ahUKEwjH3PPI_LuFAxWtgoQIHdIsBIcQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=1980s+female+mullet&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiEzE5ODBzIGZlbWFsZSBtdWxsZXQyBRAAGIAESPQXUKsDWLATcAF4AJABAJgBxAGgAcYSqgEEMC4xNbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCD6AC4hLCAgQQIxgnwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICBhAAGAgYHsICBxAAGIAEGBiYAwCIBgGSBwYxLjEzLjGgB9g6&sclient=gws-wiz-serp):
https://resizing.flixster.com/fqtoc1iRQRtejHwJe1p0tXSQzd0=/370x208/v2/https://resizing.flixster.com/-XZAfHZM39UwaGJIFWKAE8fS0ak=/v3/t/assets/p1230966_e_h10_ac.jpg

Lisa Whelchel sported something similar to that around the sixth season of The Facts of Life from roughly around that same time. Somebody on YouTube said (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAMYvV_Hc14&lc=UgwQU9BhdhV4oqS7xF54AaABAg) that Priscilla totally sported "Vanna White hair" (https://www.google.com/search?q=1980s+Vanna+White+hair&sca_esv=d88e1983e8fdb79e&sca_upv=1&udm=2&sxsrf=ACQVn09bImdK4QUYKxiv-2LU5OY0BnmGiQ%3A1712900750676&ei=jsoYZtbqKMqzkvQPtKuG4Ag&ved=0ahUKEwjW6Z3G_LuFAxXKmYQIHbSVAYwQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=1980s+Vanna+White+hair&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiFjE5ODBzIFZhbm5hIFdoaXRlIGhhaXIyBBAjGCdIygRQogFYogFwAXgAkAEAmAGVAaABlQGqAQMwLjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgGgAqIBmAMAiAYBkgcDMC4xoAf8AQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp).

I recently posted about how the Jack's Bistro storyline was cited (https://popculturereferences.com/when-did-threes-company-jump-the-shark/) as the exact moment that Three's Company jumped the shark (not Suzanne Somers' departure as most commonly accepted (https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-threes-company-jumped-the-shark.html/) or believed). And I wouldn't disagree with that argument. When did Jack ever express interest in wanting to run a restaurant when previously, he just wanted to be a world class chef? It isn't like Jack had the business acumen to run a restaurant to begin with.

Plus, having Jack running is own business really stretches the credibility of the show's premise. I mean, when you really think of it, why would Jack still need to live with two roommates and presumably, still not own his own car, and yet be "well off" enough to manage a restaurant?

I agree with this! The Jacks Bistro storyline was the "jump the shark" moment for the show... I don't blame the 80's fashion.

TC died only because of age. It reached eight season and most of those seasons had at least twenty episodes (barring Season 01). What was cutting edge in 1977 was rote by 1984. As I have said before, the obligatory episodes multiple times every season where they all have to lie to their parents about living together was dumb. This was 1977 and orgies, drugs, disco, Studio 54, et al, were at their apex. Who gave two sh-ts about three people in their late twenties and early thirties livening together. No one cares (and before anyone says it was a dif time then and they would have cared what their parents thought, it was pathetic to see a grown man - Jack - be bosses around by a parent at his age). A new series would have to flip the premise - three people living together and they have to pretend they’re STRAIGHT when they’re really gay.

And why was it that, in the beginning of the series they made it very clear that Janet and even Chrissy had love lives, yet they morphed into pristine virgins as the show progressed. I can see Cindy being a virgin, but NOT Terri. She was an erudite grown woman with a successful career. As I said, early Janet and Chrissy def weren’t pure!!!

I agree with this! The Jacks Bistro storyline was the "jump the shark" moment for the show... I don't blame the 80's fashion.
True
I also think the network was already planning the spin off with Jack having a restaurant. The show outgrew its original premise of 2 girls so desperate to pay the rent they take a guy in to help with the bills. Jack in unemployed and they struggle with paying the rent. Fast forward 6 years later in the 1980s, they are all wearing designer clothes, Jack has his own restaurant and their new roommate is an emergency room nurse that works overtime. Each would have enough money to get their own apartment. Yet now in their 30s they are living like college kids. The premise no longer worked and lived past its expiration date.

True
I also think the network was already planning the spin off with Jack having a restaurant. The show outgrew its original premise of 2 girls so desperate to pay the rent they take a guy in to help with the bills. Jack in unemployed and they struggle with paying the rent. Fast forward 6 years later in the 1980s, they are all wearing designer clothes, Jack has his own restaurant and their new roommate is an emergency room nurse that works overtime. Each would have enough money to get their own apartment. Yet now in their 30s they are living like college kids. The premise no longer worked and lived past its expiration date.

Exactly!

That hairstyle of Terri in the hospital was awful

I don't know for sure if this was a clear indicator of '80s fashion sensibilities fully taking over, but I find it odd that when we first see Terri in the 1981-82 season, she's wearing plain and simple white for her nurses uniform.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EjpyUp4XgAAxE5u.jpg

But by the end of the series in 1983-84, Terri is now wearing a pink colored uniform at the hospital. It seemed like '80s fashion when compared (https://www.google.com/search?q=reddit+still+felt+like+the+70s+1980s+&sca_esv=9dd3c420e69a4ab3&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ACQVn081Pl_M6sgOtOM07huw3DyHtFfMTQ%3A1713836331011&ei=KxEnZqsl-_jBuQ_Shob4CQ&ved=0ahUKEwjr5tntmdeFAxV7fDABHVKDAZ8Q4dUDCBE&uact=5&oq=reddit+still+felt+like+the+70s+1980s+&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiJXJlZGRpdCBzdGlsbCBmZWx0IGxpa2UgdGhlIDcwcyAxOTgwcyAyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYnwUyBRAhGJ8FMgUQIRifBUicSVDaCFiWR3ABeACQAQCYAecBoAHTK6oBBjAuMjUuNrgBA8gBAPgBAZgCIKAC7y7CAgsQABiABBiwAxiiBMICCxAAGLADGKIEGIkFwgIKECMYgAQYJxiKBcICChAAGIAEGEMYigXCAgsQABiABBiRAhiKBcICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBwgIEECMYJ8ICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgIQEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEYFBiHAsICBRAAGIAEwgIKEAAYgAQYsQMYCsICChAAGIAEGBQYhwLCAgcQABiABBgKwgIGEAAYFhgewgIIEAAYFhgeGA_CAgsQABiABBiGAxiKBcICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIGEAAYDRgewgIIEAAYCBgNGB7CAgQQIRgVmAMAiAYBkAYEkgcGMS4yNC43oAfPvgE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#ip=1) to '70s fashion (at least for women) became much more garish and loud.

TC died only because of age. It reached eight season and most of those seasons had at least twenty episodes (barring Season 01). What was cutting edge in 1977 was rote by 1984. As I have said before, the obligatory episodes multiple times every season where they all have to lie to their parents about living together was dumb. This was 1977 and orgies, drugs, disco, Studio 54, et al, were at their apex. Who gave two sh-ts about three people in their late twenties and early thirties livening together. No one cares (and before anyone says it was a dif time then and they would have cared what their parents thought, it was pathetic to see a grown man - Jack - be bosses around by a parent at his age). A new series would have to flip the premise - three people living together and they have to pretend they’re STRAIGHT when they’re really gay.

And why was it that, in the beginning of the series they made it very clear that Janet and even Chrissy had love lives, yet they morphed into pristine virgins as the show progressed. I can see Cindy being a virgin, but NOT Terri. She was an erudite grown woman with a successful career. As I said, early Janet and Chrissy def weren’t pure!!!

As noted upon in this review of Season 8 (https://jacksonupperco.com/2015/07/28/the-ten-best-threes-company-episodes-of-season-eight/), by the time (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=6265999&postcount=15) that Three's Company (https://www.quora.com/Why-does-Threes-Company-no-longer-seem-funny-when-it-felt-totally-hysterical-in-the-80s) ended in 1984 (http://boomerbust-scooter63.blogspot.com/2013/09/onward-seventies-sitcoms-into-eighties.html), there was already a growing schism between the easy going titillation (https://www.avclub.com/three-s-company-pushed-the-limits-of-double-entendres-o-1798259407) of the late ’70s (https://books.google.com/books?id=iSfplRxL8gIC&pg=PA44&lpg=PA44&dq=easy+going+titillation+of+the+late+%E2%80%9970s+%22Three%27s+Company%22&source=bl&ots=gofHqK_bZK&sig=ACfU3U3NysL_LLFD_UGpXMNuRSW0_8_FYA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwioiYjeiN2FAxWkTTABHSyUB8U4FBDoAXoECAIQAw#v=onepage&q=easy%20going%20titillation%20of%20the%20late%20%E2%80%9970s%20%22Three's%20Company%22&f=false) and the coming sleekness of Reagan’s (https://www.reddit.com/r/GenX/comments/ye6s8s/what_television_shows_and_movies_transgressed/) ’80s (https://www.reddit.com/r/80s/comments/137ui00/when_did_the_real_80s_begin_and_end_for_you/). That was in itself, indicative of a show that was now past its prime.

80s fashion ruined many 70's show. Threes Company had 3 struggling roommates in the 70s. Janet had patches on her jeans, etc. When the 80s hit, they kept this crummy apartment but suddenly had a big budget for fashion. Janet wore lots of make up too. Their wardrobe was all about flashy 80s fashion. I wonder how they would have made Mrs Roper dress in 1984 LOL

I don't know exactly how spot on this is, but I recently found these illustrations (https://www.reddit.com/r/decadeology/comments/1fdhch0/decades_in_fashion_v2_part_7_the_1980s/) of men and women (https://www.reddit.com/r/decadeology/comments/14u3h2x/part_4_the_80s_in_fashion/)'s fashion for each year of the 1980s. If you count the single season for Three's a Crowd (1984-85), then Three's Company was on television for the first six years of the '80s (1980-85). And likewise, Three's Company started during the last three years of (https://www.reddit.com/r/decadeology/comments/159hlww/part_6_the_70s_in_fashion/) the 1970s (https://www.reddit.com/r/decadeology/comments/1emd55v/decades_in_fashion_v2_part_6_the_1970s/) (1977-79).

Fashion has much more to do with greedy clothes manufacturers than it does political eras. That's why women's hemlines went up and down, they wanted them to believe their skirt/dress length hanging in their closet wasn't up-to-date. The same thing with eyeglasses, small lenses to big -- and back again, it was all about sales.

I see the previous point about the roommates' clothes budgets, but Janet's increased makeup would not apply as far as an outlandish expense.

TC got its start as jiggle TV. Girls (plus Jack) in tight-fitting outfits engaged in various comedic high-jinks. Then along came the 80s: shoulder pads, flowing, oversized clothes. Gone was the jiggle.

TC dropped DRAMATICALLY in the ratings between the 7th season and the 8th. Could it be that oddly conservative, 80s fashions killed the show?

I don't necessarily think that '80s fashion killed the show so much that it felt like an anachronism (https://www.quora.com/Why-was-the-television-sitcom-Three-s-Company-cancelled-in-1984-Do-you-think-an-updated-version-of-this-show-would-be-popular-today/answer/Jeff-Harris-8) for a lack of a better word by the time that it went off the air in 1984. Three's Company was a product (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=474480) of the "Jiggle Show" era, which come 1984, would've been a harder sell in a post-Moral Minority/Ronald Reagan (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=6265999&postcount=15) America, which was decidedly more conservative (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-277021.html).

Also, American sitcoms in the early '80s (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-146760.html) (at least pre (http://www.tellytalk.net/threads/the-cosby-show.10857/)-The Cosby Show (https://www.slashfilm.com/1525275/night-court-cosby-show-saved-nbc-from-doom/)), were not very popular. Three's Company in its final season went from being a top ten rated show to I believe, 33rd place in the Nielsens. Viewers by that point, seemed to gravitate more towards action and adventure shows (e.g. The A-Team (https://theactionelite.com/the-a-team-tv-series-1983-1987-review/), Magnum, P.I. (https://collider.com/magnum-pi-1980-why-its-good/), Knight Rider, etc.), soap opera dramas (e.g. Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, and Falcon Crest), and grown-up sitcoms (e.g. Cheers (https://jacksonupperco.com/tag/cheers/)).

I don't necessarily think that '80s fashioned killed the show so much that it felt like an anachronism (https://www.quora.com/Why-was-the-television-sitcom-Three-s-Company-cancelled-in-1984-Do-you-think-an-updated-version-of-this-show-would-be-popular-today/answer/Jeff-Harris-8) for a lack of a better word by the time that it went off the air in 1984. Three's Company was a product (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=474480) of the "Jiggle Show" era, which come 1984, would've been a harder sell in a post-Moral Minority/Ronald Reagan (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=6265999&postcount=15) America, which was decidedly more conservative (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-277021.html).

Also, American sitcoms in the early '80s (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-146760.html) (at least pre (http://www.tellytalk.net/threads/the-cosby-show.10857/)-The Cosby Show (https://www.slashfilm.com/1525275/night-court-cosby-show-saved-nbc-from-doom/)), were not very popular. Three's Company in its final season went from being a top ten rated show I believe, 33rd place in the Nielsens. Viewers by that point, seemed to gravitate more towards action and adventure shows (e.g. The A-Team (https://theactionelite.com/the-a-team-tv-series-1983-1987-review/), Magnum, P.I. (https://collider.com/magnum-pi-1980-why-its-good/), Knight Rider, etc.), soap opera dramas (e.g. Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, and Falcon Crest), and grown-up sitcoms (e.g. Cheers (https://jacksonupperco.com/tag/cheers/)).

Cheers ranked 74th in it's first season. The show didn't become popular until The Cosby Show made sitcoms popular again. The Cosby Show debuted in 1984.

I went to a few tapings of The Cosby Show in the 80's and it was an amazing time. I regret not going when John Ritter was a guest star. There was no way of knowing who the guest stars would be before the tapings.

This question obviously makes no sense. I never for one moment ever thought clothes they wore effected ratings. They adhered to what ever fashion was at the time. Mainstream show, they were all middle class folks wore fashions that identified to their times. Now I’m sure if Jack broke out his 2024 Josh Allen red jersey, with his $300 Air Jordan’s that would have caused record ratings. Maybe pop in a Taylor Swift appearance, now we ‘re talking enough money to pay Suzanne her $150 k an episode she was looking for.
Yes I’m being facetious!

In the series finale (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3i1R_2YeYc) in 1984 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8_DuWCHD0M), Priscilla Barnes sported (https://www.gettyimages.dk/photos/1984-priscilla-barnes?family=editorial&assettype=image&sort=mostpopular&phrase=1984%20priscilla%20barnes) what I suppose in retrospect, was something close to a "fem-mullet" (https://www.google.com/search?q=1980s+female+mullet&sca_esv=d88e1983e8fdb79e&sca_upv=1&udm=2&sxsrf=ACQVn0_ma9kfxPYOjiaX7IJ0bG0JjxqhDA%3A1712900756275&ei=lMoYZsfCEK2FkvQP0tmQuAg&ved=0ahUKEwjH3PPI_LuFAxWtgoQIHdIsBIcQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=1980s+female+mullet&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiEzE5ODBzIGZlbWFsZSBtdWxsZXQyBRAAGIAESPQXUKsDWLATcAF4AJABAJgBxAGgAcYSqgEEMC4xNbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCD6AC4hLCAgQQIxgnwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICBhAAGAgYHsICBxAAGIAEGBiYAwCIBgGSBwYxLjEzLjGgB9g6&sclient=gws-wiz-serp):
https://resizing.flixster.com/fqtoc1iRQRtejHwJe1p0tXSQzd0=/370x208/v2/https://resizing.flixster.com/-XZAfHZM39UwaGJIFWKAE8fS0ak=/v3/t/assets/p1230966_e_h10_ac.jpg

Lisa Whelchel sported something similar to that around the sixth season of The Facts of Life from roughly around that same time. Somebody on YouTube said (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAMYvV_Hc14&lc=UgwQU9BhdhV4oqS7xF54AaABAg) that Priscilla totally sported "Vanna White hair" (https://www.google.com/search?q=1980s+Vanna+White+hair&sca_esv=d88e1983e8fdb79e&sca_upv=1&udm=2&sxsrf=ACQVn09bImdK4QUYKxiv-2LU5OY0BnmGiQ%3A1712900750676&ei=jsoYZtbqKMqzkvQPtKuG4Ag&ved=0ahUKEwjW6Z3G_LuFAxXKmYQIHbSVAYwQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=1980s+Vanna+White+hair&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiFjE5ODBzIFZhbm5hIFdoaXRlIGhhaXIyBBAjGCdIygRQogFYogFwAXgAkAEAmAGVAaABlQGqAQMwLjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgGgAqIBmAMAiAYBkgcDMC4xoAf8AQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp).

Ilene Graff, who incidentally, was in an episode (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0722989/) of Three's Company (the one (https://threescompany.fandom.com/wiki/The_Apartment) from the seventh season where Jack catches Mr. Angelino on a rendezvous with a woman who isn't his wife), also had that type of hairstyle when she was working on Mr. Belvedere.

https://resizing.flixster.com/xaAsisJlfZwj6ClB3vB61loqFKs=/fit-in/352x330/v2/https://resizing.flixster.com/-XZAfHZM39UwaGJIFWKAE8fS0ak=/v3/t/assets/p1156448_e_h9_aa.jpg

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/CUsAAOSwUDRmuoeG/s-l1200.jpg

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/b0AAAOSwMTdgHxMU/s-l1200.jpg

I've always though Ilene Graff would have made an excellent co-star with John Ritter on Three's A Crowd. Just thought both characters along with the acting interacted well.

Janet started dressing differently starting in Season 4, and Chrissy got her 80's heavy-makeup/bleached doll makeover, too. I preferred the more natural looks at the beginning of the show.

It's an interesting question. Terri was a lot less provocative with her outfits (and I'm sorry, the culottes are not attractive in any era), but when she first came on she sometimes went braless and had a more natural, carefree look. By the end of the series she had those awful bangs and a lot of frosted lipstick. Perhaps the 80s was just an unattractive fashion era, and everyone suffered, lol.

When I think about it, the more natural look of earlier seasons inspires a kind of nostalgia and affection for the 70s, whereas the hard look of the 80s seems more recent and therefore more drab to me. Weird, I know.

Somebody on r/threescompany (https://www.reddit.com/r/threescompany/comments/1ji98bh/would_you_say_janet_changed_as_the_series/) said that around Season 6 (the first "Terri season"), Janet always looked over-dressed. She was often seen in shoulder-padded dresses, pearls, heels, and extra makeup.

I think the crappiness of the world ruined this show :(

Somebody on r/threescompany (https://www.reddit.com/r/threescompany/comments/1ji98bh/would_you_say_janet_changed_as_the_series/) said that around Season 6 (the first "Terri season"), Janet always looked over-dressed. She was often seen in shoulder-padded dresses, pearls, heels, and extra makeup.
Very true. The 80's excessiveness was in full swing. 3 working professionals needed to share an apartment and Janet always had designer clothes but no car either. The brilliance of the early years was there were patches on jeans and you really felt them struggling to pay the rent. Its been said before this sitcom is no different than other sitcoms that started in the 70s and ended in the 80s.

Mary Cadorette (Vicky Bradford) probably got hit with this the worst (https://moviechat.org/tt0086816/Threes-a-Crowd/58c740e56b51e905f66e53f4/Vicky-was-dressed-by-her-worst-enemy) come Three's a Crowd.

Somebody on r/80s added (https://www.reddit.com/r/80s/comments/1fkkyf8/comment/lo0hoq2/) that Mary Cadorette was basically covered neck to toe in terrible fabric patterns literally every single episode of Three's a Crowd. They made her as unsexy as possible, and it made little sense that Jack was even attracted to her.

Odd question. If the 70s fashion didn't kill the show, then the 80s fashion didn't kil the show.

80's hair was the worst. Guys with mullets and everyone with just big hair. I think the show that suffered the worst was The Facts Of Life. Nothing but shoulder pads and giant sprayed hair. Awful.

It really seemed like in the case of The Facts of Life, it went knee-deep into the '80s excess look around the time that Over Our Heads, George Clooney, and the updated, now up-tempo theme song (around 1985-86 or Season 7) rolled around. I mean, this is what Lisa Whelchel and Nancy McKeon looked like by that point:
https://www.televisionofyore.com/uploads/9/3/0/3/9303799/editor/fol-s7e1-inside.jpeg?1606612948

https://www.televisionofyore.com/uploads/9/3/0/3/9303799/fol-s7e1-2_orig.jpeg

Somebody on r/80s added (https://www.reddit.com/r/80s/comments/1fkkyf8/comment/lo0hoq2/) that Mary Cadorette was basically covered neck to toe in terrible fabric patterns literally every single episode of Three's a Crowd. They made her as unsexy as possible, and it made little sense that Jack was even attracted to her.
Ha ha. That is right. She was covered in fabric from neck to toe. Those oversized clothes were really big in the mid 80s. But I think they were trying to make her the serious one.

On another note, Jack was a skirt chaser on TC. Suddenly now he is loyal to Vicki which limited themes and scripts with Jack.