They somehow carved a successful show with all of the drama, but what if: *Suzanne Somers had been smarter/less greedy about her negotiation? On the other side of the coin, would a better relationship with the producers and better salary have kept the actors on for a longer run?

*They had kept Jennilee Harrison and Norman Fell/Audra Lindley as recurring characters in later seasons?

*They had given more for Priscilla Barnes to do in the late seasons?

*They had paired John with an actress he had more chemistry with for the Three's a Crowd spin-off? What if it had been for instance, Anne Scheeden or Joanna Kerns in Three's A Crowd?

*They had spun-off Richard Kline to his own show?

*Joyce DeWitt had been more willing to do other TV after the show?

What if they paired Joyce with John in the spin off?

They somehow carved a successful show with all of the drama, but what if: *Suzanne Somers had been smarter/less greedy about her negotiation? On the other side of the coin, would a better relationship with the producers and better salary have kept the actors on for a longer run?

*They had kept Jennilee Harrison and Norman Fell/Audra Lindley as recurring characters in later seasons?

*They had given more for Priscilla Barnes to do in the late seasons?

*They had paired John with an actress he had more chemistry with for the Three's a Crowd spin-off? What if it had been for instance, Anne Scheeden or Joanna Kerns in Three's A Crowd?

*They had spun-off Richard Kline to his own show?

*Joyce DeWitt had been more willing to do other TV after the show?


I wish Jenilee had stayed on as a recurring character for seasons 7 and 8. I know she wasn't the best actor in the world, but I had a major crush on her in my youth, and Cindy was a great physical foil for Jack.

It would have been cool if the Ropers bought back the building from Furley's brother, but kept Furley as the live-in landlord and super. Then they could have made some frequent guest appearances, whilst keeping Don Knotts as a regular.

I don't know if Larry could have carried his own show, but Jack definitely needed a more plausible love interest for the spin-off.:D

What if they paired Joyce with John in the spin off?

Or Suzanne? According to the 3C TV biopic, she tried to come back in the eleventh hour as the one Jack hooks up with. Her minister father would have made a logical "third" for the "Three's a Crowd."

Or Suzanne? According to the 3C TV biopic, she tried to come back in the eleventh hour as the one Jack hooks up with. Her minister father would have made a logical "third" for the "Three's a Crowd."

I never thought about Chrissy's father, but yeah, that would've been a perfect set-up!

I wish they had kept Jenilee Harrison on as Cindy, too.

I think if Suzanne had stayed on the show would not have lasted as long as it did. Some shake-up would have been necessary to keep it fresh.

Another what-if: What if Lana had stayed on and given a more meaty role? Would she have eventually settled for Larry? :lol:

Or Suzanne? According to the 3C TV biopic, she tried to come back in the eleventh hour as the one Jack hooks up with. Her minister father would have made a logical "third" for the "Three's a Crowd."

That was delusional on her part. With all the bad blood she created with her threats for more money the producers just LAUGHED her and her husband out of the office!

What if they paired Joyce with John in the spin off?

This is what the fans wanted but I would've preferred a 9th season of TC but they needed to hire new writers due to lack of new ideas.

This is what the fans wanted but I would've preferred a 9th season of TC but they needed to hire new writers due to lack of new ideas.

I think the writers ran out of ideas after season 1.

The strength of this show was ABSOLUTELY in the cast.

The writers were uninspired, lazy clock-punchers.

I think the writers ran out of ideas after season 1.

The strength of this show was ABSOLUTELY in the cast.

The writers were uninspired, lazy clock-punchers.


The funny thing about this comment is that many Season 1-3 episodes were adapted from the original Man About the House series. :lol:

I disagree the writers were lazy clock-punchers. That's the point of farce. It's meant to seem ridiculous but takes a lot of work to bring together. Agree with you about the cast, though.

I think the writers ran out of ideas after season 1.

The strength of this show was ABSOLUTELY in the cast.

The writers were uninspired, lazy clock-punchers.

That's why you needed new writers for a Season 9 that never happened!

The funny thing about this comment is that many Season 1-3 episodes were adapted from the original Man About the House series. :lol:

I disagree the writers were lazy clock-punchers. That's the point of farce. It's meant to seem ridiculous but takes a lot of work to bring together. Agree with you about the cast, though.

Maybe, but I'm more inclined to attribute that to the cast and director, having to work overtime to make up for a weak script.

I suspect that a lot of stuff that WORKED like Mr. Roper's breaking-the-4th wall smile/mugging to the camera, was a result of experimentation/improv/boredom with the material they had to work with.

Maybe, but I'm more inclined to attribute that to the cast and director, having to work overtime to make up for a weak script.

I suspect that a lot of stuff that WORKED like Mr. Roper's breaking-the-4th wall smile/mugging to the camera, was a result of experimentation/improv/boredom with the material they had to work with.

I guess it comes down to whether you enjoy farce or not. If someone doesn't care for the format then the writing will always look stupid. It's true that most of the plots of TC could be solved in 30 seconds by one character asking two clarifying questions, but that's farce.

I agree that the form relies on the physical talent of the actors but there is definitely a method to writing the scripts that allows the actors to shine that way.

In the later seasons the writing was weaker because 1) too much downtime in the episode and 2) character types were not clearly defined, like with Terri. Both of those reasons have to do with not conforming to the formula of farce as tightly as earlier seasons.

What if they paired Joyce with John in the spin off?

If they'd done that, there would've been no need to change anything about the show other than the title and kicking Terri out of the apartment.

More likely, it'd be some kind of situation where Jack & Janet pursue (separate ?) opportunities in a new locale, with a new, different cast.

Also, maybe Joyce DeWitt wanted a break from TV at this point ?

If they'd done that, there would've been no need to change anything about the show other than the title and kicking Terri out of the apartment.

More likely, it'd be some kind of situation where Jack & Janet pursue (separate ?) opportunities in a new locale, with a new, different cast.

Also, maybe Joyce DeWitt wanted a break from TV at this point ?

No she didn't. She was pissed off that she was written out of Three's a Crowd.

This is an interesting discussion, I have a slightly different take on some of this. Let's take a look at 2017 what if list:

•*Suzanne Somers had been smarter/less greedy about her negotiation? On the other side of the coin, would a better relationship with the producers and better salary have kept the actors on for a longer run?

*They had kept Jennilee Harrison and Norman Fell/Audra Lindley as recurring characters in later seasons?

*They had given more for Priscilla Barnes to do in the late seasons?

*They had paired John with an actress he had more chemistry with for the Three's a Crowd spin-off? What if it had been for instance, Anne Scheeden or Joanna Kerns in Three's A Crowd?

*They had spun-off Richard Kline to his own show?

*Joyce DeWitt had been more willing to do other TV after the show?

Bullets 1-3 all have a common thread, Somers leaving, Harrison's character being phased out and the Ropers not returning, and Barnes not having enough to do, all these things benefitted one person, John Ritter. Somers and her husband, are shrewd business people who have marketed the Somers persona brilliantly, they realized Ritter would steal the show and they made a stand. Make no mistake about it, that was a power struggle between Ritter and Somers, Ritter prevailed, he stayed, she left. One or the other was not going to stay with the show. Let's talk about the Roper's, Fell wanted a stipulation put in his contract that he could return to Three's Company if The Ropers failed. The producers refused so there was going back. Fell and Lindley worked great together, and there characters needed screen time, Ritter clearly wanted the focus of that series on his character and wasn't looking to share. Goodbye Ropers. I liked Harrison, I thought she was a good replacement for Somers, but guess what, the producers indicated they wanted a more polished actress in the role of the third roommate. Doesn't seem to make much sense, Harrison did a good job. Again we see a benefit for Ritter, Harrison is placed to the side and Barnes is added as basically a blond version of Janet. Terri and Janet can be used interchangeably, together they can't do much in the way of getting laughs or carrying scenes without Jack being present.

Now let's move to bullet 4, again look at the answer to the first three bullets, Ritter wanted the attention on his character, he wasn't looking for a strong female lead. There can be no doubt about this, obviously the female lead in Three's a Crowd should have received the most careful of considerations, respectfully, how do you wind up casting Mary Cadorette in such an important part.

Bullet 5 answer, Richard Kline was pitched for a spin off series (this was the original incarnation of Three's a Crowd), but the network nixed it.

Bullet 6, I loved Joyce DeWitt in Three's Company, I don't think she had good career management and that's show biz, talent is chewed up and spit out every day.

Mary Cadorette was chosen because over 500 women auditioned for Vicki and John said he had better chemistry with Mary than anyone else. Looking back on it this was a disaster because Mary basically disappeared from acting after this. Regardless of previous storylines Janet should've been with Jack on TAC!

What was the spinoff series Larry was pitched to be in?? That'd be interesting to know.

I'm really shocked Joyce didn't do anything right after TC. She only a few years left before 40 and we all know how women in Hollywood are dumped after age 40 for younger women.

With respect to Mary Cadorette, they needed a strong female lead, she wasn't the actress, more than chemistry was needed, you have be be able to make people laugh. Again I think this is Ritter with too much input. The crew that put together the series made great casting choices, Somers, DeWitt, Ritter, Lindley, Fell, Kline all solid choices, there is no explanation than can justify missing this badly.

The spin off for Kline was an early version of Three's a Crowd, the network didn't think Kline had the right stuff for the lead role and it was turned down. The producers pitched it again as Three's Company was winding down with Ritter in the lead and the network bought it.

I agree with you about DeWitt, I thought she had a great deal of charisma and could have starred in her own series. I actually think of the three (Somers, Ritter, DeWitt), she could have and should have been the biggest. Her career was badly managed.

You mean Larry was supposed to move in with a girl in his own series?? But he didn't have a restaurant to live over. He didn't have the father-in-law as a foil either.

I suppose they could've given that to Larry too. But they needed a more creative idea. I do agree that Larry probably couldn't have done it on his own unless he had a great supporting cast. Larry's chemistry with Jack is what made him so good in Three's Company.

The spin off for Kline was an early version of Three's a Crowd, the network didn't think Kline had the right stuff for the lead role and it was turned down. The producers pitched it again as Three's Company was winding down with Ritter in the lead and the network bought it.


Where did you read that? I'd always heard Richard Kline had been offered a recurring role as Larry on Three's A Crowd, but he turned that down to star in a CBS pilot (unrelated to Three's Company) called "His and Hers." It was never picked up.

Where did you read that? I'd always heard Richard Kline had been offered a recurring role as Larry on Three's A Crowd, but he turned that down to star in a CBS pilot (unrelated to Three's Company) called "His and Hers." It was never picked up.
Yea he was in His and Hers. CBS aired that pilot in the summer of 84. I remember watching it.

Where did you read that? I'd always heard Richard Kline had been offered a recurring role as Larry on Three's A Crowd, but he turned that down to star in a CBS pilot (unrelated to Three's Company) called "His and Hers." It was never picked up.

No, 13 episodes aired from March to August 1990! I never heard about this at all back then. This is first time I ever heard of this.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_%26_Hers_(TV_series)

Anyone know how we can see these episodes? With Richard Kline it should be at least a little funny.

Yea he was in His and Hers. CBS aired that pilot in the summer of 84. I remember watching it.

No, it aired from March to August 1990. Three's a Crowd was back in 1985. So why didn't Richard do Three's a Crowd?? He could've done it in 1985.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_%26_Hers_(TV_series)

No, it aired from March to August 1990. Three's a Crowd was back in 1985. So why didn't Richard do Three's a Crowd?? He could've done it in 1985.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_%26_Hers_(TV_series)


That was another show with the same name, but they were unrelated to one another (though they both aired on CBS). I read this in the Chris Mann book Come and Knock on Our Door. Richard did a pilot called His & Hers in 1984. The pilot aired but that was it—that show never got picked up and was different from the one he ended up doing in 1990. He did show up on TAC once in 1985 but that was it.

My question was for Duster76 who claimed Richard Kline was being considered for a starring role in a Three's Company spinoff. That doesn't sound correct and I wanted to know where they got that info.

Is that 1984 pilot of His & Hers available anywhere? It would be cool to see!

I agree with you about DeWitt, I thought she had a great deal of charisma and could have starred in her own series. I actually think of the three (Somers, Ritter, DeWitt), she could have and should have been the biggest. Her career was badly managed.

I think it was more of a case of Joyce voluntarily dropping out after Three’s Company rather than career mismanagement or a lack of offers coming in.

If she was able to land an endorsement deal with L’Eggs I find it hard to believe her manager couldn’t have gotten her a sitcom pilot. She just dropped out.

No, it aired from March to August 1990. Three's a Crowd was back in 1985. So why didn't Richard do Three's a Crowd?? He could've done it in 1985.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_%26_Hers_(TV_series)
That wasn't the same show. This one co-starred Shelley Fabares. Back in those days the networks regularly aired failed pilots in the summer. I sort of miss those days. I also remember watching Suzanne starring in a failed pilot called Goodbye Charlie.

I think it was more of a case of Joyce voluntarily dropping out after Three’s Company rather than career mismanagement or a lack of offers coming in.

If she was able to land an endorsement deal with L’Eggs I find it hard to believe her manager couldn’t have gotten her a sitcom pilot. She just dropped out.

Do you or does anyone have a link to Joyce explaining why she dropped out of Hollywood right after TC when she still had some prime years left??

Everyone knows Hollywood wants actresses under 40 and it's a LOT harder to get roles after age 40. She should've cashed in when she still had a few years left in her prime!