View Full Version : Three's Company now, how many stories couldnt be done because of cell phones?


Yong Fang
12-08-2018, 05:41 AM
That's the question.

If this show was on today, what storylines couldnt really be told or easily solved because people now have mobile phones. The whole stuck in an elevator story with the pregnant woman really couldnt be done now because people could call home. Much like Archie Bunker being stuck in the cellar. yes, he could have forgotten his phone but we are in 2018 where this probably didnt happen. But even the "stuck in the cellar" would be plausable. Not so much about the elevator because multiple people would have phones.

Most of the Threes Company storylines consists of "misunderstandings" of some sort, which is exaserbated by the lack of communication. Which stories just couldnt be done today because of that.

I was never a huge fan of the show. To me Janet was the best looking woman on the show (like dark haired, brown eyed ladies), but if this show was on in 2018 instead of 1978 a lot of stories couldnt be done. So tell us which ones couldnt be done without several people who happen to not have their phones with them. Discuss.

Hag
02-23-2019, 09:40 AM
I think autocorrect come into play. Voice to text messing up messages. No batteries. GPS location is on but someone else had the phone so they think someone went somewhere they shouldn't have (that happened on an episode of Reba). messages sounding passive-aggressive. Accidentally texting someone they shouldn't have. swapping phones. Reading messages on a roommates phone when they shouldn't have and getting the wrong idea. i think a lot could be done with current day technology

Hag
02-23-2019, 09:49 AM
So episodes that couldn't be done. Hmm...
I guess in the episode where they think Cindy gets kidnapped because they didn't see her note. If Cindy had texted them where she was at and they could reach her cell the episode wouldn't have worked.

Lastkidpicked
03-06-2019, 01:06 PM
If this show was on in 2018 instead of 1978 a lot of stories couldnt be done. So tell us which ones couldn't be done without several people who happen to not have their phones with them. Discuss.
Interesting that you brought this up, because a few days ago they reran an episode where Jack and Janet wanted to stop somebody from wasting a trip out to the apartment.

Janet: Can't you just call her and tell her not to drive all this way?
Jack: Sure, Janet. If she had a phone in her car!

The very idea made the audience laugh out loud.

And that brings a larger context into your question. It's not just specific stories that couldn't be done today. Before cell phones and the internet, we could share that young, innocent time with Jack, Janet, and Chrissy.

To put a finer point on it-- before social media, Mr. Furley could go on believing that he was a true ladies man.

Before social media, Stanley and Helen Roper were isolated in their own little world, which wasn't great for them, but provided lots of laughs for the audience.

Larry couldn't text Jack his plans, so he had to show up at the apartment to relay his latest crazy schemes, and we got to watch.

So I agree with you that a lot of stories and misunderstandings wouldn't have worked in modern times. I'm glad that this show came along before all the technology.