This article here state that Lisa was making over $50,000 per episode when she decided to forfeit her pay for the First Time. If Lisa was making over $50,000, I imagine the other 3 were making about the same amount.

The other interesting thing here is that it states that Lisa found out about her engagement to her first husband after the church announced it.
https://www.godupdates.com/actor-lisa-whelchel-faith-family-facts-of-life/?fbclid=IwAR1YVHU4sRYigMuojHZpC_wzHuJ80onQW0kVyo40k8xugVN8Cn_2LQQBs2I

The other interesting thing here is that it states that Lisa found out about her engagement to her first husband after the church announced it.

:rofl:

Now that's a sitcom moment!

I can’t imagine why anyone would want to go along with something like that.

:rofl:

Now that's a sitcom moment!

They could have had that be plot involving Blair during the series. Blair becomes engage without knowing it after her father decides who her husband will be.

:lol:

Nancy had her little contract issues in season 6. What would have happened if it had turned into a full-fledged dispute a la Suzanne Somers? Would the powers that be have sent Jo off to visit her mom, relegated to a brief phone call at the end of each episode? Would Jo’s cousin Mitzi, a similar character, have shown up to temporarily take her place? Or maybe her friend Jessie from that earlier episode.

Nancy had her little contract issues in season 6. What would have happened if it had turned into a full-fledged dispute a la Suzanne Somers? Would the powers that be have sent Jo off to visit her mom, relegated to a brief phone call at the end of each episode? Would Jo’s cousin Mitzi, a similar character, have shown up to temporarily take her place? Or maybe her friend Jessie from that earlier episode.

I think the actress who played Jessie may have past away at this time.

Nancy had her little contract issues in season 6. What would have happened if it had turned into a full-fledged dispute a la Suzanne Somers? Would the powers that be have sent Jo off to visit her mom, relegated to a brief phone call at the end of each episode? Would Jo’s cousin Mitzi, a similar character, have shown up to temporarily take her place?

I sure hope that never would have happened!

While what Suzanne did -- failing to show up for work, and pretending to have cracked a rib -- was messed up, the producers of Three's Company, and the network, wanted to make "an example" of Suzanne. She asked for a huge salary increase and part of "the back end". When they refused, she didn't show up for work. In retaliation, they gave her one minute on the phone, in select episodes: what we called at the time the "Chrissy Minute", tagged on to the end of the episode, as a way of reminding her how insignificant her role could be. They also wrote her out of episodes. She was also escorted on and off the studio property by security, and only allowed onto a temporary set (the "Fresno" set); according to Joyce's documentary, they even escorted Suzanne past the actresses in line in the cattle call to find her replacement. No-one from Three's Company spoke to her, for over a decade.

Jo was not insignificant on FOL; in fact, she probably had the most lines of any character, by that point. So Nancy knew she really was perhaps the star of the show, by that point. And even though it was the same negotiating tactic, Nancy didn't lie about a cracked rib, and she didn't ask for a raise the producers couldn't honor. I'd really hate for Nancy to have to go through what Suzanne went through; Suzanne said it brought up the feelings of her childhood, as an abused child, making her feel as though she had done something terribly, unspeakably wrong that could never be repaired.

Luckily, in this case, the producers, network, and Nancy's people could come up with a reasonable settlement, and only two episodes were affected.

(BTW, happy 3,000th post, TV Guy!)

And Suzanne showed them all by laughing all the way to the bank.

And Suzanne showed them all by laughing all the way to the bank.

She did. But it was a struggle for her, for a while. Vegas and Thighmaster weren't calling on that first day.

She did. But it was a struggle for her, for a while. Vegas and Thighmaster weren't calling on that first day.

Oh, I know. I just meant in the big picture.

And she loved playing Chrissy in her Vegas act until the threatened/insulted men caught wind of it and slapped her with a lawsuit if she continued portraying "their property". She was prob'ly like, damn, when are these ********************* gonna get off my back??? lol

Oh, I know. I just meant in the big picture.

Yeah, exactly: in the big picture, it worked out well for her, and she made millions.


And she loved playing Chrissy in her Vegas act until the threatened/insulted men caught wind of it and slapped her with a lawsuit if she continued portraying "their property". She was prob'ly like, damn, when are these ********************* gonna get off my back??? lol

:lol: Joyce's documentary basically says that. Suzanne argued that key parts of the character were her own creation, including Chrissy's snort.

Yeah, exactly: in the big picture, it worked out well for her, and she made millions.

After all, she is the sheriff. ;)


:lol: Joyce's documentary basically says that. Suzanne argued that key parts of the character were her own creation, including Chrissy's snort.

Haha, trademark the snort! :lol:

BTW, happy 3,000th post, TV Guy
Thank you!

Suzanne, in retrospect, was right to ask for a piece of the back end. Three’s Company was set to become one of the most successful series in syndication history at the time. It eventually brought in over a half billion dollars in revenue. And Don Taffner and his partners didn’t even have to share that with a studio, since TC was an independent production (Taffner even syndicated it himself). John, Joyce, and Suzanne deserved a piece of that. They should have banded together to negotiate, a la Friends.

But Suzanne committed two sins: she negotiated after production had already started for the season, and she was missing episodes with no notice, which turned her colleagues against her. Her negotiating tactics weren’t good. ABC wanted to make an example to other actors hoping to do the same thing. Richard Kline (and Suzanne) said that the producers took a certain amount of satisfaction in “punishing” her with the “Chrissy Minute”. Very messed up, as you said.

Thankfully, that did not happen with Nancy (though she didn’t get a piece of the back end either).

When did Nancy M. have a cracked rib and how did she get it?

When did Nancy M. have a cracked rib and how did she get it?

No no, Nancy M. never had one. Suzanne S. did. Retro was being hypothetical when he said it about Nancy M.

Let's not start any "gossip", now! ;)

No no, Nancy M. never had one. Suzanne S. did. Retro was being hypothetical when he said it about Nancy M.

Let's not start any "gossip", now! ;)

I wasn't sure if he was talking about Nancy M.'s Dancing with the Star injury.

Thank you!

Suzanne, in retrospect, was right to ask for a piece of the back end. Three’s Company was set to become one of the most successful series in syndication history at the time. It eventually brought in over a half billion dollars in revenue. And Don Taffner and his partners didn’t even have to share that with a studio, since TC was an independent production (Taffner even syndicated it himself). John, Joyce, and Suzanne deserved a piece of that. They should have banded together to negotiate, a la Friends.

But Suzanne committed two sins: she negotiated after production had already started for the season, and she was missing episodes with no notice, which turned her colleagues against her. Her negotiating tactics weren’t good. ABC wanted to make an example to other actors hoping to do the same thing. Richard Kline (and Suzanne) said that the producers took a certain amount of satisfaction in “punishing” her with the “Chrissy Minute”. Very messed up, as you said.

Great points. I think Suzanne committed another sin: asking for a raise that was five times what she had been making previously. Had she asked for a piece of the back end and twice what she been making, I don't know what the producers would have said, but every interview I've seen mentions them balking at the huge salary increase.

I think Suzanne had already turned her castmates against her: the Unauthorized Story states that the Newsweek photo shoot, where Suzanne's people had pushed John and Joyce into the background, had already driven a wedge between her and John/Joyce.

I'm not certain that any renegotiating tactic would have worked very well with Taffner and Bergmann. They were very old school, Ted Bergmann having originally worked on the DuMont Network in the 1950s. He admitted in the 1990s he was an "idiot" who let Jackie Gleason go when Gleason insisted on a miniscule salary raise. That loss cost DuMont hugely, when they needed hit shows, and ultimately helped to kill the network itself.

Suzanne had also made the huge mistake of replacing her agent with her husband. She lost a valuable ally who could have helped her negotiate a reasonable number; and by negotiating it (almost) herself, she lost the ability to blame her "people". They didn't know what they were doing, and they failed to notice the mood at the studio.

Another mistake is that she took the dispute public. That was never going to work well.


Thankfully, that did not happen with Nancy (though she didn’t get a piece of the back end either).

No, apparently not.

I think Suzanne had already turned her castmates against her: the Unauthorized Story states that the Newsweek photo shoot, where Suzanne's people had pushed John and Joyce into the background, had already driven a wedge between her and John/Joyce.

From a TC producer/writer 1979 - 1980, he says John and Suzanne were real cut-ups during meetings, being funny and getting laughs together. So I guess either things had dwindled down by then or the Newsweek cover hadn't happened yet.

I wasn't sure if he was talking about Nancy M.'s Dancing with the Star injury.

Oh my gosh, no. DWTS was decades and decades later.

No, on Donahue (according to Wiki, it aired in January 1981), Suzanne claimed that she missed tapings of Three's Company because she cracked a rib. This was clearly not true, and she gave up insisting that years ago: there's no mention of a cracked rib in any of her later interviews, and she explicitly states that the missed episodes were because she was renegotiating.

I think Suzanne loss was not a big problem for TC producers as long as they had John Ritter as the main star.

I don't know if this is true but I read on Wikipedia that Suzanne asked to come back for Three's A Crowd as Jack's love interest

Another mistake is that she took the dispute public. That was never going to work well.




Yeah, going public complaining when you are making more per episode than most Americans make in a year usually doesn't help your cause. There were other contract disputes among stars and TV shows at that time. One that came to mind was the Bo and Luke Duke holdout on The Dukes of Hazzards. They won since their replacements were so inept.

Suzanne’s husband/manager did reach out to the TC producers about having Suzanne costar on “Three’s a Crowd”. They just laughed at him.

The producers were lucky that Suzanne decided to go it alone and handle it so poorly. They were able to replace one roommate. Had they been in a situation where they had to replace two (or all three), then they would have had to cave and give the cast members profit sharing. Ritter did get a piece of the back end for “Three’s a Crowd”, but that only lasted a single season and never made the kind of money that TC did.

I don’t know if you all know this, but another thing she did that incensed her producers and ABC was that she signed a deal for a sitcom for CBS, while still on TC, that was going to kick in as soon as TC was cancelled (or she was contractually available). And that pilot, called Suzanne (how creative), was eventually produced by...TAT Communications which also produced The Facts of Life (see what I did there?).

Suzanne’s husband/manager did reach out to the TC producers about having Suzanne costar on “Three’s a Crowd”. They just laughed at him.

The producers were lucky that Suzanne decided to go it alone and handle it so poorly. They were able to replace one roommate. Had they been in a situation where they had to replace two (or all three), then they would have had to cave and give the cast members profit sharing. Ritter did get a piece of the back end for “Three’s a Crowd”, but that only lasted a single season and never made the kind of money that TC did.

Let's be honest, the idea was silly and ridicolous. Chrissy was absent for three seasons and a half and suddenly she came back as Jack's girlfriend??:lol::lol:. No thanks, it's unbelievable.

From a TC producer/writer 1979 - 1980, he says John and Suzanne were real cut-ups during meetings, being funny and getting laughs together. So I guess either things had dwindled down by then or the Newsweek cover hadn't happened yet.

Huh. Looking it up, it looks as though the Newsweek cover was February 1978 (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e7/25/4f/e7254f7b4fb900b3c61b8407765a1e68.jpg). So maybe things had settled down by then?

I think Suzanne loss was not a big problem for TC producers as long as they had John Ritter as the main star.

Yeah, if there was no John, I think there would be no show. They couldn't replace him; say what you will about the scripts, but John's pratfalls were a rare talent. They could replace Suzanne with another dumb blonde (and did!).

They could replace Suzanne with another dumb blonde (and did!).

They did, but it wasn't the same.

Either time! lol

Suzanne’s husband/manager did reach out to the TC producers about having Suzanne costar on “Three’s a Crowd”. They just laughed at him.

The producers were lucky that Suzanne decided to go it alone and handle it so poorly. They were able to replace one roommate. Had they been in a situation where they had to replace two (or all three), then they would have had to cave and give the cast members profit sharing.

I agree: if they had gone in together, they likely could have renegotiated. But apparently, John and Joyce were happy with what they were making.


I don’t know if you all know this, but another thing she did that incensed her producers and ABC was that she signed a deal for a sitcom for CBS, while still on TC, that was going to kick in as soon as TC was cancelled (or she was contractually available).

Yeah, but to be honest, I don't know why that would really even be an issue. That contract didn't in any way affect TC.


And that pilot, called Suzanne (how creative), was eventually produced by...TAT Communications which also produced The Facts of Life (see what I did there?).

:lol:

I wasn't aware of the title of the pilot, or even that it was a TAT production. Feels like a weird fit. Norman Lear and Suzanne Somers? :eek:

They did, but it wasn't the same.

Either time! lol

It's true.

Yeah, if there was no John, I think there would be no show. They couldn't replace him; say what you will about the scripts, but John's pratfalls were a rare talent. They could replace Suzanne with another dumb blonde (and did!).

Exactly! The landlords and the roomates were supporting characters, John was the real star

They did, but it wasn't the same.

Either time! lol

Yeah, it was different. I prefer Chrissy's seasons but the roomate change didn't affect the ratings

Exactly! The landlords and the roomates were supporting characters, John was the real star

Yeah, they could replace landlords and roommates and sidekicks (and they did, repeatedly), but I think they knew John was irreplaceable.

Yeah, they could replace landlords and roommates and sidekicks (and they did, repeatedly), but I think they knew John was irreplaceable.

Don't be so sure---I'll bet the first star of the first version of "The Hogan Family" thought she was irreplaceable! ;)

Don't be so sure---I'll bet the first star of the first version of "The Hogan Family" thought she was irreplaceable! ;)

:lol: Sadly, Valerie was replaceable. But who could they have gotten to replace John Ritter? Sandy Duncan wouldn't have worked. They needed someone with two good eyes. Asking someone with bad vision to perform pratfalls seems cruel.

Don't be so sure---I'll bet the first star of the first version of "The Hogan Family" thought she was irreplaceable! ;)

What Valerie was replaceable on the show Valerie? Blasphemy!

What Valerie was replaceable on the show Valerie? Blasphemy!
I blame Lorimar Television! :lol::lol::lol::lol:

What Valerie was replaceable on the show Valerie? Blasphemy!

More recently, Rosanne was replaceable on a show called Rosanne.

More recently, Rosanne was replaceable on a show called Rosanne.
Yeah, but they soon changed the title to The ̶H̶o̶g̶a̶n̶ ̶F̶a̶m̶i̶l̶y̶ Conners. :lol:

I blame Lorimar Television! :lol::lol::lol::lol:

Well you should blame Lorimar-Telepictures since that's what they were then ;)

Well you should blame Lorimar-Telepictures since that's what they were then ;)

Fair enough. I blame them, and any rebranding names. ;)

Fair enough. I blame them, and any rebranding names. ;)

:lol:

This article here state that Lisa was making over $50,000 per episode when she decided to forfeit her pay for the First Time. If Lisa was making over $50,000, I imagine the other 3 were making about the same amount.

The other interesting thing here is that it states that Lisa found out about her engagement to her first husband after the church announced it.
https://www.godupdates.com/actor-lisa-whelchel-faith-family-facts-of-life/?fbclid=IwAR1YVHU4sRYigMuojHZpC_wzHuJ80onQW0kVyo40k8xugVN8Cn_2LQQBs2I

I doubt that they were all getting the same pay. It's controversial even NOW that African American actors and other people of color about getting less pay with the same work as their white counterparts. Imagine how it was back then. I think Lisa was getting paid the most followed by Kim as second then Mindy as third. Nancy should be getting paid the least (She isn't an original cast member and she didn't join until season 2).

I sure hope that never would have happened!

While what Suzanne did -- failing to show up for work, and pretending to have cracked a rib -- was messed up, the producers of Three's Company, and the network, wanted to make "an example" of Suzanne. She asked for a huge salary increase and part of "the back end". When they refused, she didn't show up for work. In retaliation, they gave her one minute on the phone, in select episodes: what we called at the time the "Chrissy Minute", tagged on to the end of the episode, as a way of reminding her how insignificant her role could be. They also wrote her out of episodes. She was also escorted on and off the studio property by security, and only allowed onto a temporary set (the "Fresno" set); according to Joyce's documentary, they even escorted Suzanne past the actresses in line in the cattle call to find her replacement. No-one from Three's Company spoke to her, for over a decade.

Jo was not insignificant on FOL; in fact, she probably had the most lines of any character, by that point. So Nancy knew she really was perhaps the star of the show, by that point. And even though it was the same negotiating tactic, Nancy didn't lie about a cracked rib, and she didn't ask for a raise the producers couldn't honor. I'd really hate for Nancy to have to go through what Suzanne went through; Suzanne said it brought up the feelings of her childhood, as an abused child, making her feel as though she had done something terribly, unspeakably wrong that could never be repaired.

Luckily, in this case, the producers, network, and Nancy's people could come up with a reasonable settlement, and only two episodes were affected.

(BTW, happy 3,000th post, TV Guy!)

Jo was my second favorite character and no doubt contributed greatly towards the show but how much was Nancy expected to get? She wasn't an original cast member and I don't think Nancy deserved a pay raise over Kim Fields (allegedly) and Mindy Cohn (although Mindy wasn't an actress prior to the show).

Jo was my second favorite character and no doubt contributed greatly towards the show but how much was Nancy expected to get? She wasn't an original cast member and I don't think Nancy deserved a pay raise over Kim Fields (allegedly) and Mindy Cohn (although Mindy wasn't an actress prior to the show).




I totally agree: KIM was right an original on FOL and deserved to get more paid than NANCY.

PS: KIM was also as good as an actress as NANCY!!!!
:welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome::welcome: