Did the show really get better (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/12b2f17/why_do_people_say_the_mr_furley_years_were_better/) as it went on?

Don Knotts was funny.

The show got worse after 4 years. But Don did a fantastic job. I prefer the Roper years but you cant deny NO ONE could have taken that part and did a better job.

To me the mid part of the show was best.... Like right before the Ropers left and right after Furley arrived

Both were good. The cast changes made TC a fresh show. And Don Knotts was great as Furley.

The show was better during the Furley years but it had nothing to do with him .

Better episodes

The show was better during the Furley years but it had nothing to do with him .

Better episodes
Wow. Interesting. IMHO the second and third season of TC was some of the best TV ever. It was so good that everything was downhill after season 3. Still really good though.

Wow. Interesting. IMHO the second and third season of TC was some of the best TV ever. It was so good that everything was downhill after season 3. Still really good though.

I feel the show took after season two. Season 3 and 4 was the best eps along with 7.

I feel the show took after season two. Season 3 and 4 was the best eps along with 7.
Interesting. IMHO Don was a fantastic addition to the show as the new landlord. Its decline had nothing to do with him. Most sitcoms grow stale after season 4 especially when they bring in new characters.
I hated how the characters changed and the scripts only were focused on Jack in the later seasons. None of them needed to be sharing an apartment with hip fashion, restaurant owner, nurse , and store manager. Yet like most sitcoms that started in the 70s that went into the 80s, it got lost in all that 80s glam.

The show got worse after 4 years. But Don did a fantastic job. I prefer the Roper years but you cant deny NO ONE could have taken that part and did a better job.

I think the only weak parts were a little in season 4, a little in season 7, and the end of season 8.

I agree that no one could have done a better job than Don Knotts. He fit in perfectly.

To get back to the original question:

Why do people say that the Mr. Furley years were better than the Roper years?

My answer, to each his own. I don't feel that way, Don turned in good work but he didn't break any new ground. Ralph Furley was basically Barney Fife in the sexy seventies. Andy Griffith was certainly not impressed, he stated in an interview he did not like Don's work on the series, he thought he was too over the top. When Don joined Matlock, Andy cautioned him on the need for realistic character portrayal . Don's was the second banana's second banana, he knew how to get his character over without stepping on the toes of the star. He had accomplished this on Steve Allen and The Andy Griffith Show, and it was a critically important skill to have with John Ritter around.

The reason I prefer Roper was because of Helen. The banter between those two sometimes would have the best laughs. Helen was always on their side and many times was a foil for Stanley. I loved that dynamic. Look how many episodes had Helen or Roper in main themes in the scripts.
Having said that, Don was fantastic. The 1980s ruined many 1970s sitcoms and this was one of them. Keep in mind even though I prefer seasons 1-3 and like seasons 4 and 5, it still was a good sitcom.

The reason I prefer Roper was because of Helen. The banter between those two sometimes would have the best laughs. Helen was always on their side and many times was a foil for Stanley. I loved that dynamic. Look how many episodes had Helen or Roper in main themes in the scripts.
Having said that, Don was fantastic. The 1980s ruined many 1970s sitcoms and this was one of them. Keep in mind even though I prefer seasons 1-3 and like seasons 4 and 5, it still was a good sitcom.

Not a Don Knotts fan. MUCH preferred the Ropers!!!

It's a tough choice because I discovered the show in reruns instead of weekly airings and TC was so popular in syndication that more than one station would be airing the show daily so I always caught a mix of both Roper and Furley episodes the advantage is that Don Knotts was on for five seasons therefore had more episodes than the Roper's.

The gay theme worked much better in the Roper years. It was much more realistic too. Mrs Roper knew the truth. Mr Roper always had his doubts. Mr Furley was so gullible that it got so stale.

The gay theme worked much better in the Roper years. It was much more realistic too. Mrs Roper knew the truth. Mr Roper always had his doubts. Mr Furley was so gullible that it got so stale.

I honestly don't see why Mr Furley would have a problem with Jack being straight and living with Janet and Chrissy/Cindy/Terri, as free spirited as he seemed to be.

I kinda think Furley knew Jack was straight and just didn't care.... He came in sometimes when he thought Jack was carrying on with Janet or Chrissy and sometimes it was never cleared up at the end. I think maybe it was his brother Bart that had the problem with it, so Furley just had to go along to appease Bart

Interesting. IMHO Don was a fantastic addition to the show as the new landlord. Its decline had nothing to do with him. Most sitcoms grow stale after season 4 especially when they bring in new characters.
I hated how the characters changed and the scripts only were focused on Jack in the later seasons. None of them needed to be sharing an apartment with hip fashion, restaurant owner, nurse , and store manager. Yet like most sitcoms that started in the 70s that went into the 80s, it got lost in all that 80s glam.

Well, I like the 80s "glam" better.

Well, I like the 80s "glam" better.
Caught up in all that glam was stupid plots:
Jack gets locked in a freezer
The kids hide a kitten from Mr Furley
The girls pretend Jack wins a radio contest to give him money
Jack pretends to be a doctor to impress an uncle
Jack gets a tattoo
A minister thinks Jack's bistro is sexualized
Jack gets amnesia
Jack gets money from an ATM that is not his
Janet inherits a vase

These story lines were used in other sitcoms but I found it annoying by this time in the series, they were so over acted. There was much more comedy in the earlier seasons. It was clever. Towards the end it just got dumb IMHO.

Caught up in all that glam was stupid plots:
Jack gets locked in a freezer
The kids hide a kitten from Mr Furley
The girls pretend Jack wins a radio contest to give him money
Jack pretends to be a doctor to impress an uncle
Jack gets a tattoo
A minister thinks Jack's bistro is sexualized
Jack gets amnesia
Jack gets money from an ATM that is not his
Janet inherits a vase

These story lines were used in other sitcoms but I found it annoying by this time in the series, they were so over acted. There was much more comedy in the earlier seasons. It was clever. Towards the end it just got dumb IMHO.

John Ritter said he didn't like the episode where they hid a kitten from Mr. Furley. He said they started repeating plots like when they hid the puppy from the Ropers.

I think the writers were running out of ideas by season 8. I'm glad the show ended when it did, but I wished they would have went about Three's a Crowd differently. The casting was a problem.

John Ritter said he didn't like the episode where they hid a kitten from Mr. Furley. He said they started repeating plots like when they hid the puppy from the Ropers.

I think the writers were running out of ideas by season 8. I'm glad the show ended when it did, but I wished they would have went about Three's a Crowd differently. The casting was a problem.
Another recycled script was "Larry's sister" - season 7. She comes to town and Jack shows her around and then Larry thinks Jack had sex with her. Same exact premise from Season 3 "My sister's keeper." (except it was Janet's sister)

The writers were out of ideas

I honestly don't see why Mr Furley would have a problem with Jack being straight and living with Janet and Chrissy/Cindy/Terri, as free spirited as he seemed to be.

I kinda think Furley knew Jack was straight and just didn't care.... He came in sometimes when he thought Jack was carrying on with Janet or Chrissy and sometimes it was never cleared up at the end. I think maybe it was his brother Bart that had the problem with it, so Furley just had to go along to appease Bart

I think that I said once before that even though Mr. Furley would tease Jack about his presumed homosexuality, unlike Mr. Roper, you still got the sense that Mr. Furley otherwise genuinely liked Jack. Mr. Roper just seemed to look at Jack with utter disdain. Jack supposedly being gay, just gave Mr. Roper an added excuse.

Caught up in all that glam was stupid plots:
Jack gets locked in a freezer
The kids hide a kitten from Mr Furley
The girls pretend Jack wins a radio contest to give him money
Jack pretends to be a doctor to impress an uncle
Jack gets a tattoo
A minister thinks Jack's bistro is sexualized
Jack gets amnesia
Jack gets money from an ATM that is not his
Janet inherits a vase

These story lines were used in other sitcoms but I found it annoying by this time in the series, they were so over acted. There was much more comedy in the earlier seasons. It was clever. Towards the end it just got dumb IMHO.

I disagree. I loved those episodes.