The year of 1980 was not of good year for the powerful Tuesday night lineup from 77-79. Three's Company riding high all of a sudden lost Suzanne Somers, Happy Days lost Ron Howard and Donny Most, and Laverne and Shirley started basing the show in California which was a horrible move. We all know these shows would have last longer if nothing changed. I say TC would have ended in 86, maybe 87, Happy Days might have also lasted until 86 or 87 if Most and Howard stayed til 82 or 83 and L&S coud have gone on to 1985 if they stayed in Milwaukee and Had more guest appearances by Henry Winkler.

I can't say much about the other two shows because I really did not like them enough to watch them much, but let me weigh in on one of my favorites, Three's Company. Losing Somers hurt the show for awhile, i.e, Cindy Snow, but when Terri came along the show went back up into the top ten and pretty much stayed there. I think the show was every bit as funny with Teri as with Chrissy, if not better. (opinion) Ending the 8th season TC was number 13, good numbers for an aging series. What killed TC more than anything was The A Team. It became a phenomanon in 1983 and began to kill everything up against it, like TC. ABC refused to move the show to a safer night, probably because it was very expensive by then and maybe wanting it to go. It ended the final season at 39, a huge drop, and that was the end. Well the A Team lost steam pretty quick but by then TC was a causuality. I agree it could have lasted until maybe 85 or 86 but that was with some help from ABC and they never gave it.

Originally posted by Ericguy
I can't say much about the other two shows because I really did not like them enough to watch them much, but let me weigh in on one of my favorites, Three's Company. Losing Somers hurt the show for awhile, i.e, Cindy Snow, but when Terri came along the show went back up into the top ten and pretty much stayed there. I think the show was every bit as funny with Teri as with Chrissy, if not better. (opinion) Ending the 8th season TC was number 13, good numbers for an aging series. What killed TC more than anything was The A Team. It became a phenomanon in 1983 and began to kill everything up against it, like TC. ABC refused to move the show to a safer night, probably because it was very expensive by then and maybe wanting it to go. It ended the final season at 39, a huge drop, and that was the end. Well the A Team lost steam pretty quick but by then TC was a causuality. I agree it could have lasted until maybe 85 or 86 but that was with some help from ABC and they never gave it.


So three's company really was stillin the top ten from 81 to 84? I thought the show had slipped and fell out of the top ten.

I agree with you Eric about Three's Company. I liked Terri better than Chrissy too.

Originally posted by Jenny
I agree with you Eric about Three's Company. I liked Terri better than Chrissy too.

Well the Chrissy from 77-78 was okay-but the character chrissy just became weird from 79-80. Very weird

Originally posted by Jenny
I liked Terri better than Chrissy too.

Not me. It took awhile to get used to Terri. She was sometimes a little annoying. I like Cindy & Chrissy better.

According to "Come Knock on Our Door" by Chris Mann, the show was in the top ten or close to it until that final season. The reason I liked Terri is because she wasn't stupid or dumb. She added the sex part, which was integral to the humor of TC. which Cindy just did not have, but yet she was smart as well. I liked the early Chrissy with the long hair, but the braided and boots Chrissy just dragged the show and I think it would have ended sooner or about the same if she had stayed. Sometimes, cast changes make a show better. I don't think MASH would have stayed around as long with the same characters. It gives the show a shot in the arm.

1980 was an "experimental" year for ABC. They wanted to see the results to if they got rid of or changed something about a top 20 sitcom, and it obviosuly didn't work very well...but L&S had it's strongest season, Happy Days focused on Marion and Howard, who were never given episodes, and Three's Company brought in the multi-talented Jenilee Harrison!!

Originally posted by Silver Daze


Not me. It took awhile to get used to Terri. She was sometimes a little annoying. I like Cindy & Chrissy better.

I feel that terri character was TOO serious for the show. Being smart is one thing but dull is another. And that was terri all the way-DULL!!

Terri was unfunny, but she did add on some more sexual tension to the show which was absent during Season 5...although season 5 is my favorite season.

Originally posted by callmetootie
Terri was unfunny, but she did add on some more sexual tension to the show which was absent during Season 5...although season 5 is my favorite season.

I like season 4 and 7 the most

Each of those three shows, in my opinion, had a riding high period. "Happy Days" had basically 1975-77. "Laverne & Shirley" picked up for 1977-79, and "Three's Company" was big for 1978-81. I think, that is Chrissy stayed, the show would have lasted to 1983. Chrissy was great, but still "The A-Team" was too powerful. "Laverne & Shirley" would have ended in 1983, like it did. "Happy Days," however would probably have lasted up to 1982. Now, maybe if TC had brought in some new characters, I would have given it to 1985. L&S would have probably lasted to 1984 (if they kept Shirley). I would give HD up to 1985 also, if they hadn't brought in Roger or burned down Arnold's (that scene where they show the car mirror with Arnold's burning in the background still scares the heck out of me).

Originally posted by JT
Each of those three shows, in my opinion, had a riding high period. "Happy Days" had basically 1975-77. "Laverne & Shirley" picked up for 1977-79, and "Three's Company" was big for 1978-81. I think, that is Chrissy stayed, the show would have lasted to 1983. Chrissy was great, but still "The A-Team" was too powerful. "Laverne & Shirley" would have ended in 1983, like it did. "Happy Days," however would probably have lasted up to 1982. Now, maybe if TC had brought in some new characters, I would have given it to 1985. L&S would have probably lasted to 1984 (if they kept Shirley). I would give HD up to 1985 also, if they hadn't brought in Roger or burned down Arnold's (that scene where they show the car mirror with Arnold's burning in the background still scares the heck out of me).


Ron Howard and Suzanne Somers were very hard to replace. Which was the start of a slow decline in the ratings.

I remember as a kid, shows like "Three's Company", "Happy Days", "Laverne and Shirley" and "Mork and Mindy" were THE shows to watch. Now, if I catch them in syndication, they just don't entertain anymore. Especially "Happy Days" - What was I thinking?

Originally posted by Brenton
I remember as a kid, shows like "Three's Company", "Happy Days", "Laverne and Shirley" and "Mork and Mindy" were THE shows to watch. Now, if I catch them in syndication, they just don't entertain anymore. Especially "Happy Days" - What was I thinking?

Well I can see Mork and Mindy only being interesting to a teenager but Three's Company will always be entertaining. Happy Days in my opinion is only good from the fall of 1975 to the Spring of 1980-after 80-not worth watching. I wasn't really a big fan of Laverne and Shirley but i will look at the crossover episodes with Happy Days and thaT'S IT.

Yes, TC is one of those will always be funny. We talk about Chrissy, Cindy, and Terri, and who we like but the fact is that the show was good with all three of them, just some more than others because the two mainstays, Joyce and John never lost thier edge and the scripts were terrific. As for Arnold's, I never watched much Happy Days but I know what you are talking about with Arnold's. Sometimes I never understand why writers will do some of the things they do. You can't burn down something that has been in the show that long. Like Soap putting Jessica in front of the firing squad (those of you that watch SOAP know what I mean) Some moves are just stupid.

Originally posted by SOLOMON
The year of 1980 was not of good year for the powerful Tuesday night lineup from 77-79. Three's Company riding high all of a sudden lost Suzanne Somers, Happy Days lost Ron Howard and Donny Most, and Laverne and Shirley started basing the show in California which was a horrible move.

I agree completely. 1980 was a big let-down compared with 1979. I remember when it happened. I couldn't believe it! It seemed like all my favorite shows were changing! And, it continued into the early '80s. Larry Wilcox (of "CHiPs") left and both of the Duke boys (John and Tom) left for a while. I think the only show I watched that stayed consistent was Taxi.

As far as the ABC shows, the peak was probably the 1978-79 season. The Tuesday night line-up: Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, Taxi and Starsky & Hutch. (Even though by then both Happy Days and Starsky & Hutch were past their prime.)