Nick@Nite once ran a series of back to back episodes of Three's Company with similar themes. Although 8 seasons is a lot, it's remarkable just how many episodes use almost the exact same plot device. Below is just a few that I noted while browsing an epsiode guide. Please feel free to add to this list.


The following episode summaries are from TV Tome:
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/EpisodeGuideServlet/showid-629/


--- Hiding pet from landlord

4. No Children, No Pets
Larry Dallas, a slick car salesman, unloads a puppy on the trio. Knowing that Stanley doesn't allow pets, they try to hide it. The puppy is necesary for Chrissy's sleepwalking problem.

165. Look What I Found
The trio try to hide a bunch of kittens from the building's no-pet clause.


--- Jack bets he can go w/out women

35. The Fast
It's a test of willpower when Janet and Chrissy give up food in exchange for Jack giving up girls!

145. Jack's Double Date
Janet and Terri bet Jack that he can't go with women for a week. Although he is intent on proving them wrong, he weakens when he sets Furley up with an older woman whose bombshell daughter sweeps Jack off his feet.


--- Is my sister safe with Jack?

37. My Sister's Keeper
Janet's sister visits. After asking him to take her out, Janet then thinks that something happened between them after they arrived home really late.

140. Larry's Sister
Larry's sister is visiting and Larry asked Jack to take her out. After Jacks and his sister stay out late, Larry suspects that Jack is trying something with his sister.


--- I want you straight and out

3. Roper's Niece
Mr. Roper sets Jack up with his niece, who turns out to be very promiscuous in her way. Jack finds out that Mr. Roper set him up in order to turn him straight, and if he is, out he goes.

70. The Love Lesson
Furley hopes to "straighten" Jack out by giving him love lessons. If he is indeed straight, he has to move out.


--- Jack gets in trouble because Larry likes Jack's name

27. Will The Real Jack Tripper . . .
Because of one of Larry's tricks, Jack is in trouble. A girl calls him claiming that he might have gotten her pregnant. The girls think that Jack is the father, but actually Larry used his name when he dated her. Jack hears this and thinks that he got his recent girlfriend, Linda, pregnant.

117. Urban Plowboy
Larry uses Jack's name while out on a date that goes bad and when the girl's brother comes looking for Jack, he must hide out on Cindy's grandparents' farm until the heat is off.


-- I'll do anything if you pick me...winner is landlord.

30. Bird Song
Janet has two tickets to see Frank Sinatra, and Chrissy and Jack fight over who gets to go with Janet. [JamesC - If I remember correctly, the Ropers get the tickets and none of the kids get to go.]

64. The Love Barge
Jack gets a job on a cruise ship and is invited to take only one guest. He has a choice between Janet and Chrissy and he sure doesn't want to take Lana of all people. So he makes it so Mr. Furley can go on the trip with Lana, who thinks that jack will be on the ship waiting for her.


JamesC

The following episode summaries are from TV Tome:
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/EpisodeGuideServlet/showid-629/


-- It'll be fun to watch and maybe I'll learn something.

104. Gigolo Jack or Professor Jack
Jack is giving cooking lessons to raise some money and Terri mistakes them as love lessons.

146. Janet's Little Helper
Jack thinks that Janet is going out with Ralph's nephew when she trys to help him be a good gentleman when he meets girls.


In episode 104, the husband tells Terri that it'll be fun to watch and that maybe he'll learn something (Terri thinks he's talking about sex lessons when he means cooking lessons). In episode 146, Furley and Jack have almost the same conversation (Jack thinks he's talking about sex when he means fixing the stereo).

JamesC

Originally posted by JamesC
3. Roper's Niece
Mr. Roper sets Jack up with his niece, who turns out to be very promiscuous in her way. Jack finds out that Mr. Roper set him up in order to turn him straight, and if he is, out he goes.

Whoa, I guess it's been a while since I've seen that episode. That's not the way I remember it happening at all. In the beginning of the episode I remember Mr. Roper wanting Jack to take her out because she'll be "safe" with a guy like him. In the end when Roper catches them in the living room, I thought he just said something like "I knew it!" because he was mad. I'll have to see that episode again to see where Mr. Roper was setting him up.

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That's a good list. I've noticed a few of those pairs as repeats too, but I didn't realize there were so many. Only Three's Company can get away with recycled plots so well.

Cashodeen, your right in that the episode guide is incorrect or misleading at best. Mr. Roper indeed asks Jack to take his niece out thinking she'll be safe with him, not with the intention to turn him straight. Jack, of course, declines until he sees her. I think this is the episode where Jack thinks he won't have to pretend to be gay since Mr. Roper encouraged him to turn straight, not realizing that once Mr. Roper believes he's converted, he'll be kicked out of the apartment.



Here's another double.

The following episode summaries are from:
http://www.threescompany.com/tcompany/www/episodes.asp

-- Take it or leave it...fun with the rent money

18. Jack's Uncle
Roper's on a rampage for the rent, so Jack's visiting uncle, a charming rascal...cavalierly dashes off a [bad] check for $100.00. The trio then tries to retrieve the check by sneaking into the Ropers' apartment...

73. Jack's Bad Boy
Jack Tripper finally meets his match when a twelve-year-old boy wins the girl's sympathy...even Ralph warms up to the kid, but when the kid gives Jack $100.00 to cover the rest of the rent, Jack thinks he stole it, and they try to sneak it back into Furley's.


JamesC

The following episode summaries are from:
http://www.threescompany.com/tcompany/www/episodes.asp


-- Changing character to make someone fall out of love back fires

68. Larry Loves Janet
Jack and Chrissy hatch an outrageous scheme to transform sensible Janet into a high-powered bombshell in order to call off the amorous advances of Larry [toward Janet]. When Larry arrives for their date, Janet vamps him and he loves it and goes [even more] for her.

148. Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Terri falls romantically for Jack when he buys a moustache, which makes him look like Terri's old boyfriend, David. Janet tells Jack the way to cool Terri off is to boss her around. While Jack is in the process, Janet finds out from Terri's mother that David treated Terri the same way and Terri thrived on it.

JamesC

The following episode summaries are from:
http://www.threescompany.com/tcompany/www/episodes.asp


-- I read it and I know it's got to be one of you

66. Black Letter Day
When Lana reads a letter in the advice column in the paper about a man living with two women and having an affair with one of them she [mistakenly] decides that it's the trio. She confronts Janet with the letter and insinuates that it's Jack and Chrissy. She then talks to Chrissy and decides that it's Janet and Jack.

152. She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
Larry discovers an answered magazine quiz and he and Jack [mistakenly] think one of the girls wants to have an affair with Jack. They take the girls on a weekend trip to find out who answered the quiz...[they are sure it's one girl and then the other].


JamesC

The following episode summaries are from:
http://www.threescompany.com/tcompany/www/episodes.asp


-- Expose, to the boss, the true character of the antagonist to get your job back

116. Hearts and Flowers
Janet, harassed at work by Bobbi, a recently appointed efficiency expert, becomes more upset when Jack asks her worst enemy out. Realizing he's hurt Janet, Jack breaks the date with Bobbi, who in turn takes the rejection out on Janet who blows her top and quits. Jack, Terri and Furley scheme to bring out Bobbi's true colors in front of the big boss, who then sends her packing. Janet gets her job back as well as a raise and extra vacation.

149. Navy Blues
Bill Martin, a former cook in the Navy with Jack, comes to town and tries to con his way into Jack's business. Bill finally convinces Angelino that Jack needs a partner when he tricks Jack into throwing a celebration party for a couple who have just come from a funeral. Furious, the girls talk Jack into conning Bill back. They get Mr. Furley to pose as a rich, Texan investor who offers Bill an even better partnership. Bill then turns down Angelino's offer, Jack renews his lease, and Bill is left out in the cold.


I don't remember "Hearts and Flowers" very well, but it sounds a lot like "Navy Blues".

1A. Bobbi is an efficiency expert.
1B. Bill tells Angelino that he worked in efficiency in the Navy.

2A. Bobbi causes Janet to lose her job (she quit).
2B. Bill causes Jack to potentially lose part of his restaurant.

3A. With Furley's help, the gang exposes Bobbi's true character to Janet's boss.
3B. With Furley's help, the gang exposes Bill's true character to Jack's business landlord.

4A. Janet gets her job back while Bobbi is fired.
4B. Jack gets his restaurant back while Bill is shown the door.


JamesC