I THINK 'Three's A Crowd' Failed Because Of The Vicky Character

[JackJanetChrissy]

Originally Posted by TMC

The whole concept of Jack Tripper living with this girl right off the bat she just seemed off. What I mean is that is that she seemed kind of bossy and controlling. For example, she did not want to get married but instead, wanted this sort of friends with benefits relationship. Plus, she must've known that Jack was too trusting and forgiving. That's how she knew she had the upper hand and played to many head games at the same time.

Even so, Vicki wasn't exactly Jack Tripper's type at all. Jack was constantly chasing after hot pants clad California girls like Chrissy throughout Three's Company. Not once in the entire run of Three's Company did he ever bring home anyone who remotely looked or acted like Vicky. She came out of nowhere to found this series. Second, she's way too conservative for Jack from her clothing style to her hair style.

Granted, you can argue that it was supposed to be exactly the point of Three's a Crow. Jack finally fell in love for good with someone more mature and wasn't just chasing around bimbos anymore. But on the same token, Jack had to understand and agree to the situation between Vicky, her father and that landlord situation.

It's interesting to hear that you thought Vicki was bossy and controlling, because I thought she was a total pushover! I think she was a more conservative type of girl because by that time the characters were in their 30s and both Jack and the women he chased were more mature. By the end of Three's Company Janet and Terri were much more "grown-up" than Season 1 Janet and Chrissy. And Jack's more serious girlfriends on Three's Company (like Linda and the older woman) were more conservative and professional and not as hot-pantsy.

Also it it was mid-80s by the time TAC came on---the Reagan era. Everything was shifting to more conservative norms, esp on television sitcoms.

[TVFactFan]

The show failed because of Vicky's father

He was not needed at all

[JackJanetChrissy]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

The show failed because of Vicky's father

He was not needed at all

Agreed.

[eleri]

Originally Posted by TMC

she did not want to get married but instead, wanted this sort of friends with benefits relationship.

It wasn't friends with benefits. It was an exclusive, romantic relationship. She just didn't want to put a ring on it.

Originally Posted by TMC

Secondly, she's way too conservative for Jack from her clothing style to her hair style.

That was an 80s thing. Clothes (and hair) were large and the "businesswoman" look was in. I suggested on another thread that 80s fashions killed TC. When Janet and Terri converted to the new look (and you could no longer tell if Terri was braless), the shows ratings tanked almost overnight.

Originally Posted by TMC

Granted, you can argue that it was supposed to be exactly the point of Three's a Crowd. Jack finally fell in love for good with someone more mature and wasn't just chasing around bimbos anymore.

No, the point of TAC was that the unimaginative folks at DLT expected to replicate the success of Robin's Nest at a low cost by using the same scripts, ignoring the myriad differences between the circumstances. The most notable difference was that Man About the House was at the height of its popularity when it ended, and it's audience was eager for a sequel. TC had fallen off the radar by the end of its 8th season.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by eleri

It wasn't friends with benefits. It was an exclusive, romantic relationship. She just didn't want to put a ring on it.



That was an 80s thing. Clothes (and hair) were large and the "businesswoman" look was in. I suggested on another thread that 80s fashions killed TC. When Janet and Terri converted to the new look (and you could no longer tell if Terri was braless), the shows ratings tanked almost overnight.



No, the point of TAC was that the unimaginative folks at DLT expected to replicate the success of Robin's Nest at a low cost by using the same scripts, ignoring the myriad differences between the circumstances. The most notable difference was that Man About the House was at the height of its popularity when it ended, and it's audience was eager for a sequel. TC had fallen off the radar by the end of its 8th season.

Correct, FWB is someone you see every so often not someone you living with

[ChubbySitComFan]

I think it was doomed from the start when you see them in bedroom together and her dad show's up in the last episode of TC.

That wasn't funny at all but quite rude and just downright disturbing and oddly dysfunctional.

On another note I was watching the last episode again last night and have to say it was still sad watching it today and actually doubly sad since it reminded me of good times in my childhood.

[TVFactFan]

The father was unlikable

[TMC]

Originally Posted by JackJanetChrissy

Agreed.

I'm guessing that the producers felt that they needed another older, more conservative antagonist character for Jack (much like Mr. Roper and Mr. Furley on Three's Company), hence his live-in girlfriend's meddling father.

[340wedge]

My feeling is the whole show was over because it ended abruptly with too many changes. You cannot have years of loving the characters as they are, living together and the relationships they shared and then in one episode it is all gone. They mysteriously fall in love with strangers and their whole lives change just like that, getting married, living together and starting new lives. We miss the relationships that they had and wish would never end. When it does end, it's depressing, a whole new show and people don't want to get comfortable with it.

[TMC]

Gail Edwards (Dot on It's a Living, Vicky on Full House, Six's mom on Blossom) claims that the producers originally wanted her for the Vicky role on Three's A Crowd. But John Ritter had final say and he wanted Mary Cadorette.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by 340wedge

My feeling is the whole show was over because it ended abruptly with too many changes. You cannot have years of loving the characters as they are, living together and the relationships they shared and then in one episode it is all gone. They mysteriously fall in love with strangers and their whole lives change just like that, getting married, living together and starting new lives. We miss the relationships that they had and wish would never end. When it does end, it's depressing, a whole new show and people don't want to get comfortable with it.

Maybe Three's A Crowd could've had a sliver of better chance at succeeding had there been more of a slow build. Janet's fiance Phillip isn't introduced until the third to last episode in the series, "The Heiress". Meanwhile, Vicky and her father aren't introduced until the second to last episode, "Cupid Works Overtime". And the final episode had to rush through things so that it can wrap up Three's Company and set up Three's A Crowd. If you've never watched Three's A Crowd, watching the final episode of Three's Company is a weird experience because without that particular context, there really isn't any true "closure" at least for Jack. And it just makes you wonder what is so special about Vicky even though she doesn't want to marry him and he has to put up with her obnoxious father?

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TMC

Maybe Three's A Crowd could've had a sliver of better chance at succeeding had there been more of a slow build. Janet's fiance Phillip isn't introduced until the third to last episode in the series, "The Heiress". Meanwhile, Vicky and her father aren't introduced until the second to last episode, "Cupid Works Overtime". And the final episode had to rush through things so that it can wrap up Three's Company and set up Three's A Crowd. If you've never watched Three's A Crowd, watching the final episode of Three's Company is a weird experience because without that particular context, there really isn't any true "closure" at least for Jack. And it just makes you wonder what is so special about Vicky even though she doesn't want to marry him and he has to put up with her obnoxious father?

who the hell is Vicky

[Schmo]

I don’t know why John Ritter decided to do “Three’s A Crowd”. In my opinion, audiences were growing tired of the Jack Tripper character. Plus, he didn't have much chemistry with co-star Mary Cadorrete. According to Wikipedia, ABC was reluctant to cancel TAC despite its mediocre ratings, so they approached Ritter with an offer to renew it for half-season of 13 episodes. Ritter replied that the network either renew the series for a full season or cancel it. So ABC pulled the plug.

[glickmam]

Originally Posted by JackJanetChrissy

It's interesting to hear that you thought Vicki was bossy and controlling, because I thought she was a total pushover! I think she was a more conservative type of girl because by that time the characters were in their 30s and both Jack and the women he chased were more mature. By the end of Three's Company Janet and Terri were much more "grown-up" than Season 1 Janet and Chrissy. And Jack's more serious girlfriends on Three's Company (like Linda and the older woman) were more conservative and professional and not as hot-pantsy.

Also it it was mid-80s by the time TAC came on---the Reagan era. Everything was shifting to more conservative norms, esp on television sitcoms.

Another factor I feel that caused the decline of Three's a Crowd was the arrival of The Cosby Show on NBC. I say this because I feel that when The Cosby Show arrived, it heavily changed how people wanted to view sitcoms, in that viewers now wanted sitcoms to be smarter, wittier, and overall, more down-to-earth and realistic. The sitcom farcical humor of the '70s for which Three's Company had specialized in had pretty much gone out of style thanks to The Cosby Show's presence.

[rusty spike]

I bet they threw a lot of dough at John to keep playing the role of Tripper, but the new show was too unfamiliar for viewers. It just wasn't funny the way TC had been. I agree that the father was too overbearing for many; even nosey neighbor Mrs. Kravitz from Bewitched was likeable once in awhile.