Is Three's Company one of the few '70s sitcoms w/ a "timeless appeal"

[TMC]

What I mean is that it never tried to pretend to be anything that it wasn't. It was just a silly, fun show filled with farcical and slapstick comedy. It wasn't a strident, political show like from the Norman Lear factory.

[JackJanetChrissy]

I'm biased because it's my favorite show but yeah. Even if some of the jokes age poorly according to political or social trends, the actor performances and silliness will never go out of style. (And overall it's a very warm, soft kind of show, so even the dated humor never feels mean or nasty.)

Also, the format and production value were very simple. Simplicity usually = timeless appeal.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by JackJanetChrissy

I'm biased because it's my favorite show but yeah. Even if some of the jokes age poorly according to political or social trends, the actor performances and silliness will never go out of style. (And overall it's a very warm, soft kind of show, so even the dated humor never feels mean or nasty.)

Also, the format and production value were very simple. Simplicity usually = timeless appeal.

The entire plot of Three's Company would be foreign to modern viewers. Who bats an eye these days to unmarried men and women living in one apartment with separate bedrooms to boot?

[JackJanetChrissy]

Originally Posted by TMC

The entire plot of Three's Company would be foreign to modern viewers. Who bats an eye these days to unmarried men and women living in one apartment with separate bedrooms to boot?

That's very true, and I think that adds a layer of funny absurdity for modern audiences. You never know, though....if the culture ever regresses somehow and sexual taboos make a comeback Three's Company may get edgy again!

[Chocolate Moose]

I loved it back in the day but I don't think it stands the test of time ......

[JSP]

Rhoda has aged better than Three’s Company, in my opinion. Three’s Company was a lot more of the times in regards to gender roles, but Rhoda set her own path.

[SitcomsHeydayfan]

Originally Posted by TMC

What I mean is that it never tried to pretend to be anything that it wasn't. It was just a silly, fun show filled with farcical and slapstick comedy. It wasn't a strident, political show like from the Norman Lear factory.

I think TC could be the most timeless show EVER! Along with a show like I Love Lucy although I like TC way more!

100 or 200 years from now can't you see audiences laughing HYSTERICALLY at Jack Tripper's antics, follies, & physical comedy along with the rest of the gang?

[Lastkidpicked]

Originally Posted by JackJanetChrissy

I'm biased because it's my favorite show but yeah. Even if some of the jokes age poorly according to political or social trends, the actor performances and silliness will never go out of style. (And overall it's a very warm, soft kind of show, so even the dated humor never feels mean or nasty.)

Also, the format and production value were very simple. Simplicity usually = timeless appeal.

There is a cultural reason why Three's Company will stand the test of time:

The 1970's were a time of fear and uncertainty in the U.S. We were hearing phrases we'd never heard before, "Layoffs", "Downsizing", "Corporate Bankruptcy".

For the first time in history, we couldn't count on kids automatically growing up to have it better than their parent's did.

Boy, did we need a distraction!

So, along comes Three's Company. Young folks just starting out, feeling optimistic and hopeful. Their biggest problem was when Jack accidentally lined up two dates on the same night!

If you want a peek into that very fun and exciting time of being young enjoying life, feeling like you have the world on a string, then Three's Company does a great job of showing what that's like.

I mean really-- don't you feel good just watching it?

[SitcomsHeydayfan]

YES! I probably feel better watching TC than any other show. That will be true for many in future generations too.

[Mace Dolex]

I can never tire of TC it can make me laugh no matter the thousands of times I've seen all episodes.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Lastkidpicked

There is a cultural reason why Three's Company will stand the test of time:

The 1970's were a time of fear and uncertainty in the U.S. We were hearing phrases we'd never heard before, "Layoffs", "Downsizing", "Corporate Bankruptcy".

For the first time in history, we couldn't count on kids automatically growing up to have it better than their parent's did.

Boy, did we need a distraction!

So, along comes Three's Company. Young folks just starting out, feeling optimistic and hopeful. Their biggest problem was when Jack accidentally lined up two dates on the same night!

If you want a peek into that very fun and exciting time of being young enjoying life, feeling like you have the world on a string, then Three's Company does a great job of showing what that's like.

I mean really-- don't you feel good just watching it?

I think that Three's Company really benefited from coming out at the right time. For most of the 1970s, the predominate American TV sitcoms were either Norman Lear's gritty, drab, socially conscious shows, where everyone was always shouting at each other and addressing big issues or the MTM company's classy, filmed work-and-home comedies.

When Three's Company came about, we really hadn't seen a young, sexy, risque, racy and edgy (for its time) TV show, with naughty set-ups, double entendres and physical comedy. Plus, the California setting seemed like a lively and fun paradise. In effect, it has aged well because that sort of juvenile slapstick doesn't really go out of style.

[TMC]

Richard Kline said on Antenna TV's 40th anniversary show that Three's Company wasn't a topical show like say, what Normal Lear was producing or something down the line like Murphy Brown. Three's Company was a pure farce and again, the fact that it wasn't topical meant that it wasn't too dated. This in return, helped Three's Company feel more like a universal comedy.