When a supporting character upstaged the star...and then got the boot.

[Edward216]

Originally Posted by glickmam

Bonet was written off A Different World because she was pregnant with her and husband Lenny Kravitz's child. Also, A Different World lasted for six seasons and became more critically acclaimed when Bonet left, so I hardly say it went downhill.

Exactly. Lisa Bonet's character was written out of A Different World because the character of Denise was single (not in any kind of relationship) and Bill Cosby wasn't happy Lisa Bonet got pregnant and didn't want the character of Denise on the show being a single pregnant woman. The character of Denise wasn't brought back to The Cosby Show right away because Bill Cosby and Lisa Bonet never really got along anyways. Of course knowing what we know about Bill Cosby now I can't imagine why (sarcasm). But then I always thought the man came off too preachy and self-righteous, and look what he was hiding all that time. The scumbag.

Ed.

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by rcbrad

Ritter was ALWAYS and already considered the star of the show. He was paid more than the other cast members. I do not see how the chain of events of the cast members changing benefited Ritter in any way with his star status

On top of Suzanne Somer's demands for a HUGE salary increase, she failed to show up for work one to many times and that was it. ABC finally said enough also!

Here's the title of the thread:

"When a supporting character upstaged the star...and then got the boot".

My original post is about John Ritter (who didn't get the boot) therefore I think it's reasonable to assume who the star was in the example I gave, so how did we get to this:

"Ritter was ALWAYS and already considered the star of the show".

Ritter wanted the focus of that show to be on his character and he didn't want to be upstaged. Stars are very particular about things like that, Fell mugged for the camera and did great takes as I'm sure you recall.

There were numerous issues going on around Somers departure, money was certainly one of them, but things could have been worked out (as they were in many of the series of that era), this wasn't, like I said, no accident.

[favoriteshow]

Originally Posted by glickmam

Suzanne Somers solely wanted more money on the misguided belief that the sole reason people were watching was because of her perceived fanservice

She was pretty popular from the show. No questioning it.

I think she was pretty rankled when ABC offered her just a $5,000 salary increase. Typically, one negotiates ask high (and for her, she asked high to be on par with John Ritter - rather ambitious), but she probably would have settled somewhere in the middle. ABC offered her peanuts, probably with the fact that Joyce DeWitt will take peanuts. It would have helped if she was together with Joyce DeWitt.

[favoriteshow]

Originally Posted by Duster76

Jenilee Harrison briefly replaces Suzanne, and I thought did a very good job, mysteriously her character is moved to the side and becomes a minor character.

Jennilee Harrison was just a temporary fill in. Unfortunate for her but she had no chance. She was still a Snow, written as a cousin of Chrissy, while the legal battles were still present with the original blonde Snow. They eventually decided on a replacement nothing like Chrissy (except being blonde) and unrelated to her; the producers introduce a smarter roommate, one who is a nurse. I would have liked to see Cindy as a guest/friend a bit longer, but she was just dumped unceremoniously.

Of course, nothing like more modern times, i.e. Friends or Big Bang Theory, where cast are more united, and there is still budget for having guest and recurring characters around.

However, Sex and The City is one show from not too long ago - same time era as Friends, where we now know that Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker weren't united or friends off the set...However, the tension didn't reach the brink with Kim Cattrall leaving the show. She was involved in two post-series franchised movies as well. Those movies sucked but Kim Cattrall likely got somewhat a better financial deal than more seasons on HBO. I'm surprised though that HBO couldn't just replace her with a fourth new gal, while Kim Cattrall sought roles outside the show. Then again, Sex and the City the TV series started concluding too fast, and by the sixth season, it seemed ready to end. If better planned, it could have been milked to 8-10 seasons.

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

TC was as huge hit. The American producers weren’t going to wait until the show ended to try to develop a spinoff.


That contradicts everything I’ve read about the show and about Ritter. The producers were the driving force behind that show. The Chris Mann “Come and Knock on Our Door” book is meticulously researched, and has quotes from cast about how the producers were the parents, and the actors were treated like children. Yes, things could have been worked out with Suzanne at the end and she basically capitulated. But the producers wanted to punish her. Suzanne tells a story of her final encounter with Michael Ross, and it leaves no doubt about who was in charge and made the decision about her departure.

[QUOTE=TV Guy;5571880]TC was as huge hit. The American producers weren’t going to wait until the show ended to try to develop a spinoff.

The break between the two British series was about 4 months. The Ropers was rushed out and clearly the series was not ready to go. The British version had many more subtle details, and George and Mildred as society interlopers is a funnier concept in the UK because of mores of that society. Fell knew this and that's why he wanted a commitment to be brought back to the original series.



With respect to Somers we are going to have to agree to disagree. Somers and her husband are brilliant business people that have been able to monetize her persona beyond anyones wildest expectation. There would have been nothing to gain for her by the time we get to Mann's book to rehash what was something in the deep past.

[factsoflife]

Originally Posted by Duster76

I think the Ropers (Norman Fell and Audra Lindley) were moved from Three's Company because John Ritter wanted that show to revolve around his character. I believe he also wanted Suzanne Somers off the show for the same reason.

Suzanne got too big for her britches and was booted cause she dared to ask for pay parity with Ritter. Unfortunately, Joyce Dewitt turned on her and didn't support her.

[factsoflife]

Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) on Grey's Anatomy was given her own spin-off after she became more popular than Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) the title character of that show.

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by favoriteshow

Jennilee Harrison was just a temporary fill in. Unfortunate for her but she had no chance. She was still a Snow, written as a cousin of Chrissy, while the legal battles were still present with the original blonde Snow. They eventually decided on a replacement nothing like Chrissy (except being blonde) and unrelated to her; the producers introduce a smarter roommate, one who is a nurse. I would have liked to see Cindy as a guest/friend a bit longer, but she was just dumped unceremoniously.

Of course, nothing like more modern times, i.e. Friends or Big Bang Theory, where cast are more united, and there is still budget for having guest and recurring characters around.

However, Sex and The City is one show from not too long ago - same time era as Friends, where we now know that Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker weren't united or friends off the set...However, the tension didn't reach the brink with Kim Cattrall leaving the show. She was involved in two post-series franchised movies as well. Those movies sucked but Kim Cattrall likely got somewhat a better financial deal than more seasons on HBO. I'm surprised though that HBO couldn't just replace her with a fourth new gal, while Kim Cattrall sought roles outside the show. Then again, Sex and the City the TV series started concluding too fast, and by the sixth season, it seemed ready to end. If better planned, it could have been milked to 8-10 seasons.

One of the foundation blocks of comedy is contrasting characters, fat, skinny; short, tall; neat, sloppy; old, young; organized, scatter brain; etc. To introduce a new roommate who was a blond version of Janet functionally changed the entire series. When the show started it was about the problems encountered by three roommates with a unique living arrangement and the people they interact with. With the addition of Terri (Priscilla Barnes) the show became Jack and the people in his orbit, his roommates, his best friend, his landlord, his cooking career, his romantic life. This is about a star Ritter pushing changes behind the scenes. The show was not as good the final three seasons.

[Greenbeans]

Originally Posted by factsoflife

Suzanne got too big for her britches and was booted cause she dared to ask for pay parity with Ritter. Unfortunately, Joyce Dewitt turned on her and didn't support her.

I think Suzanne was a little ahead of her time. It was an ensemble show. once she left, the end had begun.

Now days, it would be like Modern Family where all members of the ensemble band together and get the same pay.

I think that is what she wanted but the other 2 wouldn't go along with her. She'd get it now.

[cfr1970]

Originally Posted by Greenbeans

I think Suzanne was a little ahead of her time. It was an ensemble show. once she left, the end had begun.

Now days, it would be like Modern Family where all members of the ensemble band together and get the same pay.

I think that is what she wanted but the other 2 wouldn't go along with her. She'd get it now.

Was Somers and DeWitt earning a lesser salary than Ritter at this time? I agree this definitely was an ensemble show and if the producers and Ritter thought it was HIS show and he was the star, they were out of their minds.

Somers did have the right attitude asking for equal pay as her co-star was getting. It's a shame DeWitt was apparently weak and didn't stand with her on it.
All 3 of them should've been earning the same pay from the get go. But I also realize this was a different era where women in general were expected to earn less than men regardless of the situation.

Ritter also should've stood by Somers as well and the fact that he didn't, tells me he didn't think his 2 co stars were on the same footing as him. Not right.

I'm surprised that DeWitt was apparently comfortable with it all after Somers got the boot. She really must have needed to keep that job bad.

[factsoflife]

Originally Posted by cfr1970

Was Somers and DeWitt earning a lesser salary than Ritter at this time? I agree this definitely was an ensemble show and if the producers and Ritter thought it was HIS show and he was the star, they were out of their minds.

Somers did have the right attitude asking for equal pay as her co-star was getting. It's a shame DeWitt was apparently weak and didn't stand with her on it.
All 3 of them should've been earning the same pay from the get go. But I also realize this was a different era where women in general were expected to earn less than men regardless of the situation.

Ritter also should've stood by Somers as well and the fact that he didn't, tells me he didn't think his 2 co stars were on the same footing as him. Not right.

I'm surprised that DeWitt was apparently comfortable with it all after Somers got the boot. She really must have needed to keep that job bad.

Yes, Somers and Dewitt were making considerably less than Ritter. Keep in mind that it was very much common practice for the male actors to command higher salaries than female stars. This was after all the 1970's we're talking about.

Suzanne had the right idea but at the wrong time in history and had no support from anybody else on-set.

[dee2364]

Originally Posted by Duster76

Good comments. I agree the show was a favorite of mine during the Somers years but after she left the show really went downhill. This is no criticism of either Harrison or Barnes both were talented actresses who were not given the opportunity to develop their characters. Joyce DeWitt was hurt by the fact that the Terri Alden character was too similar to the Janet Wood character.

As someone who watched the show when it first ran, it always tickles me pink how people exaggerate Susanne Somer's importance. I never once at the time felt that the show went off the rails when she left, because as so many others pointed out, John Ritter was the star of Three's Company. If you were watching the show just for Jack Tripper, then the show never missed a step.

And besides, her character was getting so stupid and one dimensional that it had basically run out of steam. How many Chrissy-centric episodes and scenarios could they have written when she was basically reduced to a mentally challenged eight year old? The whole point of the show initially was to push the envelope in terms of sex but Chrissy was so dumb by the time Somers left that she couldn't even tell that her friend from school was a call girl even though it was blatantly obvious.

[dee2364]

I thought the most famous example of what the OP is asking for was Joe Flynn from the Joey Bishop show getting canned because he got too many laughs.

[Greenbeans]

Originally Posted by cfr1970

Was Somers and DeWitt earning a lesser salary than Ritter at this time? I agree this definitely was an ensemble show and if the producers and Ritter thought it was HIS show and he was the star, they were out of their minds.

Somers did have the right attitude asking for equal pay as her co-star was getting. It's a shame DeWitt was apparently weak and didn't stand with her on it.
All 3 of them should've been earning the same pay from the get go. But I also realize this was a different era where women in general were expected to earn less than men regardless of the situation.

Ritter also should've stood by Somers as well and the fact that he didn't, tells me he didn't think his 2 co stars were on the same footing as him. Not right.

I'm surprised that DeWitt was apparently comfortable with it all after Somers got the boot. She really must have needed to keep that job bad.

It amazed me DeWitt sided with Ritter. All she had to do was side with Sumors, demand the same pay, Ritter gets a raise, they all go up to his level and everybody is happy.

It was a little ahead of their time, but Sumors wasn't wrong. It was an ensemble show. She just wanted parity, Ritter would have gotten a huge raise, they would have demanded parity and got it, and the show goes on.

She wasn't wrong to demand that. Just ahead of her time.

[cfr1970]

Originally Posted by Greenbeans

She wasn't wrong to demand that. Just ahead of her time.

She paved the way for future start to pull the same thing only successfully. I'm sure the casts of future shows like "Friends" for example looked back on the Somers experience and knew from what happened there that they had to band together with no one being out, and they'd have the producers where they'd want em.

Had DeWitt sided with Somers, I think it definitely would have worked for all three of them because surely producers weren't going to fire BOTH girls. (or would they?)

In any case, it worked out to be a blessing for Somers. She successfully ditched the "Chrissy" persona that could have stuck with her for life had she continued on for more seasons.

And she made a gazillion off that 80's Thighmaster contraption, squeezing her thighs all the way to the bank while Ritter & DeWitt's careers pretty much faded after Threes Company. So she wound up getting the last laugh.