Why the show never worked...

[BestTVever]

I love Threes Company and I love The Ropers. But I understand why the show did not work. The banter between the Ropers was hysterical on Threes Company. Each show they had a few minutes of banter or insults that were fall out of the chair funny. They were part of the spice that made Threes Company work. However, to build a full show around their funny banter would be hard. However, the creators of this show failed miserably.

The Ropers did not work. Stanley was no longer the apartment owner/manager who would barge into the kid's apartment and cause havoc. Helen was the anti-hero that saved the kids from Mr Roper.
Stanley and Helen needed something to do.

The hostility towards the neighbor got old after a few shows. On Threes Company the Ropers were the ones that interfered with the main actors of the show. On the Ropers, the neighbor just annoys Mr Roper. Not the same.

Helen was so sexually frustrated on Threes Company that it was part of the fun of the show. On the Ropers, she is not as sexually frustrated and her role was not really chasing Stanley anymore. Their arguments were over dumb stuff and Helen almost seemed less intelligent than from Threes Company.

By the time they introduced another character living with the Ropers, it was too late. But the character of Ginny did give Helen something to do.

How the show could have succeeded"
Gave Stanley a job around the townhouses
Made Ginny move in at the beginning
Helen just as sexually frustrated and kept the banter between them
ABC would air it directly after Threes Company
More cross over between shows. The kids should have visited and vice versa. Larry did visit on season one. But after the first episode, the kids were never really mentioned again.

Its hard to write a show about an older couple with no jobs and when you remove the banter from the show that made them famous. Even harder when you remove them from the power center of the building and have them barging in on the younger kids.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

I love Threes Company and I love The Ropers. But I understand why the show did not work. The banter between the Ropers was hysterical on Threes Company. Each show they had a few minutes of banter or insults that were fall out of the chair funny. They were part of the spice that made Threes Company work. However, to build a full show around their funny banter would be hard. However, the creators of this show failed miserably.

The Ropers did not work. Stanley was no longer the apartment owner/manager who would barge into the kid's apartment and cause havoc. Helen was the anti-hero that saved the kids from Mr Roper.
Stanley and Helen needed something to do.

The hostility towards the neighbor got old after a few shows. On Threes Company the Ropers were the ones that interfered with the main actors of the show. On the Ropers, the neighbor just annoys Mr Roper. Not the same.

Helen was so sexually frustrated on Threes Company that it was part of the fun of the show. On the Ropers, she is not as sexually frustrated and her role was not really chasing Stanley anymore. Their arguments were over dumb stuff and Helen almost seemed less intelligent than from Threes Company.

By the time they introduced another character living with the Ropers, it was too late. But the character of Ginny did give Helen something to do.

How the show could have succeeded"
Gave Stanley a job around the townhouses
Made Ginny move in at the beginning
Helen just as sexually frustrated and kept the banter between them
ABC would air it directly after Threes Company
More cross over between shows. The kids should have visited and vice versa. Larry did visit on season one. But after the first episode, the kids were never really mentioned again.

Its hard to write a show about an older couple with no jobs and when you remove the banter from the show that made them famous. Even harder when you remove them from the power center of the building and have them barging in on the younger kids.

Welcome. I actually liked The Ropers and I think the reason it didn’t work was because of Ann’s husband’s persona and the useless addition of Jenny. I’ll take it any day over Three’s A Crowd though.

[BestTVever]

I love The Ropers too. I was just explaining why the show did not catch on. A great example is we never once saw the Roper's bedroom on the show. On Threes Company, the Roper's bedroom was frequently featured especially with them in bed. Its almost like Helen gave up on Stanley and they had no purpose in life.
Some of their funniest banter was in bed. Remember "The babysitters" Threes Company episode where Crissy is on the phone with Helen in bed and Stanley's mind is wondering who she is talking to. Its so freaking funny.
The show tried to make the Ropers something different than what made them famous on Threes Company.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

I love The Ropers too. I was just explaining why the show did not catch on. A great example is we never once saw the Roper's bedroom on the show. On Threes Company, the Roper's bedroom was frequently featured especially with them in bed. Its almost like Helen gave up on Stanley and they had no purpose in life.
Some of their funniest banter was in bed. Remember "The babysitters" Threes Company episode where Crissy is on the phone with Helen in bed and Stanley's mind is wondering who she is talking to. Its so freaking funny.
The show tried to make the Ropers something different than what made them famous on Threes Company.

I wish they would’ve gotten ridden of Ann’s useless ass husband. He gave me a headache.

[TVFactFan]

It worked for me because I like Ann's legs

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

I love Threes Company and I love The Ropers. But I understand why the show did not work. The banter between the Ropers was hysterical on Threes Company. Each show they had a few minutes of banter or insults that were fall out of the chair funny. They were part of the spice that made Threes Company work. However, to build a full show around their funny banter would be hard. However, the creators of this show failed miserably.

The Ropers did not work. Stanley was no longer the apartment owner/manager who would barge into the kid's apartment and cause havoc. Helen was the anti-hero that saved the kids from Mr Roper.
Stanley and Helen needed something to do.

The hostility towards the neighbor got old after a few shows. On Threes Company the Ropers were the ones that interfered with the main actors of the show. On the Ropers, the neighbor just annoys Mr Roper. Not the same.

Helen was so sexually frustrated on Threes Company that it was part of the fun of the show. On the Ropers, she is not as sexually frustrated and her role was not really chasing Stanley anymore. Their arguments were over dumb stuff and Helen almost seemed less intelligent than from Threes Company.

By the time they introduced another character living with the Ropers, it was too late. But the character of Ginny did give Helen something to do.

How the show could have succeeded"
Gave Stanley a job around the townhouses
Made Ginny move in at the beginning
Helen just as sexually frustrated and kept the banter between them
ABC would air it directly after Threes Company
More cross over between shows. The kids should have visited and vice versa. Larry did visit on season one. But after the first episode, the kids were never really mentioned again.

Its hard to write a show about an older couple with no jobs and when you remove the banter from the show that made them famous. Even harder when you remove them from the power center of the building and have them barging in on the younger kids.

That's what ABC did with Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley so not sure why they couldnt do it with the Ropers

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

It worked for me because I like Ann's legs

Ann was hot but the problem was her disgusting, annoying, creepy, useless ass husband.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Ann was hot but the problem was her disgusting, annoying, creepy, useless ass husband.

Didnt see the need for that kid either

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Didnt see the need for that kid either

I didn’t have a problem with their kid it was Jeffrey.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

I didn’t have a problem with their kid it was Jeffrey.

Since i discovered Three's company as a kid in syndication, once they got to the part of the series where the Ropers move I was always saying......"where is jack and the girls? Not realizing it was the pilot episode of the Ropers spinoff which I didnt find out until many years later

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

I love Threes Company and I love The Ropers. But I understand why the show did not work. The banter between the Ropers was hysterical on Threes Company. Each show they had a few minutes of banter or insults that were fall out of the chair funny. They were part of the spice that made Threes Company work. However, to build a full show around their funny banter would be hard. However, the creators of this show failed miserably.

The Ropers did not work. Stanley was no longer the apartment owner/manager who would barge into the kid's apartment and cause havoc. Helen was the anti-hero that saved the kids from Mr Roper.
Stanley and Helen needed something to do.

The hostility towards the neighbor got old after a few shows. On Threes Company the Ropers were the ones that interfered with the main actors of the show. On the Ropers, the neighbor just annoys Mr Roper. Not the same.

Helen was so sexually frustrated on Threes Company that it was part of the fun of the show. On the Ropers, she is not as sexually frustrated and her role was not really chasing Stanley anymore. Their arguments were over dumb stuff and Helen almost seemed less intelligent than from Threes Company.

By the time they introduced another character living with the Ropers, it was too late. But the character of Ginny did give Helen something to do.

How the show could have succeeded"
Gave Stanley a job around the townhouses
Made Ginny move in at the beginning
Helen just as sexually frustrated and kept the banter between them
ABC would air it directly after Threes Company
More cross over between shows. The kids should have visited and vice versa. Larry did visit on season one. But after the first episode, the kids were never really mentioned again.

Its hard to write a show about an older couple with no jobs and when you remove the banter from the show that made them famous. Even harder when you remove them from the power center of the building and have them barging in on the younger kids.

I think you're making good points. I considered this the original show about nothing. Fell and Lindley really got sandbagged, pushed off a smash hit series and placed into a series not ready for primetime. To add insult to injury it was necessary to tone down the back and forth between Helen and Stanley, what was funny with Jack, Janet and Chrissy in the room was not going to work with Stanley and Helen alone in a room. After all, they were all each other had.

The show was on late for a comedy series 10pm for the short season run, and then dumped on the Saturday night schedule leading off at 8pm up against the established top 25 hit series CHIPS. Fell wanted it written in his contract that the Ropers could return to the mother series if The Ropers failed but the producers wouldn't give it to him. As with Linda Lavin on Alice concerning the Flo character, you can be sure Ritter wanted no part of the Ropers back on Three's Company.

[Mace Dolex]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Since i discovered Three's company as a kid in syndication, once they got to the part of the series where the Ropers move I was always saying......"where is jack and the girls? Not realizing it was the pilot episode of the Ropers spinoff which I didnt find out until many years later

I thought that too and along with The Roper's second season premiere "The Party" which was added to TC's syndication run. It would have been nice for the DVD sets to have included these two Roper episodes as bonuses.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

I thought that too and along with The Roper's second season premiere "The Party" which was added to TC's syndication run. It would have been nice for the DVD sets to have included these two Roper episodes as bonuses.

That's TC DVD is the worst release of all time

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by Duster76

I think you're making good points. I considered this the original show about nothing. Fell and Lindley really got sandbagged, pushed off a smash hit series and placed into a series not ready for primetime. To add insult to injury it was necessary to tone down the back and forth between Helen and Stanley, what was funny with Jack, Janet and Chrissy in the room was not going to work with Stanley and Helen alone in a room. After all, they were all each other had.

The show was on late for a comedy series 10pm for the short season run, and then dumped on the Saturday night schedule leading off at 8pm up against the established top 25 hit series CHIPS. Fell wanted it written in his contract that the Ropers could return to the mother series if The Ropers failed but the producers wouldn't give it to him. As with Linda Lavin on Alice concerning the Flo character, you can be sure Ritter wanted no part of the Ropers back on Three's Company.

Why would you think Ritter would not want the Ropers back? The surviving cast who worked with both landlords are often asked....who was better? They can never decide because they were so fond of both. I read that Ritter was really fond of Fell.

Fell changed Stanely from what was in mind of the creators. Stanley was originally just a clumsy, dumb and introverted guy. Fell took the character way out of what was originally intended and it worked brilliantly.

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by Duster76

I think you're making good points. I considered this the original show about nothing. Fell and Lindley really got sandbagged, pushed off a smash hit series and placed into a series not ready for primetime. To add insult to injury it was necessary to tone down the back and forth between Helen and Stanley, what was funny with Jack, Janet and Chrissy in the room was not going to work with Stanley and Helen alone in a room. After all, they were all each other had.

The show was on late for a comedy series 10pm for the short season run, and then dumped on the Saturday night schedule leading off at 8pm up against the established top 25 hit series CHIPS. Fell wanted it written in his contract that the Ropers could return to the mother series if The Ropers failed but the producers wouldn't give it to him. As with Linda Lavin on Alice concerning the Flo character, you can be sure Ritter wanted no part of the Ropers back on Three's Company.

Why would you think Ritter would not want the Ropers back? The surviving cast who worked with both landlords are often asked....who was better? They can never decide because they were so fond of both. I read that Ritter was really fond of Fell.

Fell changed Stanely from what was in mind of the creators. Stanley was originally just a clumsy, dumb and introverted guy. Fell took the character way out of what was originally intended and it worked brilliantly.