Three's a Crowd or The Ropers - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

cfr1970 · 12-14-2019, 10:56 AM

Which of these 1 season train wrecks is more painful to watch?

I say both are equally unwatchable but if I had to pick one over the other, definitely The Ropers. Some characters just aren't strong enough to carry a whole show, and it's only more glaring when the supporting characters around them are even worse.

As for Three's a Crowd, it's painfully obvious (at least to me) that Jack Tripper was nothing without Janet & Chrissy to play off of. (Terri don't count to me). On his own he just flails around painfully like a fish out of water and it's difficult to watch.

And they gave him the most boring, insipid character (and actress) to play the one he finally settled down with.

MikeLutton · 12-14-2019, 04:00 PM

i like the ropers

cfr1970 · 12-14-2019, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeL

i like the ropers

I do too...but only on Three's Company. I think they're great characters, but just too weak to carry an entire show on their own.

Heenan Fan · 04-07-2020, 07:27 PM

They were equally bad.

TVFactFan · 04-08-2020, 07:32 PM

Three's a Crowd would have been better with

Mr. Angelino instead of Mr. Bradford

Felipe as the chef instead of wacked out EZ

More appearances from Larry

Some from Furley

TV Guy · 04-15-2020, 07:46 PM

And a less dull girlfriend, one who had some personality and sass.

TVFactFan · 04-15-2020, 11:24 PM

Three's a Crowd all the way. Ropers was geared toward seniors

Fallon97 · 02-04-2021, 09:02 PM

Neither was painful to me. I enjoyed both equally, but Three's A Crowd is my favorite of the two.

CJMD03 · 08-30-2023, 12:59 AM

The Ropers, but I loathe the Brookes family. They should have been written out.

BestTVever · 08-30-2023, 06:25 AM

The Ropers.
No comparison to me. I find Threes a crowd so annoying and predictable. It was a poor recycle of Threes Company. While the Ropers had issues like not having anything to do at least it was something different than a Threes Company wannabe show.

BestTVever · 08-30-2023, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJMD03

The Ropers, but I loathe the Brookes family. They should have been written out.

I agree. It was a mistake to make Mr Brookes Stanley's foil. It got old and stale after 2 episodes. Stanley was the foil for the kids on Threes Company. The reverse did not work so well.

dee2364 · 08-30-2023, 01:53 PM

The Ropers. I always loved the show and never got the hate. It got better as it went along, and you can tell that it influenced Married with Children precisely because it wasn't as bad as everyone said it was.

I absolutely loathe Three's A Crowd and cringe every time I try and watch an episode. I hated Vicky's father, and the relationship with Jack felt like a very bad imitation of Henry and Munroe on Too Close for Comfort. I couldn't stand Mary Cadorette, either, or E-Z, the corny Spicoli ripoff. Even then, that character was corny and dated.

The show was a major fail on all levels. We watched Jack the so many sexually mature and independent women, only to see him hook up with an immature flight attendant who seemed like a little girl who's never had sex before and keeps running to her mommy and daddy for help. Who wanted to see such a lame pairing?

I always felt the show missed an opportunity not going with one of Jack's more notable dates, like Greedy Gretchen or one of the others he'd blown his chances with, like the one in the episode where he gets zonked out on tranquilizers.

dee2364 · 08-30-2023, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BestTVever

I agree. It was a mistake to make Mr Brookes Stanley's foil. It got old and stale after 2 episodes. Stanley was the foil for the kids on Threes Company. The reverse did not work so well.

That's why the show started focusing more on Helen's sister, who eventually became the foil and actually made Helen and Stanley stand more as a united front.

BestTVever · 08-30-2023, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dee2364

That's why the show started focusing more on Helen's sister, who eventually became the foil and actually made Helen and Stanley stand more as a united front.

Yes and Jenny added a friend and partner for Helen battling both her sister and Stanley.
The second half of the second season did get better with those changes but it was too late.

JonathanM · 09-06-2023, 06:54 PM

Three's a Crowd was the worst by a mile. The Ropers had a sense of fun and wackiness, and I loved Jeffrey Tambor and Louise Vallance (who was a Facebook friend of mine)--but Three's a Crowd was the most beige and personality-less sitcom of the '80s.

12-14-2019, 10:56 AM	#1
cfr1970 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 13, 2017 Location: Kissimmee, Florida Posts: 3,368	Three's a Crowd or The Ropers Which of these 1 season train wrecks is more painful to watch? I say both are equally unwatchable but if I had to pick one over the other, definitely The Ropers. Some characters just aren't strong enough to carry a whole show, and it's only more glaring when the supporting characters around them are even worse. As for Three's a Crowd, it's painfully obvious (at least to me) that Jack Tripper was nothing without Janet & Chrissy to play off of. (Terri don't count to me). On his own he just flails around painfully like a fish out of water and it's difficult to watch. And they gave him the most boring, insipid character (and actress) to play the one he finally settled down with.

12-14-2019, 04:00 PM	#2
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,870	i like the ropers
	__________________ Tv And DVD Addict got over a hundred dvds in my collection more than anyone in the neighborhood. also huge Animal lover family man

04-07-2020, 07:27 PM	#4
Heenan Fan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 19, 2016 Posts: 6,001	They were equally bad.
	__________________ "Hello, Adam's Ribs? I'd like to place a takeout order please. OK, you got a pencil? I want 20 pounds, no make that 40 pounds of your best ribs, THE JUMBOS! And I want some BBQ sauce...a GALLON! I'm having a party. My mother's out on parole." - Hawkeye

02-04-2021, 09:02 PM	#8
Fallon97 Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 04, 2007 Location: America Posts: 1,268	Neither was painful to me. I enjoyed both equally, but Three's A Crowd is my favorite of the two.
	Last edited by Fallon97; 05-02-2024 at 07:50 PM.

04-08-2020, 07:32 PM	#5
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,950	Three's a Crowd would have been better with Mr. Angelino instead of Mr. Bradford Felipe as the chef instead of wacked out EZ More appearances from Larry Some from Furley

04-15-2020, 07:46 PM	#6
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	And a less dull girlfriend, one who had some personality and sass.

04-15-2020, 11:24 PM	#7
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,950	Three's a Crowd all the way. Ropers was geared toward seniors

08-30-2023, 12:59 AM	#9
CJMD03 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 18, 2018 Posts: 412	The Ropers, but I loathe the Brookes family. They should have been written out.

08-30-2023, 06:25 AM	#10
BestTVever Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 29, 2021 Location: Miami Posts: 1,874	The Ropers. No comparison to me. I find Threes a crowd so annoying and predictable. It was a poor recycle of Threes Company. While the Ropers had issues like not having anything to do at least it was something different than a Threes Company wannabe show.

08-30-2023, 01:53 PM	#12
dee2364 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 20, 2019 Posts: 643	The Ropers. I always loved the show and never got the hate. It got better as it went along, and you can tell that it influenced Married with Children precisely because it wasn't as bad as everyone said it was. I absolutely loathe Three's A Crowd and cringe every time I try and watch an episode. I hated Vicky's father, and the relationship with Jack felt like a very bad imitation of Henry and Munroe on Too Close for Comfort. I couldn't stand Mary Cadorette, either, or E-Z, the corny Spicoli ripoff. Even then, that character was corny and dated. The show was a major fail on all levels. We watched Jack the so many sexually mature and independent women, only to see him hook up with an immature flight attendant who seemed like a little girl who's never had sex before and keeps running to her mommy and daddy for help. Who wanted to see such a lame pairing? I always felt the show missed an opportunity not going with one of Jack's more notable dates, like Greedy Gretchen or one of the others he'd blown his chances with, like the one in the episode where he gets zonked out on tranquilizers.

09-06-2023, 06:54 PM	#15
JonathanM Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 03, 2023 Location: Alabama Posts: 18	Three's a Crowd was the worst by a mile. The Ropers had a sense of fun and wackiness, and I loved Jeffrey Tambor and Louise Vallance (who was a Facebook friend of mine)--but Three's a Crowd was the most beige and personality-less sitcom of the '80s.