Three's Company premiered on ABC 48 years ago today

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March 15, 1977:
http://dlvr.it/TJY4GF



48 Years Ago Today: “Three’s Company” Debuts on ABC, Launching a Sitcom Classic

Forty-eight years ago today, on March 15, 1977, ABC-TV aired the premiere episode of Three’s Company, a sitcom that would become a cornerstone of 1970s television and a beloved piece of pop culture history. The show, which introduced viewers to the comedic misadventures of three roommates in a Santa Monica apartment, kicked off with “A Man About the House,” setting the stage for eight seasons of laughter, misunderstandings, and iconic characters that still resonate with audiences today.

Three’s Company, adapted from the British series Man About the House, starred John Ritter as Jack Tripper, a hapless chef-in-training who pretends to be gay to share an apartment with two women, Janet Wood (Joyce DeWitt) and Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers). The pilot episode, penned by Donald L. West and directed by Bill Hobin, hinged on this risqué premise—unusual for its time—sparking both intrigue and chuckles as Jack navigated the suspicions of their prudish landlord, Stanley Roper (Norman Fell). The debut drew a modest but promising audience, airing at 9:30 p.m. after Laverne & Shirley, and quickly gained traction as a ratings hit.

By its second episode, the show was pulling in over 20 million viewers, cementing its place in ABC’s Tuesday night lineup. “It was lightning in a bottle,” said TV historian Laura Bennett. “The chemistry between Ritter, DeWitt, and Somers, plus the slapstick humor, made it irresistible.” The premiere’s plot—Jack stumbling into the girls’ apartment after a wild party and negotiating his way into staying—set the tone for a series built on mistaken identities and physical comedy, with Ritter’s pratfalls becoming a hallmark.

The show’s launch came at a pivotal moment for sitcoms, bridging the family-friendly fare of the early ’70s with the edgier tone of the decade’s end. Its blend of innuendo and innocence—approved after ABC tested three pilot versions—pushed boundaries just enough to captivate without alienating. Over its 172-episode run, Three’s Company spawned spin-offs (The Ropers, Three’s a Crowd), introduced fan-favorite characters like Don Knotts’ Mr. Furley, and weathered cast changes, including Somers’ exit in 1981 amid contract disputes.

Forty-eight years later, the premiere of March 15, 1977, remains a milestone. Airing against CBS’s MASH and NBC’s Police Woman, it carved out a niche that defined an era. “It’s still the gold standard for ensemble comedy,” Bennett noted, pointing to its syndicated afterlife and streaming popularity on platforms like Pluto TV. For a generation, that first knock on Apartment 201’s door opened a world of hilarity—one that echoes through TV history today.

Here's some promos from 1977:

[BuffaloBill]

Wow that makes me feel old. I was 9 when the show premiered.
Our favorite MVP Josh Allen he was a mear minus 29.

I'm more intrigued by that promo for Future Cop, what they hell was that.
John Amos and Ernest Borgnine are you kidding me, who's idea of a joke was that. That sounded like a gaurenteed cancelation after the first commercial break during the pilot episode.

[BestTVever]

Incredible. I was only 7 but Threes Company changed tv. I remember being in grade school and kids bragging they got to watch and understood the sexualized themes.
IMHO its the second greatest sitcom ever created.

[BestTVever]

Incredible. I was only 7 but Threes Company changed tv. I remember being in grade school and kids bragging they got to watch and understood the sexualized themes.
IMHO its the second greatest sitcom ever created.

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• Three's Company': The Sitcom That Defined The Late 70s
  
• 49 Years Ago Today: “Three’s Company” Premiered on ABC, Launching a Sitcom Classic

[BestTVever]

"Saucy" new comedy
LOL