Why did the ratings drop so drastically in Season 8 (1983-84) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 07-21-2026, 04:45 AM

I don't know if this has been asked before, but Three's Company was a top ten rated show from Seasons 2-7. It still managed to be a top ten rated show even with the departures of Norman Feel, Audra Lindley, and of course, most controversially, Suzanne Somers. In its eighth and final season, Three's Company went from being the #6 highest rated show on TV to I believe, 33rd place in the Nielsen ratings.

The most common argument that I've heard is that Three's Company was routinely getting beaten in the ratings by The A-Team on NBC, which was the fourth highest rated show on TV during the 1983-84 season. Not that this necessarily directly reflected Three's Company, but sitcoms arguably, were not in a "great place" at the time. There was only one sitcom, Kate & Allie on CBS, to be able to make it into the top ten of the Nielsen ratings.

BestTVever · 07-21-2026, 07:27 AM

Same reason Golden Girls ratings tanked in season 7, All In The Family went way down for season 8,etc. Yes the show got stupid like all sitcoms that go on that long. Every sitcom that lasts 7 or 8 seasons get dumb and the characters are caricatures of their former self which only adds to the stupidity. Plus none of it was making sense anymore. The show started with 3 struggling young adults sharing an apartment and trying to pay the rent. It morphed into designer clothes, owning restaurants, emergency room nurses, etc. The themes got so old. Janet still believing Jack is dating prostitutes. Janet wanting to be a blonde slut. Terri falling for Jack because of a plastic mustache.

07-21-2026, 04:45 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 127,216	Why did the ratings drop so drastically in Season 8 (1983-84) I don't know if this has been asked before, but Three's Company was a top ten rated show from Seasons 2-7. It still managed to be a top ten rated show even with the departures of Norman Feel, Audra Lindley, and of course, most controversially, Suzanne Somers. In its eighth and final season, Three's Company went from being the #6 highest rated show on TV to I believe, 33rd place in the Nielsen ratings. The most common argument that I've heard is that Three's Company was routinely getting beaten in the ratings by The A-Team on NBC, which was the fourth highest rated show on TV during the 1983-84 season. Not that this necessarily directly reflected Three's Company, but sitcoms arguably, were not in a "great place" at the time. There was only one sitcom, Kate & Allie on CBS, to be able to make it into the top ten of the Nielsen ratings.

07-21-2026, 07:27 AM	#2
BestTVever Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 29, 2021 Location: Miami Posts: 1,943	Same reason Golden Girls ratings tanked in season 7, All In The Family went way down for season 8,etc. Yes the show got stupid like all sitcoms that go on that long. Every sitcom that lasts 7 or 8 seasons get dumb and the characters are caricatures of their former self which only adds to the stupidity. Plus none of it was making sense anymore. The show started with 3 struggling young adults sharing an apartment and trying to pay the rent. It morphed into designer clothes, owning restaurants, emergency room nurses, etc. The themes got so old. Janet still believing Jack is dating prostitutes. Janet wanting to be a blonde slut. Terri falling for Jack because of a plastic mustache.