Would Suzanne Somers have easily had a bigger career... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 03-25-2014, 06:59 PM

Had she not gotten into that messy contract squabble with the producers? And no, I don't think that She's the Sheriff and Step by Step (not to mention the Thighmaster and what could be considered "quack medicine") really count that much!

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Mr. Television · 03-25-2014, 08:53 PM

I don't see why not. Other than John Ritter, Suzanne had the most successful post Three's Company career.

king of comedy · 03-26-2014, 07:36 AM

If she had stayed on the show she would have.

Zoneboy · 03-26-2014, 07:37 AM

Consider the source.

TMC · 03-26-2014, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

Consider the source.

And why exactly should the "source" be an issue? The whole point of the discussion wouldn't have been so different none the less or otherwise!

Mace Dolex · 04-01-2014, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

Had she not gotten into that messy contract squabble with the producers? And no, I don't think that She's the Sheriff and Step by Step (not to mention the Thighmaster and what could be considered "quack medicine") really count that much!

http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/io...ad,13556983,18

Yeah if she had only stayed quiet and done what she was told

everthing would've come out peachy, since you mentioned She's The Sheriff wasn't exactly a classic and Step By Step is kiddie stuff.

Will and Grace Fanatic · 04-01-2014, 10:19 PM

The thing is most tv stars don't do much once the series ends so I don't think so. I mean now days you have a better chance since their are hundreds of networks you could work for. But back in her day no so much. I personally think she did well. She did star in 2 successful tv shows.

RetroGuy2000 · 04-01-2014, 10:54 PM

Suzanne would definitely have had a bigger career if she hadn't demanded a huge salary increase, then feigned a cracked rib, then took the battle public on "Donahue" and the press.

She burned her bridges at that point; it took 15-30 years for John Ritter and Joyce Dewitt to forgive her. Many people who worked with Suzanne, including Ted Bergmann, never forgave her. Bergmann went to his grave without ever speaking to her again. Crew members, according to Suzanne herself, would cross the street to avoid her. She was blackballed; exiled from TV.

The only gigs she could get were with no-name studios and live shows in Vegas in no way affiliated with the TV industry. "She's the Sheriff" was syndicated, not a network series. And it was not good. But it was a paycheck.

To her great credit, Suzanne slowly built her name back up from nothing: the Vegas gigs, Playboy, Circus acts, anything that would build her career back up. Step By Step, aside from being a kids' show, was her step back in the limelight after a decade on the D-list. She slowly clawed her way back to the top, and she deserves credit for her perseverance.

Samme · 04-02-2014, 12:04 AM

John Ritter was the only one who was gonna have a career after the show. Like DeWitt, she couldn't really act.

TMC · 07-24-2014, 04:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Suzanne would definitely have had a bigger career if she hadn't demanded a huge salary increase, then feigned a cracked rib, then took the battle public on "Donahue" and the press.

She burned her bridges at that point; it took 15-30 years for John Ritter and Joyce Dewitt to forgive her. Many people who worked with Suzanne, including Ted Bergmann, never forgave her. Bergmann went to his grave without ever speaking to her again. Crew members, according to Suzanne herself, would cross the street to avoid her. She was blackballed; exiled from TV.

The only gigs she could get were with no-name studios and live shows in Vegas in no way affiliated with the TV industry. "She's the Sheriff" was syndicated, not a network series. And it was not good. But it was a paycheck.

To her great credit, Suzanne slowly built her name back up from nothing: the Vegas gigs, Playboy, Circus acts, anything that would build her career back up. Step By Step, aside from being a kids' show, was her step back in the limelight after a decade on the D-list. She slowly clawed her way back to the top, and she deserves credit for her perseverance.

Not to "open up a major can of worms" (or whatever the exact term is), but I kind of wonder what would've happened had Suzanne been a man and doing what she did? I guess, I immediately think of somebody like for instance, Charlie Sheen and his antics that got him fired from 2 & a Half Men. Regardless, Charlie (whose reputation regardless, has been far worse than Suzanne Somers') immediately so to speak w/ Anger Management.

Incidentally, Anger Management also features Brett Butler, who was pretty much blackballed from TV (and Hollywood in general) after her sitcom Grace Under Fire was abruptly canceled do to her erratic behavior.

Another male TV star that immediately comes to mind is Redd Foxx, who was also given chance after chance up until his untimely death in 1991, to do a TV show even though Redd had is own issues w/ drugs and walking out over money (remember the episodes of Sanford & Son in which Grady filled in for Fred

).

janet42 · 07-24-2014, 05:50 AM

I don't agree with how Suzanne Somers demanded big money and not showing up for work, but regardless of the big fiasco that she created in 1980, she did pretty good. Except for John Ritter, she had the most successful career of the cast since leaving "Three's Company".

Since Step-by-Step, she handled herself well.

JSP · 07-24-2014, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

Had she not gotten into that messy contract squabble with the producers? And no, I don't think that She's the Sheriff and Step by Step (not to mention the Thighmaster and what could be considered "quack medicine") really count that much!

http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/io...ad,13556983,18

I think she was actually better off with the way things were handled and how they ended up. If she had stayed on the show to the end chances are she would have been typecast like Joyce Dewitt and Richard Kline were. Joyce and Richard didn't exactly have big careers after Three's Company. She would have been typecast as Chrissy even more than she was. Things happen for a reason and I think they worked out as best as they could for her.

JackJanetChrissy · 07-24-2014, 10:18 AM

Maybe it comes down to doing things the "right" way vs the "wrong" way. Yes, Suzanne Somers seems more successful because she eventually was on a sort of break-out show (Step by Step), but Richard Kline had steady work in Hollywood and TV after the show ended and also in theater. I think Somers would have preferred steady work in TV and Hollywood, perhaps working her way up into movies, rather than white-knuckling it in Vegas shows. I'm sure she made good money in Vegas, but come on, it's Vegas. Not exactly "serious work," and it took years for her to restore her reputation as an actress and as a team-player.

JSP you have good points about being typecast. I never thought of it that way. And Suzanne especially because she was the most caricatured of the trio---she might have forever stayed the dumb blonde.

Joyce DeWitt didn't have much of a career afterward by choice. She took her money and ran.

JSP · 07-24-2014, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackJanetChrissy

Maybe it comes down to doing things the "right" way vs the "wrong" way. Yes, Suzanne Somers seems more successful because she eventually was on a sort of break-out show (Step by Step), but Richard Kline had steady work in Hollywood and TV after the show ended and also in theater. I think Somers would have preferred steady work in TV and Hollywood, perhaps working her way up into movies, rather than white-knuckling it in Vegas shows. I'm sure she made good money in Vegas, but come on, it's Vegas. Not exactly "serious work," and it took years for her to restore her reputation as an actress and as a team-player.

JSP you have good points about being typecast. I never thought of it that way. And Suzanne especially because she was the most caricatured of the trio---she might have forever stayed the dumb blonde.

Joyce DeWitt didn't have much of a career afterward by choice. She took her money and ran.

In the Three's Company movie the Suzanne character said "I wanted to be Farrah, not Liberace!" I think in the end Suzanne came out having a better career than Farrah Fawcett did. I think her getting out was a blessing for her career in disguise. She would have been as typecast as Bob Denver was for Gilligan had she stayed. I don't think she would have become an A-list movie star after Three's Company ended had she stayed on it its entire run. John Ritter had a great career but let's face it, even he was never an A-list movie star. Suzanne ended up doing very well. And who even knows what Jenilee Harrison or Priscilla Barnes are up to these days?

JackJanetChrissy · 07-24-2014, 01:58 PM

Well, I think Priscilla Barnes has done a lot of C- and D-movies, many of them niche slasher movies. So that speaks for itself. John Ritter wasn't A-list but some of the movies he chose showed good judgment, like Sling Blade, and gave him sort of indie cred.

I think Suzanne would have followed Farrah's path if she'd finished TC. TV movies, a few spots on TV shows, with a slow decline into anonymity. But as it happened, everyone remembers Suzanne and knows she's still around. I think she's done pretty well for herself, although the health stuff does get kind of extreme.

03-25-2014, 06:59 PM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,397	Would Suzanne Somers have easily had a bigger career... Had she not gotten into that messy contract squabble with the producers? And no, I don't think that She's the Sheriff and Step by Step (not to mention the Thighmaster and what could be considered "quack medicine") really count that much! http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/io...ad,13556983,18

03-25-2014, 08:53 PM	#2
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	I don't see why not. Other than John Ritter, Suzanne had the most successful post Three's Company career.
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03-26-2014, 07:37 AM	#4
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,349	Consider the source.
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04-01-2014, 10:19 PM	#7
Will and Grace Fanatic be happy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 15, 2002 Location: seattle, washington Posts: 2,746	The thing is most tv stars don't do much once the series ends so I don't think so. I mean now days you have a better chance since their are hundreds of networks you could work for. But back in her day no so much. I personally think she did well. She did star in 2 successful tv shows.
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04-01-2014, 10:54 PM	#8
RetroGuy2000 Julie,Julie Anne,&Felice 4Ever Forum Star Join Date: Dec 27, 2013 Posts: 16,914	Suzanne would definitely have had a bigger career if she hadn't demanded a huge salary increase, then feigned a cracked rib, then took the battle public on "Donahue" and the press. She burned her bridges at that point; it took 15-30 years for John Ritter and Joyce Dewitt to forgive her. Many people who worked with Suzanne, including Ted Bergmann, never forgave her. Bergmann went to his grave without ever speaking to her again. Crew members, according to Suzanne herself, would cross the street to avoid her. She was blackballed; exiled from TV. The only gigs she could get were with no-name studios and live shows in Vegas in no way affiliated with the TV industry. "She's the Sheriff" was syndicated, not a network series. And it was not good. But it was a paycheck. To her great credit, Suzanne slowly built her name back up from nothing: the Vegas gigs, Playboy, Circus acts, anything that would build her career back up. Step By Step, aside from being a kids' show, was her step back in the limelight after a decade on the D-list. She slowly clawed her way back to the top, and she deserves credit for her perseverance.
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03-26-2014, 07:36 AM	#3
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	If she had stayed on the show she would have.

04-02-2014, 12:04 AM	#9
Samme Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 01, 2001 Posts: 676	John Ritter was the only one who was gonna have a career after the show. Like DeWitt, she couldn't really act.

07-24-2014, 05:50 AM	#11
janet42 Three's Company Fan! Senior Member Join Date: Feb 22, 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,757	I don't agree with how Suzanne Somers demanded big money and not showing up for work, but regardless of the big fiasco that she created in 1980, she did pretty good. Except for John Ritter, she had the most successful career of the cast since leaving "Three's Company". Since Step-by-Step, she handled herself well.

07-24-2014, 10:18 AM	#13
JackJanetChrissy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 18, 2014 Posts: 1,005	Maybe it comes down to doing things the "right" way vs the "wrong" way. Yes, Suzanne Somers seems more successful because she eventually was on a sort of break-out show (Step by Step), but Richard Kline had steady work in Hollywood and TV after the show ended and also in theater. I think Somers would have preferred steady work in TV and Hollywood, perhaps working her way up into movies, rather than white-knuckling it in Vegas shows. I'm sure she made good money in Vegas, but come on, it's Vegas. Not exactly "serious work," and it took years for her to restore her reputation as an actress and as a team-player. JSP you have good points about being typecast. I never thought of it that way. And Suzanne especially because she was the most caricatured of the trio---she might have forever stayed the dumb blonde. Joyce DeWitt didn't have much of a career afterward by choice. She took her money and ran.

07-24-2014, 01:58 PM	#15
JackJanetChrissy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 18, 2014 Posts: 1,005	Well, I think Priscilla Barnes has done a lot of C- and D-movies, many of them niche slasher movies. So that speaks for itself. John Ritter wasn't A-list but some of the movies he chose showed good judgment, like Sling Blade, and gave him sort of indie cred. I think Suzanne would have followed Farrah's path if she'd finished TC. TV movies, a few spots on TV shows, with a slow decline into anonymity. But as it happened, everyone remembers Suzanne and knows she's still around. I think she's done pretty well for herself, although the health stuff does get kind of extreme.