Here's what I never got about Three's Company - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Lisalu · 06-26-2016, 12:10 AM

Jack was like a million times cuter than any guy Chrissy or Janet went out with. He was funny, genuinely kind and caring, a good cook, and an all around nice guy. So why did the girls insist that they could only be friends with him? Just so they could keep the stupid apartment? They dated a parade of various bozos when they had a keeper right there in the house with them.

Also, am I the only one who just couldn't stand Chrissy? I know Suzanne Somers thought she was all that and should have her salary doubled or whatever, but to me her character was moronic and not in a funny way. I liked Janet, and loved Jack. Cindy was a pill, and Teri was just okay (by then the dumb blonde gag had been played out, but Teri's character didn't have what it took to play off Jack and Janet.) By process of elimination, Jack and Janet should have eventually ended up together. I really think Janet was too smart not to see what a great catch she had living right under her own roof!

JackJanetChrissy · 06-26-2016, 07:56 AM

You make a good point. The issue of the girls "digging" Jack that way was addressed in the Season 1 episode, "Roper's Niece," where Janet and Chrissy discuss whether they'd date Jack if he wasn't their roommate. It seems like both of them acknowledge that they totally would.

But I think as time wore on, they became more like family than three attractive strangers living together. Chrissy dumbed down to the point where she was like Janet and Jack's child, and Janet and Jack often behaved like brother and sister. That's my take on it, anyway.

As far as Chrissy, she's my favorite of all the blondes, especially Season 1-3 Chrissy. Season 4 Chrissy was too dumbed down, but she still had moments of comedic genius, mostly because of the chemistry of the cast (Jack, Janet, and Chrissy).

I agree with you in that Terri never quite got there. She had some good moments, too, but I think the writers didn't know what to do with her and as a result she was just sort of blah after a while.

Lisalu · 06-26-2016, 08:18 AM

Now that you mention it, it does seem like Chrissy got "dumber" as the seasons went on. I don't remember disliking the character in the earlier seasons as much as later when she was insufferably inane. After seeing how successful the dumb blonde routine was they kept making her dumber and dumber until she was simply moronic - not funny any more. With any kind of slapstick comedy, there is a line you cross where you start to get diminishing returns and by the time Suzanne left they had long since crossed it - I was glad to see her go!

But by then they had painted themselves in a corner. The show would only work with another dumb blonde - this time a clumsy one - but it just went from bad to worse. In desperation they brought in a smart blonde, but that didn't work either because Janet was already the "smart" one so there was no comic tension. (Also, it was Chrissy's naïvete that brought out Jack and Janet's protective instincts and Teri didn't have that.) They should have left well enough alone when Chrissy had her "dumb blonde" moments but was otherwise a normally intelligent young woman.

Lisalu · 06-26-2016, 08:18 AM

Now that you mention it, it does seem like Chrissy got "dumber" as the seasons went on. I don't remember disliking the character in the earlier seasons as much as later when she was insufferably inane. After seeing how successful the dumb blonde routine was they kept making her dumber and dumber until she was simply moronic - not funny any more. With any kind of slapstick comedy, there is a line you cross where you start to get diminishing returns and by the time Suzanne left they had long since crossed it - I was glad to see her go!

But by then they had painted themselves in a corner. The show would only work with another dumb blonde - this time a clumsy one - but it just went from bad to worse. In desperation they brought in a smart blonde, but that didn't work either because Janet was already the "smart" one so there was no comic tension. (Also, it was Chrissy's naïvete that brought out Jack and Janet's protective instincts and Teri didn't have that.) They should have left well enough alone when Chrissy had her "dumb blonde" moments but was otherwise a normally intelligent young woman.

JSP · 06-26-2016, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisalu

In desperation they brought in a smart blonde, but that didn't work either because Janet was already the "smart" one so there was no comic tension.

Unfortunately to make up for the lack of humor coming from Terri they dumbed down Janet and made her goofier in order to generate laughs. I think Cindy worked better in the trio, and while a lot of people in the audience probably thought Terri was an improvement over Cindy, paricularly in the looks department, Cindy was way funnier than Terri. The show wasn't as good in the later seasons because the Terri character was a dud. They should have never gotten rid of Cindy. I think if they kept both Terri and Cindy on it would have worked out better in the last two seasons. The show was funnier when it had 6 regular cast members instead of just five in my opinion.

JackJanetChrissy · 06-26-2016, 06:49 PM

Keeping Cindy on beyond Season 6 is an interesting possibility I never really thought of before. She was better in smaller doses. For me, it wasn't a matter of looks, it was a matter of acting ability. I think Jennilee Harrison had some talent with physical humor, but she had poor comedic timing and was just soooo over the top with her reactions that sometimes she's embarrassing to watch. But I agree that six were better than five.

I saw her on Dallas a while back and she (Jennilee Harrison) was pretty good. Just shows what a few years of experience can do for an actor.

JSP · 06-26-2016, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackJanetChrissy

Keeping Cindy on beyond Season 6 is an interesting possibility I never really thought of before. She was better in smaller doses. For me, it wasn't a matter of looks, it was a matter of acting ability. I think Jennilee Harrison had some talent with physical humor, but she had poor comedic timing and was just soooo over the top with her reactions that sometimes she's embarrassing to watch. But I agree that six were better than five.

I saw her on Dallas a while back and she (Jennilee Harrison) was pretty good. Just shows what a few years of experience can do for an actor.

Having Cindy work at Jack's Bistro to help pay for college would have made scenes at the Bistro a lot less boring. She'd be breaking dishes and spilling drinks all over the place. Jack would know she should be fired but he wouldn't have the heart to do it. That would work in small doses. You don't make Cindy the central character, but they could have used her for a laugh every other episode.

JackJanetChrissy · 06-26-2016, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

You don't make Cindy the central character, but they could have used her for a laugh every other episode.

I agree, it could've worked. Cindy was best in small bits like that. I remember the episode "Eyewitness Blues" when Cindy saves the day with her clumsiness, which was great. She's only in the episode for maybe four minutes, tops, but without her it would have been a very unhappy ending.

I think Cindy's best episode on the show was "And Baby Makes Four" in Season 5 (where Jack proposes to her because he thinks she's pregnant). She was really funny in that, and the misunderstanding is classic TC.

pkripper001 · 06-26-2016, 08:11 PM

I think TC and Charlies Angels had close similarities in both of there 1st seasons.
Janet was the smart one,as to Kate Jackson was the smart one.
Christmas Snow and Farah were both the draw in each of there series.

Christmas Snow was always my favorite of the three blondes,even to the end.
I thought the show worked better with the recurring role of Lana and would like to have seen her become a regular cast member,instead of righting her off

BigManMike · 06-26-2016, 09:42 PM

Terri was my favorite of the blondes but I also preferred Cindy over Chrissy. Chrissy was fine in the early seasons but I found her annoying in Season 4 and early 5. Having Cindy as a recurring cast member through the rest of the series actually wouldn't have been a bad idea. I just wish they hadn't ended her character having an argument with Janet. I also wish Lana had been on longer. I liked her.

Smartboy · 06-26-2016, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebigcookie

Terri was my favorite of the blondes but I also preferred Cindy over Chrissy. Chrissy was fine in the early seasons but I found her annoying in Season 4 and early 5. Having Cindy as a recurring cast member through the rest of the series actually wouldn't have been a bad idea. I just wish they hadn't ended her character having an argument with Janet. I also wish Lana had been on longer. I liked her.

What argument did Cindy have with Janet before her character was terminated?

BigManMike · 06-27-2016, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smartboy

What argument did Cindy have with Janet before her character was terminated?

I don't quite remember what it was about but it was in the Janet Wigs Out episode and the argument was in the Regal Beagle.

Dianne3 · 06-27-2016, 06:16 PM

I don't think Janet & Cindy had an argument.
My memory is vague here however Janet was at a restaurant with 1 (maybe more) guys when Cindy saw her. Janet was very rude to her. She wanted Cindy to leave. And Cindy did - for the rest of the series.

For the longest time, I wondered why Chrissy was so dumbed down in Season 4. Finally, thanks to these boards, I learned why. The British series that TC's copied most of their earlier episodes from only lasted 3 (?) seasons. So the TC's writers had to think for themselves in Season 4 and beyond.

One major difference between Cindy & Terri, is that Cindy came on very quickly since Suzanne Somers was unexpectedly fired. It was a shortened season anyway (1980-81), because a writer's strike delayed the start to that season to November. TC really took their time in looking for the permanent replacement for Suzanne. Also, Cindy was significantly younger than all the other roommates.

eleri · 06-27-2016, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dianne3

One major difference between Cindy & Terri, is that Cindy came on very quickly since Suzanne Somers was unexpectedly fired. It was a shortened season anyway (1980-81), because a writer's strike delayed the start to that season to November. TC really took their time in looking for the permanent replacement for Suzanne. Also, Cindy was significantly younger than all the other roommates.

I never found Cindy unbearable the way post-TBI Chrissy was, but I didn't feel that she gelled well with Jack and Janet, probably owing to the age difference that you mentioned. The instant best-buddies thing just wasn't believable. I would have preferred her as a recurring character like Larry or Lana, because she did have a certain energy that added something to the show.

Now, Terri and Janet had the best female/female chemistry in the history of TC. I could believe that Janet and Terri bonded quickly, although Terri's chemistry with Jack didn't work as well.

JackJanetChrissy · 06-28-2016, 03:53 PM

I'm sure it helped that Joyce DeWitt and Priscilla Barnes were very good friends in real life, too. Janet and Terri's friendship did seems like it made the most sense out of all of them on the show, but I thought that it was a little boring....like you said before, both Janet and Terri were sensible, capable people. There wasn't much room for the straight man/funny man routine.

The best chemistry was definitely (in my opinion) in Season 1-3. Everyone filled their role perfectly and it all seemed to click. There are some classic episodes in the later seasons, but often they succeed in spite of the different casting, not because of it.

06-26-2016, 12:10 AM	#1
Lisalu Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 21, 2016 Posts: 36	Here's what I never got about Three's Company Jack was like a million times cuter than any guy Chrissy or Janet went out with. He was funny, genuinely kind and caring, a good cook, and an all around nice guy. So why did the girls insist that they could only be friends with him? Just so they could keep the stupid apartment? They dated a parade of various bozos when they had a keeper right there in the house with them. Also, am I the only one who just couldn't stand Chrissy? I know Suzanne Somers thought she was all that and should have her salary doubled or whatever, but to me her character was moronic and not in a funny way. I liked Janet, and loved Jack. Cindy was a pill, and Teri was just okay (by then the dumb blonde gag had been played out, but Teri's character didn't have what it took to play off Jack and Janet.) By process of elimination, Jack and Janet should have eventually ended up together. I really think Janet was too smart not to see what a great catch she had living right under her own roof!

06-26-2016, 07:56 AM	#2
JackJanetChrissy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 18, 2014 Posts: 1,005	You make a good point. The issue of the girls "digging" Jack that way was addressed in the Season 1 episode, "Roper's Niece," where Janet and Chrissy discuss whether they'd date Jack if he wasn't their roommate. It seems like both of them acknowledge that they totally would. But I think as time wore on, they became more like family than three attractive strangers living together. Chrissy dumbed down to the point where she was like Janet and Jack's child, and Janet and Jack often behaved like brother and sister. That's my take on it, anyway. As far as Chrissy, she's my favorite of all the blondes, especially Season 1-3 Chrissy. Season 4 Chrissy was too dumbed down, but she still had moments of comedic genius, mostly because of the chemistry of the cast (Jack, Janet, and Chrissy). I agree with you in that Terri never quite got there. She had some good moments, too, but I think the writers didn't know what to do with her and as a result she was just sort of blah after a while.

06-26-2016, 08:18 AM	#3
Lisalu Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 21, 2016 Posts: 36	Now that you mention it, it does seem like Chrissy got "dumber" as the seasons went on. I don't remember disliking the character in the earlier seasons as much as later when she was insufferably inane. After seeing how successful the dumb blonde routine was they kept making her dumber and dumber until she was simply moronic - not funny any more. With any kind of slapstick comedy, there is a line you cross where you start to get diminishing returns and by the time Suzanne left they had long since crossed it - I was glad to see her go! But by then they had painted themselves in a corner. The show would only work with another dumb blonde - this time a clumsy one - but it just went from bad to worse. In desperation they brought in a smart blonde, but that didn't work either because Janet was already the "smart" one so there was no comic tension. (Also, it was Chrissy's naïvete that brought out Jack and Janet's protective instincts and Teri didn't have that.) They should have left well enough alone when Chrissy had her "dumb blonde" moments but was otherwise a normally intelligent young woman.

06-26-2016, 06:49 PM	#6
JackJanetChrissy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 18, 2014 Posts: 1,005	Keeping Cindy on beyond Season 6 is an interesting possibility I never really thought of before. She was better in smaller doses. For me, it wasn't a matter of looks, it was a matter of acting ability. I think Jennilee Harrison had some talent with physical humor, but she had poor comedic timing and was just soooo over the top with her reactions that sometimes she's embarrassing to watch. But I agree that six were better than five. I saw her on Dallas a while back and she (Jennilee Harrison) was pretty good. Just shows what a few years of experience can do for an actor.

06-26-2016, 08:11 PM	#9
pkripper001 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 12, 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 401	I think TC and Charlies Angels had close similarities in both of there 1st seasons. Janet was the smart one,as to Kate Jackson was the smart one. Christmas Snow and Farah were both the draw in each of there series. Christmas Snow was always my favorite of the three blondes,even to the end. I thought the show worked better with the recurring role of Lana and would like to have seen her become a regular cast member,instead of righting her off

06-26-2016, 09:42 PM	#10
BigManMike Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 25, 2006 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 3,022	Terri was my favorite of the blondes but I also preferred Cindy over Chrissy. Chrissy was fine in the early seasons but I found her annoying in Season 4 and early 5. Having Cindy as a recurring cast member through the rest of the series actually wouldn't have been a bad idea. I just wish they hadn't ended her character having an argument with Janet. I also wish Lana had been on longer. I liked her.

06-27-2016, 06:16 PM	#13
Dianne3 Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 07, 2002 Posts: 1,059	I don't think Janet & Cindy had an argument. My memory is vague here however Janet was at a restaurant with 1 (maybe more) guys when Cindy saw her. Janet was very rude to her. She wanted Cindy to leave. And Cindy did - for the rest of the series. For the longest time, I wondered why Chrissy was so dumbed down in Season 4. Finally, thanks to these boards, I learned why. The British series that TC's copied most of their earlier episodes from only lasted 3 (?) seasons. So the TC's writers had to think for themselves in Season 4 and beyond. One major difference between Cindy & Terri, is that Cindy came on very quickly since Suzanne Somers was unexpectedly fired. It was a shortened season anyway (1980-81), because a writer's strike delayed the start to that season to November. TC really took their time in looking for the permanent replacement for Suzanne. Also, Cindy was significantly younger than all the other roommates.

06-28-2016, 03:53 PM	#15
JackJanetChrissy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 18, 2014 Posts: 1,005	I'm sure it helped that Joyce DeWitt and Priscilla Barnes were very good friends in real life, too. Janet and Terri's friendship did seems like it made the most sense out of all of them on the show, but I thought that it was a little boring....like you said before, both Janet and Terri were sensible, capable people. There wasn't much room for the straight man/funny man routine. The best chemistry was definitely (in my opinion) in Season 1-3. Everyone filled their role perfectly and it all seemed to click. There are some classic episodes in the later seasons, but often they succeed in spite of the different casting, not because of it.