A new take on Suzanne leaving the show

[JackJanetChrissy]

I've been watching interviews with the cast and crew, and I saw an interview clip with Don Taffner.

http://www.emmytvlegends.org/intervi...hrees-company#

After Three's Company was renewed with ABC, Suzanne signed an exclusive contract with CBS. That meant she couldn't do any "movie of the week" for ABC or guest spots on other ABC shows. He thinks that her decision to do that was the root of her problem---if she had been able to do extra ABC shows (like John and Joyce did), she would've raked in more money, and probably would not have asked for such a giant raise on Three's Company.

I'd never heard it put that way before, but it makes sense.

[Anna Karenina]

Originally Posted by JackJanetChrissy

I've been watching interviews with the cast and crew, and I saw an interview clip with Don Taffner.

http://www.emmytvlegends.org/intervi...hrees-company#

After Three's Company was renewed with ABC, Suzanne signed an exclusive contract with CBS. That meant she couldn't do any "movie of the week" for ABC or guest spots on other ABC shows. He thinks that her decision to do that was the root of her problem---if she had been able to do extra ABC shows (like John and Joyce did), she would've raked in more money, and probably would not have asked for such a giant raise on Three's Company.

I'd never heard it put that way before, but it makes sense.

Suzanne's career decisions baffle me. She makes some good ones "The Thighmaster" "Step by Step" her successful books and products and some horrible ones."Nothing Personal" the CBS deal, the one woman Broadway show which was a flop, the outrageous sick outs and pay requests etc.

But still and all she is no doubt wealthier than all of her former cast members put together and then some so she came out on top in that way.

She may have been greedy but she found her niche in other things besides performing.

[JSP]

Originally Posted by Anna Karenina

Suzanne's career decisions baffle me. She makes some good ones "The Thighmaster" "Step by Step" her successful books and products and some horrible ones."Nothing Personal" the CBS deal, the one woman Broadway show which was a flop, the outrageous sick outs and pay requests etc.

But still and all she is no doubt wealthier than all of her former cast members put together and then some so she came out on top in that way.

She may have been greedy but she found her niche in other things besides performing.

Actress was just one of the many different careers on her resume. The other actors on Three's were devoted to acting. I wonder if another reason the rest of the cast resented Suzanne so much was that they felt she hadn't paid her dues and didn't deserve the attention she got.

[TMC]

ABC and the show's producers were from my understanding, making a fortune off the success of Three's Company. Bare in mind that this was still at a time when actors were only compensated through the first few reruns of a show. While Suzanne's demands seemed outrageous then, today they're really not so far out there.

The bigger problem was that whatever Suzanne made, Joyce DeWitt was guaranteed the same amount and John Ritter was guaranteed a certain percent higher than the women. Therefore, it's possible that Suzanne might have been more successful had she and DeWitt gone in together as a united front (like the Friends cast) but maybe more likely, they would have just fired them both and spun Ritter off to the Three's A Crowd show earlier.

[JackJanetChrissy]

Originally Posted by TMC

Therefore, it's possible that Suzanne might have been more successful had she and DeWitt gone in together as a united front (like the Friends cast) but maybe more likely, they would have just fired them both and spun Ritter off to the Three's A Crowd show earlier.

In that link above I also watched a clip from an interview with George Sunga, who was a producer on Three's Company. The interviewer asked him if they ever considered cancelling the show when Suzanne walked. He said that it was "mentioned" but John and Joyce wanted every effort made to continue Three's Company---and his opinion was that John and Joyce wanted to show Suzanne that the show could go on just fine without her.

I think Joyce especially resented that Suzanne was not a serious actress. It was clear from the beginning that Suzanne was very "business" oriented, where Joyce was all about the art. I think the unfairness of watching someone effortlessly succeed at something you had "earned" would bother anyone.

[Anna Karenina]

Originally Posted by JackJanetChrissy

In that link above I also watched a clip from an interview with George Sunga, who was a producer on Three's Company. The interviewer asked him if they ever considered cancelling the show when Suzanne walked. He said that it was "mentioned" but John and Joyce wanted every effort made to continue Three's Company---and his opinion was that John and Joyce wanted to show Suzanne that the show could go on just fine without her.

I think Joyce especially resented that Suzanne was not a serious actress. It was clear from the beginning that Suzanne was very "business" oriented, where Joyce was all about the art. I think the unfairness of watching someone effortlessly succeed at something you had "earned" would bother anyone.

Interesting.

Also I remember Joyce DeWitt making some snarky comments about Jenilee Harrison in the Chris Mann book about her not being a "real" actress but she was so lovey dovey with her on the recent reunion. I wonder if she reevaluated her work later on? Jenilee was excellent at physical comedy and kept right up with John Ritter. Meryl Streep, she wasn't but she never acted before and held her own considering her lack of experience.

What was up with the weird facial expressions on Priscilla Barnes face there? She seemed very strained and uncomfortable.

Larry looked GREAT!

[JackJanetChrissy]

Originally Posted by Anna Karenina

Interesting.

Also I remember Joyce DeWitt making some snarky comments about Jenilee Harrison in the Chris Mann book about her not being a "real" actress but she was so lovey dovey with her on the recent reunion. I wonder if she reevaluated her work later on? Jenilee was excellent at physical comedy and kept right up with John Ritter. Meryl Streep, she wasn't but she never acted before and held her own considering her lack of experience.

What was up with the weird facial expressions on Priscilla Barnes face there? She seemed very strained and uncomfortable.

Larry looked GREAT!

Well, Joyce is queen of throwing passive-aggressive shade and still coming out smelling like a rose. I think maybe as she has gotten older she has mellowed about everything EXCEPT Suzanne.

Priscilla Barnes always had a habit of making funny faces...also, I get the feeling that she does not regard Three's Company or her experience playing Terri too highly and was probably just there to get a paycheck. She and Joyce are real friends in real life. If Joyce had not been there I wonder if Priscilla would have even bothered showing up. And I agree, Richard Kline (Larry) looked good!

[MarisKara1976]

I guess my whole feeling on the thing is John Ritter is an amazing actor. An amazing actor. He did deserve the salary that he got however there should've been some greater compensation for the ladies on the show. Look at how much less they got in comparison to how much he got! The way it played out is that Suzanne was just greedy, and while that might be part of that, there should've been greater compensation for the women. I get that it's a 70s, I get that there still a huge wage disparity these days too, but it would've been nice to see the women getting compensated closer to what John was getting. Nobody won. And Suzanne unfortunately, whether it's deserved or not, just came out looking like she was greedy.
But then again we wouldn't of had Cindy or Teri (who I love!)!

[allenmquinn]

I think Suzanne's leeching husband who had no business being her manager got in the way and wrecked things. I really think if she hadn't let him be her manager she would have remained on the show without issue.

[JackJanetChrissy]

Originally Posted by allenmquinn

I think Suzanne's leeching husband who had no business being her manager got in the way and wrecked things. I really think if she hadn't let him be her manager she would have remained on the show without issue.

Yeah, his approach was all wrong. He made unrealistic, uncompromising demands. That, plus Suzanne's absences from taping (which might have been his idea, who knows), are what got her fired.