Was Priscilla Barnes miscast - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 11-29-2018, 01:25 AM

I think that I get that Jennilee Harrison (Cindy) was really always meant to be a stop-gap measure before they could figure out how to truly move on from the drama surrounding Suzanne Somers' departure in Season 5. But in hindsight, was Priscilla Barnes the best option as the permanent new blonde roommate? Barnes was no doubt attractive but in a very mature, and sophisticated way, which felt like the complete opposite of a show like Three's Company. I'm guessing that part of that was intentional as the producers didn't want another cute but goofy, ditsy blonde woman like Chrissy and Cindy.

The main problem with Terri I think is that the writers never seemed to know what to do with her character. Sometimes she was smart and sophisticated, other times dumb and wacky. Terri at the end of the day, just felt like the third wheel to Jack and Janet and not on equal footing so to speak.

SitcomsHeydayfan · 11-29-2018, 01:54 PM

Not a chance! She was the best blonde roommate by far! I mean her acting.

She also had one of the most beautiful faces on earth! Her facial features were pretty close to perfection.

JSP · 12-07-2018, 02:03 AM

To me Priscilla wasn’t the right replacement for Suzanne.

JackJanetChrissy · 12-07-2018, 02:56 PM

The writers didn't know what to do with her but that wasn't her fault. I think she made the best of the situation. Casting someone too similar to Chrissy Snow would have only invited comparisons to Suzanne.

Having a more sensible blonde gave the show a different dynamic that worked as the actors and the show aged. Would have been weird to have someone in their mid-late 30s be as vapid as Chrissy was by Season 5...

SitcomsHeydayfan · 12-07-2018, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

To me Priscilla wasn’t the right replacement for Suzanne.

But she was definitely better than Suzanne. Chrissy's dumb blonde act was getting stale and worn out!

Suzanne HERSELF admitted in an interview once how it might have been best she moved on because they took the Chrissy character as far as they could.

Most everyone admits both Cindy & Terri were breaths of fresh air the show badly needed!

dee2364 · 02-23-2019, 09:05 AM

I thought that Priscilla Barnes was great on the show; I absolutely loved Terri.

And the writers did know what to do with her. They made her the "straight man" on the show. In a way, she was a lot like Polly on Fawlty Towers, who was the one "sane" person reacting to all the madness like a normal person but at the same time had her moments of goofiness.

JackJanetChrissy · 02-23-2019, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dee2364

I thought that Priscilla Barnes was great on the show; I absolutely loved Terri.

And the writers did know what to do with her. They made her the "straight man" on the show. In a way, she was a lot like Polly on Fawlty Towers, who was the one "sane" person reacting to all the madness like a normal person but at the same time had her moments of goofiness.

I love Terri, too, but her being the straight man was what made her role confusing because Janet was always the straight man. When Terri came Janet went back and forth from being the sensible one to being the wacky one. Terri was great but was often kind of a bystander who just reacted to stuff.

Superswiper · 02-24-2019, 08:35 AM

I wouldn't say so. Terri was my favorite blonde on the show. In fact, I actually saw some of the Terri episodes before watching any with Chrissy or Cindi, and she didn't at all feel out of place.

SitcomsHeydayfan · 03-08-2019, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dee2364

I thought that Priscilla Barnes was great on the show; I absolutely loved Terri.

And the writers did know what to do with her. They made her the "straight man" on the show. In a way, she was a lot like Polly on Fawlty Towers, who was the one "sane" person reacting to all the madness like a normal person but at the same time had her moments of goofiness.

Me too. I just wish she loved the show back. If she had signed that 5 year deal maybe the producers could've eeked out 1 more season of TC? But Priscilla doesn't hate the show anymore since she's appeared at TV conventions at the TC area. She must know this will be her legacy once she's gone.

She also had the prettiest facial features of any regular on the show. Tori Lysdahl has to be #1 out of EVERYONE who ever appeared on the show though.

thejasoomian · 09-15-2019, 06:18 PM

I thought she was great! I was having a hard time with Cindy & the whole klutz angle. I was glad Priscilla was brought on as Terri.

TVFactFan · 09-15-2019, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thejasoomian

I thought she was great! I was having a hard time with Cindy & the whole klutz angle. I was glad Priscilla was brought on as Terri.

Only because she was a relative of chrissy.

SitcomsHeydayfan · 09-16-2019, 01:13 AM

If anything Suzanne Somers was miscast. Three's Company would've been just FINE if Priscilla Barnes was the blonde roommate from the start.

Remember it was John Ritter that got the overwhelming majority of laughs on the show and even the producers said there would be NO Three's Company without John!

TVFactFan · 09-16-2019, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SitcomsHeydayfan

If anything Suzanne Somers was miscast. Three's Company would've been just FINE if Priscilla Barnes was the blonde roommate from the start.

Remember it was John Ritter that got the overwhelming majority of laughs on the show and even the producers said there would be NO Three's Company without John!

They were trying to maintain the goofy link to chrissy while she was gone. It was easier to have a normal girl added once it was confirmed suzzane somers wasn't coming back

SitcomsHeydayfan · 09-16-2019, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

They were trying to maintain the goofy link to chrissy while she was gone. It was easier to have a normal girl added once it was confirmed suzzane somers wasn't coming back

The goofy link was Cindy not Terri since Cindy was Chrissy's cousin. Even Cindy was better than Chrissy. The "dumb blonde" Chrissy character was just AWFUL.

TVFactFan · 09-16-2019, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SitcomsHeydayfan

The goofy link was Cindy not Terri since Cindy was Chrissy's cousin. Even Cindy was better than Chrissy. The "dumb blonde" Chrissy character was just AWFUL.

i was saying since the chrissy character was temporarily gone, they used cindy to maintain that dumb blonde link. Once terri started, it was already confirmed suzanne somers was not coming back so it was easier to bring in a new type of blonde. They couldnt do that in season 5 because no one knew how the contract negotiations would turn out so they had another blonde who was.a relative to maintain that dumb blonde roomate until she came back. So they knew it would have been weird to add another dumb blonde after suzanne was no longer around

11-29-2018, 01:25 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,453	Was Priscilla Barnes miscast I think that I get that Jennilee Harrison (Cindy) was really always meant to be a stop-gap measure before they could figure out how to truly move on from the drama surrounding Suzanne Somers' departure in Season 5. But in hindsight, was Priscilla Barnes the best option as the permanent new blonde roommate? Barnes was no doubt attractive but in a very mature, and sophisticated way, which felt like the complete opposite of a show like Three's Company. I'm guessing that part of that was intentional as the producers didn't want another cute but goofy, ditsy blonde woman like Chrissy and Cindy. The main problem with Terri I think is that the writers never seemed to know what to do with her character. Sometimes she was smart and sophisticated, other times dumb and wacky. Terri at the end of the day, just felt like the third wheel to Jack and Janet and not on equal footing so to speak.
	Last edited by TMC; 05-14-2025 at 11:48 PM.

11-29-2018, 01:54 PM	#2
SitcomsHeydayfan Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2018 Location: The Show Me state Posts: 2,966	Not a chance! She was the best blonde roommate by far! I mean her acting. She also had one of the most beautiful faces on earth! Her facial features were pretty close to perfection.

12-07-2018, 02:03 AM	#3
JSP Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 19, 2003 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,735	To me Priscilla wasn’t the right replacement for Suzanne.

12-07-2018, 02:56 PM	#4
JackJanetChrissy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 18, 2014 Posts: 1,005	The writers didn't know what to do with her but that wasn't her fault. I think she made the best of the situation. Casting someone too similar to Chrissy Snow would have only invited comparisons to Suzanne. Having a more sensible blonde gave the show a different dynamic that worked as the actors and the show aged. Would have been weird to have someone in their mid-late 30s be as vapid as Chrissy was by Season 5...

02-23-2019, 09:05 AM	#6
dee2364 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 20, 2019 Posts: 643	I thought that Priscilla Barnes was great on the show; I absolutely loved Terri. And the writers did know what to do with her. They made her the "straight man" on the show. In a way, she was a lot like Polly on Fawlty Towers, who was the one "sane" person reacting to all the madness like a normal person but at the same time had her moments of goofiness.

02-24-2019, 08:35 AM	#8
Superswiper Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 14, 2016 Location: United States Posts: 192	I wouldn't say so. Terri was my favorite blonde on the show. In fact, I actually saw some of the Terri episodes before watching any with Chrissy or Cindi, and she didn't at all feel out of place.

09-15-2019, 06:18 PM	#10
thejasoomian Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 15, 2019 Posts: 325	I thought she was great! I was having a hard time with Cindy & the whole klutz angle. I was glad Priscilla was brought on as Terri.

09-16-2019, 01:13 AM	#12
SitcomsHeydayfan Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2018 Location: The Show Me state Posts: 2,966	If anything Suzanne Somers was miscast. Three's Company would've been just FINE if Priscilla Barnes was the blonde roommate from the start. Remember it was John Ritter that got the overwhelming majority of laughs on the show and even the producers said there would be NO Three's Company without John!