When Did Three’s Company Jump the Shark?

[TMC]

https://popculturereferences.com/whe...ump-the-shark/

In a feature looking at if or when a TV series "jumped the shark," Brian asks you all to determine when (or if) Three's Company jumped the shark.



Today, we look at when (or if) you folks believe that Three's Company “jumped the shark.”

This is “Just Can’t Jump It,” a feature where we examine shows and whether they “jumped the shark.” Jumped the shark (coined by Jon Hein) means that the show had a specific point in time where, in retrospect, you realize that show was going downhill from there (even if, in some rare occasions, the show later course-corrected). Not every show DOES jump the shark. Some shows just remain good all the way through. And some shows are terrible all the way through. What we’re looking for are moments where a show that you otherwise enjoyed hit a point where it took a noticeable nose dive after that time and if so, what moment was that?

Three’s Company was a TV series about a man, Jack Tripper, living with two female roommates (back when something like that would have been seen as quite…if not scandalous, then certainly not normal), while trying to pretend that he was gay so that his crusty old landlord would let him stay in the apartment. It initially starred John Ritter as the guy, and Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt (Chrissy Snow and Janet Wood), with Somers later being replaced by first Jenilee Harrison and then Priscilla Barnes.

So first…DID IT JUMP THE SHARK? Definitely.

WHEN DID IT JUMP THE SHARK Okay, here’s where it gets tricky. Naturally, people think that the show took a dive when Suzanne Somers left, and surely, the show was never as good as it was in the first three seasons, but the show WITH Somers had already gotten worse before she left, so you could make a strong argument that it jumped before she even left at the start of Season 5. However, I think the quality didn’t drop enough to merit “jump the shark,” and really, the initial season with Cindy Snow (instead of Chrissy Snow) was not that bad, nor was the first season with Terri Alden (Barnes), where the show tried to zig when people thought it would zag by bringing in an intelligent blonde roommate to replace the dimwitted Chrissy and the klutzy Cindy. No, for me, it’s Season 7’s “Jack Gets His,” when Jack gets his own restaurant. The show was always a Ritter starring vehicle, but it REALLY became ALL about Jack when he got his own restaurant. It also strained the whole “still living with two roommates” deal when the guy owns a restaurant. The show also clearly got bored with Terri, and she became a non-entity, and even Don Knotts as the replacement business manager really had no purpose on the show anymore, as he was too charming to really lean into the crusty ol’ homophobe like the previous landlord, Mr. Roper. So I think that’s when the show jumped.

[ClarenceAlabama]

I agree! The Jack's Bistro episodes were ok, but the ones that didn't feature Jack's Bistro were better in season 7.

They went all in on Jack's Bistro for Three's a Crowd and we see how that turned out.

[rusty spike]

The restaurant really did it for me. For 5 seasons, we know Jack Tripper is training to be a world class chef, right? And all of the sudden, his dream is owning his own restaurant?

At what point did he learn anything about managing a restaurant? Did he think he could wing it because he saw Mr. Angelino going over the books (bookkeeping)?

I realize the writers were running out of ideas, but we never saw Jack cooking in the kitchen again once his bistro was opened. His bistro seemed had limited seating, about 5 tables with 2-3 chairs. His menu offered a choice of two entree's and maybe a salad and appetizer.

And then there's the no roommate, save Janet, can afford to buy a used car. Jack and Terri are catching cabs or riding the city bus.

[ClarenceAlabama]

Originally Posted by rusty spike

His bistro seemed had limited seating, about 5 tables with 2-3 chairs. His menu offered a choice of two entree's and maybe a salad and appetizer.

And then there's the no roommate, save Janet, can afford to buy a used car. Jack and Terri are catching cabs or riding the city bus.

[BestTVever]

Wow, we all agree. I also agree it jumps the shark with Jack Gets His.
The show started to only focus on Jack and the roommates were background characters supporting Jack.
I think this was when they started secretly planning the spin off after the show's end.

[rusty spike]

I really like TC even though I am critical of the last few seasons- Don't get me wrong, there's some very funny episodes that I enjoy. My favorite season is #3- it has the best with the Ropers, living in the apartment and great character development.

Can someone explain in a logical way why Three's a Crowd was developed when the last season of Three's Company was taking a nose dive?

Aside from continuing Jack Tripper as a star vehicle for Ritter, I just don't get it why TC was spun off into TAC. His restaurant/bistro was not funny, the show's loyal fans (those still tuning in) were there to laugh at Janet, Terri, Larry and Mr. Furley. If the ratings were decreasing, why did they think a new cast would help turn around the ratings?

The only thing that I can think of is that maybe John was offered a 3 year contract to keep John portraying the Jack Tripper character. Maybe that was needed to get John to agree to do Season 8 (last season) of TC. Except the ratings began to falter so they offered John his own spin-off.

I don't think the idea of a 3 year contract has ever been suggested or documented, but maybe that's what happened. I just don't understand how a show that's going to end/cancelled would end up giving the star a pay raise and a spin-off if his/her star power is decreasing.

[Babalu]

It was never a good show. People just liked looking at Suzanne Somers' boobs.

[TMC]

I do wonder sometimes if it was kind of a blessing in disguise that Chrissy left when she did. By the end of Suzanne Somers' time on the show, her character had become severely Flanderized. Chrissy went from being a merely naïve and ditzy but still sensible girl, like she was at the start of the series to a full blown moron and cartoon character by the time that she left. Chrissy if anything, became the "Scrappy" of Three's Company. It's like Suzanne Somers was trying way, way too hard to be funny.

[Mace Dolex]

I was 8 when I started watching the show in reruns in 1984 so I was ignorant to all the behind the scenes drama and I didn't know what a spin-off meant, the idea of Jack getting his restaurant was just character progression to me as well as moving in with Vicki.

Watching it now as an adult I do question some choices such as Jack not owning a car despite having his own restaurant and how Jack never caught an STD after dating so many women.

[ClarenceAlabama]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

I was 8 when I started watching the show in reruns in 1984 so I was ignorant to all the behind the scenes drama and I didn't know what a spin-off meant, the idea of Jack getting his restaurant was just character progression to me as well as moving in with Vicki.

Watching it now as an adult I do question some choices such as Jack not owning a car despite having his own restaurant and how Jack never caught an STD after dating so many women.

No STD storylines, but a few pregnancy scares.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

Wow, we all agree. I also agree it jumps the shark with Jack Gets His.
The show started to only focus on Jack and the roommates were background characters supporting Jack.
I think this was when they started secretly planning the spin off after the show's end.

Somebody else may have hit the nail on the head when they argued that Jack's Bistro kind of killed Three's Company's "hangout" vibe. Three's Company, depending on who you ask, was kind of the Friends of its era. And Jack's Bistro on Three's Company would arguably be like if on Friends, Monica, who like Jack, worked as a chef, bought and ran a cafe with tables and no couch, and everyone started visiting Monica’s Cafe instead of Central Perk. That kind of happened on Three's Company, where the Regal Beagle essentially became a non-entity once Jack's Bistro came into the picture.

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by TMC

Somebody else may have hit the nail on the head when they argued that Jack's Bistro kind of killed Three's Company's "hangout" vibe. Three's Company, depending on who you ask, was kind of the Friends of its era. And Jack's Bistro on Three's Company would arguably be like if on Friends, Monica, who like Jack, worked as a chef, bought and ran a cafe with tables and no couch, and everyone started visiting Monica’s Cafe instead of Central Perk. That kind of happened on Three's Company, where the Regal Beagle essentially became a non-entity once Jack's Bistro came into the picture.

True

[Dude111]

I would say the last season they seem to lose interest,its really very sad...

[Mace Dolex]

I checked all of season 8 and the gang only hung out at the Regal Beagle for two episodes.