The Original Pilot...has anyone seen it??

[Dr. Thong]

I was reading the Come And Knock On Our Door book the other day and came upon the revelation that M*A*S*H's Larry Gelbart wrote the original Three's Company pilot based on the British sitcom Man About The House.

I was wondering if this has ever been shown, say maybe on TV Land, or if anyone has seen it somehow. I would love to see how Gelbart approached it, as I loved his writing on M*A*S*H. It definitely would have been a different show had they aired his version...

So, if anyone has seen it, please let me know what you thought of it...

[Mykoon]

I don't think, that anybody has ever seen it, but the good news is, that it will be released as an extra on the 2nd season DVD in may!

[Dr. Thong]

Originally posted by Mykoon
I don't think, that anybody has ever seen it, but the good news is, that it will be released as an extra on the 2nd season DVD in may!

Well, that's good news. Hopefully it'll be the first pilot, because a second one was shot as well. It took the third one with Suzanne Somers to convince the network the show was ready to air.

[Steve's Roadhouse]

I think I read that one pilot will be on the Season 2 set (May 4), and the other will be on the Season 3 set (later in the year). I assumed they were like the first episode, only with different actresses. I could be wrong.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally posted by Steve's Roadhouse
I think I read that one pilot will be on the Season 2 set (May 4), and the other will be on the Season 3 set (later in the year). I assumed they were like the first episode, only with different actresses. I could be wrong.

The pilot was recast and rewritten each time. Larry Gelbart's would have been more sophisticated and satirical, whereas Nicholl, Ross and West went for a more farcical style.

[Steve's Roadhouse]

That's good to hear that they're different. Look forward to seen it.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally posted by Steve's Roadhouse
That's good to hear that they're different. Look forward to seen it.

I always like seeing alternate versions of something that I'm used to seeing a certain way. From a creative standpoint, it's fascinating to see how something evolves.

For example, the original Beverly Hills Cop was written for Sylvester Stallone, who ended up turning it down. When Eddie Murphy took it on, obviously they had to tailor the dialogue to his persona. I can't imagine Sly as Axel Foley, myself.

Also, I wouldn't mind seeing the show that Three's was based on, Man About The House - I'd be curious to see what the British take on the roommates scenario, particularly as it was the original.

[Mykoon]

Larry Gelbart's pilot will be the one released in may!