Picture this, a modest apartment in Santa Monica where a single man shares his living space with two women. The catch? To keep the arrangement, he must convince his landlords, that he's gay. This little white lie sets the stage for eight seasons of TV gold. Which show am I talking about?
Stay tuned.
Today is a special episode of Family TV Uncovered because tonight we're flipping the script instead of movie night. It's parents night, and I've got just the thing for you. A show packed with laughs, charm, and one of the most iconic comedy leads of all time.
I remember the first time I watched this show. Little did I know years later I'd be strolling through those very studio halls feeling the history and echoes of laughter that once filled Studio 31 and right next door to The Price is Right Studio, studio 33, where I used to work with Bob Barker. Those were the days. Fun times.
Anyways. In 1976, television audiences were introduced to a daring concept, a man cohabitating with two women, none of them romantically involved. Now you need to realize that back in the early seventies, TV still held to some traditional family values, and this show premiered at a time when that was starting to be challenged.
So back to the show, in order to appease the conservative landlords, first, the ropers, and then Mr. Furley. Janet, one of the other characters, concocts a fib that Jack is gay. This premise became the linchpin for countless comedic scenarios. The infamous Jack Tripper played by John Ritter, whose comedic genius was unparalleled.
His physical antics like tripping over furniture, exaggerated facial expressions, and his willingness to do anything. I just, I consider him to be on par with Robin Williams and Lucille Ball with his gift of making people laugh. And in fact, Lucille Ball actually guest starred on two episodes of Three's Company. It was a retro look back at the show and their best moments. But anyways, John Ritter wasn't ashamed to do anything on this show to make people laugh and the supporting cast. It doesn't fall short either, because without them, the show wouldn't be the same.
Every character brought something unique. Janet played by Joyce Dewitt was the smart level-headed one. Chrissy played by Suzanne Summers was the sweet, lovable, "dizzy blonde" who played it to perfection. Larry played by Richard Kline, was the scheming, smooth talking best friend who always had a wild idea.
And then there's the landlords. Now the Ropers and Mr. Furley played the landlords in different seasons and they just added a whole new level of humor to the show. Now, Stanley Roper played by Norman Fell, and Mrs. Roper. Helen was played by Audrey Linley and the lovable Don Knotts played Mr. Furley.
So Stanley and Helen, Mr. And Mrs. Roper had a lot of hilarious jokes written for them. Their bickering was legendary. For instance, in one episode, Helen asks Stanley as he's sitting on the couch with a newspaper in hand,
"When are you going to paint the building? You've been promising all week." And he simply replies, "well, the week isn't over yet." And then she tells him, "yeah, but you've been promising all year." "Well, the year's not over yet." "How long can you look at something so drab and faded?" And he replies, "I don't know. How long have we been married?" And you hear the in-studio audience bust up laughing at this.
There's another example I wanna share with you. In an episode called Hearts and Flowers, Janet has just quit her job at the flower shop because of her new efficiency expert boss named Bobbie, a woman who's very uptight and doesn't take nonsense from anyone.
So, Mr. Furley and Terri come up with a plan. They walk into the flower shop pretending Terri's getting married. All to help Janet get her job back. So picture this, Mr. Furley in a very loud sport coat, comes in with Terri and they just told Bobbie that Terri, his daughter, remember they're pretending, is getting married. So Bobbie asks him, "oh, so you'll probably be needing some house plants or floral arrangements?"
Mr. Furley straightens up and says, "no, what we really need are some three quarter inch nails." Bobbie looks confused and replies, "we don't have nails."
Then this is where Terri replies, "Then what's holding up all that stuff on the walls?" Bobbie Deadpans and says, "Nails." And Furley raises an eyebrow and says, "I thought you didn't have any nails." And then a few moments later he just says, "well, just give us our hammer and we'll be on our way." And Bobbie snaps back, "we don't have hammers" and Terri, without missing a beat, replies, "then how'd you get all that stuff up on the walls?" And Bobbie looks around and says, "with a hammer." And then Furley declares, "aha, we'll take that one."
So let's fast forward to another moment of terrific writing, and this is when Jack's best friend, Larry thinks an older woman, she's like in her seventies is after Jack. But it's all a misunderstanding. Larry walks into the living room with two wine glasses in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, and he arrogantly sits down right next to this woman, whose name is Martha. And he says, "excuse me, but I just couldn't help noticing your perfume. It's so mysterious, so enchanting, so sensual, what do you call it?" And she replies, "Ben Gay."
Again, the studio explodes in laughter, and this is just the kind of humor that the writers came up with for this show. It's just unbeatable and unmatched in today's modern television shows.
This show left an indelible mark on television history. Its bold themes and unforgettable characters continue to resonate today, reminding us of the timeless nature of well-crafted comedy. So, what show turned one harmless fib into eight seasons of chaos, charm, and classic TV Gold? Three's Company.
Three's company wasn't just funny, it was foundational. It left a permanent mark on TV history. A sitcom that didn't try to change the world. It just made us laugh. And honestly, that's reason enough to re-watch it again and again and again. And while some moments feel distinctly tied to their era, the humor, timing, and charm are timeless. It's proof that you don't need big effects or high drama.
And finally, there's something really special about watching Three's company with your spouse. This is one of those shows that my husband and I can just sit down, watch, and enjoy together. No stress, no serious plots to follow. It doesn't try to fix anything, but it gives you a reason to laugh together. And in a world where we're all busy juggling work, parenting, and everything in between, that shared laughter can go a long way. And sometimes that's exactly what you need to reconnect at the end of a long day. I will leave links in the show notes where you can stream Three's company for yourself.
That brings us to the end of this Special Parents Night episode. I hope you enjoyed learning about Three's company. In a previous episode, I talked about a family sitcom with an amazing cast. One of those cast members played the youngest sibling on that show. But what happens when that same kid swaps family life for a dream mansion and a bank account bigger than he ever imagined?
In our next episode, we're diving into a nineties film packed with adventure wish fulfillment, and just a little bit of trouble. You'll have to tune in to find out. Do me a favor and share this episode with friends and family who you think will enjoy this content and head over to Apple Podcasts and leave a review to help me grow this podcast.
You can also send me a message on my website at familytvuncovered.com. Thanks again for tuning in. Have a great rest of your week, and I will catch you on the next episode.