Ritter's Romp on 'Three's Company' Changed TV
Sept. 12 -- Just imagine two girls and a guy living together. Like in a porno movie? What do you mean they're not having wild sex?
It's hard to appreciate, but the very thought of members of the opposite sex living together was actually quite scandalous, at least on TV back in 1977, when Three's Company hit primetime.
Two years earlier, ABC, CBS, and NBC — better known in those days as "all three networks" — balked at the very notion of a risqué sitcom based on two single women living with a man, even though that premise worked on the British sitcom Man About the House.
When ABC finally took the plunge, shocked conservatives railed against the network, and still, Three's Company prevailed, becoming one of the most successful shows in its 7-year run. The tales of Jack, Janet and Chrissy are now a slice of TV history.
John Ritter, who died Thursday of a heart problem, became the show's enduring star as Jack Tripper, a bumbling would-be playboy who talks two beautiful women into letting him rent the extra room in their apartment.Jack's a cooking student, and when the girls taste his food, they're eager to have him in their home, provided there's no hanky-panky.
But as TV fans know, getting the girls' permission isn't a problem. Jack needs the approval of their landlord, an old prude named Mr. Roper, and there's no way he's going to believe that unmarried platonic cohabitation is even possible.No sir! Mr. Roper isn't going to allow any shenanigans in his building. But then Janet (the smart brunette) cooks up the perfect explanation — she tells the landlord Jack's gay! The nosey landlord is satisfied, but what about Jack, and his reputation at the trio's Regal Beagle hangout, where he's known as quite the lady's man. Can he lead a double life?
Another Week, Another Silly Misunderstanding
In the age of Sex and the City, it's hard to appreciate that Three's Company pushed the envelope, when it was nothing more than a mild sex farce with ridiculously silly plots.
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