Ritter's Romp on 'Three's Company' Changed TV
Sept. 12, 2003 -- 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.
In one episode, Chrissy went to work at a convention as a hostess with an old friend of hers, not realizing the job is being a high-priced call girl.
Another time, Jack was dating a sex therapist whom Janet's father befriends and Janet thinks that the woman is a prostitute.
Then there was that time Mr. Roper was eavesdropping and started to think Chrissy was pregnant, as she revealed that she was contemplating a very serious and embarrassing medical procedure. He thinks she's pregnant and about to have an abortion. Actually, she was having a wart removed.
In the world of Three's Company, jokes about womanizing, ditsy blondes and anything with a whiff of sexuality were staples:
Jack: Larry, haven't you ever thought of telling a girl the truth? Larry: Well, I figure, anyone who puts on eyeliner, fake eyelashes, and plastic nails isn't someone who wants to hear the truth.
Mr. Roper: I came up to shampoo your rug. Chrissy: Why? Does it have dandruff?
Chrissy: You know, if women ran the world there'd be none of these stupid wars! Mr. Roper: Yeah, all the countries would nag each other to death!
Janet: Chrissy, your dad is a minister, what does he usually say to couples in trouble? Chrissy: He tells them to keep the baby.
Each episode seemed to be based on a mix-up or misunderstanding — it was as if the skimpy outfits of Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt, who regularly went braless, lowered the IQs of everyone involved.
Somers became an instant hit as dumb blonde Chrissy, and her pinup poster was requisite on the wall of every adolescent boy. Following a series of fights with the rest of the cast that have been depicted in made-for-TV movies and behind-the-scenes documentaries, she bolted after the fourth season.
A string of actresses filled the dumb blonde role, as DeWitt and Ritter kept the show alive until 1984, through several cast changes and a few spin-offs.
Ironically, before joining the free-frolicking Three's Company, Ritter was best known for playing a minister on The Waltons. He won an Emmy in the show's final season, and endured through the years as one of the most familiar faces on TV, often as a guest star in such shows as Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Felicity.
Ritter, who was 54, earned high praise for his work in the 1996 film Sling Blade as well as his appearance on Broadway in Neil Simon's The Dinner Party.
In ABC's 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, Ritter's final sitcom role was as a dad trying to rein in two daughters, much as Chrissy and Janet's parents tried to rein them in.
The times change, and the younger generation becomes the parents. TV viewers embraced Ritter in both roles, a rare accomplishment for any actor.