On March 15, 1977, Three’s Company first aired on ABC and introduced viewers to the comedic misadventures of three roommates — Jack Tripper, Janet Wood, and Chrissy Snow — living together in an apartment in Santa Monica. The show soon became popular and ran for eight seasons until 1984, cementing its place in television history.
The show’s success was a product of its interesting storylines and endearing characters. John Ritter’s Jack Tripper, who pretends to be homosexual to secure an apartment, made the show even more popular. Joyce DeWitt’s Janet Wood and Suzanne Somers’ Chrissy Snow also joined Jack’s antics, and the trio made a team which viewers nationwide could identify with.
What was ‘Three’s Company’s’ original intro?
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Recently, entertainment publicist Danny Deraney shared an unaired opening from the sitcom’s early days, revealing the creators’ original vision for the show. Here, John Ritter appeared as David, and not Jack Tripper. Valerie Curtin appeared as Jenny while Susanne Zenor played Samantha, his female roommates, this was before Suzanne Somers, who later played Chrissy Snow, and Joyce DeWitt, who played Janet Wood.
Also missing in the intro was the classic theme song “Come and Knock on Our Door,” instead, there was an instrumental song composed by Joe Raposo. ABC decided to revamp the show with ideas taken from the British sitcom Man About the House. This meant recasting and rearranging the original story.
‘Three’s Company’ was severely criticized
Although it was popular, Three’s Company came under heavy fire during its production. Critics were upset with the show’s overdependence on sexual innuendo and slapstick humor. Others complained that its style of comedy was inferior to that of more contemporary shows such as Taxi.
John Ritter, keeping in mind the show’s reception, acknowledged these complaints but noted that the audience continued to watch because of the light humor. The straightforward humor of the show relieved the audience of their daily concerns, as Lucille Ball described, it was comedy that entertains without needing to deliver deeper messages.