If you grew up watching sitcoms in the late '70s and early '80s, chances are you’re familiar with
Three’s Company. This iconic show starred John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, Suzanne Somers,
and later Priscilla Barnes and Jenilee Harrison as three single roommates who shared a Santa Monica
apartment and frequently got into all kinds of hilarious misunderstandings. The sitcom was based
on a British sitcom called Man About the House and ran for 8 seasons on ABC from 1977 through 1984.
Three’s Company was a comedy classic that pushed the envelope with its risqué humor,
sexual innuendo, and physical slapstick. It also featured memorable characters
like the nosy landlords Mr. and Mrs. Roper (played by Norman Fell and Audra Lindley),
the sleazy used-car salesman Larry Dallas (played by Richard Kline),
and the goofy building manager Ralph Furley (played by the legendary Don Knotts).
Behind the scenes of this hit series, there were many secrets, scandals, mistakes,
and bloopers that you may not know about. From contract disputes to wardrobe malfunctions to
production errors, Three’s Company had its share of drama and comedy off-camera as well as on.
In this video, we’ll reveal some of the most surprising facts about
Three’s Company that will make you see this beloved sitcom in
a whole new light. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just curious about what went on behind
closed doors, you’ll want to watch on and find out more about this iconic show.
Facts Verse Presents: This photo is not edited - look closer at the Three’s Company blooper
The wardrobe malfunction
According to Snopes, actor John Ritter’s “family jewels” were briefly visible in a now-notorious
episode of Three's Company called "The Charming Stranger" which initially aired on December 20,
1983. The scene happened when Jack Tripper was dressed in bright blue boxers and flopped down
on the bed, exposing some things that probably shouldn't be seen on television. The blooper
went unnoticed for many years until an eagle-eyed viewer alerted Nickelodeon, which was re-running
old episodes of the sitcom, in March 2001. Nickelodeon confirmed the slip-up and said it
would edit it out from future repeats. John Ritter himself laughed off the incident and explained why
it was missed for so long during an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show.
The not-so-hidden crew
In season 8 episode 2, "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not”, Shortly after Jack chats
with Larry about a magazine quiz, Jack asks Janet if something is troubling her. While
Terri is seen leaving the kitchen with two cans in his hand, a crew member's hand can clearly
be seen directly behind Terri placing a very noticeable bag on the countertop.
The changing apartment number
In season 1 episode 1 “A Man About the House”,
Jack moves into apartment 201 with Janet and Chrissy. However, in later episodes,
their apartment number changes to 201A. This is because ABC executives
thought that viewers would confuse 201 with a room number rather than an apartment number.
The case of the giggles
In season 5, episode 17 “And Baby Makes Four”, When Cindy expresses frustration by saying"Why
doesn't anyone give me any credit for knowing what I'm doing?" Jack snarkily retorts with, "well,
you keep bumping into things!”. As soon as John says this, Joyce can't help but break character
and laugh. In an attempt to cover this up, she shields her face with her hands and bends over,
while Cindy tries her best to hold back her own laughter and carry on with the scene.
The teleporting scarf
In season 2, episode 14 “Three’s Christmas”, right after the trio wraps up opening their presents,
Jack makes his way to the kitchen to find Chrissy visibly upset with a scarf over her
shoulders. From the other room, Janet asks what’s wrong. When the camera cuts back to the kitchen,
we’re given a close-up of Chrissy with the scarf now sitting on her lap.
The tragic death
John Ritter was not only the star of Three's Company but also one of its producers and writers.
He was beloved by fans and colleagues alike for his comedic talent and warm personality. Sadly,
he died unexpectedly on September 11th 2003, from an undiagnosed heart
condition while filming his new sitcom 8 Simple Rules. He was only 54 years old.
The forgotten car
In the season 8 episode "Forget Me Not", Janet tells Jack that the car that Larry is delivering
to her is her very first car, but just five episodes earlier in "Itching for Trouble",
Janet is asked by Moose if they had a football that needed any air,
to which she replies by saying no, but one of the tires on her car was a bit low.
The questionable terminology
In season 4, episode 1 “Jack on the Lam”, Jack uses the term AWOL or "Absent without leave",
but since Jack had supposedly served in the Navy, he would have probably used the more
commonly used term "UA" instead, which is shorthand for "Unauthorized absence".
The recycled set
In season 7, episode 8 “An Affair to Forget”, Jack falls for a woman named Randy who later
turns out to be married. When Jack visits Randy apartment, it looks very familiar.
That’s because it’s the same set that was used for Janet’s flower shop in previous episodes.
The Flip-Flopping Door Knob
The doorbell of the three's apartment usually was shown to be on the left, but sometimes when
plot points called for it, it appeared on the right-hand side of the door. Likewise,
the doorbell chime box inside the trio's apartment was initially placed above the
kitchen, but in later episodes it can be seen directly above the front door.
The spin-off flops
Three’s Company had two spin-offs: The Ropers and Three’s a Crowd. The Ropers followed the
adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Roper after they moved to a new condominium complex managed by
their snooty neighbor Jeffrey Potts (played by Jeffrey Tambor). Three’s a Crowd followed
Jack after he moved in with his girlfriend Vicky Bradford (portrayed by Mary Cadorette)
and had to deal with her meddling father James Bradford (played by Robert Mandan).
Both spin-offs were short-lived and failed to match the popularity of Three’s Company.
The unauthorized story
In 2003, NBC aired a TV movie called Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three’s Company.
The movie dramatized the behind-the-scenes conflicts and controversies that plagued the show,
such as Suzanne Somers’ salary dispute, John Ritter’s creative differences with the producers,
and Joyce DeWitt’s feud with Somers. DeWitt served as a co-producer and host of the movie,
while Ritter saw the final cut before he died. Somers was also contacted and gave some input.
The wrong door
In season 4, episode 18, "Handcuffed", Chrissy's cop cousin informs her and
the roommates that there was a complaint lodged by one of the neighbor about her husband being
on the roof watching the girls dance in the apartment with a pair of binoculars. However,
when the girls were actually dancing, the thick drapes were closed, and the front door
was also closed. So, how on earth could such a complaint have even be filed in the first place?
The missing brother
Jack has a brother named Lee in later episodes of the series, but a couple of years before he
was introduced, Jack's uncle came to visit and referred to Jack as his favorite nephew. Jack
responded to this compliment by saying that he was his only nephew. Jack's uncle replied
to this factual comment by saying "that never stopped you from being my favorite".
The duplicating cans
In the second season episode, "Strange Bedfellows", Mr. Roper attempts to explain to
the girls and his nosy wife what he was up to in Jack's Bedroom. If you watch this scene closely,
paying special attention to what's going on right above Mr. Roper's left shoulder,
you'll notice that the number of yellow cans on the shelf keeps switching from one to two
cans throughout the scene. Additionally, you can also notice that the suitcase on the floor
has a square silver bag placed in front of it whenever two yellow cans are present.
The equal pay fight
Suzanne Somers was one of the most popular stars of Three’s Company thanks to her
portrayal of the ditzy blonde Chrissy Snow. However, she felt that she was underpaid
compared to her male co-stars John Ritter and Norman Fell. Because of this, Somers asked for
a raise from $30,000 per episode to $150,000 per episode plus 10% ownership of the show. When her
demands were rejected by ABC and the producers, she went on strike and refused to appear in
most episodes of season 5. She was eventually fired from the show after season 5 and replaced
by Jenilee Harrison as Cindy Snow. Her firing caused a rift between
her and her co-stars Joyce DeWitt and John Ritter that lasted for decades.
The early bird
In the episode "Not-So-Great-Imposter" which aired in the fifth season, Mr. Angelino enters the
kitchen and mentions that steaks are needed for eight guests. If you look behind him at the window
in the kitchen door, you can see Janet watching intently as if she were waiting for her cue to
enter the scene. Just as soon as you can spot her, however, she ducks out of sight. A moment later,
she can been seen once again when Angelino asks Felipe to give him a hand in the freezer.
She then runs through the door with Furley as if they had just shown up at that very moment.
Mistakes happen. While Three’s Company certainly had its fair share of bloopers and blunders,
so has pretty much every other sitcom and popular television series throughout the history of the
medium. That being said, it’s always fun to take a moment to reflect on these humorous mishaps.
With that, we’ll go ahead and wrap this video. Can you think of any
other notable Three’s Company bloopers, mistakes, fun facts,
or errors? And what was your favorite episode of the iconic sitcom? Let us know in the comments.
As always, thanks for watching!