It’s been 48 years since Three’s Company first introduced audiences to its trio of chaotic but lovable roommates — three people who were never meant to live together under their landlord’s strict rules, yet quickly won over viewers with their hilarious misadventures.
The sitcom starred John Ritter as the clumsy but charming Jack Tripper, Joyce DeWitt as level-headed Janet Wood, and Suzanne Somers as the bubbly Chrissy Snow. Over eight seasons and 172 episodes, from 1977 to 1984, the show followed their hijinks in a Santa Monica apartment. The pilot begins with Janet and Chrissy searching for a new roommate after theirs moves out. They discover Jack passed out in their bathtub after the previous night’s farewell party — and decide he’s the perfect candidate.
There’s one catch: their landlord, Mr. Roper, forbids men and women from living together. Luckily, Mrs. Roper takes a shine to Jack and helps the trio convince her husband that Jack is gay, making him “acceptable” as a roommate.
Reflecting on the show’s enduring appeal during a 1997 interview with Conan O’Brien, Ritter joked, “It’s like Chinese food — you watch it and a half hour later you’re ready for more comedy. People still seem to like it.”
