A Look Back at Three’s Company — 48 Years Later
It’s been nearly five decades since Three’s Company introduced audiences to three offbeat roommates whose living arrangement defied their landlord’s strict rules — and whose comedic chemistry helped make the sitcom a classic.
Starring John Ritter as Jack Tripper, Joyce DeWitt as Janet Wood and Suzanne Somers as Chrissy Snow, the beloved series ran for 172 episodes across eight seasons from 1977 to 1984. The story kicked off when Janet and Chrissy, suddenly in need of a new roommate, discovered Jack passed out in their bathtub after a wild going-away party. On a whim, they invited him to move in.
There was just one issue: their landlord, Mr. Roper, forbade men and women from living together. Fortunately, Mrs. Roper took a liking to Jack and helped convince her husband that Jack was gay — making him, in their eyes, a “safe” choice to share the apartment.
Reflecting on the show’s enduring appeal in a 1997 interview with Conan O’Brien, Ritter joked, “It’s like Chinese food — you watch it, and half an hour later you’re ready for more comedy.” And indeed, audiences have continued to crave it ever since.
