Three's a Crowd

For other uses, see Three's a Crowd (disambiguation).

Three's a Crowd (also known as Three's Company, Too in the Three's Company syndication package) is an American sitcom television series produced as a spin-off and continuation of Three's Company that aired on ABC from September 25, 1984 (one week after the final episode of Three's Company was broadcast), until April 9, 1985, with reruns airing until September 10, 1985. It is loosely based on the British sitcom Robin's Nest, which was itself a spin-off of Man About the House, on which Three's Company was based.

Three's a Crowd
Also known as	Three's Company, Too
Based on	Man About the House by Johnnie Mortimer Brian Cooke Robin's Nest by Johnnie Mortimer Brian Cooke
Developed by	Michael Ross Bernie West George Burditt Martin Rips Joseph Staretski
Starring	John Ritter Mary Cadorette Robert Mandan Alan Campbell
Theme music composer	Michael Lloyd (music) Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn, Don Nicholl & Michael Lloyd (lyrics)
Opening theme	"Side by Side"
Ending theme	"Side by Side" (instrumental)
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	22
Production
Executive producers	Michael Ross Bernie West George Burditt
Producers	Martin Rips Joseph Staretski George Sunga
Camera setup	Videotape; Multi-camera
Running time	approx. 23 minutes (per episode)
Production companies	NRW Productions Bergman-Taffner Productions
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	September 25, 1984 (1984-09-25) – April 9, 1985 (1985-04-09)
Related
Three's Company Robin's Nest

Plot

In Three's Company's final episodes, Vicky Bradford (Mary Cadorette) is introduced as a love interest of Jack Tripper (John Ritter), beginning with the episode titled "Cupid Works Overtime". In the following two-part episode "Friends and Lovers", Jack proposes marriage, but Vicky, afraid of marriage after witnessing her parents' tumultuous relationship and bitter divorce, declines the offer. Vicky instead convinces Jack to move in with her in the vacant apartment above his restaurant. Vicky's wealthy father James Bradford (Robert Mandan) buys the building from Jack's former boss Frank Angelino. James does not approve of Jack, and he constantly tries to disrupt his and Vicky's relationship.

Other characters include E. Z. Taylor (Alan Campbell), Jack's eccentric assistant at the bistro, and Claudia Bradford (Jessica Walter), Vicky's mother and James's ex-wife.

Cast

Main

• John Ritter as Jack Tripper
• Mary Cadorette as Victoria "Vicky" Bradford
• Robert Mandan as James Bradford
• Alan Campbell as E.Z. Taylor

Recurring

• Jessica Walter as Claudia Bradford

Production history

Three's Company had been based on the sitcom Man About the House, which aired on ITV in the United Kingdom from 1973 to 1976. When the series concluded, producers Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer devised two spin-offs. The first was George and Mildred, which ran from 1976 to 1979 and starred Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as the characters of George and Mildred Roper. The second spin-off was Robin's Nest, which ran from 1977 to 1981 and featured Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp (the basis of the Jack Tripper character), who runs the titular restaurant with his live-in girlfriend and her antagonistic father.

Three's Company's producers were eager to capitalize on these spin-offs. In 1979, they had spun off The Ropers, based on George and Mildred, but the show ran for only one and a half seasons. Executive producers Ted Bergmann and Don Taffner attempted to adapt the Robin's Nest series, but without John Ritter. A pilot for a series called Byrd's Nest was written with the same premise as Robin's Nest, with a young man living with his older girlfriend and her disapproving father, who owns the building in which they live. The series was planned as a spin-off from Three's Company and possibly a vehicle for Richard Kline, but ABC passed on the idea. As Three's Company entered its eighth season in September 1983, ratings took a dive due to stiff competition from the new NBC series The A-Team, and ABC approved the development of a new series to be called Three's a Crowd, starring Ritter.

Development and casting of the new series occurred in secret as Three's Company's eighth season progressed. Ritter's cast members Richard Kline, Joyce DeWitt, Priscilla Barnes and Don Knotts were kept out of the loop. During a Christmas hiatus in late 1983, producers auditioned several female leads to play Jack's new love interest Vicky Bradford, and eventually decided on Broadway actress Mary Cadorette. An embarrassing situation arose when DeWitt accidentally walked in on the auditions after visiting the studio to set up her dressing room at the end of the hiatus. Informed of the spin-off project and the looming cancellation of Three's Company, DeWitt was upset by the secrecy but soon reconciled with Ritter. She and Barnes found it difficult to tape the rest of the season, for both actresses learned that their characters would conclude with the series finale. Kline and Knotts were offered recurring roles on Three's a Crowd, but both declined the offer (Kline would make a guest appearance on the show in early 1985). Suzanne Somers reportedly lobbied to reprise her Three's Company character Chrissy Snow as Jack's love interest in the spin-off.

Transition

Moving from Three's Company to Three's a Crowd, series producers decided to follow the plot line of the British series. Season 8 of Three's Company closed with a three-episode story arc. In the first of the three episodes, Janet meets wealthy art collector Phillip Dawson. In the second episode, she falls in love with him, while Jack meets and falls in love with stewardess Vicky Bradford. Her wealthy father, played by Robert Mandan, does not approve of the relationship. When first aired, the episode ended with the words, "To be continued... next fall", but when rerun late in the summer, it was changed to, "To be continued... next week". The last episode of Three's Company aired as an hour-long special that kicked off the 1984–85 fall television season and set up the premise for Three's a Crowd. In the finale, Janet marries Phillip, Terri moves to Hawaii, while Jack and Vicky profess their love for one another; but Vicky, the child of a bitter divorce, turns down Jack's marriage proposal. They instead move in together in an apartment above Jack's bistro. In the last scene, Jack and Vicky are spending their first romantic evening in the new apartment, but Mr. Bradford accidentally barges in on them, explaining that he has bought the building and has become their new landlord. The title card for Three's Company appears with the word, "COMPANY", zooming out, and replaced with, "A CROWD".

Three's a Crowd employed most of the same writers, producers and staff from Three's Company, but the new show's style had changed. While the Jack Tripper character is the lead role in Three's Company, the show features an ensemble cast of the three roommates along with supporting characters. However, the new show is centered on Jack. Vicky, her parents and E. Z. are supporting characters. The new show also employs more slapstick for Ritter. The events and characters of the previous show are not mentioned, except in a late-season episode in which Larry Dallas appears.

Ratings and cancellation

Three's a Crowd garnered moderate ratings, having to compete with The A-Team on NBC. When the 1984–85 television season finished, the show placed 39th out of 77 shows with a 14.5/22 rating/share. This put the show on the fence with ABC, as it had enough of an audience to warrant renewal, but its ratings paled in comparison to The A-Team, which finished sixth for the season. The network would commit to only a half season of 13 episodes to see how the series would fare, and Ritter reportedly said that he would not return to the show unless a full season was ordered. Finally, ABC instead decided to pick up Diff'rent Strokes, which had just been canceled by NBC.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
1	"Family Affair"	Dave Powers	Michael Ross, Bernie West & George Burditt	September 25, 1984 (1984-09-25)	0102
Jack lies to his visiting aunt Mae (Billie Bird) to try to cover up his living arrangement with Vicky. Jack hires surfer E.Z. Taylor as his assistant at the restaurant.
2	"The Happy Couple"	Dave Powers	Michael Ross, Bernie West & George Burditt	October 9, 1984 (1984-10-09)	0101
Jack and Vicky argue over money. Mr. Bradford offers to pay for sprinklers that Jack needs for the bistro if Jack can convince Vicky to marry him.
3	"The Maternal Triangle"	Dave Powers	Martin Rips & Joseph Staretski	October 16, 1984 (1984-10-16)	0103
To get Vicky to accept his standing marriage proposal, Jack attempts to reunite Vicky's divorced parents. First appearance of Mrs. Bradford.
4	"Daddy's Little Girl"	Dave Powers	Karyl Geld Miller & Korby Siamis	October 23, 1984 (1984-10-23)	0106
James moves in to care for Vicky when she comes down with the measles.
5	"Jack's Problem"	Dave Powers	Martin Rips & Joseph Staretski	October 30, 1984 (1984-10-30)	0108
Jack seeks advice from a psychologist (James Karen) about his recent impotence. Vicky thinks Jack is cheating on her with E.Z.'s girlfriend Susie (Deborah Goodrich).
6	"Vacation from Sex"	Dave Powers	Martin Rips & Joseph Staretski (teleplay), Budd Grossman (story)	November 13, 1984 (1984-11-13)	0110
Vicky and Jack try to spend time sharing each others' non-sexual interests.
7	"A Matter of Money"	Dave Powers	Budd Grossman	November 20, 1984 (1984-11-20)	0105
When Jack is asked to identify a counterfeiter, Mr. Bradford appears in the police lineup. Based on "A Matter of Note" by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke.
8	"The Honeymooners"	Dave Powers	Lissa Levin	November 27, 1984 (1984-11-27)	0112
Aboard a flight to Acapulco, Jack mistakes an air marshal for hijacker. When they arrive, James crashes their vacation.
9	"A Little Competition"	Dave Powers	David Mirkin	December 4, 1984 (1984-12-04)	0104
Vicky's former boyfriend opens a seafood restaurant across from Jack's Bistro and makes Jack jealous. Based on the episode of the same name by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke.
10	"A Foreign Affair"	Dave Powers	Rich Reinhart	December 11, 1984 (1984-12-11)	0109
James tries to match his ex-wife with a business acquaintance, hoping to cease paying her alimony.
11	"James Steps Out"	Dave Powers	Martin Rips & Joseph Staretski	December 18, 1984 (1984-12-18)	0107
After James falls for a young artist (Sharon Wyatt), Jack tries to save him from heartbreak. Based on "Piggy in the Middle" by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke.
12	"Father Knows Nothing"	Dave Powers	Marty Farrell	January 8, 1985 (1985-01-08)	0113
Jack thinks Vicky is pregnant, but it's E.Z.'s dog who is expecting.
13	"A Friend in Deed"	Dave Powers	Stan Burns & Paul Wayne	January 15, 1985 (1985-01-15)	0111
Jack mistakenly believes that Vicky's friend (Gail Edwards) is coming on to him.
14	"A Case of Sour Grapes"	Dave Powers	Norman Chandler Fox & Mark Tuttle	January 22, 1985 (1985-01-22)	0114
Jack convinces Vicky to invest in a case of vintage wine, but when it turns out to be sour, he takes a job at a sushi house to repay her.
15	"Private Lessons"	Dave Powers	Phil Mishkin	January 29, 1985 (1985-01-29)	0116
Jack grooms E.Z. for a date with a high-class girl who only seems interested in Jack.
16	"One Ego to Go"	Dave Powers	Martin Rips, Joseph Staretski & Rich Reinhart	February 5, 1985 (1985-02-05)	0115
With his ego bruised after to losing a trivia game to Vicky, Jack tries to best her but ends up embarrassing himself at a beach carnival in front of guests.
17	"September Song"	Dave Powers	Martin Rips & Joseph Staretski	February 12, 1985 (1985-02-12)	0118
After Jack and James get drunk together, James is arrested for urinating in public and ends up in court. Based on the episode of the same name by George Layton.
18	"Deeds of Trust"	Dave Powers	Mark Tuttle	February 19, 1985 (1985-02-19)	0117
Jack's old friend Larry (Richard Kline) from Three's Company invites him to a swinging party where old flame Greedy Gretchen (Teresa Ganzel) makes a move on Jack.
19	"The New Mr. Bradford"	Dave Powers	Phil Mishkin	February 26, 1985 (1985-02-26)	0119
After Jack saves James's life, James finds Jack to be the son he never had.
20	"King For a Day"	Dave Powers	Mark Tuttle	March 5, 1985 (1985-03-05)	0120
With his restaurant suddenly popular after a glowing review, Jack forgets about his and Vicky's first anniversary.
21	"Jack Gets Trashed"	Dave Powers	Martin Rips & Joseph Staretski	April 2, 1985 (1985-04-02)	0122
Jack butts heads with James on a radio debate show.
22	"A Star Is Born"	Dave Powers	Michael Ross, Bernie West & George Burditt	April 9, 1985 (1985-04-09)	0121
When Jack and Vicky are cast in a commercial for her airline, Jack fights with the temperamental director (Stuart Pankin).

Home Media

On December 22, 2023, to coincide with a re-release of the complete Three's Company series for its 40th anniversary, Visual Entertainment Inc. released Three's a Crowd and The Ropers on DVD.

Reruns

Daytime reruns aired on ABC from September 23, 1985, to January 3, 1986, followed by another prime-time run on USA Network. Some syndicated versions aired under the title Three's Company, Too, using the theme song of Three's Company.

Six episodes of the series aired on TV Land in September 2006, and four episodes aired on WGN America in October 2008. The series began airing on Antenna TV in June 2011 (as Three's a Crowd, with its "Side by Side" theme song). The series is available for streaming in the U.S. as of July 2021 on Pluto TV and as of June 2022 on Tubi.

External links

• Three's a Crowd at IMDb
• Three's a Crowd at epguides.com
• O'Connor, John J. (September 17, 1984). "Ritter and a New Cast On 'Three's a Crowd'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
• Sitcoms Online: Three's a Crowd