After the phenomenal success of Three's Company, it was a foregone conclusion that there would be a spinoff. Enter Vicky Bradford (Mary Cadorette), flight attendant and Jack's love interest. The premise for Three's a Crowd was set up in the last three episodes of Three's Company - Jack meets and falls in love with Vicky, but she doesn't want to get married, due to a general distrust of the institution. They decide to live together instead, much to the consternation of Vicky's father (Robert Mandan) who becomes the landlord for their apartment and for Jack's new restaurant downstairs.
Three's a Crowd was not a big success - it only ran for one season. Also featured in the series was Jessica Walter as Vicky's mother. The show occasionally airs on the Antenna TV cable network, though it has never been released on DVD. The first half of an episode titled Family Affair is above, uploaded to YouTube by canw1, though the second half is not available.
Obscurity factor: 9 (not on DVD, not well remembered, partially available on YouTube)
While I admit I was living in the UK when this was on the air, I'm doubtful I would have remembered this even if I had seen it. "Three's Company" was already lighter than air and this seems even more so. (Although I also admit I used to think John Ritter was adorable.)
ReplyDeleteYes, it was definitely a souffle in danger of falling... I have a strange memory of the show - I was in HS and was alone, watching it the night it debuted when a call came in from the hospital that my grandmother had died. They used the word expired and I wasn't sure what that meant. It was very callous of them to not even ask who they were telling before breaking news like that. So the show has always had that memory attached to it.
ReplyDeleteFrom Three's Company to Sling Blade to The Bride Of Chucky...John Ritter will be missed!
ReplyDeleteI remember this show. Particularly the episode where Jack was trying to open his restaurant & a building inspector wasn't going to because the ceilings were only 7'6" high. The father kind of reminded me of Ted Knight. Wasn't surprised it didn't last.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the memories that are attatched to this show, Ben :(
The father was also Katherine Helmond's husband in Soap...
ReplyDeleteUnfortunate title song, to be sure...
ReplyDeleteYes, the opening credits are a bit off-putting...
ReplyDeleteI loved this show! John and Mary had such great chemistry. And eppys like "Vacation From Sex" and "The Happy Couple" I'd put them up against any Three's Company eppy for out and out laughs. People seem to forget Three's Company's last season finished at #35 in the ratings.
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