In the 70's, American writers began looking across the pond to England for new ideas, or at least what they could adapt. For example, Steptoe & Son was rebooted here as Sanford & Son, using a mostly African-American cast. 'Til Death Do Us Part begat All in The Family. The racy sitcom, Three's Company, was an adaptation of Man About The House.
The basic plot is the same. Two young women, working for the same employer in this series, take in a male roommate to replace a female friend who has moved away. In order to get past the landlord's restrictions regarding relationships, the male, Robin Tripp, is passed off as gay, but by the 2nd episode, the landlord's wife finds out the truth, and, to get back at her husband, flirts with Robin.
When House was brought stateside as Three's Company in 1977, Robin Tripp became Jack Tripper. George & Mildred Roper were now Stanley & Helen Roper. Maintaining the links to its British origins, Company spun The Ropers into their own series, just like George & Mildred. Can't say for sure if Robin's Nest, the follow-up to House, is directly linked to Three's a Crowd, though.
From series 2 comes "Colour me Yellow". Seems Robin has taken up judo, but gets a bully bothering the girls to back off with mere words, a decision he soon regrets.
I think part of the reason The Ropers bombed was because Norman Fell, long a supporting player, had previously proven unable to carry a show as a lead, having previously top-lined Needles & Pins. Not sure about George & Mildred, though. House had ended production by the time it aired on WOR on this date in 1976.
Rating: B.
The best bit on THREE'S COMPANY was Fell's breaking of the fourth wall after throwing an insult Mrs. Roper's way. For some reason, they never used this on THE ROPERS. I don't think that helped, and two other factors working against it: 1) ABC's late-1970's dominance started to fade with several hit shows showing their age (HAPPY DAYS) and others moved unwisely to unfavorable time slots (LAVERNE & SHIRLEY, MORK & MINDY). THE ROPERS was one of those moved, to Saturdays.
ReplyDeleteNorman Fell actually DIDN'T want to do the spinoff. He felt he finally had a berth on a hit show, and understandably didn't want to risk it. He was assuaged with a contract stipulation that if THE ROPERS was cancelled inside of a year, he and Lindley would return to THREE'S COMPANY. THE ROPERS lasted exactly two months longer than that before it was cancelled, and Fell and Lindley were out for good because one salary (Don Knotts') was better than two, as far as ABC was concerned. Too bad. Put me in the Ropers-over-Furley camp.
It was hard getting a read on Furley in terms of character, but I can understand Knotts not wanting to play a "civilian" Barney Fife-type. And he was another one who couldn't carry his own show.....
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