Decades may have passed since Three’s Company graced our screens, but its laughter still echoes in our hearts.
With unforgettable characters and side-splitting misunderstandings, this classic sitcom revolutionized the genre. Now, Joyce DeWitt reveals what really made the show a timeless treasure…
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From the hilarious antics of three single roommates to the unforgettable performances of John Ritter and Suzanne Somers, Three’s Company remains a beloved staple of American television. It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since the series finale aired on ABC, yet its charm and humor still resonate today.
To illustrate how long ago Three’s Company became a hit, I just watched the intro. Seeing the shots from Santa Monica Pier during the show’s prime reminds me of how much has changed since they filmed there.
Sadly, neither John Ritter nor Suzanne Somers are with us anymore; both were taken from us far too soon. But keeping the spirit of Three’s Company alive is Joyce DeWitt, 75, who shares her vibrant stories and cherished memories from the beloved show.
”The most dear, precious, tender – and utterly unexpected – experiences that have come from working in ‘Three’s Company’ are the many, many adults who have told me that ‘Three’s Company’ was a safe haven they could count on during their teen years – for some, the only safe haven,” Joyce DeWitt told US Weekly.
Joyce DeWitt circa 1978. (Photo by Images Press/IMAGES/Getty Images)
Starring as Janet Wood alongside John Ritter and Suzanne Somers, DeWitt became a television icon and she was such a day brightener for millions.
She appeared in 171 episodes of the show between 1976 and 1984.
“It was such a gift. I mean, it was iconic. But who would have thought it?” Joyce DeWitt told The Spec. “All we were trying to do was make people laugh. When I think about it, the show was really an attempt to do a contemporary version of a 16th-century farce. It was about silliness running wild. I mean, we were talking about serious issues at times, but that was always somewhere underneath.”
“John Ritter used to say, ‘We don’t want people to just laugh but to fall over their couch laughing,’” she added. “The real issue was always the depth of friendship and the love those characters had for each other. That’s what drew people to them.”
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After Three’s Company ended, DeWitt stepped away from the spotlight for over a decade before making her comeback to acting.
Yet, no matter what she has accomplished or plans to do in the future, the vast majority will always connect her with that iconic show. And there’s a very simple reason for that, according to DeWitt.
“It was a ‘time out’ from the oppressive, challenging, difficult circumstances they were navigating in their young lives,” DeWitt says and adds:
“And, oh by the way, they say the characters also did stupid, crazy stuff that made them laugh. But it was the love, trust and support of the characters, one to the other, that made them lifelong fans.”
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When you look at unedited photos from the Three’s Company set, the camaraderie among the cast shines through, especially in the images of Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers, who played the beloved Chrissy Snow.
Both actresses delivered iconic performances, portraying young women navigating a male-dominated industry. They contributed just as much to the show’s success as John Ritter, and in those early days, their smiles in photos tell a story of friendship and collaboration.
Yet, beneath the laughter, tensions simmered. While Somers was celebrated for her role as “the dumbest blonde in America,” her fight for equal pay created rifts that would grow over time. As she demanded a 500% salary increase — from $30,000 to $150,000 — her relationship with DeWitt became strained. The set, once filled with joy, was now fraught with conflict.
Do You Recognize This Old-School Communication Tool?
Times are changing and it seems as if the more we progress, the faster they change. The one thing that hasn’t changed is our need to communicate but the way we communicate has adjusted over the years.
Many of us can probably look back and remember the time when we were tethered to the wall when we wanted to talk to someone on the phone. We wrote letters and put them in the mail and if somebody wasn’t home, we couldn’t talk to them at that moment.
These days, we communicate by sending text messages or messages over social media. We have video calls and if we can get in touch with somebody, it quickly gets on our nerves.
There have also been a number of innovations over the years that were brilliant in their time but these days, they are not used very often. That is especially true in the day when we used to use the Postal Service to deliver letters and packages on a regular basis.
One of the most important things to consider when delivering a letter or package was the weight. It would make a difference in the shipping rate, and that is where this unique invention, the postal scale, comes into play.
Long before we were sending emails and text messages, we were delivering things through the Postal Service. Analog mechanisms that included balances and springs were used to determine how much we would pay in postage. It wasn’t an exact science, but it was close enough.
Postal scales still exist today but they are much more advanced. They are precise instruments that have advanced features and it makes it much less personal when it comes to getting service at the post office.
Aside from the fact that the older postal scales were not 100% accurate, the design and nostalgia are something to consider. These are more than an item that used to weigh the letters we sent, they are collector’s items and some enthusiasts will pay big money for them.
So if you ever see a vintage postal scale, stop to ponder over what it may have done in its lifetime. It’s an item we don’t use as much anymore, but it is an item from time that we should forget.
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