Member-only story
‘Three’s Company,’ the Original ‘Friends’
The ‘70s sitcom set a sexy TV template that ruled future decades.
Once upon a time, in a TV line-up far, far away, sitcoms and comedy series revolved almost exclusively around family life (from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet to Roseanne), the workplace (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Barney Miller, and even The Love Boat), or both (The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Bob Newhart Show), and same-gender friendships (The Lucy Show, The Odd Couple, Laverne & Shirley). Then, in 1977, along came Three’s Company, a mid-season replacement that added sexual tension to the mix and ended up becoming a huge ratings hit, remaining on the air for eight seasons.
Three’s Company, based on the U.K. sitcom Man About the House, was something entirely different at the time. It’s setting was domestic, but rather than having its principal cast be relatives or roommates of the same gender, they were three friends, one man and two women, sharing a two-bedroom apartment. Throw in a little sex — OK, a lot of sex … ual innuendo — and a comedy classic was born.
If this sounds a bit familiar to millennials weaned on 10 seasons of Friends, that’s…
