HE'S COMPANY

THREE'S COMPANY
ABC 1977-1984

HE'S COMPANY
MAD #196, January 1978
w: Arnie Kogen
a: Angelo Torres

The plot (and shows) were fairly simple. Jack Tripper (John Ritter) lived in an apartment complex in Santa Monica with Janet (Joyce DeWitt) and Chrissy (Suzanne Somers), and so the landlord would know it was purely platonic and there was no hanky-panky going on, they convinced him Jack was gay. The humor was mostly innuendos based on misunderstandings, pretty innocuous by todays standards. What offended prudes was not the humor but that it was part of what was considered “jiggle TV” with Suzanne Somers usually walking around without a bra.

They had to keep up the charade whenever the landlord, Stanley Roper (Norman Fell) and his wife Helen (Audra Lindley) came by. Helen didn't care and made cracks and Stanley never putting out.

Yet another joke about 70s homophobe Anita Bryant.

THREE'S CRUMMIER
Cracked #156, December 1978
a: John Severin

Mr. Roper would always overhear something that sounded dirty but just when he thought he caught them in the act it was always something innocent. The detective here is James Garner, Jim Rockford of The Rockford Files.

I can't confirm it, but I think the Jerry Beck mentioned here is an inside joke, and maybe the same one I know.

A reference to Hugh Hefner, Duh.

In case this article wasn't seventies enough, Lee Majors and Farrah Fawcett had to make an appearance.

THREE'S COMEDY
Crazy #40, July 1978
w: Rico Tallar (Paul Laikin)
a: Kent Gamble

The speech balloons have been messed up in the second panel due to sloppy editing. Renee Richards was one of the first trans people when it was still called a “sex change”.

THREE'S CRUMMY
Sick #120, February 1978
a: Jack Sparling

From a much larger article introduced by Archie Bunker.

THREE'S A CROWD
Bananas #41, circa 1981
w: Megan & H. William Stine
a: Samuel B. Whitehead

There actually was a series called that, a sort of sequel to Three's Company where Jack moved out and was married with a job. But it was only on for a few episodes before they realized such a thing wouldn't work without the women and innuendos.

The Ropers left to do their own show and were replaced by Mr. Furley (Don Knotts).

Suzanne Somers was fired from the show after demanding equal pay and replaced by a different blonde. Larry, another character, was added and even more parodies will be posted tomorrow.