It’s been 40 years since America last “knocked on the door” of “Three’s Company” and the sitcom’s leading lady, Joyce DeWitt, is reminiscing on what made the show such a success.
DeWitt played Janet Wood on the show—which ran for eight seasons from 1977 to 1984—and credits its success to the storyline and how it resonated with viewers.
“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,” she said.
“Three’s Company” followed the hijinks of Janet Wood (DeWitt), Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers), and Jack Tripper (John Ritter) after the two women decided to offer him a room in their apartment.
Ritter passed during heart surgery at the age of 54 in 2003, while Somers died from breast cancer in 2023 at the age of 76.
DeWitt spoke highly of her co-stars calling Ritter a “true gift” and Somers “absolutely wonderful.”
Together, the show won a number of awards including a Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, and People’s Choice, and while it became an instant hit at the time, a substantial fan base still exists today.
The show aired its final episode in 1984, but DeWitt noted that over the past four decades she’s received and enjoyed “countless letters and spontaneous conversations” with fans, who she believes found “comfort” in watching.
“It was a ‘time out’ from the oppressive, challenging, difficult circumstances they were navigating in their young lives,” she said.
“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.”
DeWitt went on to recall an interaction between her and a fan, where the woman referred to the show as a “family” and how gratified she felt as a result.
“That as an actor you could be part of such an impact or presence in a young person’s life when all you were doing was trying to make people laugh, that feedback is a blessing unimaginable!”
Looking back on her character, DeWitt said she was unsatisfied with how the writers and producers of the series concluded her journey, admitting she saw a different outcome for Janet.
“I was a bit offended when it was time to retire the show that they chose to ‘marry her off’ as the path forward for that character,” she admitted. “I would have sent her to law school or medical school or to the Peace Corps.”
