1983-84 Sitcom Scorecard -- No More Happy Days for One Day at a Time as Three's Company Becomes a Crowd

Written Astounded at The Asinine Sitcoms Served This Season by Bridger Cunningham



Before delving into one of the most devastating seasons for the sitcom genre, take a moment and celebrate a landmark moment, as TV Ratings Guide has finally located the complete data from the 1983-84 season!  Prior to this post, the hard cut for complete data was 1984 with little data displayed from Nielsen besides the garden variety "Top 30 Shows."  While this gives the fickle readers "the only information they need to know," how will fans of longstanding shows find out how their shows fared?  Cheers rated abysmally its first season and did not crack into the top 30 until the 1984-85 season.  TVRG will continue ongoing efforts to locate the data to display to readers as Ratings History is not only entertaining to folks who track it, but also educational as it tells what was going on in America at that time.

A hearty 36 sitcoms traipsed the TV landscape over the three networks, and a high body count of 21 cancellations spelled trouble for the genre.  NBC hemorrhaged the most as a slew of failed sitcoms could not stick.  Not a single freshman show offered to viewers in the Autumn of 1983 were renewed as a few scant mid-season entries were picked up such as Night Court.  The peacock suffered the longest downturn in history as it anchored at 3rd place since 1975.  CBS fared better this season with the majority of their brand landing in the top 50, and ABC began its mid-80's decline in early 1984 as their late 70's/early 80's era shows aged or ended.  ABC and CBS cancelled three longstanding sitcoms aged between 8-11 seasons as Happy Days, Three's Company and One Day at a Time were cancelled.  This season was not a welcome market for sitcoms, as a scant three placed in the top 20, of which two would end the following season.

All good things come to an end, including longstanding sitcoms.  The three longstanding shows cancelled, One Day at a Time, Happy Days and Three's Company, all suffered ratings declines and frequent cast changes.  Happy Days shuffled the most, followed closely by One Day at a Time.  Late 1983 had One Day at a Time plunged in controversial headlines as troubled starlet Mackenzie Phillips (Julie Cooper Horvath) was dismissed a second time due to substance abuse issues.  The exit soured the remainder of the season in tone, and the actors agreed it was time to move on.  The longstanding Norman Lear sitcom endured an alarming 16 moves during its 9 seasons and miraculously remained in the top 20 until 1983.  Though a saddening loss to viewers not to see Mackenzie Phillips return for the finale, she did manage to make an appearance in the reboot in a therapy group!

Another oddity occurred as ODAT alum Glenn Scarpelli (Alex Handris) exited the series from his popular role to land on a dreadful cancellation on NBC titled Jennifer Slept Here.  Valerie Bertenelli of course had a promising career ahead of her and is still gracing our TV screens.  Incidentally, Rita Moreno also stars in the revival of ODAT, and this season saw her sitcom, 9 to 5 halted as ABC stopped its clock.  ABC purged the majority of their 70's staples as Happy Days ended a tired run after 11 years.  A top 20 nostalgia delight for the majority of its run, it dropped to 63rd place and endured a plethora of cast changes throughout its run.  Erin Moran returned for the final season after spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi tanked, and the series left ABC Tuesdays.

Three's Company finally recovered two seasons earlier after Suzanne Somers' controversial dismissal over a salary dispute, but the ratings eroded by early 1984.  Feeling the concept was dated, ABC opted to reboot the series around John Ritter (Jack Tripper) which his character married.  Three's a Crowd was chewed up and mashed in the garbage disposal by 1985.  Despite poor ratings and crafting some of the worst sitcoms this season (Mr. Smith, starring an orangutan and ghostly Jennifer Slept Here), NBC fostered several hits which would carry it through the mid-late 80's.  Cheers picked up steam after a dreadful 1st season, Family Ties perked up in popularity due to Michael J. Fox and Night Court entered the legal wranglings as John Larroquette's lecherous Dan Fielding became the symbol of wealth and sloth.

The peacock worked desperately to revive is depressed network and made the first efforts to block sitcoms together on Thursdays, birthing a tradition which reigned uninterrupted through to the mid-2000's.  NBC's starving in the Nielsens paid off, as the 1984-85 season would reward their suffering as Bill Cosby shook up Thursday evenings.


Source -- Take a special glance at where this article originated from, as this Akron Beacon Journal advertised the overall ranks for the referenced season.

Akron Beacon Journal, May 27, 1984. https://www.newspapers.com/image/153710465/

1981-82 Sitcom Scorecard -- The Tide Changes as CBS Revivives and ABC Ages

Written Bringing History to TVRG by Bridger Cunningham

Behold a rare treasure trove as TV Ratings Guide has uncovered partial ratings data from 1981-82 featuring ranks for the entire season.  TVRG continues to uncover historic ratings  and will work throughout the season to uncover data from 1967-73, 1975-77, 1979-81, 1982-83 and 2008-09.

This season found CBS reclaiming its trophy after losing its stranglehold in 1976 and ABC's late 70's treasures faded.  The Jeffersons, Alice and MASH continued to rule after lengthy runs, and One Day at a Time endured timeslot and casting changes with successful results.  ABC lost three prized players when Taxi, Mork and Mindy and Barney Miller exited the fray in 1982, while NBC exhibited some signs of growth with a successful trifecta with The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes and emerging Gimme a Break!

Sources:

1. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-208373.html
2. /fbibler.chez.com/tvstats/by_5_yr_period/top_programs_1980-1985.html
3. https://books.google.com/books?id=SeoJAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA51&lpg=PA51&dq=complete+2003-04+FOX+ratings&source=bl&ots=J6SGqVTzZP&sig=U0cyMbht6P1RqeXzUvlhSMt3dyI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiK8PTV3pHVAhVCwWMKHf2sCgs4ChDoAQhNMAk#v=onepage&q=complete%202003-04%20FOX%20ratings&f=false

1978-79 Sitcom Scorecard -- Happy Days For ABC, Despite High Cancellations

Written Nostalgic for ABC Prominence by Bridger

Behold an astounding season which not only ABC claimed the top 6 places in the yearly Nielsen register, but they were all sitcoms!  A wave of fantasy and nostalgia comprised these entries, along with two failed clunkers riding on the winning coattails of the network leaders.  Elsewhere, 2nd place CBS held tight to their early-mid 70's social relevance sitcoms and had to bid adieu to former 1st Place champ after 9 seasons.  NBC found its next hit with Different Strokes, albeit the show was the only fare to write home about as the network was iced in 3rd place.

Prior to September 2, TV Ratings Guide only had full access to ratings post-1984 and unearthed a treasure trove of data spanning back to 1964.  Odd years, including 1978-79 have complete data intact, thanks to historic online newspaper articles.  TVRG continues its mission to create a unified source for Historic Ratings before the internet created a prolific source of information.  TVRG now possesses a conglomeration of elite ratings data; enjoy a view back into another era of Nielsen hstory.

ABC held an embarrassment of Nielsen riches in sitcoms (lest not underscore the word "embarrassment" with The Ropers and several failed sitcoms).  They held a record 17 original sitcom entries and held room to pare down the roster.  Successful entries such as Taxi and Mork and Mindy allowed ABC to part with What's Happening and Welcome Back, Cotter in the midst of another successful season.  CBS also delivered a healthy roster of 15 sitcom entries, though 7 survived to the next season.  Veterans All in the Family, Good Times and Rhoda ended durable runs, and Stockard Channing's Grease fame was not enough to sustain a Nielsen hit.

NBC made a valiant effort to resurrect their decimated sitcom schedule after cancelling all helpings the previous season.  Diff'rent Strokes took off amid controversy over a blended cast, and tie-in Hello, Larry piggybacked via a 2-episode crossover.  The remains sans BJ and the Bear were dispensed, and the network's prospects for improvement were far from sight.

Source -- http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1979/BC-1979-06-18.pdf

1977-78 Sitcom Scorecard -- ABC Dethrones CBS As The Sitcom Champ, NBC Cancels All Sitcoms

Written "Doing It Our Way" by Bridger Cunningham

What a difference three years can make.  Skip back to TVRG's last  Sitcom Scorecard from 1974-75, and how the dynamics have changed.  1977-78 has 15 more players than '74-'75, which sets TVRG's current record low of 23 sitcoms offered in a season.  The fortunes shined on ABC, as they turned the top of the table green with landmark hits bringing the element of "fun" back to the definition of sitcom.  The genre's mid-70's helping of CBS relevance delivered downers and heavy material, while ABC's fantasy-laden fares returned laughs to simpler problems such as forgotten anniversaries and ruining a roommate's dress right before her big date.  Indeed, preferences had changed as viewers wanted to experience forgetting the ugliness of everyday life for 30 minutes and be able to laugh at the ridiculousness of something like Soap.

Up until Summer 2017, complete listings of ratings were not available on the internet for years before 1995, and now this site possesses ratings for several years dating back to 1964.  Enjoy the latest entry, as complete 1978-79 and partial 1981-82 data is planned next for sitcom scorecards.

ABC was the 1st place champion in the overall ratings for the 1977-78 season, and they possessed a slew of winning sitcoms to accent their victory.  After wisely retooling Happy Days in 1975, ABC managed to strike lightning twice and crafted spinoff Laverne and Shirley, which became the landmark sitcom of the late 70's.  In a disco-laden time period which cocaine was on the rise, viewers enjoyed a simpler departure in a nostalgic high from the late 50's as these shows depicted.  Of course, nostalgia was not ABC's lone vice of choice.  Pushing the envelope of sexuality gave the network cheap fantasy thrills via Three's Company and their latest controversial Soap, which several affiliates refused to air because of the "suggestive" pilot.  Ha!  If only these opponents could flash forward 40 years and see the ladies of 2 Broke Girls regularly referencing their lady parts as though they are a character on the show.

Elsewhere, Barney Miller, Welcome Back Kotter and What's Happening delivered traditional helpings of sitcom delight.  Over at CBS, it was time to retool the issue-laden sitcoms as the network cancelled 11 of their 18 helpings.  All in the Family was still a top-10 player, yet suffered the loss of Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, leaving the future of the tart sitcom up in the air.  Alice, MASH and One Day at a Time delivered nicely, but renewed Rhoda, The Jeffersons and Good Times all struggled with middling ratings.  The upstanding Newhart and issue-icky Maude met less than honorable endings after 6 seasons, and none of the 9 pilots offered this season survived.

Over at NBC, Sanford Arms, a spinoff of uber-successful Sanford and Son, delivered ratings near the drain.  After Freddie Prinze, Sr.'s suicide in early 1977, Chico and the Man was never  the same and NBC cancelled the series after 4 seasons.  Not a single NBC sitcom survived the season, as the network was in its longest depression to date, having started in 1974 and not subsiding until early 1984.

Sources:
1. https://books.google.com/books?id=g5rhcrA0Oi4C&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=lou+grant+nielsen+ratings&source=bl&ots=VwtexuNYB7&sig=kWbrSQRfsFIBhAXUzREOOo2wQec&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwig_drgyKvWAhXHsVQKHdy7DGcQ6AEIXzAI#v=onepage&q=lou%20grant%20nielsen%20ratings&f=false
2. 2. Chicago Tribune, August 20, 1978 -- https://www.newspapers.com/image/198777664/?terms=1977-78%2BSeason%2BNielsen%2BRatings%2Babc%2Bcbs%2Bnbc
3. http://fbibler.chez.com/tvstats/by_5_yr_period/top_programs_1975-1980.html

Spinoff Stories -- Three’s Company (Article I)

The "Spinoff Stories" article series examines shows that spawned new programs, backdoor pilots, continuations, and reboots.

Photo Credit: Quote Catalog 

It may not be in the same league as I Love Lucy, Friends, or Seinfeld in terms of popularity and impact, but Three’s Company is still well-remembered for its risqué subject matter and tumultuous behind-the-scenes drama. While the show's innuendo-laced brand of humor seems like child's play when compared to the content shown and discussed on programs in the 21st century, the series sparked controversy and pushed boundaries back in the late 70's for the raunchy sexual overtones prevalent in much of the dialogue. Regardless of what critics or purists thought of the comedy series, viewers tuned in to watch in droves. The John Ritter vehicle was the 2nd highest-rated show on television in its third and fourth season, remaining in the top 10 for all of them sans the first and final. With massive commercial success came an opportunity for the network to milk the brand in order to maximize profits. ABC ended up producing two follow-up comedies in an attempt to duplicate the original's success. It would be an understatement to say things didn't work out the way the alphabet network hoped.

The Original Hit Machine -- Three's Company (1977-1984)

Based on the British sitcom Man About the House, Three's Company followed aspiring chef Jack Tripper (John Ritter) taking the place of Janet and Chrissy's (Joyce DeWitt & Suzanne Somers) old roommate Eleanor and moving in with the two. Although Tripper found himself with a new woman almost every week, he was forced to pretend to be gay in order for their landlords Mr. & Mrs. Roper (Norman Fell and Audra Lindley) to allow him to live with the girls. Along the way, Jack's sleazy friend & neighbor Larry (Richard Kline) also found himself falling in and out of relationships while simultaneously attempting to woo Chrissy and/or Janet. Just like the once controversial jokes, the premise of the series through the lens of the 2020s is hardly as scandalous as it once was. With that said, the comedic content of the series aged like fine wine despite the shock value of the premise aging like milk. The slapstick humor and rapid-fire double entendres still remain incredibly amusing thanks to the irresistible chemistry of the main cast and brilliant physical acting by comedy mastermind John Ritter. The characters remained the same for the first half of its eight-season run but the show went through many cast changes starting with the fourth. Angry about not getting paid as much as co-star John Ritter, Suzanne Somers departed the show and the role of the ditzy blonde was taken up by Cindy (Jenilee Harrison) in season five and then again by the more level-headed Terri (Priscilla Barnes) in seasons six through eight. Additionally, the Ropers left the series after the first three seasons. Don Knotts of Andy Griffith Show fame took over as the self-centered landlord Ralph Furley in the fourth season and remained a resident until the program came to a close. In spite of the core ensemble being redesigned thanks to departures and new additions, Three's Company remained one of the top programs on television for the majority of its run.

The First Spinoff -- The Ropers (1979-1980)

Three's Company was at the height of its popularity during its third season. Because of this, it made perfect sense that ABC would strike while the iron was still hot and create a spinoff series. Fell and Lindley departed the show at the tail-end of the program's third year to helm a sitcom of their own. The Ropers focused on the elderly couple attempting to fit in as they found themselves in a new community after selling their apartment building. Richard Kline's Larry made an appearance in the first season finale while Jack, Chrissy, and Janet guest-starred in the season two premiere. Aside from those two installments, the former landlords and the show's supporting cast roster (Made up of Jeffrey Tambor, Patricia McCormack, and Evan Cohen) were expected to do the heavy lifting in the comedy department. Like the mothership, the spinoff was also an adaption of a British series (George and Mildred). Initially, the follow-up show did remarkably well. In fact, the six-episode first season was the 6th highest-rated sitcom of the 1978-79 television season. Unfortunately, a move to a less desirable Saturday slot caused the comedy's ratings to take a nosedive. It bowed out with a mere 28 episodes under its belt. Since it was cheaper to pay just one person for the role of the landlord (Don Knotts), the fictional couple was also evicted from the main show. Whether it was because of a lack of familiar faces or the timeslot shift, the series simply did not deliver. 

The Second Spinoff -- Three's a Crowd (1984-1985)

Four years after The Ropers was kicked off the airwaves, Three's a Crowd arrived in a much different climate than its unsuccessful predecessor. By 1984, Three's Company, the series that had never fallen below the top 10 since its second year, plummeted to 33rd in the Nielsen ratings for its eight and final season. With the plot of the spinoff already established in the final episodes of the former, Three's a Crowd entered the sitcom arena as an extension of the fading juggernaut. Once again following the footsteps of a British counterpart (Robin's Nest), the second spinoff of the ABC sitcom centered on Jack Tripper living with his girlfriend Vicky while butting heads with her disapproving father. Despite the series featuring the titular character, ratings were middling at best. It ended up doing a bit worse than the already lackluster last season of the original, settling for the 38th spot during the 1984-85 television season. The series met its maker after just one season of twenty-two episodes, six less than The Ropers. Whether intentional or not, the title of the series foreshadowed its fate. Audiences no longer had an appetite for the shenanigans of Jack Tripper and company.

Future

In April 2016, the film company New Line reportedly had a Three's Company movie in the works. It's not clear if this will ever see the light of day but it would certainly be a challenge to find an actor as talented and suited for the role of Jack Tripper as the late John Ritter. Aside from this announcement, little else has come up regarding the future of this sitcom staple. 

Tie-Ins

As stated earlier, the core four cast members (Jack, Janet, Chrissy, and Larry) all appeared on The Ropers. On Three's a Crowd, only Larry Dallas (Richard Kline) made a guest appearance. That cameo came during the back-half of the comedy's run in an episode entitled 'Deeds of Trust'. No one else from the original series came to visit.

Why These Spinoffs Failed

Like a lot of sequel programs that abandon the majority of the original show's cast, these two spinoffs simply failed to replicate the same magical feeling that Ritter, DeWitt, Kline, and the others created when they were all on screen together. The grumpy Mr. Roper may have played well off of the energetic and youthful trio of Jack, Chrissy, and Janet, but the dysfunctional relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Roper could not keep The Ropers afloat. It would be the equivalence of giving I Love Lucy's Fred and Ethel Mertz their own show. Both couples worked well in supporting roles alongside their livelier counterparts but their loveless marriage routine is not captivating enough to be the main focus of a series. Three's a Crowd had a similar problem when it came to its group of characters. Even though the show featured the same protagonist, the other cast members could not compare. Vicky's dad or E.Z. Taylor (Jack's surfer assistant chef) could not hold a candle to iconic personalities like Mr. Furley, Janet, or Larry. Had Jack gotten together with Janet, a character that had been on the show since the pilot, instead of Vicky (a character aimlessly introduced in the last couple episodes of Three's Company), there may have been a chance for Three's a Crowd to connect with viewers. Seeing two characters that had matured together through the years settle down and start a life together would have been a far more alluring premise then Jack being with a woman audiences had not grown a connection towards. Even then, the hype for Three's Company had essentially died down by the mid-80's. The final season of the original was the lowest rated of them all. All things considered, the franchise had simply run its course. 

What did you think of this article? Were you a fan of the original or any of the spinoffs? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.