DVD Review | Three's Company (Season 1)
Written by: Kage Alan

I remember watching this show back when it was airing first-run episodes, but I don’t recall having watched the first season.  Surely I must have, especially since there are usually 20+ episodes a season, right?  In this case, however, there are only 6, so I suspect it was easy to miss.  The creators must have done something right, however, since it went on to last as many years as it did.  This also has the distinction of being one of the few British series to ever be brought over and rewritten for an American audience.  We normally don’t do shows from overseas justice, but somebody made it work this time around.  Oddly enough, I also don’t remember the show being as racy as it was.  Whew!

Young twenty somethings Janet Dawson (Joyce DeWitt, “Airplane II”) and Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers, “She’s the Sheriff”) have a problem.  Their latest roommate is pregnant and moving out, so now they need another one quickly before the rent is due.  There’s also some concern about recent burglaries in the area, so wouldn’t a man be nice?  Enter Jack Tripper (John Ritter, “Hero At Large”), a budding chef who not only knows how to cook and can provide some much needed security, but can also pay half the rent.  The only thing the girls need to do now is convince their landlords, Stan (Norman Fell) and Helen Roper (Audra Lindley), that there’s nothing questionable and kinky going on.  How can they do that, though?  Easy.  They tell them that’s Jack’s gay, that’s how.

Season 1 consists of 6 episodes; “A Man About the House”, “And Mother Makes Four”, “Roper’s Niece”, “No Children, No Dogs”, “Jack the Giant Killer” and “It’s Only Money.” Aside from the obvious physical slapstick comedy and jokes made at the expense of the blonde, I was truly astonished at the amount of suggestive sexual material, especially on the part of the landlords.  The show works on two levels; one for general viewers (younger folks) and another for mature (and even immature), adult viewers.  Both were satisfied and, for me, I was able to enjoy show twice…even if I don’t remember watching it the first time all those years ago.

Anchor Bay has released the first season of “Three’s Company” in its original Full Screen ratio.  Something tells me that Widescreen just wasn’t an embraced format all those years ago in the 1970’s, so that’s not really even something I’d be concerned about here.  Video and audio quality are as good as can be expected considering the available sources, but it looks pretty decent just the same.  As for extras, we’re pretty bone dry.  There’s a text announcement as to when Season 2 will be available in 2004 and also some info about John Ritter.  It’s absolutely worth noting too that a portion of the proceeds of the sale of this disc will go to United Cerebral Palsy in memory of John Ritter.  Aside from enjoying the show, you’re also giving to a great cause.

I’m sincerely hoping that Anchor Bay considers adding some supplementary material to these sets in the near future.  This would be a highly missed opportunity if they don’t.  Where are the outtakes?  Commentaries?  Behind-the-scenes footage?  Retrospective interviews?  They’re probably only ever going to have one shot at this, so they might as well do it right.  We’ll see what they do with Season 2.  In the meantime, use this opportunity to rediscover what made “Three’s Company” such a hit in the first place.

Season Rating: B
DVD Special Features: N/A