The REAL Story Behind Norman Fell's Exit from Three's Company!
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- He didn't want to do it! He really didn't! But after the third season of Three's Company, Norman Fell and Audra Lindley left their hit TV series. Watch this video to learn more about their decision and what happened next!
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Norman Fell did something no one really thought about - he broke the cardinal sin of actors, intentionally, and did it right - he looked at the camera/audience.
He revived what actors did in the silent era, he'd tell a joke then look directly at the camera/audience and start laughing, 'looking at us' for a reaction and it worked like a charm! It became his main gag and was always funny!
The third wall...
It's called the fourth wall.
We've got three, three, three going- now we have four, four, four, do we have five anybody? Four going five - do we have five? ABC's classic comedy, classic comedy show do we have five?
@@timepoet77 I was close!
Yes,I always liked this gag. It also sold the fact he thought his jokes were more funny than we did. Funny,and truly his thing on Three's Company. :)
The Ropers made Three's Company hysterical. When they left the show, it wasn't the same although I loved Don Knotts. 👩
Totally!!
It became a different show
I agree. Spin-offs about Side characters very rarely work. Case-in-point: Flo from Alice
@@iononcantomascrivo Yes, and even Kramer!
I remember hearing about this one a _Three's Company_ special. (I forget which).
I always liked how Mr. Roper would give Mrs. Roper sarcasm, then turn towards the camera with that smile.
It's called "breaking the third wall"
I saw an interview where he said that camera look was his idea. The producer thought it was funny and left it in. It kinda became his trademark.
I loved Norman Fell! He was a great comedic actor and those scenes with Jack Tripper was hilarious 😂
I have to agree with you about when Norman Fell and Jack Tripper was hilarious! My favorite episode in Season 2 is when Chrissy and Janet leave for the weekend and Jack throws a wild party. Mr. Ropper comes up complaining about all the noise and try to put a stop to it. Jack convinces Mr. Ropper to stick around and join the party. Then the next day Jack wakes up in bed with Mr. Ropper. That is classic and I bust up laughing watching that episode!
@@RobSandage Roper
Fell & Tripper. Hmm...
@@nathanlansford1882 lol! I never thought about it until you said it. Funny...
Norman & Audra got a raw deal. I remember seeing an interview with Norman Fell and he was asked about leaving 3’s Company and he was so adamant in the interview about not wanting to leave the show but his hand was all but forced, just as you stated Dave.
Ok, you got me on this one! I had NO idea the "Ropers" were bamboozled into their own show and treated so badly!! Ritter and Fell were perfect for playing off each other, just as Fell and Lindley were!
And I am with you, I much preferred Janet over the other roomies. She was just cute and sassy as could be!!! And I followed John Ritter through his spinoff show, his TV movies, his other TV shows.......I like "Hooperman" a LOT! But it didn't last long. Followed him until the very end. So sad. Such a super freekin awesome man with great comedic artistry. I really would have loved to see him and Robin Williams together....I think that would have been something beyond imagination!
Norman Fell though. He seemed to disappear after The Ropers. I guess he had had enough and decided to not bother much any more, and just took parts that were offered. I'm sure he loved to act, but even at that.........it's hard to get over such a low blow like he was dealt.
In my opinion, the producers knew what they were doing when they put Don Knotts in the role of the new landlord. I LOOOOOOOOVE DON KNOTTS!!!! LOVE HIM!!! And I think the producers knew he would make people forget about the Ropers.........which they did. Don Knotts brought in the older crowd to the show, making it more popular, with better ratings. Maybe not significantly, but they kept their stride.
It's a hard life being an actor. One day your the toast of the town........the next day your living off your savings. It's a sorry state of affairs, but such is life and the way of Hollywood.
Great stuff MH! Thanks for sharing.
@@jdsundstrom It was sad how Norman Fell and Audra Lindley were tricked into getting off 3's Company. the Studio basicaly lied to them by making sure the series was concelled after a season and a half...since it was stated they could come back if their show was cancelled after a season. Norman Fell himself said in a interview he had no interest in having a show of his own.. the studio couldn't believe that they believed every star's wish was to star in their own TV show. what was also sad is their show's intro was terrible the music was not good at all and when you think of all the good music of classic TV shows over the years theirs was terrible
Ohhh good ole days...my child hood memories & one of my BEST sitcom..i watch the heck of it in Pluto TV ,many many times over & over!
He was so great and funny, loved h!m !
Honestly I love The Ropers on Three's Company. I was sad when they left Three's Company. I always thought Mr. Roper was a great foil to Jack Tripper. Even though I'm a big Don Knotts fan I never like the Mr. Furley character. Norman Fell was a wonderful actor. Great video.
I always felt bad for Norman Fell. He was a wise veteran actor who KNEW that the Ropers were perfect as a part of the supporting cast of Three's Company, and that they were a longshot at best to be successful as the main entree. Not knocking Audra, but she was guilty of getting stars in her eyes and thinking that they could carry a show by themselves.
And even worse for Nornan, he thought he had procured an "insurance policy" that would allow them to return to Three's Company if the spinoff didn't work. Pardon my French, but the powers-that-be who ran the show screwed Fell over a technicality.
You are correct on all counts. It was the beginning of the end for the show. Bringing in furrily than Lana, then two new roommates to replace Chrissy, the show was never the same. In case you're interested, I read that before Ann Wedgeworth was cast as Lana, Suzanne Pleshette was considered for the role. Also, Heather Locklear was a finalist for Cindy.
Man, what a rotten deal! That was terrible and sadly typical of Hollywood! It's all about the executives and their profits! I an well aquainted with Norman Fell as he was a fixture on tv in 70's. He really got the shaft but sounds like he survived ok. He as one of those actors who managed to keep busy!
Yes, I heard about this directly from Norman Fell himself in an interview many years ago! Indeed in his contract if the Ropers spinoff failed he could return to Three's Company, however The Ropers ran for a season and a half so he couldn't return. The Ropers would make their final appearance in the classic season 5 episode: Night Of The Ropers. 🤔😉📺📜
Technicality ~
Kinda a bit of ditry pool if you ask me.
Love Three's Company.. No social commentary, just silly fun..I find myself tuning in more lately to escape today's woes.. Fell played a landlord in the mega hit The Graduate a few years earlier, and I'd like to think that helped him get the gig..
Norman got done dirty.
I didn't know Hollywood ripped him off Dave I loved the ropers mr roper was great as much as I loved Don knotts as Mr furley I absolutely loved Norman fell as Mr roper i heard he left threes company to do the ropers spin-off but it didn't last got cancelled so he wanted too come back to threes company but he was to late Don knotts beat him to it as furley but loved roper as much as furley I loved his wicked smile to when he insulted Mrs roper lol 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂Janet was the cuter one out of her and crissy Dave I agree loved roper and Mrs roper great video Dave 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
@Cade Evans well Cade you'll be surprised to know that Three's Company producers nearly came knocking at Norman Fells door again around 1986-87 for yet another Ropers spinoff titled Three Apartments. This time the Ropers would be landlords to a new 3 Apartment building. Special guest star would have been John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, Don Knotts, Richard Kline, Jim J. Bullock and Nancy Dussault to name a few, but the series never reached fruition and was never produced!🤔😀📺🧐
Both actors great!
This was a mistake Vivian Vance avoiled as Fred Ethel Mertz
@@SuperMarioBrosIII I wish they would have made that
Considering that the landlords in the original British series got their own spinoff.....
Great show Dave, Three's Company is my favorite show of all time! It was bittersweet, watching the Ropers come back for the, Night of the Ropers episode, it was a funny episode though, I always feel bad for Norman & Audra while watching it though.
Years ago I worked briefly behind the scenes with both West and Ross and they gave a slightly different version of what happened. What screwed up Fell and Lindley not getting back on the show after the ropers got canned was Don Knotts was well, Don Knotts and he gelled not only with the actors but the writers and producers. One reason why the Ropers got their own show was because Fell kept going into the writers room and gave them ideas. West and Ross were both shocked when they got the real Knotts and not a knock off. All because of Knotts nailed the role, they knew they could not go back. There was a lot of drama behind the show and Fell was involved in some of it and the producers wanted as little as possible
I have has a great respect for his great performance in 3's Company and his roll in spin-off
An advantage of growing up in a nonreligious household is there are no prohibitions on Three's Company. Mom, Dad, you da man!
Norman Fell had a really impressive acting resume. I recall reading that he served during WW2. He later played supportive roles in movies like the original Ocean’s Eleven and Bullitt. I’m not sure if Three’s Company was his first comedic role but he definitely pulled it off. I recall watching The Ropers in late 1979-early 1980 and thought it was just okay. As you pointed out Dave,Norman did go on to have a busy career leading up to the time of his passing. In contrast Suzanne Somers of Threes Company decided to hold out for a raise from ABC in 1980. The network responded by letting her go and her career was really never the same afterwards.
Suzanne rebounded rather nicely, considerjng the antics she pulled during that period; she ended up with numerous gigs in Vegas, flourished in latenight infomercials (Thigh Masters, et. al.), and received equal billing & status (w/ Patrick Duffy) on Step by Step. Even after all that success, she is lying about that time period.
@@bonghunezhou5051 She was known for many things after leaving Three's Company, but unfortunately, acting wasn't one of them. I really liked her on Three's Company. What most don't understand is that she had to be smart to act that dumb.
He was the best of the show in my opinion. Great video again.
The characters of The Ropers were fantastic. They would enter with laughs, they would leave with laughs. He would zing her, she would zing him. They had such great chemistry. They made the show the success that it was in the first three seasons. The show was just never the same without Helen and Stanley. Instead of creating Mr. Furley, they should have been reduced down to recurring guest starring roles. Then when their ill-fated spin-off inevitably failed, they could have come back full-time. That's just my two cents.
"Three's Company" My favorite show. I fell in luv with Janet. At 6 yr's old I said when I grow up I'd move to San Diego and have 2 girl roommate's that I would have a relationship with and go to the bar every night.
I'm with you, Dave; team Janet all the way!
I know the series ended the way the original British series did, with Jack marrying some, out of the blue, girl and starting a restaurant. But I really think they should have had Jack and Janet end up together.
@@BX138 Jack never married Vicki? They moved in together and that was it. Janet got married and yes it was rushed as she had only met Phillip a couple of episodes earlier LOL!🤔⏰👰📺
@@BX138 Agree, since the "blond" role was pretty much interchangeable but Jack and Janet were always there and great friends. Maybe that was a missed opportunity for a spin off; the two of them starting a family.
If we knew how utterly crappy TV would be today, we would have appreciated it more then. Great stuff! All good wishes.
It's a shame what happened with what they did with Norman Fell. But Don Knotts was amazing as Mr. FURLEY
I loved the Ropers on 3's C. Stanley Roper was a gangster. I really missed Audra Lindley and Norman Fell when they left to do their spin-off, even though getting Don Knotts was an amazing replacement. Don Knotts was awesome, but things were really different in the show after that. I've seen many documentaries and interviews about 3's C over the years and definitely believe the network really was corrupt, which is the same story surrounding the demise of some truly great shows way before their time, like Battlestar Galactica. I still never fully recovered from that. Thanks for the upload, Dave!
Great comments Scott! Thanks for sharing.
I remember on the TV movie about TC when Fell wanted back the producer said, Knotts is doing great so they didn`t want to change back. But that`s the movie version.
I wasn't aloud to watch Welcome back Kotter and Dukes of Hazard for the same reason.
They got screwed over a technicality SMH
Norman Fell reminds me of Jack Klugman....there eyes after the punchline was legendary lol !
ua-cam.com/video/jdFDgsRrtFg/v-deo.html
@@jdsundstrom OMG !!!!! I love your channel and loved your vid on Klugman vs Fell !!!!! You really have a great channel....Ive texted my friends in hopes tbey enjoy and subscribe. I so wish you many more subscribers and success. Thank you so much for bringing a smile and genuine warm regard to an era gone by .
Hollywood ripped him off hey Dave.
Loved that smile when he burned someone lol
Dave, I know you consider yourself a pop culture historian, but I believe you are much more than just that. I agree with the term of "Pop Culture Historian" but the titles of curator and docent are also very true. Thanks for the hard work you put into you vids. God bless you.
Thanks for the kind words Gwyn!
Loved John Ritter and Janet was my favorite girl on the show!! TV was soo much fun back then! I miss those kinds of programs.
He was a tail gunner on a B-25 Mitchell during ww2
I admired the Rat Pack as a kid in the 70's and Norman Fell was an outlier member of the Rat Pack in so much that "Brother-in-Lawford and Shirley Maclaine were. I loved him as Mr. Roper, he was such a hoot and his looks of distain could be used today to teach a master class of actors how to express themselves without saying a word. I didn't mind Don Knotts or Anne Wedgeworth who both gave excellent performances as their characters Mr. Furley and Lana Shields but it wasn't the same without the Ropers,...and that's the way the cookie crumbles.
There is an interview with Fell on youtube where he describes how he changed the Stanley character. The original character was a nervous old guy who dressed in suits, etc. The whole character of Stanley Roper was developed by Fell. The idea of spin off happened way earlier than the third season. Believe it or not but it was first discussed after season 1 but Audra and Norman would not take the bait. When Threes Company was in its peak (season 3), the offer was too good to resist. Fell had good instincts to have a second season before going back to Threes Company. In some ways he was tricked and other ways not really. ABC executives should have always aired the Ropers after Threes Company and had characters from each show make appearances. Larry visited the Ropers once and besides the early spin offs, the kids and the Ropers were not even talked about. Thankfully ABC let them come back for Night of the Ropers. The banter between Helen and Stanley was fall out of the chair funny. Their lines were usually the funniest of the show. But they were part of the spice that made Threes Company work. You cant develop an entire meal with just spice thus the series got stale and old. The Ropes had nothing to do in their new house. Stanley was no longer the noisy landlord and Helen was no longer the sex starved housewife. They morphed into characters of themselves which is why the audience lost interest.
Great insights! Thanks for sharing Wild1995. 🙂
So true. They always followed Mary with Rhoda, and Mary appeared on Rhoda's show 3 times. Of course, Valerie Harper could go back to Mary if her show failed. She dind't have it in her contract, it was just Mary's personal guarantee.. and since Mary's husband produced the show, she could bank on it.
Norman Fell did not want to do the spinoff (The Ropers)-but was convinced into doing it with the promise that if it failed he could come back to Three's Company. However, Don Knots who replaced him and Audrey Lindley was so popular that ABC balked at bringing back Mr. Fell and Ms. Lindley--the logic being why pay 2 salaries when Mr. Knotts was only one
2:43 you would think they would learn moving a show from one time to another kills a show. People are used to turning into their show on at that same time when they go to view and don't see it they think well I guess the show is gone.
Don Knots is freaking hilarious!!
Norman (Mr. Roper) Fell was always so funny when he was misconstruing an overheard conversation between Jack, Janet & Chrissie or pleased with himself when saying something only he thought was hilarious 🤣.
Going back awhile, am I misremembering in thinking that Norman Fell was one of the original "Ocean's 11" casino heisters in the 1960 Sinatra/Rat Pack version?🤔 Hi Dave!
Dave,
Enjoyed the video -- Three's Company was one of my favorite shows of the 70s and 80d.
Fun fact: the premiere episode of The Ropers was the highest rated debut episode of a sitcom since Mayberry RFD in September 1968, beating Laverne & Shirley from January 1976.
Thanks for sharing James!
Three's Company producers nearly came knocking at Norman Fell and Audre Lindley's door again in 1986-87 for another Ropers spinoff titled Three Apartments. This time the Ropers would be landlords to a new 3 Apartment building. Special guest stars would have been John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, Don Knotts, Richard Kline, Jim J. Bullock and Nancy Dussault but sadly the series never reached fruition and was never produced. 🚪🤔🏘🙋
That would have been awesome! Where did you hear about this? I can't find anything about it online.
@@jdsundstrom Yes I agree Dave!😉✌📺📼
Three's a Crowd proved a dud, so that proposal, if true, was assuredly scuppered.
Norman Fell was the original Marc Slade on Girl From Uncle. He was in the pilot.
Joyce De Wit was the Mary Ann of Three's Company
My parents didn't want me watching Three's Company either, not just for Jack pretending to be gay, but for all the adult humor.
But, by the 80s we were watching it too. 😋
If you look at Norman Fell's career before Three's Company, most of his roles were dramatic. He even co-starred with Burt Reynolds in Dan August, which sadly lasted one season. Seeing him on Three's Company, you wouldn't know it, as he was naturally funny. He, James Gregory and Larry Linville, IMHO (and who am I) are very underrated in terms of shifting from dramatic roles to comedic roles effortlessly.
Oh one hand, I defiantly see why they would go with the opportunity to do their own show, especially since spin-offs don’t usually go for more than a season. Unfortunately, once they left it was a gamble that they wouldn’t be able to return to Three’s Company full time and as we now know, they didn’t get to return to Three’s Company full time.
They probably should have seen the writing on the wall when they hired Don Knotts.
Why do I remember Terry being more “ample” than she really was? Mandela effect? Lol
Loved The Ropers!
Loved The Ropers series too
I was a little sad when the Ropers left.
I sure loved me some Janet❤ too
what a fun show it was
Why they do this to that man? F*cking liers👎
Norman was fantastic as Stanley Roper!
That sly smile and his acting was perfect.
I didn’t like when the Ropers left the show although I did watch their spin-off.
Of course Don Knots as just brilliant as Mr Furley.
It sounds like ABC may have been a bit sneaky with the short first season and only one full season later and used it as a way to get out of their agreement.
Can you imagine the high jinx Mr Roper & Mr Furley could have gotten into if they teamed up against Jack! 😂
I can still hear my Mother's laughter...Norman Fell🙏 was the star in that show‼️I agree, Janet was sexy 💯👍✌️
The Ropers came back in I think it was season 5 for one episode then we never heard from them again. This might be an unpopular opinion but I always preferred Furley to the Ropers. I first saw Three's Company in reruns and it was during Mr. Furley's time so maybe that's why.
After hear the above Norman Fell.
It sad 😥
How the. Network cam do things but it not easy .
Sometimes it can work other times don't work. When comes to TV 📺 or Movie
I love 3 company it was a funny shot.
It was also funny with Don Knotts as the 2nd Lands lord.
But sometimes you can t beat the 1st land lord.
I remember in real time back then that insiders had reported Fell didn't want to leave the top rated show Three's Company. And it did lead to his demise so to say. But listening to the testimony of the stars of the show, the powers that be, the producers, ect. were not necessarily treating their talent very well.
Good point Hugh!
The network producers thought actors were a dime a dozen. From Ms. Harper Stacey.
Norman Fell played Roper starting in 1977, not 76. The show was a mid -season replacement that first aired on March '77
Thanks for the clarification!
Fell was fantastic as Roper. Always funny. Bad deal for them.
I liked the Three’s Company episode where there was some sort of misunderstanding.
CBS did a "behind-the-scenes" tv movie several years ago that covered this and other issues that rocked the production of "Three's Company." Worth a look (if it ever shows up somewhere again).
I'll keep my eye out for it.
@@jdsundstrom ua-cam.com/video/NyrLiY6n8y0/v-deo.html
The Ropers were great , they paved the way for Al and Peg Bundy but Furly was better
I love ur videos sooo much!!
Thanks Eric!
Why does everybody act as if Larry wasn't a character on this show? He was the best tennant in the building.
I thought Larry was great! ua-cam.com/video/atkxD7Xw8FM/v-deo.html
@@jdsundstrom that's great, man. love these breakdowns
Here's one more for you: ua-cam.com/video/tShM-hgTOGU/v-deo.html
I agree with you about Janet!
Always wondered what happened to his character although Don Knotts was funny in his own right! Thats interesting thanks for sharing! 😎🤘 this might’ve been my favorite show of the 80s Even though I was just a little kid
Norman Fell so enjoyed playing the role of Stanley Roper that I believe that Ellen DeGeneres was nice to let him reprise the role on her situation comedy a year before his passing away.
The show has a very catchy theme song.
They did Norman Fell dirty. I loved the Ropers and was very sad when they left Three's Company. The Mr. Furley character was too wild and over the top. The show was never as good.
I loved the ropers so much and honestly after they left, i wasn't interested in the show at all. I think don knotts did a great job, but it was a little too much for me. I loved mrs. ropers outfits and seeing how things panned out for normal fell, it makes me feel so sad! great video as always!
@HannahBethLuke Well HannahBethLuke Three's Company producers nearly came knocking at the Ropers door once again in 1986 for another spinoff series titled Three Apartments. This time The Ropers would be landlords to a new 3 Apartment building. The lost spinoff would have had special guest appearances by John Ritter,Joyce DeWitt, Don Knotts, Richard Kline, Jim J. Bullock and Nancy Dussault to name a few. Sadly the series was never produced. 🚪🏘🤔🤷♀
Way before Three Company Mr. Norman Fell was on a ABC TV show called Dan August with Burt Reynolds .
Thanks for sharing Rodney!
I loved his forth wall grin.
I loved the Ropers. Joyce Dewitt said Don Knotts was popular with the ladies! It’s funny because Mr. Furley was not! Go figure. I agree Janet was the prettier and smarter of the two women. I liked her the best. I rooted for her so much. John Ritter became the male Lucy. She even passed the torch to him on the retrospective episode she did. Three’s Company was one of my favorite shows going up.
My parents were also very conservative. However, my mom liked the Three’s Company character portrayals.
Mom had a wee bit of “Van Halen.”
…considering her conservative values😎
Aw that's to bad for both of them. But at least they had good work.
I adored The Ropers😂 I understand your predicament, I wasn't allowed to watch Murder She Wrote
What?!!? How can anyone be offended by that show? Was there some other reason, Brenda?
@@jdsundstrom because it has murder in the title. Weird, I know
I agree with Dave on the girls. With one caveat, I did not like when Janet had the curly hair. But definitely the one you'd take home to mom 😉
Heard the producers didn't treat any of the cast very well on Three's Company -- except for John Ritter, who, despite the presence of the pretty ladies, was The Star, and no one wanted to risk antagonizing him. Even though I understand Ritter never really acted The Star on the show, which was a good thing.
I saw Norman Fell on an episode of the 80s Twilight Zone "The Convict's Piano" in which he played a lifer who befriends a young man falsely imprisoned who finds a magic piano that teleports him back in time to the 1920s when he played it. In the end, the young man switches places with a 1920s crook who had gotten Fell's character imprisoned in the first place, allowing Fell's character to punch the guy's lights out, which he had wanted to do for decades. Good episode - and Fell was great in it.
Thanks for sharing Kali!
I’ve always felt sorry about how ABC execs did Mr. Fell. I wonder what his reaction towards Audra was. She was with them pressuring him to do The Ropers! Great video Dave! A lot of people never knew the story behind The Ropers and Norman Fell.
Great post I enjoyed it and Three's company.
Glad you enjoyed it
The way I understood it, the whole reason for the Roper's spinoff was to make room for Don Knotts. They played them dirty.
Don Knotts is a legend, but I liked Norman Fell's Mr. Roper better.
I guess they really didn't tell him a lie because when they said that if it tanked he could come back. But it didn't. And actually too, Furley was just the manager. His brother owned the building. I don't know if Knotts really knocked the ratings down. I think they were all right for a year or so. It just got away from the formula too much.
Norman Fell was great in the movie version of Catch-22 (one of the few movies that is as good as the book).
Great video! I liked the Ropers but to be totally honest I liked Furley better!
Be yourself - People will Thank You
Nobody could break the fourth wall with such charm like he did.
Very true!
I always thought the studio and director conspired with each other to offer Fell a series making sure that their series (along with Audrea Linley) lasted at least a season... hence they got a season and a half.
I think everyone involved wanted another hit show...but, when that didn't happen, they certainly did NOT honor the spirit of their agreement.
@@jdsundstrom Certainly a possibility but I was only able to catch a handful of episodes here on UA-cam. If they ever release it on DVD, which is not likely, I'll pick up a copy along with Three's a Crowd.
Though I liked Don Knotts in most of the things he starred in, I didn't like him as the replacement for Norman Fell in Three's Company. For me, that's when the show kind of died & fell flat.
Agreed.
I totally agree with you. The Mr. Furley character was too wild and over the top. I missed the Ropers.
I think Norman could have played "Wilbur Turnblad" in "Hairspray." In any case, I very much liked him as "Mr. Stanley Roper."
I already knew about this, Dave, mainly thanks to a "bio-television-pic" about Suzanne from some years ago, and have felt bad about how Norman, and Audrey were treated by the network ever since. Loved Don Knotts as Mr Furley, but it was still a shame. I'm pleased that no one seems to have been bitter over it, at least. I was lucky enough to have my own TV set in my room when still fairly young, but, to be honest, I was fortunate also in being allowed to watch pretty much what I wanted by my parents. My mom enjoyed creepy stuff herself in particular, and I have good memories of watching, DARK SHADOWS, KOLCHAK, and various with her, also my Dad sometimes. A good video, Dave. Always thought Suzanne did a fine job of playing "the dumb blonde."
Network producers back then, were ruthless. From Ms. Harper Stacey.
I preferred Janet too! Didn’t she wear Gloria vanderbilts! Those jeans!!!
How's this for a coincidence? While I was watching your video, Norman Fell showed up on MeTV's weeknight PERRY MASON rerun (from early 1960). He had a cheesy mustache, but when I unmuted the tv, I recognized his voice right away.
Fall 1979 ABC messed with a lot of its scheduling, for instance moving MORK & MINDY to Sunday night and LAVERNE & SHIRLEY to Monday night. These programming blunders caused ABC to fall to #2 behind CBS for the season. THE ROPERS was caught up in this shuffling, which also killed ANGIE around the same time.
Yes, I'm sure ABC kept THE ROPERS for the full season to deny Fell & Lindley their comeback clause. They did make one more THREE'S COMPANY appearance in Season 5 (which I consider the show's worst season). And as you pointed out, Norman Fell kept working after THE ROPERS. He did have another good role (w/ good weekly salary) on an early 1980s NBC sitcom called TEACHERS ONLY, which included Lynn Redgrave.
What a strange coincidence! Thanks for the comments Jon H!
Hopperman was a great show. I wish we got more seasons out of it
I loved that show.
The old technicality trick by the network ABC.....lol
I think what I still don't understand is why Norman Fell was pushed out. I get that there was a 2nd show idea. Fell didn't want to leave. The show was hysterical as is. Why change a character that was working well? Takes all parts to create that kind of TV magic. Only my opinion.
Pure hysterical smut😛
My dad called it "smut" as well.
Thanks Dave. Missed this one yesterday. You know, I really didn’t like either of these shows. I was a bit of a prude back then and both shows felt kind of icky to me. But I did like the actors. And Norman Fell was one of my favorites because he could deliver in that low key way.