UK - US: Man About the House - Three's Company

Both great shows with strong legacies.

[@Zeusdattilo]

I loved a lot both the series. They were all amazing actors and actresses who gave us fun and a good laugh...John Ritter always missed...

[@eastenders25yrsfan]

Man About the House was way better than three company in my books and yes im a brit and love british sitcoms.

[@RingoandCarlin]

I'm American and I agree with you that the original UK version is better. And one of the reasons I believe it's better is because it didn't make all those changes and get rid of the original characters as the American version did.

[@mewesquirrel6720]

@@RingoandCarlin Traitor

[@johnpolychrones3158]

I'm American and I agree with you.

[@mikey7619]

Original run opening credits :) Havent seen them in years! What a treat

[@johnburns4017]

Richard O'Sullivan was a well established actor - a child actor, and was even in Cleopatra with Burton and Taylor. John Ritter, was not that well known in the US at the time. Ritter has died and O'Sullivan had a few strokes and now is in an actors nursing home. Sally Thomsett who played the dumb blond in _Man About The House_ hardly worked after the series, as she was so type-cast. The remaining cast of _Man About The House_ still see each other visiting Richard O'Sullivan in the nursing home regularly.

[@johnburns4017]

Yep, such a surprise. I have friends who are in the film and music industry.

[@mrminecraft6172]

I'm glad ritter is dead may he rot in hell terrible actor!

[@rossdelain1645]

Paula Wilcox is still acting today she is currently in the UK soap opera Coronation Street.

[@Zeusdattilo]

I'm from Italy where both "A Man about the house" and "Three's company" were big hits on Italian Tv. I love both the two series. I found that we can't compare them mostly because of the setting even if the plot was the same. "A Man about the house" was typycally British and "Three's company" was typycally American. In a way, I think we could say that they were too different sit-coms based on the same plot and characters. Of course this is true too for the actors and actresses and the type of humour. But they were both funny and above all they had two amazing crew of actors and actresses. I'm happy each time I can see again "Three's company" on Italian Tv. Sadly, it's a bit hard to find - maybe because older than "Three's cmapny" - "A Man about the House" on Tv. I hope I can buy it on DvD. I have a nice memory about "A Man about the house". I remember I used to watch "A Man about the house" with my granpa who was, of course, a man from older generation and I thought he didnt'find it so amusing, so I was very happy each time I turned my head and found he was smiling or laughin, particularly at Roper's arguments.

[@johnburns4017]

Zeusdattilo The US TV company ABC bought the *whole set* of _Man About The House_ calling it _Three's Company._ They changed the names _slightly_ and of course the setting, but many of the early episodes were nearly the exactly same lines as the British series - why change a winning formula? The British series ran from 1973-76 with the same actors, _Three's Company_ ran from 1977. _Man About The House_ was discontinued so two spin-off TV series could be made, one about the Ropers and one about the lead man, Robin Trip. The US did the same, but ran Three's Company consecutively getting in different actors to replace the Ropers. That would not go in the UK - one could replace the Ropers. The British spin-off of the Ropers, _George and Mildred,_ was very successful but came to a halt when the actress who played Mrs Roper, Yootha Joyce, died. The spin-off of Trip, _Robin's Nest,_ was successful also. The US spin-offs (again based on the UK spin-offs), were successful but not as much as _Three's Company._ Many blame airing them on the wrong days and time slots. Three's Company ran for 8 years in the USA, so the US writers had to write their own episodes as they ran out of British episode as the core. The humour also became more physical - more slapstick, which the British series' were not. Each time _Three's Company_ is shown anywhere, Thames TV get 12.5%. There has been many TV shows about _Three's Company_ in the US. Only a few have mentioned _Man About The House,_ which I think is quite disrespectful. And not one mention of the two British writers, Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer, who also wrote the two British spin-offs. Amongst the most successful US TV sit-coms ever have been _Three's Company_ and _All in the Family._ Both were based on British TV shows. _All in the Family_ was based on _Until Death Do Us Part._ Johnny Speight was the writer of _Until Death Do Us Part,_ who also co-wrote _All in the Family_ with US writer Bernie West, who Americanised the series. Bernie West also Americanised _Three's Company._

[@DelilahThePig]

The twangy San Diego version is hipper.

[@rufus566]

I liked both, but Man About the House was my favorite by far. Sally Thomsett and Paula Willcox (both hot by the way) played their roles perfect, and added a certain sophistication/experience thier American counterparts didn't have. Richard O'Sullivan was brilliant, well again so was John Ritter. It is rare to have two great shows with the same theme coexist so perfectly!

[@maakeklein4073]

Math knew when to call it a day. 3s company didn't and just went on and on and on ad nauseam.

[@mewesquirrel6720]

Still my favorite but yeah they did it to long most American tv shows did

[@MsDoctorWhoFan1]

Man About the House was a brilliant show, but Three's Company will always be far superior to me. It was a lot funnier. Who could not love John Ritter and Joyce Dewitt. Those two made the show. Three's Company was one of those few successful remakes.

[@johnburns4017]

MsDoctorWhoFan1 The British show was more clever writing, the US show was more slap-stick, which does not go too well with me.

[@mewesquirrel6720]

@@mrminecraft6172 it's a opinion

[@Bacopa68]

I never knew John Ritter was Tex Ritter's son until John died. And I loved John Ritter in Sling Blade.

[@LKayL1]

I like Paula's jacket.

[@francesbernard2445]

Could it have been called cultural appropriation when the CBC put on a sitcom series for awhile called, "Three's Company"?

[@barcelonian]

In this case all two are good, although Brittish is the original and subsequently the best. Unfortunately is not the case with original George & Mildred and The Ropers, original Brittish is great classic TV series, and the American version is horrific and failed, only Norman Fell (perfect in the role) and the music intro are good.

[@cmdfarsight]

Man about the House has a much much much better intro theme. The US version is terrible. What is it with American tv studios always doing their own version of British programmes although infinitely worse versions? This, Life on Mars, The Office and Red Dwarf to name but a few.

[@RetroGUY77]

American The Inbetweeners was particularly bad

[@cmdfarsight]

Mini Mort 2 Surely not worse than the US version of Red Dwarf!

[@RetroGUY77]

I've never seen it... Or heard of it so yeah

[@cmdfarsight]

Mini Mort 2 If you have watched the UK version of RD give the American version a watch. I think the first episode is on here and it is awful beyond belief.

[@johnburns4017]

The UK shows are Americanised for a different audience. The US audiences like them.

[@simondenny8021]

Yes Sally Thomsett was, but Paula Wilcox was even hotter....by far....maybe you should have gone to Specsavers lol. Still beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[@iwasanangryyoungman]

I'm surprised that Three's Company not only shares in common with Man About The House the very premise but also a catchy-as-hell theme tune and having the opening credits shot in a zoo …not to mention the landlords sharing the same last name - Roper