#28: Critics Didn’t Buy Into The Show’s Hype
Three’s Company was never a critical darling during its original run. Reviewers often dismissed it as lowbrow, repetitive, or overly reliant on sexual misunderstanding. The broad humor and innuendo-heavy scripts didn’t align with what critics considered “smart” television at the time.
Audiences didn’t care. Week after week, millions tuned in anyway, turning the show into a ratings juggernaut. The disconnect highlighted a familiar TV truth: critical approval and popular success don’t always overlap. Three’s Company thrived precisely because it knew its audience and never pretended to be anything else.