Three’s Company – Season Seven + Season Eight
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C Episodes: C+
So after a
great run that survived more than a few hurdles and key cast changes, Three’s Company wrapped up production
and was still high enough in the ratings that it was hoped the show could
survive a total change. With Don Knotts
still in tow, the show seemed to literally be remaking the more benign scripts
from early seasons and lost its energy and distinction as a result. Anchor Bay now completes it release of the
entire series with separate Season Seven
and Season Eight sets.
Though as
nicely packaged and assembled as the previous sets, the content is simply not
up to the highs, peaks, hilarity and even ground-breaking sense of the original
shows. Looking at them again, they still
are more watchable than most TV sitcoms since this was still a show that
respected the audience’s intelligence to the end, but it was time to fold and
they did. It could even be said that
Knotts saved the show in its final seasons.
The 1.33
X 1 image on both sets is a little softer than previous sets for whatever
reason and the lighting in the long term became flatter and less interesting as
the show went along. The early seasons
are more appealing and look even stylized by comparison. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is not bad and a
little better, but nothing special. Extras
make the sets more worth one’s time. Season Seven include commentary on two
episodes, "Don Knotts: A Tribute" featurette, "Parlez-Vous
Three’s Company?" featurette, separate Best of Jack, Janet, Terri, &
Larry: Season Seven pieces and a booklet with Detailed Liner Notes. Season
Eight concludes with "John Ritter: Working With A Master"
featurette, "Usted Habla Three's Company?" featurette, Best Of Jack,
Janet, Terry, Larry & Furley for this final season and Bloopers.
Of
course, Three’s A Crowd was the
“ninth” season dumping the entire cast except Ritter and the great Robert
Mandan from Soap (debuting in the
final season here) maybe conjuring up some fun conflict comedy. It would not even fare as well as The Ropers spin-off, but I guess we’ll
see both on DVD sooner or later.
- Nicholas Sheffo
