"The Ropers" (1979) TV series 1979-1980

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

13 March 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Stanley and Helen Roper, the beloved landlords from "Three's Company," have sold their apartment complex and moved into a new one...

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom | Based On British TV Series | Remake

Cast

Norman Fell	...	Stanley Roper (28 episodes, 1979-1980)
Audra Lindley	...	Helen Roper (28 episodes, 1979-1980)
Jeffrey Tambor	...	Jeffrey P. Brookes III (28 episodes, 1979-1980)
Patty McCormack	...	Anne Brookes (28 episodes, 1979-1980)
Evan Cohen	...	David Brookes (28 episodes, 1979-1980)

Also Known As:

Three's Company's Friends, the Ropers (syndication title)

Runtime:

30 min (28 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

When the network proposed the spin-off of "Three's Company" (1977) (i.e. that they should remake the UK series _"George and Mildred" (1976)_, which was the spin-off from "Man About the House" (1973)) focusing on the Ropers, Norman Fell and Audra Lindley weren't too keen on the idea. Norman Fell felt that you couldn't do a series with *only* the running gag of Mrs. Roper being undersexed. The network assured him the show would have more substance than that, and furthermore, if the show didn't make it a full season, he and Audra could come back full time to "Three's Company" as the Ropers. "The Ropers" (1979) made it a season and a half before it was canceled. As a result, Norman Fell and Audra Lindley were out of work, and there was nothing they could do about it because the show *did* make it a full season. However, they did reprise their roles as guest stars on "Three's Company" on a few episodes after "The Ropers" was dropped.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nanny: The Kibbutz (#3.12)" (1995)

Ropers better as supporting cast

An ambitious effort from Norman Fell and Audra Lindley as they portrayed the hilarious landlord couple Stanley and Helen Roper from the hit series Three's Company. In the spin off show, Stanley and Helen moved from their Santa Monica apartment to the upscale neighbourhood called Cheviott Hills and their new neighbour was not fond of having them as part of the community. The show just didn't seem to be as good as Three's Company. Stanley and Helen were better as supporting cast members rather than as series leads. The cast was small including Jeffrey Tambor as the neighbour Jeffrey P. Brooks III. He's not a likable character, but his dislike towards Stanley and his quirks behind closed doors made the show funny. Recurring cast included Helen's troublemaker sister Ethel, and her mother; these two characters did not appear on Three's Company.