Three’s Company: Why Jack Tripper Had to Pretend Just to Pay the Rent

Three’s Company started with a rent problem. Jack Tripper, Janet Wood and Chrissy Snow shared a Santa Monica apartment because none of them could afford the lifestyle alone — and Jack had to keep one very big secret just to stay there. When Three’s Company premiered in 1977, Jack was a culinary student, Janet worked in a flower shop, and Chrissy was a secretary. Three young people. Three modest paychecks. One apartment near the California coast. But there was a problem. Stanley Roper wasn’t about to let one single man live with two single women. So Jack and the girls told him Jack wasn’t interested in women — and that lie became the setup for years of misunderstandings, close calls and slammed doors. And the real economics behind the show were just as interesting. Rent was climbing fast during the 1970s. Inflation was eating away at young workers’ paychecks. Santa Monica became one of the centers of America’s rent-control battle. And splitting expenses with roommates was becoming a reality for an entire generation. Then the money story moved behind the camera. At the height of the show’s success, Suzanne Somers reportedly went from earning around $30,000 per episode to asking for $150,000 per episode plus a share of the profits. The producers said no, Chrissy’s role was drastically reduced, and Somers eventually disappeared from the series. In this episode of TV LIFE YT, we put real money behind Three’s Company and look at: Why Jack Tripper had to pretend just to live with Janet and Chrissy Why three roommates made financial sense in 1970s Santa Monica Stanley Roper’s famously cheap approach to being a landlord The real-world rent crisis happening while the show was on TV Suzanne Somers’ $150,000-per-episode salary dispute How Jack went from splitting the rent to opening Jack’s Bistro Did you ever have roommates just to make the rent? Tell us your craziest roommate or apartment story in the comments. #ThreesCompany #JohnRitter #SuzanneSomers #ClassicTV #70sTV #RetroTV #TVNostalgia We grew up in the 70s and 80s, when television wasn’t just entertainment — it was part of our lives. At **TV LIFE**, we revisit the classic shows, characters, and families we grew up with and look at them from a perspective we never had back then. We research the stories behind these shows and dig into the details: What did these characters really earn? Could they actually afford their homes and lifestyles? What did groceries, cars, rent, and everyday life really cost? And how does their world compare to ours today? Every video is researched, written, narrated, and edited to bring our own perspective to the television we remember. If you grew up watching these shows too, you’ll feel right at home here. *Welcome to TV LIFE — where we revisit the television we grew up with and see it through completely different eyes.* Subscribe for Weekly Videos =    / @tvlifeyt   Check out our Sister Channels: Boomer Life:    / @boomerlifeyt   TV Life B&W:    / @tvlifeblackwhite