We continue our countdown of my favorite 1970s Christmas TV episodes with 1977’s “Three’s Christmas” from Three’s Company.
Three’s Company, about a straight man (who has to pretend to be gay to be allowed to live with two women) sharing an apartment with two straight women (back in a time when that would have been seen as quite unusual…it honestly would still be seen as a bit unusual in 2023), debuted as a midseason replacement in the Spring of 1977, so the first time that the show could have HAD a Christmas episode was in its second season, and sure enough, on Christmas Day, 1977, Three’s Company aired its first, and only, Christmas episode, “Three’s Christmas.”
It contains a major character detail reveal, as we learn that Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers)’s full name is Christmas Snow.
Overall, though, it just had a pleasantly low-key Christmas plot. If you know Three’s Company, you’ll know that the show rarely did “low key” ANYTHING. It tended to go WAY over the top at all times, so it was nice that its Christmas episode was just general, relatable human drama.
The roommates are celebrating their first Christmas together (the first time that Chrissy didn’t go home for Christmas), and they share presents with each other (with Jack Tripper, played by John Ritter, being a bit creepy with his Mistletoe-hanger on his head). In a cute bit, Jack’s presents for Chrissy and Janet (Joyce DeWitt), which he took pride in being PERFECT for them, ARE perfect…but for the wrong girl, as they swap their presents and are very happy.
We then come to the central conflict of the episode. The gang decides to throw a Christmas party (on Christmas day? Weird, right?), but discover that everyone is going to a different party that they haven’t been invited to (since they go to every other party this couple throws, the girls assume that Jack offended them somehow, as he is the only new thing in their situation). When their landlords, The Ropers (Norman Feel and Audra Lindley) return early from a visit with Mrs. Roper’s family, the gang agree to spend Christmas night with the Ropers.
But then the Stevens (the couple throwing the party) call, upset that Jack and the girls haven’t RSVPed to their party! So they WERE invited, but their invitation was lost in the mail. Of course, now the kids are stuck going to the Ropers for Christmas. Their plan is to cut out early, and head to the Stevens’ party.
The Ropers’ party is SUPER dull, and the kids eventually beg out, but we then learn that Mr. Roper has made the party EXTRA boring because HE had just received a phone call from the Stevens inviting the ROPERS to the party! So the Ropers were trying to get rid of the kids, and the kids were trying to get rid of the Ropers!
The episode ends with everyone back together after the party is over, with Mr. Roper drunk off his gourd, and the Ropers not mad at the kids for trying to ditch them (since, well, they just did the same thing). It’s just a nice, pleasant celebration of friendship between two very different generations.
