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Come and Knock on Our Door: A Hers and Hers and His Guide to "Three's Company"
The no-holds-barred complete story of the #1 hit '70s sitcom. Find out what really happened both behind and in front of the cameras.
Come and Knock on Our Door delivers all the titillation and travails of the breakthrough coed roommate farce that launched John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, and Suzanne Somers to stardom in 1977. On-screen, the trio's dilemmas were always just zany misunderstandings riddled with pratfalls and double entendres and resolved with hugs and kisses. But behind the scenes, the real-life tensions of fame and controversy plus personal, financial, and creative conflicts threatened to end the love and laughter.
With interviews from over sixty actors, producers, directors, and crew members, Chris Mann uncovers the good, the bad, and the ugly that occurred on the set-- from the fun and friendships to the feuding and falling-outs. For the first time ever, John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt break their silence about the eroding relations and bitter breakup with their onetime pal and original costar, Suzanne Somers and some of the show's top execs tell their sides of the story behind her big money demands and missed work, the public outcry, and her eventual firing. Joyce DeWitt also reveals her secret struggles with the show's producers and explains why she turned her back on Hollywood when John Ritter spun off alone in Three's a Crowd -- and what she's been doing ever since. Jenilee Harrison tells what it was like to replace Suzanne Somers during the contract dispute. Norman Fell, Don Knotts, Richard Kline, and Ann Wedgeworth disclose the ups and downs of TV's looniest landlords and tenants. And the late Audra Lindley, in her final interview, describes what she looks for in a muu-muu. So Come and Knock on Our Door , We've Been Waiting for You.
Come and Knock on Our Door delivers all the titillation and travails of the breakthrough coed roommate farce that launched John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, and Suzanne Somers to stardom in 1977. On-screen, the trio's dilemmas were always just zany misunderstandings riddled with pratfalls and double entendres and resolved with hugs and kisses. But behind the scenes, the real-life tensions of fame and controversy plus personal, financial, and creative conflicts threatened to end the love and laughter.
With interviews from over sixty actors, producers, directors, and crew members, Chris Mann uncovers the good, the bad, and the ugly that occurred on the set-- from the fun and friendships to the feuding and falling-outs. For the first time ever, John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt break their silence about the eroding relations and bitter breakup with their onetime pal and original costar, Suzanne Somers and some of the show's top execs tell their sides of the story behind her big money demands and missed work, the public outcry, and her eventual firing. Joyce DeWitt also reveals her secret struggles with the show's producers and explains why she turned her back on Hollywood when John Ritter spun off alone in Three's a Crowd -- and what she's been doing ever since. Jenilee Harrison tells what it was like to replace Suzanne Somers during the contract dispute. Norman Fell, Don Knotts, Richard Kline, and Ann Wedgeworth disclose the ups and downs of TV's looniest landlords and tenants. And the late Audra Lindley, in her final interview, describes what she looks for in a muu-muu. So Come and Knock on Our Door , We've Been Waiting for You.
- GenresNonfictionTv
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1998
About the author
Chris Mann
100 books9 followersThis is the disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors publishing as Chris Mann
For the military historian, see Chris Mann
For the military historian, see Chris Mann
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 25, 2013
This is how a behind-the-scenes book should be done! I remember first reading this in 2003, shortly before John Ritter sadly passed away. This book did a great service to his memory, despite its focus on the juicy, delicious drama.
It's the drama that keeps us coming back for more. Why did Somers leave? Where is DeWitt now? Is John Ritter really as awesome as he seems? All of the questions I had were answered and more. There is extensive research, which I imagine was difficult to coordinate. Almost everyone was willing to speak with Mann, including a dizzying array of producers, directors, writers, and (of course) the actors. In some ways, it all seems a bit much, but the information is well organized.
Any fan should give this a go. It's a deep, comprehensive read that goes well beyond the typical "Wikipedia biography" style of similar books of the genre.
It's the drama that keeps us coming back for more. Why did Somers leave? Where is DeWitt now? Is John Ritter really as awesome as he seems? All of the questions I had were answered and more. There is extensive research, which I imagine was difficult to coordinate. Almost everyone was willing to speak with Mann, including a dizzying array of producers, directors, writers, and (of course) the actors. In some ways, it all seems a bit much, but the information is well organized.
Any fan should give this a go. It's a deep, comprehensive read that goes well beyond the typical "Wikipedia biography" style of similar books of the genre.
June 13, 2016
I have not been able to do much reading lately, but I had to make time when I was finally able to locate this fabulous book! If you are a die-hard Three's Company fan like myself, you owe it to yourself to get this book! It's a highly entertaining look behind the scenes of one of the greatest television shows ever. Get the scoop on Suzanne Somers. Was John Ritter as nice in real life as he seemed? Spoiler alert - YES HE WAS! Joyce DeWitt was nice as well. Did you ever wonder why the Ropers got a spin-off? Read the book! And yes, there is lots about LARRY as well! Five stars plus!!!
June 24, 2022
Clearly written by a super-fan, this is a love letter to Three's Company. Full of interesting bits of trivia, and a lot of love, Mann doesn't gloss over the ugly side of what happened with the show. I thoroughly enjoyed taking this trip down memory lane with one of my favorite shows!
February 19, 2014
The Best Sitcom Ever Created on TV
Anyone who has watched Three's Company and other 70s and 80s sitcoms would love this book. Author Chris Mann is a Three's Company fan like many of us but he went few steps ahead to do the interview with cast and crew and did research to put it all in the form of a book. He was also interviewed on cable network E! when they made their own two hour show on this sitcom. It is sad that there were problems between the cast members, but I will not blame that on anyone; but I feel sad for Suzanne Somers, because, John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt distanced from Suzanne for an awfully long number of years. It is good to know that John Ritter reconciled with Suzanne few years before his unfortunate and sad death. Old wounds die hard and this very true when Suzanne Somers refused to reconcile with Joyce couple of years ago when Suzanne detected symptoms of breast cancer. Now John Ritter, Norman fell and Audra Lindley have gone and many actors who appeared on this sitcom have become great actors in Hollywood and TV. It is wonderful to read this book and cherish the memories and the great time many of us had watching and enjoying this show week after week. Thanks for the book Chris Mann.
Anyone who has watched Three's Company and other 70s and 80s sitcoms would love this book. Author Chris Mann is a Three's Company fan like many of us but he went few steps ahead to do the interview with cast and crew and did research to put it all in the form of a book. He was also interviewed on cable network E! when they made their own two hour show on this sitcom. It is sad that there were problems between the cast members, but I will not blame that on anyone; but I feel sad for Suzanne Somers, because, John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt distanced from Suzanne for an awfully long number of years. It is good to know that John Ritter reconciled with Suzanne few years before his unfortunate and sad death. Old wounds die hard and this very true when Suzanne Somers refused to reconcile with Joyce couple of years ago when Suzanne detected symptoms of breast cancer. Now John Ritter, Norman fell and Audra Lindley have gone and many actors who appeared on this sitcom have become great actors in Hollywood and TV. It is wonderful to read this book and cherish the memories and the great time many of us had watching and enjoying this show week after week. Thanks for the book Chris Mann.
March 27, 2013
A quite thorough and occasionally zany chronicling of Three's Company. Especially good with all the peripherals--the fan antics and pressures of success and behind-the-scenes negotiations. Everybody ends up seeming a bit full of it at times--the producers, Suzanne Somers (although not Ritter). Joyce in particular was sounding so overblown and sensitive that I really was starting to think of her as Joyce D Halfwit. And then there was the constant harping (by everybody) on the 16th century French farce roots--even more than the English source. Fortunately the author keeps it light as possible by going overboard with that stuff--developing a little farce action all his own. But it did seem like 1) the feminist stuff grew tiresome, and 2) the production team probably were kind of jerks and fogeys. Anyway, you're left at the end with a warm feeling of the family behind the family you see on the screen--and how everybody is so concerned about the final product that it naturally unavoidably leads to conflicts. There seemed a great amount of denial in both Suzanne's and Joyce's claims of being beyond the heartache, hurt and pain. And one great quote from a magazine about Somers at the start of it all: "Right now she is vivid, unspoiled, exuberant--a perfectly lovely thing to watch." Often reads kind of like an extended essay on Going Hollywood--the pleasures and (often) pitfalls. Too bad Priscilla Barnes couldn't come up with her contribution. And there was also Ritter's admonition: "I hate being a celebrity; I love being an actor. Celebritydom can kill you; being an artist or an actor can feed you. You really have to be careful. If you want to be a celebrity, you're going to run into a brick wall--or turn into one." (The book sometimes reminded me of the joke: "In France philosophers are celebrities. In America celebrities are philosophers.")
June 1, 2012
It's informative, but it's one of those books where you finish it and ask yourself, "Why did I read that whole thing?"
August 13, 2023
Harder to keep your fist clenched
Than it is to let your hand open
Than it is to let your hand open
December 28, 2023
It's absolutely a great read if you're a fan of the show. Gives a great behind the scenes of the show.
August 4, 2008
I can't decide if this book deserves more or fewer stars based on the following quote:
"Twenty years have passed since its premiere shifted Earth's axis, but only now can we see the truth...Three's Company might well have been the greatest television comedy series of all time--heck, it was the greatest work of art of all time...It was pure genuins!"--page xiv.
3'sco as the greatest art of all time may just be the most unsupportable claim of all time. Just because you preface it with "heck" does not mean you can say anything you want afterward! Now that I've heard Chris Mann's commentary on the show's DVDs (which I started watching because of this book, ridiculous claims and all), I think he was being a bit more sarcastic than I gave him credit for. But it's still a confusing thing to say...
"Twenty years have passed since its premiere shifted Earth's axis, but only now can we see the truth...Three's Company might well have been the greatest television comedy series of all time--heck, it was the greatest work of art of all time...It was pure genuins!"--page xiv.
3'sco as the greatest art of all time may just be the most unsupportable claim of all time. Just because you preface it with "heck" does not mean you can say anything you want afterward! Now that I've heard Chris Mann's commentary on the show's DVDs (which I started watching because of this book, ridiculous claims and all), I think he was being a bit more sarcastic than I gave him credit for. But it's still a confusing thing to say...
April 26, 2012
For a super fan of the show, this book is a must read.
While a large part of the book focuses on the gory details of the behind-the-scenes bickering between some of producers, actors and other staff, it really felt great to know that someone else out there gets as "absorbed" into the Three's Company universe as I do.
The rest of my review can be found here.
While a large part of the book focuses on the gory details of the behind-the-scenes bickering between some of producers, actors and other staff, it really felt great to know that someone else out there gets as "absorbed" into the Three's Company universe as I do.
The rest of my review can be found here.
Want to Read
April 8, 2007This book was written by a friend of mine in High School.
March 31, 2017
Too much emphasis on the Suzanne Sommers bull-hockey.. Did a quick read last night.. going to read more thoroughly over the weekend will update if my impression changes
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews