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‘Three’s Company’: Joyce DeWitt Reportedly Felt John Ritter, Producers Did Her Wrong

Three’s Company is a popular television sitcom that defines the late 1970s and early ’80s culture perfectly. The show is full of ridiculous humor and even crazier situations. John Ritter rose to stardom because of the show, but Joyce DeWitt is no saying that he and the producers wronged her.

Joyce DeWitt was Ritter’s co-star for many years on the show. Over time, it surfaced that she and Ritter didn’t always have the best of relationships. She felt that Ritter was in the wrong for making a spinoff show that she wasn’t included in.

John Ritter became famous, almost overnight, from his role on the show. But, Joyce DeWitt playing Janet Wood garnered her a lot of fame as well.

Janet was Joyce DeWitt’s first role out of college and she quickly became very popular with the show’s fans. But, there was a lot of behind the scenes drama between all of the actors and Ritter, in particular. The problems escalated drastically when a spinoff series was being made.

Joyce DeWitt Felt Betrayed by John Ritter

Fans of the show were distraught when the last season of Three’s Company debuted in 1984. But, Three’s a Crowd came along shortly thereafter. But there was a major absence from the new show. Joyce DeWitt was no in the show’s cast.

More importantly, when DeWitt found out that Ritter was starring in the new show, she was hurt. Not only was there a new show, but she was never given an offer to act in the new show.

In an interview with Closer Weekly, Joyce DeWitt explained all of her emotions about the new show. Chris Mann, a historian, shares what she said about the situation with John Ritter.

TV Guide had done a cover story titled, ‘John Ritter: He’s Looking For a Different Trip Now.’ So, I think the writing was sort of on the wall that Three’s Company would be winding down, but for whatever reason, John followed the producers’ advice not to disclose to Joyce that they had planned to spin off his character at the end of Season 8.”

Mann continues to explain what Joyce DeWitt was going through. It is explicitly clear that DeWitt was being purposefully left out of the cast.

“So there was deception there that she took personally. John was in a very tricky situation, and maybe there was a better way to handle it, but there were certainly differences on the set then.”

Finally, when Three’s Company came off the air, Joyce DeWitt decided to take a break from acting. Even though she never found more success in her acting career, she still is best known for playing Janet.