# Could a THREE'S COMPANY reboot, done as an actual menage a trois, work in 2015\> **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 8, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345 "2015-09-08T16:16:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/21 "2015-09-08T18:06:36Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I can’t see why a landlord would object to the living arrangements, or why onew of them would pretend to be gay as an explanation. > You’d need to have some completely different secret and dynamic to make it believable. Like maybe one of the roommates is an extraterrestrial. Or a Serial Killer, or something. Believable? \*Believable? \* _ **BELIEVABLE?** _ :: smacks **Cal** repeatedly with salmon :: Believability is for Smurfs. Sitcoms are supposed to be funny, not realistic. My god, next you’ll be giving [pants](http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_super/11/119715/2263754-wonder_woman__7_.jpg) to Wonder Woman. _[Pants](http://www.thegeekerie.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WW.jpg)_. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/22 "2015-09-08T18:08:05Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Jack is living with – and secretly banging – Janet. Janet insists that Chrissy wouldn’t stand for that, so Jack agrees to pretend to be gay when Chrissy is around. Note that Jack is also secretly banging Chrissy, who insists that Janet wouldn’t stand for that, such that he has to pretend to be gay when Janet is around. So he only ever puts on the ‘gay’ act when all three of them are there. > > Note that Jack is played by Neil Patrick Harris. In honor of this brilliant response, I have called off the assassin I sent after you yesterday morning. Well, I sent her an text, anyway, she hasn’t replied. You, um, might want to stay inside for a while. > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > You got _that_ right. Not even _close_ to the same show. > > OTOH, **Chronos** has a point, too. There was no point in re-using the name for that, either. > > ETA:But that undercuts your point.\* When my favorite niece was about 10, whenever she heard anyone say “You have a point,” she would yell back “Points are for the weak!” Her mother blamed me just as she did for the “whoreson” fiasco. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/23 "2015-09-08T18:08:20Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > On the CW (is that still around?), anything is possible. An idea like _Three’s Company_ seems tame compared to a show like _Significant Mother_. But it’s not the worst idea I’ve heard. Frankie Muniz wants to do a sequel to _Malcolm in the Middle_ called “Malcolm in the Mid-Life Crisis.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/24 "2015-09-08T18:17:23Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Believable? > > \*Believable? > \* > > _ **BELIEVABLE?** _ > > :: smacks **Cal** repeatedly with salmon :: > > Believability is for Smurfs. Sitcoms are supposed to be funny, not realistic. > > My god, next you’ll be giving [pants](http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_super/11/119715/2263754-wonder_woman__7_.jpg) to Wonder Woman. _[Pants](http://www.thegeekerie.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WW.jpg)_. Heck, it happened long before your examples, back in 1968: [![](http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090422155721/marvel_dc/images/c/c9/Wonder_Woman_Vol_1_178.jpg) ](http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090422155721/marvel_dc/images/c/c9/Wonder_Woman_Vol_1_178.jpg) Hmmmm. Maybe instead of being a Serial Killer or an extraterrestrial, maybe one or more of the roommates could be (non-extraterrestrial) superheroes. It wouldn’t be as believable as an alien or a serial killer, but this is, as you say, a sitcom, so it needn’t be as plausible as a comic book. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/25 "2015-09-08T19:03:46Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > In honor of this brilliant response, I have called off the assassin I sent after you yesterday morning. > > Well, I sent her an text, anyway, she hasn’t replied. You, um, might want to stay inside for a while. > > When my favorite niece was about 10, whenever she heard anyone say “You have a point,” she would yell back “Points are for the weak!” > > Her mother blamed me just as she did for the “whoreson” fiasco. This is why I bow to your greatness as a tribal elder. You have much to teach our youth. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/26 "2015-09-08T19:22:20Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > What if we contrive a reason that they must convince everybody else that they are in a hot menage a trois, when they in fact greatly detest each other? They’re all actors who met while making a fantastically popular cult movie. Rumors on the set abounded and had them involved in all manner of exotic acts. In order to perpetuate their fame, they moved in together and pretended to be in a relationship, like those two women in Tatu. They’re all desperately looking for other roles so they can fire the explosive bolts and blow themselves free of this situation, but they really do _work_ well together. It’s just off the set, and behind closed doors, that they’re _The Odd Trio._ And we have our title. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/27 "2015-09-08T19:31:04Z")
Sitcoms barely work in 2015. They’re a played out form. What could work is a premise like you have in the OP, but it’s a dumb summer comedy movie, and it’s making fun of the original show. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/28 "2015-09-08T19:49:36Z")
They want to live in an all-gay gated community, ruled with an iron fist by a flaming landlord. So they pretend to be a lesbian couple living with their gay bestie… their secret? They are all actually 100% straight! Starring: Jason Ritter, Lauren Lapkus and Gillian Jacobs. With Nathan Lane as Mister Roper. I’ll take my five millions in cash, Hollywood. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/29 "2015-09-08T19:58:55Z")
Janet and Chrissie are a closeted lesbian couple. They get their friend Jack to stay in the spare room and pretend like he’s banging both of them, so their homophobic landlord doesn’t evict them. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/30 "2015-09-08T20:21:14Z")
One favorite Webcomic artist has wondered about that already and for a few years. > **[Ménage à 3 - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Webcomic/MenageA3)** > > Ménage à 3 is a webcomic created and drawn by "Giz" (Gisèle Lagacé), and co-written by Giz and "Dave Zero1" (David Lumsdon). It ran from May 17, 2008 to April 9, 2019. Ménage à 3 centers around … > [@](#): > > Ménage à 3 is a webcomic created and drawn by “Giz” (Gisèle Lagacé), and co-written by Giz and “Dave Zero1” (David Lumsdon). And yes, others have noticed the inspiration sources. > [@](#): > > In short, it’s Man About The House/Three’s Company, just with more nakedness, and no Don Knotts (too much comedy of errors as it is—plus, this is 21st-century Montreal, so even the crankiest landlord is unlikely to object to shenanigans so long as they don’t interfere with rent payments). Or, The 40-Year-Old Virgin in webcomic form. The writers themselves describe it as an “HBO-style rom com,” which, if you take “HBO-style” to mean “unabashed nudity,” is approximately accurate. The artist has indeed a style similar to Japanese animation but much closer to Dan DeCarlo / Archie Comics. So much so that the Archie people has hired her from time to time to work with Archie, minus the sexy stuff of course. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/31 "2015-09-08T20:25:13Z")
It wouldn’t really be _Three’s Company_ then. It sounds potentially interesting, but I think TV networks in some countries, specifically the USA, are not ready for that. And sitcoms have a really hard time in the USA right now anyway. Did you watch the show “One Big Happy” with Elisha Cuthbert as a single (gay) woman who gets artificially inseminated with her (platonic) best friend and roommate’s sperm, right about the time he suddenly gets married? That had some interesting dynamics, but it only ran what, six episodes? (Which makes me unhappy. I wish it had been a sliver better written and had a handful more success.) I think the OP’s pitch would have similar problems. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/32 "2015-09-08T20:36:28Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > They want to live in an all-gay gated community, ruled with an iron fist by a flaming landlord. So they pretend to be a lesbian couple living with their gay bestie… their secret? They are all actually 100% straight! Starring: Jason Ritter, Lauren Lapkus and Gillian Jacobs. With Nathan Lane as Mister Roper. I don’t get why you’d cast Mister Roper without casting his spouse, Mister Roper. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/33 "2015-09-08T20:41:56Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Jack is living with – and secretly banging – Janet. Janet insists that Chrissy wouldn’t stand for that, so Jack agrees to pretend to be gay when Chrissy is around. Note that Jack is also secretly banging Chrissy, who insists that Janet wouldn’t stand for that, such that he has to pretend to be gay when Janet is around. So he only ever puts on the ‘gay’ act when all three of them are there. > > Note that Jack is played by Neil Patrick Harris. I think we have a winner. > [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > They want to live in an all-gay gated community, ruled with an iron fist by a flaming landlord. So they pretend to be a lesbian couple living with their gay bestie… their secret? They are all actually 100% straight! Starring: Jason Ritter, Lauren Lapkus and Gillian Jacobs. With Nathan Lane as Mister Roper. > > I’ll take my five millions in cash, Hollywood. This is pretty good, and probably less skeevy. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > … _The Odd Trio._ Acceptable. > [@Miller](#): > > Janet and Chrissie are a closeted lesbian couple. They get their friend Jack to stay in the spare room and pretend like he’s banging both of them, so their homophobic landlord doesn’t evict them. Are you even _trying?_ ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/34 "2015-09-08T20:48:16Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I don’t get why you’d cast Mister Roper without casting his spouse, Mister Roper. John Barrowman? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/35 "2015-09-08T20:49:47Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Are you even _trying?_ I’m supposed to recreate _Three’s Company_ for the 21st century. If I _try_, I’m already doing it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/36 "2015-09-08T20:50:54Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > They’re all actors who met while making a fantastically popular cult movie. Rumors on the set abounded and had them involved in all manner of exotic acts. In order to perpetuate their fame, they moved in together and pretended to be in a relationship, like those two women in Tatu. They’re all desperately looking for other roles so they can fire the explosive bolts and blow themselves free of this situation, but they really do _work_ well together. It’s just off the set, and behind closed doors, that they’re _The Odd Trio._ > > And we have our title. Gold! I’m picturing Janeane Garofalo, Marsha Warfield, and David Spade as the roommates…either Danny Devito or Kathleen Turner as their conniving agent who instigates the scheme…and maybe Oded Fehr as the persistent but inept paparazzo whose plans to out them consistently go hilariously awry… ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/37 "2015-09-08T21:16:48Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Are they going to get a third bedroom? Seems unfair otherwise. Janet gets half the closet space in two bedrooms, instead of just one - sounds like she is coming out ahead (and presumably more often) of the other two roommates. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/38 "2015-09-08T21:21:53Z")
(bolding mine) > [@GIGObuster](#): > > So much so that the Archie people has hired her from time to time to work with Archie, **minus the sexy stuff** of course. More’s the pity. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/39 "2015-09-08T21:27:32Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Jack is living with – and secretly banging – Janet. Janet insists that Chrissy wouldn’t stand for that, so Jack agrees to pretend to be gay when Chrissy is around. Note that Jack is also secretly banging Chrissy, who insists that Janet wouldn’t stand for that, such that he has to pretend to be gay when Janet is around. So he only ever puts on the ‘gay’ act when all three of them are there. > [@Miller](#): > > Janet and Chrissie are a closeted lesbian couple. They get their friend Jack to stay in the spare room and pretend like he’s banging both of them, so their homophobic landlord doesn’t evict them. Merge those 2 and you have a farce. The underlying rule is that a 3-some never occurs. > [@Chronos](#): > > That would make it such an entirely different show that there’d be no point in reusing the name. Branding is reason enough to give it the same name. Especially if you make it into a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/40 "2015-09-08T21:55:59Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Hmmmm. Maybe instead of being a Serial Killer or an extraterrestrial, maybe one or more of the roommates could be (non-extraterrestrial) superheroes. It wouldn’t be as believable as an alien or a serial killer, but this is, as you say, a sitcom, so it needn’t be as plausible as a comic book. An Americanized “My Hero”/“Man About the House” mashup? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345.md?page=3)