# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/41 "2015-09-08T21:58:40Z")
Here’s my premise: Bible-thumping anti-gay landlord owns the duplex. In this series, Jack \*is \*gay, but has to pretend to be one of those “sister wife Mormons” living with his two wives. Jack claims to be a tongue speaking prophet to \*really \*wow Mr. Roper. Roper is not only okay with it all, but tells everyone he secretly has a gen-u-ine religious prophet living in his house. ---
**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, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/42 "2015-09-08T22:00:56Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Merge those 2 and you have a farce. So he’s a straight man pretending to be a gay man pretending to be a straight man? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/43 "2015-09-08T22:06:53Z")
\ ***Kirk Lazarus:** I know who I am. I’m the dude playin’ the dude, disguised as another dude! \* ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/44 "2015-09-08T22:27:54Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Merge those 2 and you have a farce. The underlying rule is that a 3-some never occurs. Branding is reason enough to give it the same name. Especially if you make it into a movie. Right. Janet and Chrissy gotta secretly be getting it on behind Jack’s back as well. Also Jack, because he’s pretending to be gay, has to act as houseboy to the flaming queen landlords, Mr. Roper and Mr. Roper, in exchange for lowered rent. Neither Mr. Roper knows the other Mr. Roper’s arrangement with Jack, and they have to keep it secret from each other. ---
**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, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/45 "2015-09-08T22:32:15Z")
The Aristocrats! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/46 "2015-09-08T22:42:42Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > _Battlestar Galactica_. True, they had no business ruining that fine old corny SF series with that dark satire. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/47 "2015-09-08T22:45:18Z")
> [@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. My hat is off to you. This works. Add in the fact the both girls secretly wanna do Bi stuff with the other, but Jack tells both that the other is 100% straight. ---
**Author:** ![pabstist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@pabstist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pabstist)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/48 "2015-09-09T01:22:22Z")
> [@Master\_Wang-Ka](#): > > I’m trying to wrap my head around the idea of a landlord who gives a rat about unmarried couples living together, which was part and parcel of the original premise. It is not a thing I’d think would really work in this day and age… without feeling awfully contrived. About 10 years ago I had a landlord who put in the lease that I was not allowed to have a member of the opposite sex stay overnight, unless we were married. He was very Christian, and my lawyer said it was illegal for him to do. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/49 "2015-09-09T01:28:39Z")
You are all way overthinking (and greatly improving on) this. A very basic sit-com could be based on the three setting up house-keeping together, with the understanding that any sex would involve all three. The same silly sexual tension would be maintained by someone being out of town, sick, interested in someone else, dealing with visiting parents, etc., while the two available room-mates resist temptation. As the group sex never actually happens, but lots of ‘saying no’ does, this is practically family-hour. And Mr. Roper? He’s your basic creep, introducing them to all his friend friends, hoping to spark a full-blown orgy. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/50 "2015-09-09T03:18:06Z")
No, Waldo’s premise is clearly the winner. The problem with the original premise is that the conflict was between the square landlord and the hip room-mates. So we have to bring the conflict into the main characters. Jack is banging both Janet and Chrissy, and neither knows. But another notch is that either Janet and Chrissy have to be having sex but pretending not to, or they have to be not having sex but pretending to. They could either be an official lesbian couple, but secretly are straight. Or they could be officially straight and having a secret lesbian affair, of which Jack is ignorant. ---
**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 9, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/51 "2015-09-09T04:07:33Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I don’t get why you’d cast Mister Roper without casting his spouse, Mister Roper. You mean Special Guest Star Matthew Broderick? ---
**Author:** ![bb49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@bb49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bb49)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/52 "2015-09-09T05:05:22Z")
You could pull it off but to be politically correct, one would have to be a transgender. So, does that mean one of the girls was a guy, or one of the girls is a girl but became the guy. And then who would the transgender be banging, the girl or the guy? Lots of combinations here that could make for interesting, but confusing plots. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/53 "2015-09-09T08:36:42Z")
> [@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. I was going to suggest this - but instead with Peter, Paul and Mary - Peter and Paul being the married gay couple - one of whom is flaming but has to act straight The landlord is a staunch Baptist county clerk — Perhaps for kicks, and to create some controversy you could even have one of the three being Islamic, or maybe Buddhist? Or maybe a divorced Sikh… ---
**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 9, 2015, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/54 "2015-09-09T09:11:53Z")
Now you’re trying too hard. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/55 "2015-09-09T14:11:44Z")
Y’all are thinking too small. There are three threesomes: Adam, Eve, and Stewart; Lilith, Bathsheba, and Samson; Leslie, Leslie, and mid-transition Bruce. Everybody secretly covets everybody and through hilarious coincidences and accidents - it’s set in Iran, so there are frequent blackouts - everybody falls into bed with everybody. The next mornings become must see tv as each of the guilty parties in turn must pretend that the night before never happened while they plot to make it happen again. With 72 possible individual pairings and hundreds with 3 or more, the series can run forever. Episode 69, “Who Hid the Birth Control Pills in the Hollow Vibrator?” wins an Emmy and a Peabody. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/56 "2015-09-09T15:01:44Z")
Wait…waitwaitwait…let me sum up… So the three of them are living together and have to pretend to be a lesbian couple and a gay man due to the rules of their gay landlords, but Jack is straight and separately secretly having sex with both Chrissy and Janet who he thinks are straight but are actually both bi and having a lesbian relationship with one another which they’re each keeping secret from Jack because they don’t want to jeopardize their relationships with him, except that each think that the other is a lesbian and not bi. So they’re a bi couple pretending to not be a lesbian couple pretending to be a lesbian couple, each having sex with a straight man pretending to be a gay man which each thinks the other actually believes to be gay. TL: DR - everyone is having sex with everyone else while hiding it from the third person. Plus Jack has the houseboy arrangement with the Messrs Roper so he has to pretend to be gay not only when all three of them are together but also when working for the Ropers, one of which is constantly making blatant passes at him which he has to fend off and the other of which is insanely jealous and will evict them all if he even thinks Jack and the other Mr Roper have had sex. Add a straight co-worker of the girls who is attracted to Jack, their boss who is a lesbian who is friends with the Ropers and thus forces them to pretend to be gay at work, and an old college buddy of Jack’s who knows he’s banging both girls and frequently comes close to revealing the whole arrangement to Janet and Chrissy and/or the Ropers and we’ve got ourselves a farce! I think I need a drink now. ---
**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 9, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/57 "2015-09-09T15:59:42Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Plus Jack has the houseboy arrangement with the Messrs Roper so he has to pretend to be gay not only when all three of them are together but also when working for the Ropers, one of which is constantly making blatant passes at him which he has to fend off and the other of which is insanely jealous and will evict them all if he even thinks Jack and the other Mr Roper have had sex. Add a straight co-worker of the girls who is attracted to Jack, their boss who is a lesbian who is friends with the Ropers and thus forces them to pretend to be gay at work, and an old college buddy of Jack’s who knows he’s banging both girls and frequently comes close to revealing the whole arrangement to Janet and Chrissy and/or the Ropers and we’ve got ourselves a farce! You forgot Larry, the upstairs neighbor with dissociative identity disorder, and two of his personalities are conjoined twins with Tourette’s. ---
**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 9, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/58 "2015-09-09T20:21:11Z")
Now you’re getting it, **Gyrate**! But note that in a television format, you don’t have to front-load all that. For example, the lesbian boss can be introduced later, in order to create further entanglement. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/59 "2015-09-10T00:02:39Z")
Much as I’m enjoying all your creativity, you’re WAY underconfident in the OP’s idea. So the program wouldn’t run on CBS or Disney? Who cares? As stated, it’s a perfect Skinemax late night series. Just every kind of sex that can be had with 1-3 people, and frequent guest fucks. Make them live on a beach-side resort. How you do that is up to you. And if you make them all rich, give them a ski chalet in Aspen, an estate in southern Italy, etc. ---
**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 10, 2015, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-threes-company-reboot-done-as-an-actual-menage-a-trois-work-in-2015/730345/60 "2015-09-10T06:30:46Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Much as I’m enjoying all your creativity, you’re WAY underconfident in the OP’s idea. So the program wouldn’t run on CBS or Disney? Who cares? As stated, it’s a perfect Skinemax late night series. Just every kind of sex that can be had with 1-3 people, and frequent guest fucks. > > Make them live on a beach-side resort. How you do that is up to you. And if you make them all rich, give them a ski chalet in Aspen, an estate in southern Italy, etc. I don’t know, Three’s Company was very broad slapstick comedy, with this serious a tone, it really becomes a completely different show. You need to keep the sexual tension. You could have a sitcom with a “lesbian - bisexual female - straight male” dynamic, but the whole thing could never be consummated [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=2) [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=4)