And Buck Trent, country musician and Hee Haw cast member, died on Oct. 9. He was 85.

Phyllis Coates, the first actress to play Lois Lane, died on Oct 11 at the age of 96.

Well, I guess the classic TV trio is completed by Suzanne Somers, who has passed away at 76.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/u...y-dies-76-rcna120514

Here's a couple of cards from the somewhat Suzanne-centric Topps "Three's Company" sticker set. She rose to fame on the series as Christmas "Chrissy" Snow, but left early on in the series run due to a contract dispute.



I'll remember her most fondly as Curt's mysterious dream girl in the white T-Bird in "American Grafitti", still one of the best movies ever made.

Here's also a couple of fun ones from Topps GPK, poking a little fun at Suzanne's wildly popular "Thighmaster" exercise apparatus.



Rest in peace, Suzanne...

I think that Suzanne Somers must have been one of the first TV celebrities who became famous just for being a celebrity. There wasn't any reality TV shows when she came on with "Three's Company" and she really didn't hang around long on that show before she wanted more money. When you look at what she did afterwards as an actress, it wasn't that much and it certainly wasn't that good. That's not what made her a household name.

It was Home Shopping and that stupid Thigh Master.

She was one of the first to create a shopping empire under her name. Many other semi-famous ladies followed after her model. I never cared for her brand very much, but she was everywhere on HSN and selling everything, until she got even too big for them because, yeah you guessed it, she wanted more money. She even organized cruises just for her fans.

What she could have done with modern social media. Don't think all these branders now aren't aware of her legacy. They are still coping it with better tools. Somers was fighting her illness for a long time and I am sorry that she couldn't beat that too.

I think she was more famous than you are giving her credit for. Three's Company was the number one rated show for a while, back in a three network era when that meant something. She had had solo covers on TV Guide, Us, People, and had been in Playboy.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
I think she was more famous than you are giving her credit for. Three's Company was the number one rated show for a while, back in a three network era when that meant something. She had had solo covers on TV Guide, Us, People, and had been in Playboy.

Well I'll reply, because you are misreading my post. She was a fantastic businessperson. She was one of the first TV celebrities to build her own product brand and sell it as the spokesman. She ruled on the Home Shopping Network for several years and made a fortune. When she left them she still sold on her own.

That's better than TV roles and magazine covers and Playboy. She trailblazed her brand before the Kardashians and all the social influencers. She was more famous than "Three's Company". That was just what got her started.

I was responding to your "[Three's Company's] not what made her a household name." But in 1981, when she left the show, she _was_ a household name.
And "Suzanne Somers must have been one of the first TV celebrities who became famous just for being a celebrity." No, she became famous for being in one of the top shows on TV. She may have maintained her fame with the Thighmaster, but that would have never gone anywhere if she hadn't already been so well known.

Well at least we can agree that she was famous, and she is dead, so that's something.

No arguments on that.

What struck me about her in later years was realizing how well she had played a ditz in Three's Company -- when she was just being Suzanne Somers, she was obviously the opposite of Chrissy, very intelligent and organized.

Yeah, "Three's Company" was huge. There was a point when Joyce Dewitt cut her hair and wore skimpier outfits or was that just a dream?

Somers had another hit, "Step by Step," which ran for 7 seasons in the 90's.

But yeah, some people knew her from the Thighmaster. She was part of that whole fitness craze back then which has continued off-and-on to this day with various people and products.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
No arguments on that.

What struck me about her in later years was realizing how well she had played a ditz in Three's Company -- when she was just being Suzanne Somers, she was obviously the opposite of Chrissy, very intelligent and organized.

I for one had never heard of her until seeing this obituary although I had heard of Three's Company but never seen it. This is not unusual as I have lots and lots of cards for films/movies and TV programmes I have never seen and some I had never heard of until the cards appeared. Thankfully I don't collect as much these days.

regards

John

quote:

Originally posted by JOHN LEVITT:
I for one had never heard of her until seeing this obituary although I had heard of Three's Company but never seen it.John

That's funny because "Three's Company" was actually sourced from a British TV series called "Man About the House". People who remember watching it in its run are very nostalgic about it but in truth, if viewed through today's lenses, the premise of the show did not age well. It's not like "All in the Family", which was also based on British TV's "Till Death Us Do Part", where the episodes still have some relevance. Modern attitudes have passed "Three's Company" by and its also corny to watch, unless you are watching it fondly.

She nailed it here, 50 years ago, and never looked back.



She had an amazing life. I could see Margot Robbie or someone like that winning an Oscar for playing her if someone ever comes up with a good script.

I'd like to see a John Ritter biopic, too.
Ritter WAS "Three's Company", but it took him AND Suzanne AND the Ropers (Norman Fell & Audra Lindley) to really get it going.

The storylines were largely mush, but Ritter's brilliant physical comedy, the pretty girls, the sleazy best friend, and the funny landlords nevertheless made for a good comic blend. And when the occasional need for pathos arose, Ritter could deliver that, too.

I notice Lara Parker had died. I only know her from the film Race with the Devil, americans probably know her for tv things.

Here she is as Angelique on the Gothic soap opera, "Dark Shadows".

I just read that Burt Young passed away on Oct 8.