Three's a Clunker: Longtime fans of "Three's Company" are probably aware that there were a couple pilots shot with different women as the roommates and slightly different details. Recently I stumbled upon the first one in its entirety -- with Valerie Curtin in the "Janet" role and Suzanne Zenor in the "Chrissy" role" -- and boy does it showcase just how much room for improvement there was. (Jack was Mark, an aspiring filmmaker who also happens to be able to whip up eggs benedict out of 100-year-old lunch meat!) Curiously, as I went down the Wiki Rabbit Hole including the page for "Man About the House," the British show on which it's based, I discovered that despite the fact the British show is a few years older, all three of the leading performers are still alive -- we only have Joyce DeWitt -- and its Mr. Roper only died last year! (Norman Fell died in 1998.) Have a watch before it gets taken down again and tell me what you think.
Before settling on the final cast and character names, "Three’s Company" would go through a few changes. The original pilot starred John Ritter as David Bell, Valerie Curtain (Jane's cousin) as Jenny and Suzanne Zenor as Samantha. The second pilot starred John Ritter as Jack Tripp (getting closer), Joyce DeWitt as Janet Wood and Susan Lanier as Chrissy Snow. The third pilot featured the actors and characters as we all know them with Suzanne Somers as Chrissy. At the last-minute producers thought about replacing John Ritter because his portrayal of Jack made his character seem -- irony alert -- somewhat effeminate. Barry Van Dyke (Dick’s son) and Michael Lembeck (Harvey’s son) were floated as possible replacements. Ultimately network head Fred Silverman had confidence in Ritter and advocated for him to stay on the show.
This was fun to see until I quickly realized something -- some things -- was terribly wrong.
Off the top of my head I'm wondering:
Where is Serena Williams, who was 17 years and 350 days when she won the 1999 U.S. Open?
Steffi Graf, who was 17 years and 357 days when she won the 1987 French Open?
And a quick search tells me that Martina Hingis was actually 16 years and 117 days when she won the 1997 Australian Open, so that's off by 60 days.
Also: It doesn't say first-time winners, so what about Monica Seles, who was 17 years and 55 days when she won the 1991 Australian Open, younger than everyone on this list except Hingis and Austin? (She should be on here twice.)
And before the Open era:
Maureen Connolly, who was 17 years and 352 days when she won the 1951 U.S. National Championships?
So now I'm wondering why someone would even bother compiling this if they're not going to do it accurately? Are they trying to rewrite history? At the very least they could have labeled it "Youthful Grand Slam Winners" in general.
Or is this just another product of AI, which has all but destroyed Google by populating it with illiterate, error-filled "results"? If so, we don't need any additional help from Silicon Valley in spreading misinformation.
After an acrimonious breakup in 1989, the Femme Fab Four reunited in 1999 -- going on to tour over the next two decades and record two more acclaimed albums.
Mysteriously, however, the Bangles have gone quiet since 2019. What would have been an obvious next move -- reuniting to perform their signature cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter" for the televised Paul Simon tribute in 2022 -- shockingly saw Susanna Hoffs go it alone.
So why an "authorized" book now? Perhaps they have decided it's truly over, and this is their chance to document their history once and for all. (If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is listening, please refer to my first paragraph.)
But if, as reviewer Bob Ruggiero says, the book can't answer the most confounding question -- why they were all so miserable in their heyday -- might I hazard a guess? It could be the same reason they're not together now. (If Fleetwood Mac has taught us nothing else it's that bandmates can hold grudges for a lifetime!)
What we've been told is that tension over Susanna Hoffs (rhythm guitar/vocals) being singled out as the lead singer is what led to the breakup. Indeed, of their eight hit singles, Hoffs was the primary vocalist on five and co-lead on two others, "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Hazy Shade," which the label was undoubtedly behind. Still, it's hard to put the notion entirely on outside forces when the Bangles (as the Bangs) self-releasedtheir first single and opted to feature Susanna as the lead on the A and B sides, which suggests to me that even the Petersons saw her as their best bet for success.
But I've long theorized (with scant evidence) that Vicki Peterson (lead guitar/vocals) was sanguine being wildly successful even with the Susanna situation so long as the group's round-robin lead vocals and shared songwriting remained intact -- but that her little sis, Debbi Peterson (drums/vocals), was having none of it, furious that they were being pushed into the background of "their own" band.
This, I surmise, then made Vicki -- peacemaker in chief -- miserable as well by forcing her to constantly run interference, assuring Hoffs that she’d done nothing wrong while having to protectively calm and comfort her angry kid sister. (I’d be miffed too!) Add to the disgruntledness the fact that Michael Steele (bass/vocals) -- the "serious Bangle" whom to nobody's surprise did not participate in this new book -- was bound to feel like the odd one out as the sole non-founding member, likely leaving Vicki to reassure Steele that she was a full member and that her songs would eventually be used. (Steele had zero writing credits or lead vocals on the debut album and just one writing credit on the second.)
That the band's two non-Susanna-lead singles both featured Debbi on lead vocals ("Going Down to Liverpool" and "Be With You") rather than Vicki -- arguably the leader of the pack and its best songwriter -- has appeasement written all over it. (They're both great songs; but it definitely raised my eyebrows at the time.)
(Another tea leaf: Vicki wrote the sublime "James" and "He's Got a Secret" and co-wrote "Dover Beach" -- the standout track on their debut "All Over the Place" LP -- yet allowed Susanna to sing lead on all three … what I see as further proof that Vicki just wanted more rocking and less drama.)
Debbi is also known for having had dustups with Gina Schock (of the Go-Go's), producer David Kahne -- not saying she was at fault in either case, but perhaps a pattern? -- and her social media seems to go out its way to avoid photos that feature Susanna. Debbi has also openly mocked what she saw as Sue's "little sex kitten" persona back in the day: "I personally wanted the Bangles to be seen more as musicians and a band and not just little sex poodles up there."
Whatever the case, I'd like nothing more than for the women to reunite once again. That former bassist Annette Zilinskas had been playing live with them in recent years and was on their last recordings makes me even more sad that they've vanished.
Until then, if anyone knows what the truth is, please set me free. I love Debbi and all of them, but love gossip even more!
P.S. I ran my theory by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, author of "Eternal Flame: The Authorized Biography of the Bangles," and she replied: "Being in a band is difficult. Hope you enjoy the book and thank you for reaching out."
Sounds like someone missed her calling in diplomacy!
The Fans: Debbie [sic] Peterson, Lynn Elkind, Amanda Hills and Vicki Peterson
UPDATE: I hadn't seen the band's "Behind the Music" since it first aired in 2000 so I just re-watched it. It confirmed much of what I wrote -- it undoubtedly informed some of my thoughts even if I'd forgotten -- and made me realize that Susanna had tired of the finger-pointing ("Eternal Flame? More like eternal blame!), so I have a feeling that if any of that began resurfacing she'd have had a much easier time walking away this time around. I'm guessing she and the Peterson sisters as well are at the age where they're thinking: "Who needs this, again?"... but what a loss for us fans.
And while I'm imagining Vicki took the latest split the hardest, it's nice to see that she and hubby John Cowsill have recorded an album together. New single above! Read more HERE.
And if you don't now about John's family history, I highly recommend watching "Family Band: The Cowsills Story." It's a fascinating story -- they were the inspiration for "The Partridge Family" -- although I might warn that it should probably have every trigger warning known to man on it.
FYI, I was honored to introduce these Hollywood heavyweights on stage here in Palm Springs last night.
Shown are Oscar nominated screenwriter & director Ron Nyswaner (screenwriter of "Philadelphia," "My Policeman" and so many other films and creator of "Fellow Travelers"), celebrity photographer Michael Childers (film producer and photographer for Andy Warhol's original "Interview" Magazine) and Dave Karger, best-selling author and host of TCM Classic Movies, and myself (six Emmys and a Peabody).
Ron, Michael & Dave had a smart, on stage discussion of the film "Sunday Bloody Sunday" before its screening last night. The film was directed by Michael Childers' late husband, Oscar winner John Schlesinger. One little freeze frame of a night in our town.
