For the longest time, I watched the classic show, "
Three's Company" and thought it was a rather corny show with poor acting. Then, one night a revelation came to me. I thought about how dramatically music changed during the 60's and 70's. There is not much question in my mind that the influence of
hallucinogens and other consciousness-altering substances is responsible for this musical evolution. Sure, drugs have been used by musicians long before this period in time, but it wasn’t until the
psychedelic experience really started penetrating the fabric of society that revolutionary musicians began to emerge.
Pink Floyd,
The Doors,
Jimi Hendrix, and the later works of
The Beatles, just to name a few.
I always realized this about music, but never considered the application to television. Three's Company came on the air in the late 70's. When I first started watching it on Nick at Night, (as I was not alive in the seventies) as I mentioned above, I thought the acting was pretty weak; it almost seemed as if they weren't really acting at all. Then it hit me, they're not acting! The actors and actresses on the show; John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, Suzanne Somers, Don Knotts, etc. were all given all of the free drugs they wanted, and then were thrown on to a stage together and set free to do or say whatever they wanted. There is no doubt that there was a script for the show, but the influence of the drugs created a unique aspect of improvisation, as an experiment to observe the effects of psychoactives on television-based entertainment. The name of John Ritter's character 'Jack Tripper' itself hints at this.
When watching the show, with this information, you can clearly see signs of drug use in the way the actors/actresses move and talk, in their facial expressions, things they say, and their behavior in general. Sometimes, it's so obvious; you can even detect the exact drug being used. Don Knotts appears to be mostly influenced by cocaine, or possibly amphetamines, while John Ritter appears to be more inclined to common hallucinogens like psilocybin mushrooms and LSD. There are many specific examples of this that can be seen when watching the show. It's really something you must see for yourself, but if you watch this show, with the information I've presented in mind, you will see exactly what I'm talking about. Just watch, and see for yourself, it's no joke! Yes, this is just a theory, and I certainly have no proof, but I definitely believe there is compelling evidence to support what I'm saying. You may completely disagree with me. I could be wrong. Just think about these things the next time you hear that familiar little jingle, "Come and knock on our door. We've been waiting for you-" Well, you know the rest. I should also mention that this theory can be more clearly observed in some episodes than it can in others. On a final note, God bless John Ritter. He will be missed.