Three's Company Christmas (1977)

Do you remember 1977's "Three's Christmas" holiday storyline?

Not all Christmas stories need to be complex, offer a surprise or a twist ending to be thoroughly enjoyable.  The second season episode of Three's Company entitled "Three's Christmas" is a good example of well-defined characters that make this simple holiday story entertaining. 

Remember what Christmas gift Jack receives from his roommates? Both Janet and Chrissy give him a pair of socks! 

 

Jack offers his roommates affectionate kisses under the mistletoe!

In "Three's Christmas," Jack, Chrissy, and Janet exchange gifts and discuss their holiday plans.  Wanting to celebrate the season with all their friends, the three roommates decide to host a Christmas party for later that same night.

No one can come to their party.  All their friends have already promised to attend the Christmas festivities at the Stevens' apartment.

After calling most of their friends, the gang realizes that everyone is already planning on attending another party--one thrown by their mutual friends, the Stevenses.  Jack, Chrissy, and Janet don't know why they weren't invited, but their hopes for attending a merry party are dashed.

Who could hurt Mrs. Roper's feelings?  Not Chrissy.

Downstairs, the Ropers return home earlier than planned from their family celebration.  Stanley had drank too much--and Helen is once again frustrated with her husband's anti-social behavior.  Instead of spending the evening alone, Helen decides to invite Jack, Chrissy, and Janet to the Ropers' apartment for a small get-together.  Before Jack can make up an excuse to avoid the boring affair, Chrissy cheerfully accepts Mrs. Roper's invitation.  No one wants to hurt Helen's feelings but the evening is looking to be a disaster.   That is, until Jack receives a phone call from his friend Jim Stevens--the roommates are invited to the big party after all!

What a festive pink, plastic Christmas tree, Janet quips.

Predictably, Stanley is stingy when he serves his guests a drink.

Unable to cancel at the last minute, Jack, Chrissy, and Janet swear to each other to stay at the Ropers' party for just a little while.  After Mr. Roper falls asleep early, just as he does nearly every evening, the three roommates plan to go to the Stevens' party.  And, the short evening drags on and on as the trio endures their landlords' attempts to entertain his guests.

Stanley offers to show off his poor skills at card tricks.

Jack plays the piano while Chrissy and Stanley share an old fashioned sing-along.

Janet and Helen can't even stay awake during the party!

When Mr. Roper gets out his bugle, the three roommates make a quick exit.

Finally, Jack can stand no more of Stanley's annoyances and makes his excuse to leave.  Janet and Chrissy follow his lead.  Frustrated that they couldn't leave any sooner, the roommates excitely leave for the Stevens' Christmas party.  Inside the Ropers' apartment, Helen berates Stanley for chasing the kids home from of her party early.  But Stanley reveals that they've been invited to the Stevens' party!  He's been trying to get Jack, Janet, and Chrissy to leave all evening so the Ropers could attend the big party with all of their other friends.  Happy with themselves, Helen and Stanley leave for the Stevens' Christmas party.

Stanley drinks too much--the same offense that ruined the Roper's earlier family celebration.

In the tag before the credits roll, we see Jack and Helen assist a drunken Stanley home from the Stevens' party together.  Mrs. Roper remarks that she's not mad at Jack, Janet, and Chrissy for leaving her get-together to attend the Stevens' party.  Her only regret, once again, is Stanley's behavior. 

Did you catch this episode's reference to the hit song "White Christmas?"

A nice little detail in this popular Christmas episode is the explanation from Chrissy about the origin of her name.  She explains that her birth name is Christmas--she's called Chrissy for short.  Her full name, she tells Jack, is Christmas Snow because "My father was a big fan of Bing Crosby." 

Anybody else a big fan of the song "White Christmas?"