Suzanne Somers was basically the queen of the comeback. You probably know her as the bubbly Chrissy Snow or the mom from that Friday night 90s staple, but her television career was actually a wild, messy, and revolutionary ride that changed how Hollywood treats women. Honestly, it wasn't all just "jiggle TV" and Thighmasters. It was a battle.
She was the first real breakout star of the modern sitcom era to look a network executive in the eye and say, "Pay me." And they destroyed her for it. At least, they tried to.
The Three’s Company Disaster: What Really Happened
Let’s get into the weeds of the 1980 salary standoff because most people think she just got greedy and walked. That’s not even close to the truth. By the fifth season of Three’s Company, Suzanne Somers was making $30,000 an episode. Sounds like a lot for 1980, right? Well, her co-star John Ritter was pulling in $150,000.
She asked for a raise to match him. Just to be equal.
The network didn’t just say no; they made an example out of her. They were terrified that if they paid Suzanne, the stars of Laverne & Shirley would demand more too. So, they basically put her in "TV jail." For the remainder of her contract, she was banned from the main set. She had to film her scenes—usually just a one-minute phone call—on a tiny, isolated side set with a single camera.
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The most brutal part? Security guards literally escorted her to the back door so she wouldn't see the rest of the cast. It was humiliating. They effectively blacklisted her from network television for nearly a decade. She went from the biggest star in the world to someone who couldn't even get an interview.
The "Worst Show Ever" and the Road Back
After the Three's Company fallout, Suzanne had to get creative. She didn't just sit around and wait for the phone to ring—she went to Las Vegas and became a massive headliner. But she missed the sitcom world.
In 1987, she made her big return in a weird little syndicated show called She’s the Sheriff.
It’s kind of a cult relic now. She played Hildy Granger, a widow who takes over her late husband's job as sheriff of a small Nevada town. Critics absolutely loathed it. TV Guide eventually ranked it on their list of the "50 Worst TV Shows of All Time." But here’s the thing: it worked. It stayed on the air for two seasons and proved that people still wanted to see Suzanne Somers on their screens. It was the bridge she needed to get back into the good graces of the major networks.
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The TGIF Era: Step by Step
By 1991, the industry had finally cooled off. Suzanne teamed up with Patrick Duffy (the legend from Dallas) for Step by Step. This was the ultimate "blended family" sitcom.
You’ve probably seen the opening credits with the roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It wasn’t exactly high art—critics called it a Brady Bunch ripoff—but it was a massive hit for the TGIF lineup. It ran for seven seasons. Seven!
What’s interesting about Step by Step is how Suzanne played Carol Foster. She wasn't the "dumb blonde" anymore. She was a business owner, a mother, and a partner. She had finally achieved the longevity the industry tried to take away from her in 1980.
The Talk Show Transition
Suzanne never really stopped evolving. Once the sitcom work slowed down, she pivoted into lifestyle and talk television.
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- The Suzanne Somers Show (1994): A short-lived daytime talk show.
- Candid Camera (1997-2000): She co-hosted this classic prank show, bringing her comedic timing back to the forefront.
- The SUZANNE Show (2012): This was a Lifetime series where she leaned heavily into her health advocacy and "ageless" lifestyle branding.
Most people don't realize how much of a pioneer she was in the "personality as a brand" space. Before every celebrity had a lifestyle blog or a supplement line, Suzanne had her own show where she interviewed doctors and talked about bioidentical hormones. She was often mocked for it, but she was decades ahead of the curve.
Why Her TV Legacy Is More Than Just Laughs
We tend to remember the 70s and 80s through a very polished lens, but Suzanne Somers’ career was a constant fight against a system that wanted her to stay in her place. When she died in 2023, the tributes focused on her warmth, but the real story is her grit.
She proved that you could be fired, blacklisted, and mocked, and still come back to headline a hit show for nearly a decade. She didn't just survive the "dumb blonde" trope; she owned it, monetized it, and eventually outlasted the people who tried to use it against her.
If you’re looking to dive back into her work, don’t just stick to the highlights. Look for the nuance in her later roles.
Your Next Steps for a Suzanne Somers Rewatch:
- Track down "She's the Sheriff" episodes on YouTube. It's a fascinating look at late-80s syndication and shows a much more "tough" side of Suzanne than her Chrissy Snow days.
- Compare her 1970s interviews to her 1990s appearances. You can see the shift in her confidence—the transition from a "starlet" to a mogul is startlingly clear.
- Watch the final season of Three's Company. Knowing she’s being escorted by police to film those phone calls makes the performance heartbreakingly professional.
She wasn't just a face on a screen; she was the architect of her own second, third, and fourth acts. That’s the real story behind every Suzanne Somers TV series.