When the network proposed the spin-off of Three's Company (1977) (i.e. that they should remake the UK series _"George and Mildred" (1976)_, which was the spin-off from Man About the House (1973)) focusing on the Ropers, Audra Lindley was excited and wanted to go ahead, but Norman Fell wasn't too keen on the idea. Norman Fell felt that you couldn't do a series with *only* the running gag of Mrs. Roper being undersexed. The network assured him the show would have more substance than that, and furthermore, if the show didn't make it a full season, he and Audra could come back full time to "Three's Company" as the Ropers, thus after six months of convincing Norman Fell finally gave in. The Ropers (1979) made it a season and a half before it was canceled, As a result, ABC Network was not obligated to take them back to _Three's Company_, because their contract had passed the one year mark, thus Norman Fell and Audra Lindley were out of work, and there was nothing they could do about it because the show lasted a season and a half. However, despite their hard feelings they did reprise their roles as guest stars on _Three's Company_ as Mr and Mrs Roper one last time before their characters were retired for good.