document_title: The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film)

question_text: who plays brenda in the hills have eyes

question_tokens: who plays brenda in the hills have eyes

text: The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In the New Mexico desert, a group of scientists are killed by a mutant named Pluto (Michael Bailey Smith). Later, Bob Carter (Ted Levine) and his wife, Ethel (Kathleen Quinlan) are traveling from Cleveland, Ohio to San Diego, California for their silver anniversary. With them are their teenage children Bobby (Dan Byrd) and Brenda (Emilie de Ravin), eldest daughter Lynn (Vinessa Shaw), Lynn's husband Doug Bukowski (Aaron Stanford), Lynn and Doug's baby Catherine (Maisie Camilleri Preziosi), and their German Shepherds, Beauty and Beast.

text: In the New Mexico desert, they meet a gas station attendant named Jeb (Tom Bower), who tells them of a short-cut through the hills. After taking the supposed short-cut, their tires are punctured by a hidden spike strip. Doug and Bob go look for help, while the rest of the family stays behind.

text: Later that day Bobby chases a panicked Beauty into the hills and finds her mutilated body. Frightened, he runs and falls, knocking himself unconscious. A young female mutant named Ruby (Laura Ortiz) finds him and protects him from her brother Goggle (Ezra Buzzington).

text: As Doug travels towards the interstate, he finds a vast area full of craters that are filled with numerous abandoned cars and other items.

text: Bob goes back to the gas station for help, and after finding news clippings detailing various disappearances that have occurred in the area, he realizes the attendant purposefully led them to danger by suggesting they take an alternative route through the hills. When Bob exits he finds the hysterical Jeb, who commits suicide in front of him. In fear, Bob attempts to flee, but is attacked by the mutant leader, Papa Jupiter (Billy Drago), and dragged into the mining caves by Jupiter, Jupiter's eldest son Lizard (Robert Joy), and Pluto.

text: Bobby returns to the trailer, but doesn't mention Beauty's death not wanting to frighten the rest of the family. Later that night, the family is awakened by Bob's screams, and they all rush from the trailer, except for Brenda and the baby, who are left behind. Outside they find Bob being burned alive on a stake and frantically try to save him, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Pluto and Lizard use the distraction to ransack the trailer, and Lizard beats and rapes Brenda. When Lynn returns to the trailer she is greeted by Lizard and Pluto, and forced to let Lizard drink from her breasts while her baby is held at gunpoint. When Ethel returns she is shot by Lizard, and Lynn stabs Lizard in the leg, prompting him to shoot Lynn in the head. Lizard and Pluto flee with the baby after Lizard attempts to shoot Brenda.

text: Doug and Bobby return to the trailer and discover Lynn and Ethel, who die shortly afterward. Goggle, who is watching the Carters with a pair of binoculars, is attacked by Beast, who tears his throat out, killing him. The next morning, Doug and Beast set out to rescue Catherine. During his search, Doug comes across an abandoned nuclear testing village, and is knocked unconscious by Big Mama (Ivana Turchetto). Upon awakening, he escapes an ice box filled with human body parts and continues his search, only to encounter Big Brain (Desmond Askew). After Big Brain tells him the mutants' origins, Doug is attacked by Pluto, who beats him and severs two of his fingers with an axe. Pluto almost kills Doug, but Doug manages to gain the upper hand while Pluto is distracted, and kills him with his own axe.

text: Outside, Doug kills the mutant Cyst (Gregory Nicotero) and continues to search for Catherine. After ordering Lizard to kill Catherine, Big Brain is mauled to death by Beast. Lizard takes a cleaver and prepares to kill Catherine, but finds that Ruby has replaced the baby with a piglet and taken her. Doug sees Ruby running through the hills with Catherine and follows her. At the trailer, Brenda and Bobby discover their mothers body missing and track it to find Papa Jupiter eating her, so they lure him towards the trailer and prepare an explosive trap, which destroys the trailer, apparently killing Papa Jupiter.

text: Doug catches up with Ruby, but before she can return Catherine, Lizard attacks him. Lizard and Doug have fight and Lizard is presumed dead. Ruby gives Doug his daughter back. Lizard, who is still alive aims a shotgun at Doug. In order to save Doug, Ruby tackles Lizard off a cliff, sending them falling to their deaths. Bobby and Brenda find that Papa Jupiter managed to survive their trap, and Brenda finishes him off. They are then reunited with an exhausted and bloody Doug, Catherine, and Beast. As the survivors of the Carter family embrace, an unknown mutant watches them through binoculars from the hills.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Aaron Stanford as Doug Bukowski
Kathleen Quinlan as Ethel Carter
Vinessa Shaw as Lynn Carter-Bukowski
Emilie de Ravin as Brenda Carter
Dan Byrd as Bobby Carter
Tom Bower as Jeb, the Gas Station Attendant
Billy Drago as Papa Jupiter
Robert Joy as Lizard
Ted Levine as "Big" Bob Carter
Desmond Askew as Big Brain
Ezra Buzzington as Goggle
Michael Bailey Smith as Pluto
Laura Ortiz as Ruby
Maisie Camilleri Preziosi as Catherine Bukowski
Gregory Nicotero as Cyst
Ivana Turchetto as Big Mama
Maxime Giffard as First Victim
Judith Jane Vallette as Venus
Adam Perrell as Mercury

text: Production[edit]

text: Wes Craven, director and writer of the original film, considered a remake after he saw the success of other horror remakes such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Amityville Horror. The search then began for filmmakers to helm the project. Marianne Maddalena, Craven's long time producing partner, came across Alexandre Aja and his art director/collaborator Grégory Levasseur who had previously made the French slasher film Haute Tension. After showing the film to Craven and the rest of the production crew, they were impressed with the pair. Craven comments that they "demonstrated a multi-faceted understanding of what is profoundly terrifying" and "After viewing the film and then meeting the film makers, I knew I wanted to work with them."[2] Aja and Levasseur then began to re-write the story in what is the pair's first American production.

text: Director Aja and art director Grégory Levasseur chose not to film in the original's filming location of Victorville, California, and instead scouted many locations for filming including Namibia, South Africa, New Mexico, and Mexico. The two settled on Ouarzazate in Morocco, which was also known as "the gateway to the Sahara Desert".[2]

text: The film is set in New Mexico, and strongly implies that a large number of atmospheric nuclear weapon tests were performed in that state. In fact, the only atmospheric nuclear detonation in New Mexico was the Trinity test, the first test of a nuclear device conducted on July 16, 1945. The United States carried out most of its atmospheric nuclear weapons tests at the Nevada Test Site and in the Marshall Islands at the lagoons of Bikini and Eniwetok, between 1946 and 1962. The theatrical poster shows Vinessa Shaw's character lying down with a mutant hand on her face.

text: Effects[edit]

text: Prior to filming, Aja and Levasseur had already conceived an idea for the mutants' appearance. "We based all our descriptions and directions on real documents, pictures and footage that we found on the effects of nuclear fallout in Chernobyl and Hiroshima", explains Aja. The Hills Have Eyes utilized the K.N.B. EFX Group Inc. who had done previous work on films such as The Chronicles of Narnia (for which they were nominated for an Academy Award) and Sin City.

text: K.N.B. spent over six months designing the mutants, first using 3D designer tools, such as ZBrush, allowing them to use a computer to generate their sculptures. After prosthetics were made, they could be fitted to the actors before filming. Robert Joy, who plays the mutant Lizard, explained, "Every day, these amazing artists took more than three hours to transform me into something that could only be found in a nightmare."[2]

text: K.N.B. artist Gregory Nicotero was also made a cameo as Cyst, the mutant with the halo head-gear.

text: Jamison Goei and his team, who had done previous work on Hellraiser: Hellseeker and Halloween: Resurrection, had done over 130 visual effects for the film. A large part of that was digitally constructing the testing village, which in actuality was only one built street with others digitally added. The team also warped the mutant's faces slightly, which is shown mostly in the character of Ruby.

text: Papa Jupiter displays no deformities. However, as shown in "The Making Of", Papa Jupiter appears to have a large parasitic twin attached to his upper left torso. The young children of the film had their deformities added by CGI, with the exception of Ruby, who had a combination of CGI and makeup.

text: Casting[edit]

text: The casting process began with the selection of The Silence of the Lambs's Ted Levine as the character Big Bob. Levine was also a fan of the film Haute Tension. Afterward, Kathleen Quinlan was cast as Ethel in her first role starring in a horror film (despite appearing in Twilight Zone: The Movie and Event Horizon). Next, Aaron Stanford was cast as Doug Bukowski who "undergoes the most radical transformation of anyone in the Carter family"[2] Stanford even asked not to see any of the mutants in make-up before his character's battle in the testing village so, that way, he'd be truly frightened. When casting Lynn, Doug's wife, Aja wanted to cast Vinessa Shaw who he had wanted to work with since seeing her in Stanley Kubrick's 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut. Shaw was hesitant to play the role, but after watching Haute Tension, she agreed, explaining: "There was such an odd combination of beauty and terror, it felt almost like an art film. So, after meeting with Alex and Greg, I decided to do it."[2] For the role of Brenda, the filmmakers sought a young actress who had relatively little exposure and found it in Emilie de Ravin who was beginning her rise in the television series Lost. After de Ravin, Dan Byrd was cast as Bobby. Byrd had previous genre experience starring in Salem's Lot.

text: Aja then had the six actors arrive in the filming location of Morocco early to bond together.

text: When casting for the mutants, associate producer Cody Zwieg explained: "We needed to find actors who could not only perform the stunt work, handle the extensive makeup and perform in that makeup, but who truly could embody the fierce, primal nature of the mutants' way of life."[2] To play the role of Pluto, Aja looked to Michael Bailey Smith, who had been in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. For Lizard, the filmmakers cast Robert Joy, who had made previous genre films such as Amityville 3-D and George A. Romero's Land of the Dead. Ezra Buzzington, impressed with the filmmakers, agreed to play the role of Goggle and even watched a documentary about human cultures engaging in cannibalism. To play the mutant leader, Billy Drago was cast. Drago had previously had a role in Brian De Palma's The Untouchables and other horror features. The most difficult mutant to cast was Ruby, who was a "touch of sweetness to the madness of the mutants."[2] Laura Ortiz was ultimately cast, making her film debut.

text: Release[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The Hills Have Eyes was a commercial success, playing in total 2,521 theaters and taking in its opening weekend $15,708,512.[3] The film grossed $41,778,863 in the United States Box Office[4] and $70,000,000 worldwide,[3] surpassing its budget costs by over fourfold.

text: The film placed third at the box office during its opening week.[5] It dropped to fifth after its second week of release, and to eighth after its third week. It fell out of the Top 10 into twelfth place after four weeks in release. After five weeks, it placed seventeenth at the box office, and it fell out of the Top 20 into twenty-first place after its sixth week. It continued to fall in subsequent weeks.[5]

text: The Hills Have Eyes was in first release for a total of 105 days, or 15 weeks, with its final showing on June 22, 2006.[3]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2014)

text: Reviews were mixed, with an average critic "Rotten" rating of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes and a critical consensus stating "Faster paced for today's audiences, this 'Hills' remake ratchets up the gore for the hardcore horror fans, but will turn away casual audiences."[6] The Washington Post said: "this remake of the alleged 1977 Wes Craven classic has one very disturbing quality: It's too damned good."[7] Some have gone on to refer to the film as torture porn.[8] Bloody Disgusting, however, was scathing of those who referred to the movie's genre as such, saying "some may call it 'Torture porn' - these people are idiots".[9] Roger Ebert also gave a negative review, mentioning that the characters in the film are not familiar with horror movies, and went on to cite that the film should have focused more on the characters rather than the violence, saying "The Hills Have Eyes finds an intriguing setting in 'typical' fake towns built by the government [...] But its mutants are simply engines of destruction. There is a misshapen creature who coordinates attacks with a walkie-talkie; I would have liked to know more about him, but no luck."[10]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
The Hills Have Eyes

Film score by Various

Released
March 7, 2006

Genre
Soundtracks
Film scores

Length
70:14

Label
Lakeshore Records 33852

Various chronology

The Hills Have Eyes
The Hills Have Eyes 2String Module Error: Match not foundString Module Error: Match not found

text: The soundtrack score was composed by "tomandandy". The record was released on March 7, 2006 via Lakeshore Records label.[11]

text: US Edition[12]

text:
Leave the Broken Hearts - The Finalist
Blue Eyes Woman - The Go
Highway Kind - Moot Davis
Summers Gonna Be My Girl - The Go
More and More - Webb Pierce
The Walls - Vault
In the Valley of the Sun - Buddy Stuart
Daisy - Wires on Fire
California Dreamin' - The Mamas and the Papas
Forbidden Zone
Gas Haven
Out House
Praying
Beauty
Ravens
Daddy Daddy
Beast Finds Beauty
Trailer
Aftermath
Ethel's Death
Next Morning
Mine
Village Test
Breakfast Time
Play with Us
The Quest I
The Quest II
Sacrifice
It's Over?

tag: ol


document_title: Registered owner

question_text: who is the registered owner of a property

root

text: Registered owner

text: This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: The term registered owner is usually used in instances of title of a vehicle (such as an automobile) to refer to the person who has right of possession of the vehicle, as opposed to the party that has right of property. The party that has right of property is referred to as a lienholder, and in the event the registered owner fails to pay off the lien according to the agreed-to terms, the lienholder has the right to invoke repossession of the vehicle.

tag: p


document_title: Gads Hill Place

question_text: when did charles buy gad's hill place

question_tokens: when did charles buy gad 's hill place

text: Gads Hill Place

text: Dickens[edit]

text: Charles Dickens first saw the mansion when he was 9 years old in 1821, when his father John Dickens told Charles that if he worked hard enough, one day he would own it or just such a house.[1] As a boy, Charles Dickens would often walk from Chatham to Gads Hill Place as he wished to see it again and again as an image of his possible future.[2]  Dickens was later to write, " I used to look at it as a wonderful Mansion (which God knows it is not) when I was a very odd little child with the first faint shadows of all my books in my head - I suppose."[2] Thirty-five years later, after Dickens had risen to fame and wealth, he discovered that the house was for sale and bought it for £1790 in March 1856[1] from fellow writer Eliza Lynn (later known as novelist Mrs. Eliza Lynn Linton). Initially Dickens bought the house as an investment, intending to let it,[3] but changed his mind and used it instead as a country retreat, moving into the house in June 1857.

text: Dickens had bookshelves installed in his study at Gads Hill Place, some of which contained dummy books the titles of which he invented to reflect his own prejudices and opinions, including Hansard's Guide to Refreshing Sleep, History of a Short Chancery Suit in twenty-one volumes, Socrates on Wedlock, King Henry the Eighth's Evidences of Christianity, and the series The Wisdom of Our Ancestors: I Ignorance, II Superstition, III The Block, IV The Stake, V The Rack, VI Dirt, and VII Disease. Alongside these was placed a very narrow dummy volume entitled The Virtues of Our Ancestors.[4]

text: Dickens was visited at Gads Hill Place in 1857 by Danish author and poet Hans Christian Andersen, who was invited for two weeks but who stayed for five.[5] Other guests included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Charles Allston Collins, Wilkie Collins, Marcus Stone, H.F. Chorley, Percy Fitzgerald, John Leech, Alexander William Kinglake, William Powell Frith and Charles Fechter.

text: In 1864 Fechter gave Dickens a prefabricated two-storey Swiss chalet as a Christmas present. Dickens had it assembled on land he owned on the opposite side of the Rochester High Road.[6] Later, he had a brick-lined tunnel dug between the house's front lawn and the chalet. During the spring and summer months, Dickens worked on many of his later works in his study on the top floor of this Swiss chalet, including A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Our Mutual Friend and the unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The chalet has been preserved and was moved to the 'Dickens Centre' in Rochester High Street, Rochester, as a memorial to the writer.

text: The house remained Dickens's country home until his death in 1870, when he died from a stroke on a couch in the dining room of the house. Many of the contents of the house were auctioned after his death.[7]

text: Later history[edit]

text: Gads Hill Place was bought by Charles Dickens, Jr. after his father's death, but he was forced to give it up in 1879 because of his own ill-health.[8] The house was bought in 1890 by the Hon. Francis Law Latham, the then Advocate-General of Bombay.[9] In 1924 the house became Gad's Hill School, which it remains today.[10]

text:
In June 2008 the house was shown in the Channel 4 TV docudrama Dickens' Secret Lover, presented by actor Charles Dance, on Dickens's alleged affair with the actress Ellen Ternan during the last 13 years of his life.[11]
Coordinates: 51°24′40″N 0°27′28″E / 51.4112°N 0.4579°E / 51.4112; 0.4579

text: Gads Hill Place is a Grade I listed building.[12]


document_title: The Cattle of Helios

question_text: who convinced odysseus to stop at the isle of helios the sun god

text: The Cattle of Helios

text: Mythology[edit]

text:
Greek mythology

Deities

Primordial
Titans

Olympians
Nymphs

Sea-deities
Earth-deities

Heroes and heroism

Heracles / Hercules (Labors)

Achilles
Hector (Trojan War)

Odysseus (Odyssey)

Jason
Argonauts (Golden Fleece)

Perseus (Medusa
Gorgon)

Oedipus (Sphinx)
Orpheus (Orphism)
Theseus (Minotaur)

Bellerophon (Pegasus
Chimera)

Daedalus (Labyrinth)

Atalanta
Hippomenes (Golden apple)

Cadmus (Thebes)
Aeneas (Aeneid)
Triptolemus (Eleusinian Mysteries)
Pelops (Ancient Olympic Games)
Pirithous (Centauromachy)
Amphitryon (Teumessian fox)
Narcissus (Narcissism)
Meleager (Calydonian Boar)
Otrera (Amazons)

Related

Satyrs
Centaurs
Dragons
Demogorgon

Religion in Ancient Greece
Mycenaean gods

 Greek mythology portal

v
t
e

text: Helios, also known as the sun god, is said to have had seven herds of oxen and seven flocks of sheep, each numbering fifty head.[3] In the Odyssey, Homer describes these immortal cattle as handsome (ἄριστος), wide-browed, fat (εúρυμέτωπος) and curved-horned (ὀρθόκραιρος).[4] The cattle were guarded by Helios’ daughters, Phaëthusa and Lampetië, and it was known by all that any harm to any single animal was sure to bring down the wrath of the god.

text: Tiresias and Circe both warn Odysseus to shun the isle of Helios. When Eurylochus begs to be allowed to land to prepare supper, Odysseus grudgingly agrees on condition that the crew swear that if they come upon a herd of cattle or a great flock of sheep, no one will kill any of them. They are held on the isle for a month by an unfavorable storm sent by Poseidon.

text: When Odysseus goes up the island to pray to the gods and ask for help, Eurylochus convinces the crew to drive off the best of the cattle of Helios and sacrifice them to the gods: "if he be somewhat wroth for his cattle with straight horns, and is fain to wreck our ship, and the other gods follow his desire, rather with one gulp at the wave would I cast my life away, than be slowly straitened to death in a desert isle." When he returns to the ship, Odysseus rebukes his companions for disobeying his orders. But it is too late, the cattle are dead and gone.

text: Lampetie tells Helios that Odysseus' men have slain his cattle. In turn, Helios orders the gods to take vengeance on Odysseus' men. He threatens that if they do not pay him full atonement for the cattle, he will take the sun to the Underworld and shine it among the dead. Zeus promises Helios to smite their ship with a lightning bolt and cleave it in pieces in the midst of the ocean.

text: Soon the gods show signs and wonders to the Odysseus' men. The skins begin creeping and the flesh bellowing upon the spits, both the roast and raw, and there is a sound like the voice of cattle. For six days, Odysseus's company feast on the kine of Helios. On the seventh day, the wind changes. After they set sail, Zeus keeps his word and the ship is destroyed by lightning during a storm and all of his men die. Odysseus escapes by swimming to Calypso's island.


document_title: Brown-headed cowbird

question_text: what type of bird is black with a brown head

text: Brown-headed cowbird

text: Etymology[edit]

text: The genus name Molothrus is from Ancient Greek molos, "struggle", and throsko, "to impregnate", and the specific ater is Latin for "dull black".[3] The English name "cowbird", first recorded in 1839, refers to this species often being seen near cattle.[4]

text: Description[edit]

text: The brown-headed cowbird is typical for an icterid in general shape, but is distinguished by a finch-like head and beak and is smaller than most icterids. The adult male is iridescent black in color with a brown head. The adult female is slightly smaller and is dull grey with a pale throat and very fine streaking on the underparts. The total length is 16–22 cm (6.3–8.7 in) and the average wingspan is 36 cm (14 in).[5] Body mass can range from 30–60 g (1.1–2.1 oz), with females averaging 38.8 g (1.37 oz) against the males' average of 49 g (1.7 oz).[6]

text: Ecology[edit]

text: The species lives in open or semi-open country and often travels in flocks, sometimes mixed with red-winged blackbirds (particularly in spring) and bobolinks (particularly in fall), as well as common grackles or European starlings.[2] These birds forage on the ground, often following grazing animals such as horses and cows to catch insects stirred up by the larger animals. They mainly eat seeds and insects.

text: Before European settlement, the brown-headed cowbird followed bison herds across the prairies. Their parasitic nesting behaviour complemented this nomadic lifestyle. Their numbers expanded with the clearing of forested areas and the introduction of new grazing animals by settlers across North America. Brown-headed cowbirds are now commonly seen at suburban birdfeeders.

text: Reproduction[edit]

text: The brown-headed cowbird is an obligate brood parasite: it lays its eggs in the nests of other small passerines (perching birds), particularly those that build cup-like nests. The brown-headed cowbird eggs have been documented in nests of at least 220 host species, including hummingbirds and raptors.[7][8] The young cowbird is fed by the host parents at the expense of their own young. Brown-headed cowbird females can lay 36 eggs in a season. More than 140 different species of birds are known to have raised young cowbirds.[9]

text: Unlike the common cuckoo, the brown-headed cowbird is not divided into gentes whose eggs imitate those of a particular host.

text: Some host species, such as the house finch, feed their young a vegetarian diet. This is unsuitable for young brown-headed cowbirds, meaning almost none survive to fledge.[10]

text: Male behavior and reproductive success[edit]

text: Social behaviors of cowbird males include aggressive, competitive singing bouts with other males and pair-bonding and monogamy with females.

text: By manipulating demographics so juveniles only had access to females, juvenile males developed atypical social behavior; they did not engage in the typical social singing bouts with other males, did not pair bond with females, and were promiscuous. This demonstrates that there is great flexibility in the behavior of cowbirds, and that the social environment is extremely important in structuring their behavior. Adult males housed with juvenile males were shown to have greater reproductive success compared to adult males housed with other adult males. Being housed with juvenile males honed the reproductive skills of the adult males by providing them with a more complex social environment.

text: This finding was further studied by comparing the behaviors and reproductive success of males exposed to a dynamic flock, consisting of changing individuals, with males exposed to a static group of individuals. The individuals that stayed with the same group (i.e., static flock) had a stable, predictable relationship between social behavior and reproductive success; the males that sang high amounts to females experienced the greatest reproductive success. The adult males that were exposed to a rotating roster of new individuals (i.e., dynamic flock) had an unpredictable relationship between social variables and reproductive success; these males were able to copulate using a much greater variety of social strategies. The males who lived in static flocks had high levels of consistency in their behaviors and reproductive success across multiple years, whereas the males in dynamic flocks experienced varying levels of dominance with other males, differing levels of singing to females, and differing levels of reproductive success.[11]

text: Brood parasitism[edit]

text: Behavior[edit]

text: Brown-headed cowbirds do not raise their own young, instead laying their eggs in the nests of other bird species. As a result, young cowbirds are not exposed to species-typical visual and auditory information like other birds. Despite this, cowbirds are able to develop species-typical singing, social, and breeding behaviors.[11] A 2017 study demonstrated that cowbird brains are wired to respond to the vocalizations of other cowbirds, allowing young to find and join flocks of their own species. These vocalizations are consistent across all cowbird populations, and serve as a sort of species-recognition password. If a young cowbird is not exposed to these "password" vocalizations by a certain age, it will mistakenly imprint on the host species.[12]

text: Host response[edit]

text: Accepting a cowbird egg and rearing a cowbird chick can be costly to a host species. In the American redstart, nests parasitized by cowbirds were found to have a higher rate of predation, likely due in part to the loud begging calls by the cowbird nestling, but also partly explained by the fact that nests likely to be parasitized are also more likely to be predated.[13]

text: Host species sometimes notice the cowbird egg, with different hosts reacting to the egg in different ways. Some, like the blue-grey gnatcatcher, abandon their nest, losing their own eggs as well. Some, like the American yellow warbler, bury the foreign egg under nest material, where it perishes.[14] And some, like the brown thrasher, physically eject the egg from the nest.[8] Experiments with grey catbirds, a known cowbird host, have shown that this species rejects cowbird eggs more than 95% of the time; for this species, the cost of accepting cowbird eggs (i.e. the loss of their own eggs or nestlings through starvation or the actions of the nestling cowbird) was far higher than the cost of rejecting those eggs (i.e. where the host might conceivably eject its own egg accidentally).[15] Brown-headed cowbird nestlings are also sometimes expelled from the nest. Nestlings of host species can also alter their behavior in response to the presence of a cowbird nestling. Song sparrow nestlings in parasitized nests alter their vocalizations in frequency and amplitude so that they resemble the cowbird nestling, and these nestlings tend to be fed equally often as nestlings in unparasitized nests.[16]

text: Parasite response[edit]

text: It seems that brown-headed cowbirds periodically check on their eggs and young after they have deposited them. Removal of the parasitic egg may trigger a retaliatory reaction termed "mafia behavior". According to a study by the Florida Museum of Natural History published in 1983, the cowbird returned to ransack the nests of a range of host species 56% of the time when their egg was removed. In addition, the cowbird also destroyed nests in a type of "farming behavior" to force the hosts to build new ones. The cowbirds then laid their eggs in the new nests 85% of the time.[17]

text: Human intervention[edit]

text: Humans sometimes engage in cowbird control programs, with the intention of protecting species negatively impacted by the cowbirds' brood parasitism. A study of nests of Bell's vireo highlighted a potential limitation of these control programs, demonstrating that removal of cowbirds from a site may create an unintended consequence of increasing cowbird productivity on that site, because with fewer cowbirds, fewer parasitized nests are deserted, resulting in greater nest success for cowbirds.[18]


document_title: Chevrolet Bel Air

question_text: how long is a 1956 chevy bel air

question_tokens: how long is a 1956 chevy bel air

text: Chevrolet Bel Air

text: History[edit]

text: First generation (1950–1954)[edit]

text:
First generation

1951 Chevrolet Bel Air

Overview

Production
1949–1954

Assembly
South Gate, California, (South Gate Assembly)
Tarrytown, New York, (North Tarrytown Assembly)
Lakewood Heights, Georgia, (Lakewood Assembly)
Flint, Michigan, (Flint Assembly)
St. Louis, Missouri, (St. Louis Assembly)
Oakland, California, (Oakland Assembly)
Norwood, Ohio, (Norwood Assembly)

Body and chassis

Body style
2-door hardtop
2-door coupe (1953–54)
4-door sedan (1953–54)
2-door convertible
(1953–54)
4-door station wagon (1954)

Platform
GM A Body

Related
Pontiac Star Chief

Powertrain

Engine
215.5 cu in (3.5 L) "Thriftmaster" 1-bbl. valve-in-head 92 hp I6[1]
235.5 cu in (3.9 L) Blue Flame I6

Transmission
3-speed manual
2-speed powerglide auto.

Dimensions

Wheelbase
115"[1]

Length
197.5"(1950–1952);[1][2] 15"(1954)[1]

Curb weight
3,345[3]

text: For 1950, Chevrolet came up with a revolutionary style that would set a pattern for decades. The Bel Air Hardtop was styled as a convertible with a non-detachable solid roof. Models like this had been around since the 1920s, including early Chevrolets, with no degree of success. But the newly revised idea, sweeping the GM line from Chevrolet to Cadillac, had finally found its era. First year production reached only 76,662 as buyers cautiously tested the revised concept. The car cost $1,741 and weighed 3,225 lb (1,463 kg).[4] Front suspension was independent, named "knee-action".[2]

text: The first Bel Airs of this era shared only their front sheet metal ahead of the A pillar with the rest of the range. The windshield, doors, glass, and trunk were common with the Styline DeLuxe Convertible Coupe, however the roof, rear quarters and rear windows (3) were unique. The chassis and mechanicals were common with the rest of the passenger car range, and the overall appearance was the same as the rest of the range, except that the roof line was lower and the unique three piece rear window gave it a longer and more balanced look. The first Bel Airs were only available with the "DeLuxe" premium trim level and specification.

text: Apart from the usual annual grille and trim changes, the 1951–1952 Bel Air differed from the earlier 1950 model with introduction of the higher and squarer rear guards that were across the whole range.

text: In 1953 Chevrolet renamed its series, and the Bel Air name was applied to the premium model range. Two lower series, the 150 and 210, also emerged (as successors to the Special and Deluxe series, respectively). The 1953 Chevrolet was advertised as "Entirely new through and through," due to the restyled body panels, front and rear ends. However, essentially these Chevrolets had similar frame and mechanicals to the 1949–1952 cars.

text: The 1953–1954 Chevrolet range had a unique and somewhat awkward look about it and much of this stemmed from its role as a transitional model to introduce a raft of changes that were necessary to pave the way for the introduction of the 1955–1957 range that really established the Bel Air as a cultural icon. The pre-war technology, such as torque tube drive, six-cylinder splash feed engines, knee action suspension, split windshields, etc., of the early models was phased out and the foundations for the first post war modern Chevrolet passenger car were finalized in this 1953–1954 model. The Bel Air series featured a wide chrome strip of molding from the rear fender bulge to the rear bumper. The inside of this stripe was painted a coordinating color with the outside body color, and "Bel Air" scripts were added inside the strip. Lesser models had no model designation anywhere on the car, only having a Chevy crest on the hood and trunk. 1953 was the first year for a curved, one-piece windshield.[1][5]

text: Bel Air interiors had an optional massive expanse of chrome across the lower part of the dashboard (most were painted), along with a deluxe Bel Air steering wheel with full chrome horn ring. Carpeting and full wheel covers rounded out Bel Air standard equipment. For 1954, the Bel Air stayed essentially the same, except for a revised grille and taillights, and a revised engine that had insert bearings and higher oil pressure, needed for the full-flow oil filtration system that was not available prior to 1954. Prior to 1954, the 235 and 216 cubic inch six cylinder engines had babbit bearings and scoops to create oil pressure at the bottom of each rod and the oil pressure was standard at 15-30 PSI. During these years, there were three engine choices, depending on the transmission ordered. Both 235 cubic inch engines were "Blue Flame" inline six cylinder OHV engines, featuring hydraulic valve lifters (in 1953 with automatic transmissions) and aluminum pistons. The 106 hp (79 kW) 235 cubic inch displacement engine was standard on stickshift models, with solid lifters and splash plus pressure lubrication including babbit bearings. Powerglide cars got a 115 hp (86 kW) version which had hydraulic lifters and full pressure lubrication.

text: In 1953 and 1954, Bel Airs could be ordered in convertible, hardtop coupe, two- and four-door sedans, and, for 1954, the Beauville station wagon which featured woodgrain trim around the side windows. Many new options, once available only to more expensive luxury cars, became offered starting in 1953, including power steering and the Guidematic headlight dimmer in 1953; and power brakes, power 2-way front seat and power front windows in 1954. All 1954 models equipped with the standard transmission used the 1953 Powerglide engine.

text: Second generation (1955–1957)[edit]

text:
Second generation

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible

Overview

Production
1954–1957

Model years
1955–1957

Assembly
Caracas, Venezuela[6]
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (Oshawa Car Assembly)
Flint, Michigan, (Flint Assembly)
Arlington, Texas, (Arlington Assembly)
South Gate, California, (South Gate Assembly)
Baltimore, Maryland, (Baltimore Assembly)

Body and chassis

Class
Full-size

Body style
2-door hardtop
4-door hardtop (1956–57)
4-door sedan
2-door convertible
2-door Station wagon
4-door station wagon

Layout
FR layout

Platform
GM A Body

Related
Chevrolet 210
Chevrolet 150
Chevrolet Nomad
Pontiac Chieftain

Powertrain

Engine
215.5 cu in (3.5 L) Thriftmaster I6
235.5 cu in (3.9 L) Blue Flame I6
265 cu in (4.3 L) Small-Block V8
283 cu in (4.6 L) Small-Block V8 (1957)

Transmission
3-speed manual[7]
2-speed Powerglide auto.
3-speed Turboglide auto.

Dimensions

Wheelbase
115"[8]

Length
195.6"

text: For 1955, Chevrolet's full-size model received all new styling and power. The 1955 Bel Air was 3,456 lb (1,568 kg) and 15 ft (4.6 m) long. It was called the "Hot One" in GM's advertising campaign. Chevrolet's styling was crisp, clean and incorporated a Ferrari-inspired grille. Bel Airs came with features found on cars in the lower models ranges plus interior carpet, chrome headliner bands on hardtops, chrome spears on front fenders, stainless steel window moldings,[1] and full wheel covers. Models were further distinguished by the Bel Air name script in gold lettering later in the year.[8] For 1955 Chevrolets gained a V8 engine option and the option of the 2 speed Powerglide automatic, or a standard three speed Synchro-Mesh manual transmission with optional overdrive. The new 265 cu in (4,340 cc) V8 featured a modern, overhead valve high compression, short stroke design that was so good that it remained in production in various displacements for many decades. The base V8 had a two-barrel carburetor and was rated at 162 hp (121 kW), and the "Power Pack" option featured a four-barrel carburetor and other upgrades yielding 180 bhp (130 kW). Later in the year, a "Super Power Pack" option added high-compression and a further 15 bhp (11 kW). "Idiot" lights replaced gauges for the generator and oil pressure.[9]

text: This was not the first Chevrolet to be installed with a V8 engine. The first Chevrolet with a V8 engine was introduced in 1917 called the Series D which was built for two years, and was manufactured before Chevrolet joined General Motors.

text: Motor Trend magazine gave the Bel Air top marks for handling.[9] Popular Mechanics reported acceleration for a V8 Bel Air with Powerglide as being 0-60 mph in 12.9 seconds, plus a comfortable ride, and good visibility. On the other hand, the horn ring blocked some of the speedometer, regular gasoline made the engine knock, and the first V8 engines off the line burned too much oil.[10] Front legroom was 43.1".[1] Brakes were 11" drums.[11] A new option for V8-equipped 1955 models was air conditioning, with outlets on each side of the dashboard; a heavy-duty generator was included on cars equipped with this option; in 1955 and 1956, air conditioning could be installed on cars ordered with the standard three-speed manual transmission, overdrive or Powerglide, but from 1957 onward, an automatic transmission (or minus that, 4-speed manual transmission) was a pre-requisite option.

text: The 1956 Bel Air received a face-lift with a more conventional full-width grille, pleasing those customers who didn't favor the Ferrari-inspired '55 front end. Distinctive two-tone bodyside treatments and graceful front and rear wheel openings completed the "speedline" restyling. Single housings incorporated the taillight, stoplight, and backup light, and the left one held the gas filler - an idea popularized on Cadillacs. Among the seven Bel Air models was a new Sport Sedan, a pillarless four-door hardtop that looked handsome with all the windows rolled down and allowed easy entry into the back seat. Production exceeded 103,000, compared to 128,000 two-door hardtops. Shapely two-door Nomad wagons topped the price chart at $2,608, but now carried the same interior and rear-wheel sheetmetal as other Bel Airs, lacking the original's unique trim. Only 7,886 were built. The least costly Bel Air, at $2,025, was the two-door sedan. Seatbelts, shoulder harnesses, and a padded dashboard were available,[9] and full-size cars could even get the hot Corvette 225-horsepower engine. In 1956 sales material there was an optional rain-sensing automatic top,[12] which was first seen on the 1951 LaSabre concept car. However, it is believed that it was never installed on a car.[13] Popular Mechanics reported only 7.4% of owners in their survey ordered seat belts.

text: In 1957 engine displacement grew to 283 cu in (4,640 cc) with the "Super Turbo Fire V8" option producing 283 hp (211 kW) with the help of continuous (closed loop) mechanical fuel injection. These so-called "fuelie" cars are quite rare, since most Bel Airs were fitted with carburetion. The 1957 Bel Air is among the most recognizable American cars of all time; well-maintained examples, especially Sport Coupes and Convertibles are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. They are roomy, with tastefully restrained, period use tail fins and chrome. A second automatic transmission, Turboglide, was optional. While the original two-speed Powerglide continued unchanged, Turboglide provided a continuously variable gear ratio which made "shifting" imperceptible. The shift quadrant on Turboglide cars followed a "P R N D Gr" pattern.[14][15]

text: From 1955 to 1957, production of the two-door Nomad station wagon was assigned to the Bel Air series, although its body and trim were unique to that model. Prior to becoming a regular production model, the Nomad first appeared as a Corvette-based concept vehicle in 1954. Chevrolet has since unveiled two concept cars bearing the Nomad name, most recently in 1999. The 1955–1957 Chevrolets are commonly referred to as Tri Fives.

text: The 1955-1957s were made in right-hand drive and shipped from Oshawa, Canada, for local assembly in Australia (CKD), New Zealand (SKD), and South Africa. All three model years had a reversed version of the '55 LHD dashboard and did not get the LHD models' 1957 redesign.

text:
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door Hardtop

1956 Chevrolet Bel Air 4-door Sedan

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air sport sedan

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air interior

tag: ul

text: Third generation (1958)[edit]

text:
Third generation

1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe

Overview

Production
1957–1958

Model years
1958

Assembly
Arlington, Texas, United States
Flint, Michigan, (Flint Assembly)
South Gate, California, (South Gate Assembly)
Baltimore, Maryland, (Baltimore Assembly)
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (Oshawa Car Assembly)

Body and chassis

Body style
2-door coupe
2-door hardtop
4-door sedan
4-door hardtop
2-door convertible

Platform
GM B platform

Related
1958 Chevrolet Delray
1958 Chevrolet Biscayne
1958 Chevrolet Impala
1958 Chevrolet Yeoman
1958 Chevrolet Brookwood
1958 Chevrolet Nomad

Powertrain

Engine
235.5 cu in (3.9 L) 145 hp Blue Flame I6
283 cu in (4.6 L) Small-Block V8
348 cu in (5.7 L) Big-Block 250–315 hp V8[1]

Transmission
3-speed manual
2-speed Powerglide auto.

Dimensions

Wheelbase
117.5"

Length
209.1"[1]

Height
57.1"[16]

text: For 1958, Chevrolet models were redesigned longer, lower, and heavier than their 1957 predecessors, and the first ever production Chevrolet big block V8, the 348 cu in (5,700 cc), was now an option. The Bel Air gained a halo vehicle in 1958, the Impala, available only as a hardtop coupe and convertible in its introductory year. Impala styling followed the basic lines of the other Chevrolet models but received special styling cues including a different roof line, a vent above the rear window, unique side trim, and triple tail lights housed in slightly broader alcoves. For the budget conscious, the Biscayne, (formerly the 210) and the Delray (formerly the 150) completed this model year's family-oriented and utility offerings.

text: Chevrolet's design for the year fared better than its other GM offerings, and lacked the overabundance of chrome found on Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Cadillacs. Complementing Chevrolet's front design was a broad grille and quad headlights that helped simulate a 'Baby Cadillac'; the tail received a fan-shaped alcove on both side panels, which housed dual tail lights. Despite being a recession year, consumers made Chevrolet the No. 1 make of automobile (beating Ford, which held the title in 1957) and the Bel Air was at the core of Chevrolet's popularity. With its wide variety of body styles and models, Bel Airs could be optioned with almost every conceivable luxury within the Chevrolet line. The Nomad station wagon name also reappeared in 1958 when the vehicle bowed as the premium four-door Chevrolet station wagon, lacking the unique styling of the 1955-57 Nomads. Most Chevrolet station wagon models had two tail lights (one on each side of the body) housed in abbreviated alcoves, which were made smaller to accommodate the rear gate. A new dash was used.[17]

text: Safety[edit]

text: Like the rest of Chevrolet's 1958 full size car line up, the Bel Air featured Chevrolet's new "Safety-Girder" cruciform frame. Similar in layout to the frame adopted for the 1957 Cadillac, it featured box-section side rails and a boxed front cross member that bowed under the engine. These "x-frames" were used on other 1958 to 1964 Chevys, as well as Cadillac. The rear was tied together by a channel-section cross member.[18] This design was later criticized as providing less protection in the event of a side impact collision, but would persevere until 1965.

text: Fourth generation (1959–1960)[edit]

text:
Fourth generation

1959 Chevrolet Bel Air 4-Door Sedan

Overview

Production
1958–1960

Model years
1959–1960

Assembly
Arlington, Texas, United States
Flint, Michigan, (Flint Assembly)
South Gate, California, (South Gate Assembly)
Baltimore, Maryland, (Baltimore Assembly)
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (Oshawa Car Assembly)

Body and chassis

Body style
2-door coupe
2-door hardtop (1960)
4-door sedan
4-door hardtop

Platform
GM B platform

Related
1959–1960 Chevrolet Biscayne
1959–1960 Chevrolet Impala
1959–1960 Chevrolet Brookwood
1959–1960 Chevrolet Parkwood
1959–1960 Chevrolet Kingswood
1959–1960 Chevrolet Nomad
1959–1960 Chevrolet El Camino

Powertrain

Engine
235.5 cu in (3.9 L) Blue Flame I6
283 cu in (4.6 L) Small-Block V8
348 cu in (5.7 L) Big-Block V8

Transmission
3-speed manual[1]
4-speed manual
2-speed Powerglide auto.

Dimensions

Wheelbase
119"[1]

Length
210.9"[1]

text: For the second time in as many years, Chevrolet again came up with a totally new car. From the front or rear the 1959 Chevrolets resembled nothing else on the road. From the headlights, placed as low as the law would permit, to the cat's-eye tail lights, the 1959 Chevrolet was a brand new car with all new sheet metal, a new frame, and even new series names. The most visual new change was the flat, wing shaped tailfins.[1] The car was built on a 119 in (3,000 mm) wheelbase and was 211 in (5,400 mm) long-which was 11 in (280 mm) longer than the 1957 model. This made Chevrolet the longest car in the low-priced range, whereas two years before it had been the shortest. In addition, the car was 3 in (76 mm) wider outside and had 5 in (130 mm) more width inside than it did in 1958, through the reduction of door thickness. The "X" frame from 1958 was continued, but enlarged and strengthened to support the new body.[19]

text: The Bel Air, which had been the top line series since 1953, was now the middle range. Wagons were still classed by themselves, but had model numbers matching the car series. Parkwood 6-passenger and Kingswood 9-passenger wagons had Bel Air's model number, and as such were the middle range wagons. Under the hood, little change took place. A variety of speed options, such as fuel injection, special cams and lowered compression, gave horsepower ratings up to 315. Bel Air production was 447,100. The new Impala line surpassed Bel Air production by 20,000 units. A parking brake warning light was optional.[20]

text: Little change was made for 1960. The new models were refinements of the 1959 style with a much more restrained front end, the return of the double cone tail lights of 1958 rather than the startling "cat's eyes" of 1959. Under the hood, things remained constant. Fuel injection was no longer available, but with the 348 cubic inch engine, a horsepower rating of 335 at 5800 rpm was now achieved. This involved the use of three double-barrel carburettors, a special cam and an 11.25:1 compression ratio, all sold as a package. Body style offerings followed 1959, with hardtops and sedans available. The convertible was reserved for the Impala series. The Bel Air Sport Sedan continued to use a rear window overhang and a huge wraparound rear window. Bel Airs (and Biscaynes) had two tail lights per side; the Impalas had three tail lights per side—a situation that would persist for most years through 1975. Many of the same options and accessories that were available on the Impala were also available on the Bel Air. The Bel Airs had more interior and exterior brightwork than the Biscayne.

text:
The seminal rear end of a 1959 Bel Air, here a 2-door Sedan

1960 Chevrolet Bel Air 4-door Sedan

text: Fifth generation (1961–1964)[edit]

text:
Fifth generation

1961 Chevrolet Bel Air Sedan

Overview

Production
1960–1964

Model years
1961–1964

Assembly
Arlington, Texas, United States
Flint, Michigan, (Flint Assembly)
South Gate, California, (South Gate Assembly)
Baltimore, Maryland, (Baltimore Assembly)
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (Oshawa Car Assembly)

Body and chassis

Body style
2-door coupe
2-door Hardtop (1961–62)
4-door sedan
4-door wagon (1962–64)
4-door Hardtop (61)

Platform
GM B platform

Related
Chevrolet Biscayne
Chevrolet Impala

Powertrain

Engine
230 cu in (3.8 L) Chevrolet I6
235.5 cu in (3.9 L) Chevrolet I6
283 cu in (4.6 L) Small-Block V8
327 cu in (5.4 L) Small-Block V8
348 cu in (5.7 L) Big-Block V8
409 cu in (6.7 L) Big-Block V8

Transmission
3-speed manual
4-speed manual
2-speed Powerglide auto.

text: For 1961, Chevrolet again had a totally new body, not just new sheetmetal. Its wheelbase remained 119 in (3,000 mm), but its length was now reduced slightly to 209.3 in (5,320 mm). All engines options of the previous year remained in effect with the standard engines being the 235.5 CID Six of 135 hp (101 kW) or the 283 CID V8 of 170 hp (130 kW). The V8 cost $110 more than the Six and weighed 5 lb (2.3 kg) less.

text: The Bel Air 2-door sedan used squared-off roof styling and large wrap-around rear window as opposed to the hardtop's swept-back design. The Bel Air 4-door Sport Hardtop still used a different roof line than did the 4-door sedan.

text: For 1962, all sheetmetal except the door panels was changed. Overall length was stretched slightly to 209.6 in (5,320 mm). The 4-door Sport Hardtop was no longer offered in the Bel Air series. Standard engines remained the same as the previous year. A new 327 cu in (5,360 cc) V8 of 250 or 300 hp (220 kW) was offered in addition to the giant (for the time) 409 cu in (6,700 cc) V8 of 380 hp (280 kW) or 409 hp (305 kW) with the dual four-barrel carburetor setup. All wagons this year were 4-door models and separate distinctions for wagons were dropped. Now all models were either Biscayne, Bel Air or Impala series. Full carpeting returned as standard equipment on all 1962 Bel Air models for the first time in several years. The Bel Air Sport Coupe was in its last year of U.S. production, and its roofline was a carryover from the 1961 hardtop coupe.

text: For 1963, the full size Chevrolet received little more than a facelift. Overall length increased to 210.4 in (5,340 mm). Replacing the older 235 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine as standard equipment was a new 230 cubic-inch six-cylinder of more modern design with a 140-horsepower rating that was based on the 194 cubic-inch six introduced on the compact Chevy II Nova the previous year. The base V8 remained the 283 CID, which was upgraded to produce 195 hp (145 kW). The 409 CID V8 was now offered in 340, 400 and 425 hp (317 kW) versions, while the small block 327 V8 continued with options of 250 and 300 horsepower. The Bel Air continued to be Chevrolet's middle range, but it now consisted of only two car models- the 2-door sedan and the 4-door sedan. 6 and 9-passenger Bel Air station wagons were again offered.

text: For 1964, very few changes were made except the expected sheet metal and trim renovations. Cars were 209.9 in (5,330 mm) in length while the wagons were 210.8 in (5,350 mm) long. In addition to the un-changed standard engines, there were two different 327 CID engines were offered, developing from 250 hp (190 kW) to 300 hp (220 kW) and three 409 CID engines ranging from 340 hp (250 kW) to 425 hp (317 kW). Except for a chrome belt line and $100 difference in price there was little exterior difference between the Bel Air and Biscayne version.

text: RHD Bel Airs continued to be imported into Australia. Some of these cars featured a reversed 1961 Pontiac instrument panel, but others had a mirror image of the more attractive current North American panel. Even more curious was the fact that some of these Bel Airs featured Impala-style triple taillights; the center lens was amber in keeping with Australian legal standards.

text: Sixth generation (1965–1970)[edit]

text:
Sixth generation

1965 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door Sedan

Overview

Production
1964–1970

Model years
1965–1970

Assembly
Arlington, Texas
Flint, Michigan, (Flint Assembly)
Doraville, Georgia, (Doraville Assembly)
South Gate, California, (South Gate Assembly) United States
Baltimore, Maryland, (Baltimore Assembly) United States
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (Oshawa Car Assembly)

Body and chassis

Body style
2-door coupe (1965–69)
4-door sedan
4-door wagon (1965–69)

Platform
GM B platform

Related
Chevrolet Biscayne
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Caprice

Powertrain

Engine
230 cu in (3.8 L) Chevrolet I6
250 cu in (4.1 L) Chevrolet I6
283 cu in (4.6 L) Small-Block V8
307 cu in (5.0 L) Small-Block V8
327 cu in (5.4 L) Small-Block V8
350 cu in (5.7 L) Small-Block V8
396 cu in (6.5 L) Big-Block V8
400 cu in (6.6 L) Small-Block V8
409 cu in (6.7 L) Big-Block V8
427 cu in (7.0 L) Big-Block V8

Transmission
3-speed manual
4-speed manual
2-speed Powerglide auto.
3-speed Turbo Hydramatic auto.

text: For 1965, the full size Chevrolet was totally restyled, and the cars were stretched to 213.3 in (5,420 mm) overall, even though the wheelbase remained the same. The new stamped grille had a lower extension below the bumper which was slightly veed. Curved window glass and round taillights mounted high characterized the new styling. The interiors were also redesigned and a very attractive dash resulted. The standard V8 remained the 283 CID model of 195 hp (145 kW), but options included two new 396 cu in (6,490 cc) CID engines of 325 and 340 hp (250 kW) and two 409 CID blocks of 400 and 425 hp (317 kW).

text: The Bel Air utilized a stainless-steel belt and rocker molding, identifying signature on the rear fenders, a glove compartment light and power tailgate on 9-passenger wagons to distinguish itself from the lower-priced Biscayne series.

text: For 1966, Chevrolet was in its second season of a totally new body change, so mild facelifting sufficed including forward thrusting, blunted front fenders and a revised grille. At the rear, a break with the traditional round taillamps took place. Bel Air and Biscayne featured dual rectangular lamps with back-up lamps built in. Overall length was 213.2 in (5,420 mm). The standard six-cylinder engine this year was the larger 250 CID version of 155 hp (116 kW). New for the speed set was a 427 cu in (7,000 cc) V8 of 390 or 425 hp (317 kW). Bel Air was readily distinguishable from Biscayne by its full length body side molding and rear fender Bel Air signatures. All-vinyl interiors were now standard on station wagons while cloth and vinyl trims continued on sedans.

text: For 1967, Full-sized Chevrolets featured a new body with bulging rear fenders, one of this year's styling trends, not necessarily appreciated by everyone. Bel Air 2 and 4-door Sedans continued in addition to 6 and 9-passenger wagons. This year Bel Air featured triple taillights unlike Biscayne's dual units. Standard engines remained the same as the previous year. Optional engines were a 327 CID V8 of 275 hp (205 kW), the 396 CID V8 of 350 hp (260 kW); or the 427 CID V8 of 385 hp (287 kW), plus various speed packages.

text: For 1968, the Full-sized Chevrolets received some changes but were quite similar to the 1967 models, though they had grown one inch to 214.7 in (5,450 mm). Chevrolet's new grille design bore a strong resemblance to Cadillac's, but Bel Air's dual round taillight design was strictly Chevrolet. In an unusual move, the taillights were mounted in the bumper. In 1968 the U.S. required seat belts in all motor vehicles, bringing about a new standard in car safety.[21]

text: In addition to the 250 CID Six of 155 hp (116 kW), standard engines included the new 307 cu in (5,030 cc) V8 of 200 hp (150 kW). The Bel Air with the standard 250 Six was capable of a top speed of 90 mph (140 km/h) and 18.4 mpg‑US (12.8 L/100 km; 22.1 mpg‑imp) at cruising speeds. When powered by the new 307 CID V8, the Bel Air series cars had a top speed of 105 mph (169 km/h) and 17.1 mpg‑US (13.8 L/100 km; 20.5 mpg‑imp) at cruising speeds.

text: For 1969, the big Chevrolet was totally redesigned, given a new length, new fender and body lines, and a new front and back end, but continued using the basic 1965 chassis, innerbody structure and even the rooflines of pillared two- and four-door sedans. The cars also remained on the 119 in (3,000 mm) wheelbase, but grew to a new length of 219.9 in (5,590 mm), while the wagons grew 4.3 in (110 mm) to a new length of 217.7 Engine offerings included a standard 250 cubic-inch six-cylinder and 235-horsepower 327 V-8, and optional V-8 engines included two 350s of 255 and 300 horsepower, a 396 rated at 265 horsepower and three 427 V8s 335 hp (250 kW), 390 hp (290 kW), and 425 hp (317 kW). This was the final year for the Bel Air 2-door sedan and the Bel Air-based station wagon was renamed Townsman, as part of a Chevrolet move to revert to the pre-1962 practice of using different nameplates on station wagons than other models. Three- and four-speed manual transmissions were again offered along with the two-speed Powerglide automatic with the six-cylinder, and 327 and 350 V-8s; and the three-speed Turbo Hydramatic, offered only with the big-block V-8s since its 1965 introduction, was now available with all engines.

text: For 1970, the Chevrolet line was very little changed and regulated primarily to a new and very attractive front end. The standard Six was still the 250 of 155 HP. The standard V8 in full-size Chevrolets was now the 350 cu in (5,700 cc)of 250 hp (190 kW). Optional V-8 engines included a 300-horsepower 350 and 265-horsepower 400, with the top offering a 454 cu in (7,440 cc) of 345 hp (257 kW). The Bel Air series was now a one model 4-door sedan while the station wagon was again sold under the Townsman nameplate.

text: The 1965-70 GM B platform is the fourth best selling automobile platform in history after the Volkswagen Beetle, Ford Model T and the Lada Riva.

text: Seventh generation (1971–1975)[edit]

text:
Seventh generation

1971 Chevrolet Bel Air Police Sedan

Overview

Production
1970–1975

Model years
1971–1975

Assembly
Arlington, Texas
Flint, Michigan, (Flint Assembly)
South Gate, California, (South Gate Assembly) United States
Baltimore, Maryland, (Baltimore Assembly) United States
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (Oshawa Car Assembly)

Body and chassis

Body style
4-door sedan
2-door coupe
4-door wagon

Platform
B-body

Related
Chevrolet Biscayne
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Caprice

Powertrain

Engine
250 cu in (4.1 L) Chevrolet I6
350 cu in (5.7 L) Small-Block V8
400 cu in (6.6 L) Small-Block V8
454 cu in (7.4 L) Big-Block V8

Transmission
3-speed manual (standard, 1971–73 on six-cylinder cars)
3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic auto. (optional 1971–73 on six-cylinder cars; standard on V-8 powered cars from mid-1971 on)

text: By the late 1960s (with the introduction of the Caprice), the Bel Air and its Biscayne stablemate were primarily marketed to automotive fleet customers. However, the Bel Air remained available to retail customers who sought a basic, no-frills, full-sized car that was better trimmed than the low-line Biscayne. When the Biscayne was discontinued after 1972, the Bel Air was demoted to the low-level model. Bel Airs again used two-segmented taillights as opposed to the triple-segmented lights of higher-level Impala and Caprice models, except in 1972 when all models shared the same triple-segmented lights mounted in the bumper.

text: A 250-cubic-inch six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual transmission with column shift remained standard equipment through the 1973 model year on sedans with the 350 V8 and automatic standard on wagons—the Turbo Hydramatic automatic had been the sole transmission choice on V-8-powered Bel Airs since the spring of 1971 though the old two-speed Powerglide was still offered with the six-cylinder engine through the 1972 model year. Only about 1,400 cars were built with the inline six in 1973. The engine and manual transmission were shelved by the end of the model year—marking the last full-sized, "body on frame" American car to offer a manual gearbox.

text: All Bel Air sedans built in 1974–1975 listed a 350 two-barrel V8 engine and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission as standard, with station wagons getting the 400 cu in (6,600 cc) four-barrel V8, again with Turbo-Hydramatic standard. The 400 V8 was optional on sedans and the 454 was available on both models.

text: With the discontinuation of the Bel Air two-door sedan after the 1969 model year, all U.S.-market Bel Airs sold between 1970 and 1975 were four-door sedans or station wagons—the latter carrying the Townsman nameplate from 1969 to 1972 and Bel Air from 1973 to 1975. However, a Bel Air hardtop coupe—based on the Impala Sport Coupe body—was sold in Canada from 1970 to 1975. This body even had a roofline similar to the original '66-67 Caprice coupe style for 1974–1975.

text: Most other changes to the Bel Air during its final years were identical to the more expensive Caprice and Impala lines, some of which were mandated by government safety regulations in the U.S. that included 5 mph (8.0 km/h) front bumpers in 1973 and similar-designed rear bumpers in 1974. The 1975 models had a new roofline and (along with the Impala) grille that was a direct copy of the 1974 Caprice front end. Inside, there were new instrument cluster markings, radio and climate control graphics (the speedometer read up to 100 mph (160 km/h), and had smaller numbers for kilometers per hour). Customers could buy their 1975 Bel Air with two new options: an Econominder gauge package (which included a gauge that monitored fuel economy, due in part to growing demands for fuel economy as well as a temperature gauge) and intermittent wipers.

text: In 1975, Consumer Reports tested a Bel Air four-door sedan with the 350 V8 engine and Turbo Hydramatic against other U.S.-built full-sized cars of that period including the Pontiac Catalina, Ford LTD and Plymouth Gran Fury. Although the car performed well in its tests and placed second to the Pontiac, Consumer Reports pointed out the Bel-Air had less noise insulation and a less-comfortable rear seat than its higher-priced siblings, and that a comparably equipped Chevrolet Impala (with additional sound insulation, and upgraded upholstery and seat padding, a $203 premium over the Bel-Air) "would be even closer to the Pontiac in overall quality." Even so, the magazine stated that—for instance—the Bel-Air was "only slightly noisier than the Pontiac". Consumer Reports concluded in its report that prospective buyers should pay the extra $200 or so to upgrade to the costlier Impala, noting advantages such as greater resale value and interior-exterior appointments more comparable to the other tested full-sized vehicles.[22]

text: The last Bel Airs for the U.S. were manufactured for 1975. For 1976, a lower-trimmed Impala "S" four-door sedan was a one-year offering which had less standard equipment than regular Impalas and functioned as a replacement for the Bel Air.

text: Canada-only models[edit]

text: Bel Air Based Pontiacs[edit]

text: From 1954 through 1969, GM Canada produced a unique Bel Air-based Pontiac marketed as the Laurentian. While body panels resembled contemporary U.S. Pontiacs, the Canadian Pontiac Laurentian had the chassis, power train, wheelbase, even the interior (except for the instrument panel), of the Chevrolet Bel Air.

text: Early generations (1970–1976)[edit]

text: While the last Bel Air 2-door sedan was available in the USA in 1969, Chevrolet introduced a Canadian market-only two door hardtop, the Bel Air Sport Coupe, from 1970-75. Based on the Impala Sport Coupe, this new model featured Bel Air trim at a lower price than the Impala. Each year through 1975, this model's body followed the design of the contemporary Impala Sport Coupe. The 4-door sedan and station wagon continued in production, identical to the U.S. models. For 1976, the Canadian Bel Air Coupe featured the same body as the Impala Custom Coupe, with the large fixed rear quarter window and frameless front door glass.

text: Although the last Bel Air was produced in 1975 in the U.S., the Canadian big Chevy lineup continued to include the Bel Air for 1976 and beyond in two door, four door and station wagon body styles.

text: Eighth generation (1977–1981)[edit]

text:
Eighth generation

A 1977 Bel Air coupe in Canada

Overview

Production
1976–1981

Model years
1977–1981

Assembly
Baltimore, Maryland, (Baltimore Assembly)
Flint, Michigan, (Flint Assembly)
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (Oshawa Car Assembly)

Body and chassis

Body style
2-door coupe
4-door sedan
4-door station wagon

Platform
B-body

Related
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Caprice
Pontiac Laurentian
Pontiac Parisienne

Powertrain

Engine
250 cu in (4.1 L) Chevrolet I6
305 cu in (5.0 L) Small-Block V8
400 cu in (6.6 L) Small-Block V8

Transmission
3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic auto.

Dimensions

Wheelbase
116 in (2,900 mm)

text: In Canada, Chevrolet retained the Bel Air as its lowest-priced full-size car through the 1981 model year. For 1977, Canadian Bel Airs received the same downsizing as their Impala/Caprice counterparts in the U.S. Body styles offered during this period were a four-door sedan, two-door coupe and station wagon. Reflecting the smaller size of these downsized big cars was a lineup of generally smaller engines for improved fuel economy with Chevy's 250 cubic-inch six-cylinder reinstated as standard power in sedans for the first time since 1973, with the 140 hp (100 kW) 305 V8 available as an option in sedans and standard on wagons. The 170 hp (130 kW) 350 V8, available in both models, was now the top option as the larger 400 small block and 454 big block V8s were no longer available. Standard equipment on Bel Airs during this period included small hubcaps, cloth-and-vinyl upholstery in sedans or all-vinyl in wagons, cigarette lighter, ashtray, automatic dome light for front doors, full carpeting, Astro Ventilation, Delco Freedom battery, variable-ratio power steering, power front disc brakes and Turbo Hydramatic automatic transmission.

text: The 1980 Bel Air along with other full-size Chevrolets, was revised with all-new exterior sheet metal, which helped improve aerodynamics and thus fuel economy; the car was also fitted with a new grille, identical to that of the higher-priced Impala. Also that year, the engine lineup was revised with the inline six replaced by a new 3.8-liter or 229 cubic-inch V6 based on the small-block V8 as the base engine in sedans. The new base V8 (standard on wagons, optional on sedans) was a smaller 267 cubic-inch small-block with two-barrel carburetor, while the 305 small-block (optional on all models) got a 15 hp (11 kW) increase to 155 hp (116 kW) thanks to the change from a two-barrel to four-barrel carburetor. The 350 V8 was now restricted to police-option vehicles. Another new option for 1980-81 was the Oldsmobile-built 350 Diesel.

text: With a dramatic downturn in full-size car sales, the Bel Air was dropped after the 1981 model year, as were a number of other low-trim full size cars in the Canadian market including the Pontiac Laurentian, Mercury Marquis Meteor, and the Ford LTD Custom 500.

text: 2002 concept[edit]

text:
2002 Bel Air Concept

2002 Chevrolet Bel Air Concept

Body and chassis

Body style
2-door convertible

Powertrain

Engine
3.5 L (214 cu in) L52 I5

Transmission
4-speed 4L60-E automatic

Dimensions

Wheelbase
111 in (2,819 mm)[23]

Length
191 in (4,851 mm)

text: In 2002, a concept Bel Air convertible was shown at the North American International Auto Show. It features a few styling and design cues from the best remembered tri-five (1955–57) models, such as the chrome windshield frame, traffic light viewfinder, and a gas filler cap behind the tail light, similar to 1956–1957 Chevy's gas cap behind the chrome trim on the back of the tail fin, but more reminiscent of the 1948–1958 Cadillac gas cap tail light. It also features the same body on frame hydroforming technology (used in the frame rails of the Corvette and GM’s midsize sport-utility vehicles) and a sheet metal body, on a 111 in (2,800 mm) wheelbase, and a 65 in (1,700 mm) track. Suspension is short long arm up front and Hotchkiss drive in the rear. It rides on five-spoke aluminum wheels with 18 in (46 cm) red line tires and anti lock discs all-round. The elegant, yet simple interior features a twin-element instrument panel, column-mounted gearshift and bench seats covered in soft high-tech fabrics colored red to match the exterior that are cleverly designed to slide forward for easier backseat entry. It also served as a showcase for their new turbocharged inline five-cylinder concept engine based on the L52 (Vortec 3500), straight-5 truck engine. According to a September 2002 GM press release, the all-aluminum 3.5 L (211 cu in) 20-valve DOHC engine, with a bore of 93.0 mm (3.7 in), and a stroke of 102.0 mm (4 in), that delivers up to 315 horsepower and 315 lb·ft (427 N·m) of torque, mated to a Hydra-Matic 4L60-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic. A virtual "turbo boost" button on the steering wheel activates the powertrain control module to trigger a more aggressive spark and fueling calibration for maximum horsepower. It also led the 13th Annual Stater Brothers Route 66 Rendezvous as the official vehicle in September 2002. General Motors has shown no interest in producing the car.[24]

text: Drag racing[edit]

text: Of noteworthy importance is the 1962 Bel Air Sport Coupe, the last year a Bel Air pillarless hardtop was available in the US. This model featured the "bubbletop" roof from 1961, and was popular with drag racers who ordered the car with the new-for-'61 409 cubic inch "W-block" V8 with up to 409 bhp (305 kW); a special package including aluminum body panels, heater delete, and four-speed manual transmission. A car with this configuration is a valuable collector vehicle that commands a big premium over other 1962 models including the Super Sport.


document_title: Three's Company

question_text: where was the opening of three's company filmed

question_tokens: where was the opening of three 's company filmed

text: Three's Company

text: Plot[edit]

text: After crashing a party and finding himself passed out in the bathtub, cooking school student Jack Tripper meets Janet Wood, a florist, and Chrissy Snow, a secretary, in need of a new roommate to replace their departing roommate Eleanor. Having only been able to afford to live at the YMCA, Jack quickly accepts the offer to move in with the duo.

text: However, due to overbearing landlord Stanley Roper's intolerance for co-ed living situations, even in a multi-bedroom apartment, Jack is allowed to move in only after Janet tells Mr. Roper that Jack is gay. Although Mrs. Roper figures out Jack's true sexuality in the second episode, she does not tell her husband, who tolerates but mocks him. Frequently siding with the three roommates instead of her husband, Mrs. Roper's bond with the roommates grows until the eventual spinoff The Ropers.

text: Jack continues the charade when new landlord Ralph Furley takes over the apartment complex because Mr. Furley insists that his hard-nosed brother Bart (the building's new owner) would also never tolerate such living situations.

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text:
John Ritter as Jack Tripper: A clumsy culinary student (later chef, then restaurant owner) from San Diego, Navy veteran, and swinging bachelor.
Joyce DeWitt as Janet Wood: A down-to-earth level-headed woman from Indiana who was also an aspiring dancer. She works at the Arcade Flower Shop.
Suzanne Somers as Chrissy Snow (seasons 1–5): A ditzy secretary from Fresno.
Jenilee Harrison as Cindy Snow (seasons 5–6): Chrissy's accident-prone cousin, a secretary and later, veterinary student at UCLA.
Priscilla Barnes as Terri Alden (seasons 6–8): An intelligent, but lovelorn, registered nurse from Long Meadow, Massachusetts.
Richard Kline as Larry Dallas: A playboy neighbor, used car salesman, and Jack's best friend.
Norman Fell as Stanley Roper (seasons 1–3; season 5, guest star): The trio's original, hard-nosed landlord.
Audra Lindley as Helen Roper (seasons 1–3; season 5, guest star): Stanley's sex-starved, muumuu-wearing wife.
Don Knotts as Ralph Furley (seasons 4–8): The trio's goofy, yet friendly, flamboyantly dressed second landlord who fancies himself a ladies' man.
Ann Wedgeworth as Lana Shields (season 4): A promiscuous older female neighbor who pursued Jack and was in turn pursued by Mr. Furley.

text:
1977 series premiere photo

The trio with the original landlords, the Ropers, 1977

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired
Nielsen ratings

First aired
Last aired
Time slot (ET)
Rank
Rating
Households
(in millions)

1
6
March 15, 1977
April 21, 1977
Tuesday at 9:30 PM (Episode 1)[2]
Thursday at 9:30 PM (Episodes 2-6)
#11[3]
23.1
16.4

2
25
September 13, 1977
May 16, 1978
Tuesday at 9:00 PM
#3[4]
28.3
20.6

3
22
September 12, 1978
May 8, 1979
#2[5]
30.3
22.6

4
25
September 11, 1979
May 6, 1980
#2[6]
26.3
20.1

5
22
October 28, 1980
May 19, 1981
#8[7]
22.4
17.9

6
28
October 6, 1981
May 18, 1982
Tuesday at 9:00 PM (Episodes 1, 3-27)
Tuesday at 9:30 PM (Episodes 2, 28)[8][9]
#4[10]
23.3
19.0

7
22
September 28, 1982
May 10, 1983
Tuesday at 9:00 PM
#6[11]
21.2
17.7

8
22
September 27, 1983
September 18, 1984
Tuesday at 9:00 PM (Episodes 1-20)
Tuesday at 8:00 PM (Episode 21)
Tuesday at 8:30 PM (Episode 22)[12]
#33[13]
16.8

text: The show was set in a neighborhood within walking distance of the beach in Santa Monica, California, and was filmed primarily using three main sets: the trio's apartment, their landlord's apartment, and a neighborhood pub called The Regal Beagle. In later seasons more sets were used, frequently depicting the apartment of Jack's friend Larry, Angelino's restaurant, Jack's Bistro, the hospital where Terri worked, and Janet's flower shop.

text: Humor in the show was based on farce, often relying on innuendo and misunderstanding, as well as physical comedy to punctuate the hare-brained schemes the characters would invariably conjure up to get themselves out of situations and dilemmas. Running jokes were frequently based on Jack's (supposed) sexual orientation, Mr. Roper's lack of sexual prowess, and Chrissy's blonde moments. Conflict in the show came from the dysfunctional marriage of the Ropers, Janet's intolerance for a roommate romance, and later on, Jack's friendship with Larry and Larry's abuse thereof. Of all the characters, only Jack, Janet, and Larry appeared in all eight seasons of the series.

text: The theme song was composed by Joe Raposo (known for composing for the children's television shows Sesame Street and The Electric Company), and sung by Ray Charles (not to be confused with the blind R&B musician) and Julia Rinker.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: Three's Company went through a lengthy development process. Two different sets of writers attempted to Americanize the British Man About the House. Three pilot episodes were shot for Three's Company, a rarity for American television[citation needed] (although All In The Family had shot three pilots between 1968 and 1970). The show was recast several times at the instruction of ABC's Fred Silverman.

text: The show was first penned by famed Broadway writer Peter Stone who set the series in New York. Stone envisioned the Jack Tripper character as a successful, yet underpaid, chef in a fancy French restaurant while the characters who were to become Janet and Chrissy were to be a secretary for a CEO, and a high style fashion model respectively. Silverman felt that the treatment would not play to middle America and thus passed on the script. Silverman then enlisted the services of famed television writer Larry Gelbart, best known for his Emmy-award-winning work on CBS' M*A*S*H. Gelbart initially wanted nothing to do with the show, feeling that its relatively simple premise made it substandard in comparison to M*A*S*H. Nonetheless as a favor to Silverman, Gelbart developed a pilot episode with his son in law who named the series Three's Company. Gelbart's adaptation closely followed the British series. He envisioned Ritter as "David Bell", an aspiring film maker looking for a place to live who just happened to be a great cook. Ritter's better halves were portrayed by Valerie Curtin who played "Jenny" an employee of the DMV, and Susanne Zenor as an aspiring actress named "Samantha". Gelbart reset the Ropers' apartment building, which he called the Hacienda Palms, from New York to North Hollywood, California. This plot of this pilot looked much like that of the first episode of the actual show. Liked by Silverman, a pilot was ordered by ABC which taped in early 1976. This format of the show just barely made it on to the fall 1976 ABC lineup but was ousted by what ABC felt were more promising series. Of all the new sitcoms that premiered on ABC for the 1976–77 television season, only Three's Company and the summer premiere of What's Happening!! went on to a second season. While ABC was in negotiations to re-shoot the pilot, CBS became interested in the show, and made a firm commitment to TTC productions (producers Don Taffner and Ted Bergmann's New York based company) to air the show as a mid season replacement in February 1977 with the Gelbart cast. However, at the last minute ABC decided that they wanted the show and made a firm commitment to air the show at midseason with a new cast.

text: The second pilot was penned by writers Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West, better known as NRW, who had gained fame in adapting another British series, Till Death Us Do Part, into All in the Family. The second pilot followed the British series even more closely, with the filmmaker character David Bell becoming cooking student Jack Tripp like his English counterpart, chef Robin Tripp, and one of the women being renamed Chrissy (a character name also featured in the British version; however, the US character bore more resemblance to the other British female character, Jo). Jack's female roommates were portrayed by Joyce DeWitt as florist Janet Wood, and Susan Lanier as secretary Chrissy Snow (actress Denise Galik had originally been given the role but was dismissed a couple of days before the pilot taped). The setting of the show was also moved from North Hollywood to the beachside in Santa Monica. NRW went on to conceive the show as an all out farce, building the show's plot line heavily on the many misunderstandings encountered by each of the characters. This pilot was actually a remake of the British series episode And Mother Makes Four which was the second episode of the show. The new concept was well liked, with the exception of Lanier's portrayal of Chrissy.

text: Despite the doubts about Lanier's portrayal as Chrissy, Silverman put the show on the network lineup, to air in March 1977, yet ordered a search for a new Chrissy. In an interview with The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation, Silverman said that Suzanne Somers barely made it as a member of the cast. "I was very involved in the casting of Suzanne Somers. We did three pilots", he recalls, "and the Chrissy character still wasn't right. We got to the day before we're starting the production of the series and we didn't have a Chrissy. I was so desperate, I took all the audition tapes and just kind of fast forwarded them. All of a sudden, they went by Suzanne Somers who I hadn't seen, but I recognized her from her appearance on The Tonight Show, I said 'back that up' and she was great. She's been passed on! And I said 'I don't understand. This girl could play that part, why was she been passed on?' and I couldn't get a straight answer. Anyway, we got her in that day and she was on the set tomorrow and she was terrific in that part. And that was an accident because she never should have gotten the part.".[14] With Somers set in the role the third pilot hastily went into production in January 1977. NRW had initially thought about recasting Ritter at the last minute before the pilot taped. Although liked by test audiences, the producers felt Ritter's foolish and clumsy portrayal of Jack made his character seem somewhat effeminate; Barry Van Dyke, and future television director Michael Lembeck, who had originally auditioned for the now renamed Jack Tripper, were initially considered to take the role. Nonetheless Silverman championed for Ritter to stay on the show. The third pilot was accepted by ABC, and was followed by five additional episodes for the show's spring tryout.

text: Tapings[edit]

text: Three's Company was recorded at two locations: the first, seventh, and eighth seasons were taped at Metromedia Square and ABC Television Center, while the second through sixth season were taped in Studio 31 at CBS Television City. The cast would get the script on Monday, rehearse from Tuesday to Thursday, and shoot on Friday. Each episode was shot twice in a row using two different audiences. Three cameras were used.

text: The taping was done in sequence and there were rarely any retakes because the producers were strict. Priscilla Barnes once said, "Our bosses were very, very controlling. If my hair was too blonde, I'd get called up in the office."[15]

text: The scenes in the opening credits where the trio are frolicking on a boardwalk and riding bumper-cars was shot at the Santa Monica Pier, prior to the building of a larger amusement park adjacent to the pier.[16] A later opening sequence that was shot when Priscilla Barnes joined the show featured the new threesome and the other cast members riding a zoo tram and looking at various animals around the zoo. Those sequences were filmed at the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park.[16] During the opening credits, the little baby boy in overalls who walks up to Janet while feeding the goats at the zoo, is Jason Ritter, John Ritter's elder son.[17] The exterior shots of the apartment building were filmed at 2912 4th Street in Santa Monica.[18]

text: Cast changes[edit]

text: Three's Company had many cast changes over its run. The first of these changes took place in the spring of 1979 with the relocation of the Ropers to their own television series (The Ropers), which revolved around Helen and Stanley, and their neighbors in a townhouse community after Stanley had sold the apartment building. Man About The House had similarly spun the Ropers off for the series George and Mildred.

text: Two changes took place in the fall of 1979, at the beginning of the fourth season. The first was the addition of Lana, an older woman who chased Jack around. She liked to pursue him but he did not appreciate her advances. Since Ann Wedgeworth did not appreciate her diminishing role in the series, Lana was dropped from the show without any explanation before the season was half over. The other new addition that fall was the new building manager, Ralph Furley (played by Don Knotts), whose brother Bart bought the building from the Ropers. Mr. Furley pursued Lana unsuccessfully, as she unsuccessfully pursued Jack. Unlike Lana, Mr. Furley appeared until the end of the series.

text: Season five (1980–81) marked the beginning of contract re-negotiations and sparked friction on the set. When Somers' demands for a heavily increased salary (from $30,000 to $150,000 per episode, plus 10% of the show's profits)[19] were not met, Somers went on a strike of sorts. Executives believed that a complete loss of Somers could damage the program's popularity so a compromise was reached. Somers, who was still under contract, continued to appear in the series, but only in the one minute tag scene of a handful of episodes. Somers' scenes were taped on separate days from the show's regular taping; she did not appear on set with any of the show's other cast members. According to Somers, an off-hiatus contract with CBS as well as tension between her and producer Michael Ross led to her being fired, and her dismissal was on the personal level as she states that Ted Harbert confirms his.[20] According to the story within the show, her character had returned to her hometown of Fresno to care for her ailing mother, and was only seen when she telephoned her former roommates, and they recounted that week's adventures to her. This arrangement continued for one season. Somers' contract was not renewed and Chrissy's place in the apartment was taken by her clumsy cousin Cindy Snow (Jenilee Harrison).

text: Another replacement, Terri Alden (played by Priscilla Barnes), a clever, sometimes sassy nurse, joined the cast in the sixth season (1981–82). In the script, Cindy was to move to college to fulfill her dream of becoming a veterinarian, and would continue to visit throughout the sixth season.

text: The show ended with the departure of all cast members except Ritter, who moved on to the spin-off Three's a Crowd (syndicated as Three's Company, Too in the Three's Company syndication package), itself based upon Man About the House’s spin-off Robin's Nest.

text: After more than 30 years of not speaking to each other, Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt finally made up and reunited for Suzanne's web series Breaking Through which aired February 2, 2012.[21][22] Previously, Suzanne made up with John Ritter just days before his death of aortic dissection on September 11, 2003. They were even discussing to have her make a cameo appearance on Ritter's new show, 8 Simple Rules.[23]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Three's Company premiered in the spring, in the middle of the 1976-77 season. Usually in the 1960s and 1970s, midseason television programs were cancelled after their original six-episode run in the spring. Network observers did not believe that Three's Company would go anywhere after its first six episodes. They were proven wrong when it raked in record ratings, breaking barriers at the time as the highest-rated midseason show ever broadcast on network television. ABC gladly renewed the show for a formal television season, giving it a permanent primetime spot during the 1977-1978 television season. Ratings continued to climb throughout the years. The first episode, "A Man About the House", reached #28 for the week. The first time a Company episode hit the #1 spot was the airing of "Will the Real Jack Tripper...", which aired February 14, 1978. The most watched Company episode aired on March 13, 1979, immediately preceding the series premiere of its spinoff, The Ropers. The episode, entitled "An Anniversary Surprise", centered around Stanley selling the apartment, and the Ropers moving out.

text: DVD releases[edit]

text: Anchor Bay Entertainment has released all eight seasons of Three's Company on DVD in Region 1.

text: Anchor Bay released a complete series set on August 19, 2014.[24]

text: Syndication[edit]

text: The show has been in local syndication since 1982 (ABC aired back-to-back repeats during daytime in the summer of 1981) on local stations such as WNEW-TV in New York City and the sales on the project realized more than $150 million of which Thames took 12.5% ($19 million).[25] It debuted on cable in 1992 on TBS and ran through 1999. Nick at Nite bought the show in 2000 and have a seven-year term with other Viacom networks such as TV Land and TNN. In 2007, Viacom renewed its contract for reruns of the show for another six years.

text: In March 2001, after being notified by a viewer, Nick at Nite quickly edited an episode ("The Charming Stranger") where John Ritter's scrotum skin was briefly visible through the bottom of a pair of blue boxer shorts. The most famous quip about this issue was uttered by John Ritter, who told the New York Observer when they asked him about the controversy: "I've requested that Nickelodeon air both versions, edited and unedited, because sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don't"[26] (quoting an advertising jingle for Almond Joy and Mounds candy bars). The incident was also brought up during a "Celebrity Secrets" comedy bit on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in the late 1990s, where a nervous-acting Ritter jokingly says "Somebody asked me if I did that on purpose...", after taking a nervous sip of water, he responds "You bet I did!"[27]

text: The show currently airs on Antenna TV, where its spin-offs also air. However, because the spin-offs cannot be stripped due to a lack of episodes, they are aired at the same time with the show. In Canada DejaView (the latter two, both Shaw Media properties) re-air the show. In French Canada, it currently airs on Prise 2, using a soundtrack dubbed in Montreal.

text: As of early 2017, re-runs are also shown on the Logo Network.

text: TV movie[edit]

text: In May 2003, NBC aired a two-hour television movie entitled Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company, a docudrama featuring actors portraying Ritter, Dewitt, Somers and other actors on the series. The movie covered the entire run of the series, from the pilots to the final episode, but the contract negotiations and subsequent departure of Somers provided much of the drama. Dewitt co-produced and narrated the movie. Ritter and Somers both had some input, but neither appeared in the project.

text: Film adaptation[edit]

text: New Line Cinema is in negotiations to pick up the film rights to Three's Company with Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein to pen the screenplay. Robert Cort and Don Taffner Jr. will produce the film and plan to have the film to be set in the 1970s.[28]