That's not the Thing from "The Addams Family", that's Ladyfingers.

I think that's more true of Torchwood. Wellll, the episode "Countrycide" anyway.

It looks like an elaborate version of what my mother used to call a silent butler used for collecting ashes and crumbs.

"Three's Company" is fairly unique in that not only is it a remake of a UK sitcom (Man About The House), but its spinoffs ("The Ropers" and "Three's a Crowd") are based on the UK spinoffs of "Man About The House" ("George and Mildred" and "Robin's Nest").