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The Brady Bunch |

The Brady Bunch opening grid, season one |
Format |
Sitcom |
Created by |
Sherwood Schwartz |
Starring |
Robert Reed
Florence Henderson
Barry Williams
Maureen McCormick
Christopher Knight
Eve Plumb
Mike Lookinland
Susan Olsen
Ann B. Davis |
Theme music composer |
Frank De Vol
Sherwood Schwartz |
Opening theme |
Performed by:
Peppermint Trolley Company
(Season 1)
Barry Williams, Christopher Knight and Mike Lookinland
(Season 2)
Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Mike Lookinland and Susan Olsen
(Seasons 3–5) |
Country of origin |
United States |
Language(s) |
English |
No. of seasons |
5 |
No. of episodes |
117 (List of episodes) |
Production |
Producer(s) |
A Sherwood Schwartz Production
In Association With Paramount Television |
Location(s) |
Hollywood, California
North Hollywood, California |
Running time |
approx. 25:00 (per episode) |
Broadcast |
Original channel |
ABC |
Original run |
September 26, 1969 – March 8, 1974 |
Chronology |
Followed by |
The Brady Brides
A Very Brady Christmas
The Bradys |
Related shows |
The Brady Kids
The Brady Bunch Hour |
.^ The Brady Bunch TV Show - The Brady Bunch Television Show - Yahoo!- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo!- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
.^ Airdates: 1969 - 1974 Network: ABC Next Episode .- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
Overview
Origins
In 1965, following the success of his TV series
Gilligan's Island,
Sherwood Schwartz conceived the idea for
The Brady Bunch after reading an article in the
Los Angeles Times that said "40% of marriages [in the United States] had a child or children from [a] previous marriage." He instantly set to work on a
pilot script, called
Yours and Mine[1], and passed it around the "big three" television networks of the era.
ABC,
CBS and
NBC all loved the script, but each network wanted changes to it before they would commit to filming it. Schwartz felt that his script was perfect, and although he had the interest of all three networks in America, he decided to shelve it.
[2]
Despite the similarities between the series and the 1968 theatrical release
Yours, Mine and Ours starring
Henry Fonda and
Lucille Ball, the original script for
The Brady Bunch predated the script for the film. However, the success of the film was a factor in ABC's decision to order episodes for the series.
[1]
Plot
.^ The story of Mike Brady, a widower with three sons, and Carol Martin, a widow with three daughters, who marry and set up housekeeping in a four-bedroom home on Clinton Avenue in west Los Angeles.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ She and her six-year-old sister have been fighting a lot lately, and she can identify with the bickering of Marcia vs. Jan, Bobby vs. Peter, etc.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Peter: Christopher Knight.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
The wife and daughters take the Brady surname. Producer Schwartz wanted Carol to have been a divorcée but the network objected to this. A compromise was reached whereby no mention was made of the circumstances in which Carol's first marriage ended, but many assume she was widowed.
.^ The story of Mike Brady, a widower with three sons, and Carol Martin, a widow with three daughters, who marry and set up housekeeping in a four-bedroom home on Clinton Avenue in west Los Angeles.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ Alice: Ann B. Davis.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
Though the show presumably takes place in Los Angeles, the writers carefully avoid any mention of the Brady's actual location during the series.
The theme song penned by Schwartz quickly communicated to audiences that the Bradys were a blended family. In the first season this blending figured prominently in episode stories; from the second season it was less intrinsic to stories but would be casually referred to in dialogue.
.^ The story of Mike Brady, a widower with three sons, and Carol Martin, a widow with three daughters, who marry and set up housekeeping in a four-bedroom home on Clinton Avenue in west Los Angeles.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
In the "Kelly's Kids" episode of the final season, further reference was made to the Bradys' adoptions ("Either way, you adopted three boys and you adopted three girls, right?") when their neighbors, the Kellys, adopted three boys of different races.
.^ Seriously, you all need to read "Make Room!- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ BTW, my kids have never been on a two week vacation and have never traveled half way around the world to visit family.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Are there times now that I wish I had siblings, if only to make it easier to deal with some of the issues that will be presented to me as my parents age?- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
.^ The story of Mike Brady, a widower with three sons, and Carol Martin, a widow with three daughters, who marry and set up housekeeping in a four-bedroom home on Clinton Avenue in west Los Angeles.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ Episodes depict their attempts to cope with the chaos of raising six children.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
.^ Now, let's say they grow up and have kids.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Eventually both our kids will grow up and leave the nest.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ (For India, the ratio is more like 18:1, so even though India's population is almost 4 times the US's, we emit more than five times as much CO2.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
Subtle references to larger social problems found their way into the dialogue from time to time.
.^ Both the girls have a strong nurturing side to their personalities, so naturally they've enjoyed helping out with the care of the younger ones.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
The boys find this very upsetting and Peter finds himself joining the Sunflower Girls, Marcia's club, in hopes of making her back down from her "bad idea".
Original run and subsequent success
.^ I was a kid when the Brady Bunch was on (Friday nights!- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ I remember loving the Von Trapp family on The Sound of Music, and seeing another movie in the 1960s called 'Your Mine and Ours' that featured a widow with 10 kids marrying a widower with 8.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ As an only some people observed that I was better equipt than some other kids to focus inward, do things like read, paint, dance, play music.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
.^ I actually find it very comforting and freeing in my marriage to know that we're both open to as many kids as God sends us.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo!- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ The Brady Bunch: Season 05 .- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
.^ I was a kid when the Brady Bunch was on (Friday nights!- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ TV TV Home > Shows > The Brady Bunch more Overview Episodes Cast Videos Photos Message Boards Reviews When is it on?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ The Brady Bunch TV Show - The Brady Bunch Television Show - Yahoo!- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
Only
Barry Williams and
Maureen McCormick stayed in the music business as adults.
Christopher Knight readily admits he felt he could not sing and recalls having great anxiety about performing live on stage with the cast.
.^ The Brady Bunch: Season 05 .- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ TV TV Home > Shows > The Brady Bunch more Overview Episodes Cast Videos Photos Message Boards Reviews When is it on?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
At that point in the story Greg graduated from high school and was about to enroll in college.
.^ TV Home Shows News Photos Videos TV Listings Full Episodes Tonight's Picks Primetime in No Time Daytime in No Time Blog What's So Funny?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
The series has spawned several sequel series on the "Big 3" U.S. networks, made-for-TV movies, and parody theatrical releases, as well as a touring stage show and countless specials and documentaries on both network and cable TV.
.^ Blog*Spot Archives November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 .- The Capitol Fax Blog » Rate Bill Brady’s first ad 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC thecapitolfaxblog.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ Archives January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 .- The Capitol Fax Blog » Rate Bill Brady’s first ad 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC thecapitolfaxblog.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ TV Home Shows News Photos Videos TV Listings Full Episodes Tonight's Picks Primetime in No Time Daytime in No Time Blog What's So Funny?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
Eastern/10:30 Central.
.^ Will Done - Tuesday, Dec 8, 09 @ 10:27 am: With the graphics, looks like Fox NFL pre-game show.- The Capitol Fax Blog » Rate Bill Brady’s first ad 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC thecapitolfaxblog.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
When the episodes were repeated in
syndication, they usually appeared every weekday in late-afternoon or
early-evening slots on local stations.
.^ TV Home Shows News Photos Videos TV Listings Full Episodes Tonight's Picks Primetime in No Time Daytime in No Time Blog What's So Funny?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
The show's longevity in the public mind largely owes to that phenomenon, which was a unique aberration from the traditional norm of a previously-run network program being sold to stations as schedule filler between network programming blocks
[citation needed].
.^ Too many people are out there having children that they don't adequately care for, support, nurture, educate, or love.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ So people who raise children do deserve to be rewarded by tax breaks and such.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ On the bright side, part of the reason they are fighting more is that they are actually becoming closer siblings with more in common.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
The Bradys also comprised a harmonious family (compared to the likes of
the Bunkers,
the Bundys,
the Simpsons, etc...), though they did run into problems occasionally when one of the children did not cooperate with his or her parents or the other children.
.^ Brady has been out there for a while, in other races and such, so there might be a need for more “there” there.- The Capitol Fax Blog » Rate Bill Brady’s first ad 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC thecapitolfaxblog.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
Cast
The regular cast appeared in an opening title sequence in which video head shots were arranged in a three-by-three grid, with each cast member appearing to look at the other cast members. The sequence has been widely imitated and lampooned since.
A recurring character is Alice's boyfriend, Sam Franklin (
Allan Melvin), the owner of a local
butcher shop. (By the time of
The Brady Girls Get Married, a made-for-TV movie in 1981, Alice and Sam were married.) Sam appears in only eight episodes, but they span all of the show's five seasons. He is also frequently mentioned in dialogue, and Alice occasionally goes out on dates with him off-screen.
.^ The girls have also expressed a desire to have multiple children when the time comes, and even though this may be years into the future, it does factor into the type of guy they like to date.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Too many children are born into dire circumstances because they started out as unwanted pregnancies.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ TV TV Home > Shows > The Brady Bunch more Overview Episodes Cast Videos Photos Message Boards Reviews When is it on?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
On a
TV Land documentary, the actors revealed that they all remain close friends, and most have remained in regular contact with one another.
.^ So in reality, the issue of overpopulation does not really play a part in my calculus.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Well, imagine my surprise when I asked my nine-year-old daughter why she liked the show (on a whim we have been watching episodes on DVD).- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
Knight also invited
Barry Williams,
Susan Olsen, and
Mike Lookinland to a wedding party, during which most of his time was spent hanging out with them, away from the party, and he stated that it was important that his fiance accept that his
Brady Bunch friends are an important part of his life.
The Bradys' dog, Tiger
The original dog that played
Tiger was hit by a florist truck and killed early in the first season
[3]. A replacement dog proved problematic, so the producers decided the dog would only appear when essential to the plot. Tiger appeared in about half the episodes in the first season and about half a dozen episodes in the second season. In yet another parallel to
the Partridge Family, whose dog Simone disappeared during their second season, Tiger vanished without an explanation and was not shown again after "The Impractical Joker" which aired in 1971. According to Barry Williams, the doghouse was retained as a prop to cover holes in the artificial turf caused by a falling stage light.
In
The Brady Bunch Movie, after Carol tells Mike "Go get 'em, tiger" she remarks to herself, "Tiger... Tiger... whatever happened to that dog?"
At the end of
A Very Brady Sequel, a dog runs through the yard where a party is occurring. Cindy and Bobby turn to each other and say, "Tiger?" Cousin Oliver chases the dog offscreen, which is followed by the sound of an unseen car crash. Cindy and Bobby seem unfazed.
The series pilot featured the only appearance of another pet, Fluffy, a cat that belonged to Carol's girls prior to her marriage to Mike.
Cousin Oliver
Robbie Rist as Cousin Oliver
In 1974, during the show's final season, the producers added a younger character,
Cousin Oliver (9-year-old
Robbie Rist), to fill the age gap left by the maturing Brady children (
Susan Olsen, the youngest, was 12 during the show's final season). He appeared in the final six episodes of the series.
.^ LOVED the comment that referred to one sister being able to go to the other whenever she needed to hear the truth.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
.^ The Brady Bunch: Season 05 .- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ TV TV Home > Shows > The Brady Bunch more Overview Episodes Cast Videos Photos Message Boards Reviews When is it on?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ The Brady Bunch TV Show - The Brady Bunch Television Show - Yahoo!- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
Celebrity guests
During the five years of the series, the Bradys had unusually frequent meetings with famous people, both real and fictional, typically in their own home:
- Desi Arnaz, Jr. – Teen heartthrob son of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball meets Marcia, who had written about him in her diary
- Don Drysdale – Hall of Fame Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who tries to inject reality into Greg's dreams of being a professional baseball player
- Don Ho – Hawaiian singer who met Cindy, Peter, and Bobby in Honolulu
- Davy Jones – Former lead singer of The Monkees, who takes Marcia to a school dance and performs there
- Deacon Jones – Hall of Fame football player who encourages Peter's singing
- Joe Namath – Hall of Fame New York Jets quarterback who visited Bobby because he thought Bobby had a terminal illness
- Wes Parker – Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman who met Mike and Greg in Greg's math classroom, thus curing Greg of the crush he had on his teacher (Parker's girlfriend in the episode)
The Brady house
.^ The story of Mike Brady, a widower with three sons, and Carol Martin, a widow with three daughters, who marry and set up housekeeping in a four-bedroom home on Clinton Avenue in west Los Angeles.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
.^ The story of Mike Brady, a widower with three sons, and Carol Martin, a widow with three daughters, who marry and set up housekeeping in a four-bedroom home on Clinton Avenue in west Los Angeles.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
[4]
The real house is a small single-story
ranch home. A false window was attached to the front's
A-frame section to give the illusion it had two full stories during filming of the series' many
establishing shots, all of which took place before the program debuted.
.^ So what word would you use to describe “The Brady Bunch”?- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ The Brady Bunch: Season 05 .- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ TV TV Home > Shows > The Brady Bunch more Overview Episodes Cast Videos Photos Message Boards Reviews When is it on?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
However, all of the Brady furniture, including the television, was in its usual place in the Brady living room.
The address of the house in the series was given as 4222 Clinton Way (or Avenue).
.^ Los Angeles Dodgers (22) .- The Brady-Gisele Redundant Nuptials Might Be Getting a Little More Expensive - Michael Tunison - The Sporting Blog - Sporting News 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC www.sportingnews.com [Source type: General]
^ I like having 3 so much more than having 1- the kids add so much to each other's lives.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
.^ The story of Mike Brady, a widower with three sons, and Carol Martin, a widow with three daughters, who marry and set up housekeeping in a four-bedroom home on Clinton Avenue in west Los Angeles.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo!- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ The Brady Bunch: Season 05 .- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
The police officers depicted in the final act of
The Brady Bunch Movie wore Los Angeles Police Department badges and their squad cars bore LAPD markings.
In the years since the show first aired, those who have owned the house have had problems with visitors who trespassed on the property to peep into the windows, or who came to the front door asking to see the fictional Bradys. As a result, the property has been extensively re-landscaped, so someone casually driving by most likely would not recognize it as the house shown in the TV show.
Contemporary establishing shots of the house were filmed with the owner's permission for the 1990 TV series
The Bradys.
.^ TV TV Home > Shows > The Brady Bunch more Overview Episodes Cast Videos Photos Message Boards Reviews When is it on?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
Spin-offs and sequels
Several
spin-offs and
sequels to the original series were made, featuring all or most of the original cast.
Kelly's Kids
.^ I was a kid when the Brady Bunch was on (Friday nights!- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ TV TV Home > Shows > The Brady Bunch more Overview Episodes Cast Videos Photos Message Boards Reviews When is it on?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ The Brady Bunch: Season 05 .- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
Ken Berry starred as Ken Kelly, a friend and neighbor of the Bradys', who with his wife Kathy (
Brooke Bundy) adopted three orphaned boys of different racial backgrounds (to the consternation of another, bigoted neighbor). One of the adopted sons was played by Todd Lookinland, the younger brother of Mike Lookinland. While
Kelly's Kids was not subsequently picked up as a full series, producer Sherwood Schwartz would rework the basic premise for the short-lived 1980s sitcom
Together We Stand.
The Brady Kids
Main article:
The Brady Kids
.^ I know a number of people who fight costantly with their spouses about having more kids.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Now we have two, and turns out SHE decided that one was enough (and now complains about all the people who won't leave her alone about having just one kid!- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
The family's adults were never seen or mentioned, and the "home" scenes were in a very large well-appointed tree house. Several animals were regular characters, including two non-English speaking pandas (Ping and Pong), a talking bird (Marlon) who could do magic, and an ordinary pet dog (Mop Top, not Tiger). The first 17 episodes featured the voices of all six of the original child actors from the show, but Barry Williams and Christopher Knight were replaced for the last five episodes due to a contract dispute.
The Brady Bunch Variety Hour
.^ Well, imagine my surprise when I asked my nine-year-old daughter why she liked the show (on a whim we have been watching episodes on DVD).- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ TV TV Home > Shows > The Brady Bunch more Overview Episodes Cast Videos Photos Message Boards Reviews When is it on?- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
^ The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo!- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
.^ Jan: Eve Plumb.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
.^ Fast forward a generation and none of my five siblings have ended up with more than three children.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ There are 12 years between my step-daughter and my little one, and the oldest is only with us every other week.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
In 2009, Susan Olsen published an artsy coffee table book,
Love to Love You Bradys, which dissects and celebrates the
Variety Hour as a cult classic.
The Brady Girls Get Married / The Brady Brides
A TV reunion movie called
The Brady Girls Get Married was produced in 1981. TV Guide indicated the movie would be shown in one evening, but at the last minute NBC divided it into half hour segments and showed one part a week for three weeks, and the fourth week debuted a spin-off sitcom, titled
The Brady Brides. The reunion movie featured the entire original cast; this would prove to be the only time the entire cast worked together on a single project following the cancellation of the original series.
.^ Among the eight cousins there were a couple of drug-abusers, and one girl got married at 19 because she was pregnant.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
[5] .^ I remember loving the Von Trapp family on The Sound of Music, and seeing another movie in the 1960s called 'Your Mine and Ours' that featured a widow with 10 kids marrying a widower with 8.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ I'm not saying that if I personally have 3 or more, the planet is doomed, but if everyone has 3+, and all of their kids have 3+, eventually we will run out of room.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ I like having 3 so much more than having 1- the kids add so much to each other's lives.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
.^ Jan: Eve Plumb.- The Brady Bunch Television show - The Brady Bunch TV Show - Yahoo! TV 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC tv.yahoo.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
.^ And, seriously, the more people living together, well, you're using less per person of 'stuff.'- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
.^ She and her six-year-old sister have been fighting a lot lately, and she can identify with the bickering of Marcia vs. Jan, Bobby vs. Peter, etc.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
Ten episodes were aired before the sitcom was cancelled. This was the only Brady show in sitcom form to be filmed in front of a live studio audience.
Bob Eubanks guest-starred as himself in an episode where the two couples appear on
The Newlywed Game.
In the 1990s,
The Brady Girls Get Married, including the pilot of
The Brady Brides, was rerun as a single two-hour movie on
Nick at Nite, to celebrate the release of The Brady Bunch Movie in 1995.
A Very Brady Christmas
.^ She and her six-year-old sister have been fighting a lot lately, and she can identify with the bickering of Marcia vs. Jan, Bobby vs. Peter, etc.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
Mike is still an architect and Jan has followed in his footsteps to become one herself; Carol is a realtor; Greg is a physician; Marcia is a stay-at-home mom with two kids; Peter works in an office; Cindy is in her last year of college; Bobby was in graduate school studying for business but dropped out to drive race cars.
.^ Too many people are out there having children that they don't adequately care for, support, nurture, educate, or love.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ When you desperately want for your baby to be healthy, and it doesn't work out--it changes how you feel about pregnancy.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Most only children can't ever imagine having only one because they are aware of how much they missed out on, and how much pressure lies solely on their shoulders.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
Alice, meanwhile, temporarily moves back in with Mike and Carol after her husband, Sam, runs off with another woman. (
Allan Melvin did not reprise the role; he had retired from acting and was replaced in a single scene by
Lewis Arquette.)
Even Mike has problems: Contractor Ted Roberts, wanting to save money on a downtown office complex project (at 34th Street and Oak) where Mike is the architect, demands that he redesign the building to omit important safety specifications. Mike advises against it and causes his firm to lose Roberts' services. On Christmas Day, the building crumbles, and Roberts, unable to contact anyone at the new firm he hired, must rely on Mike to find what caused the building's structure to become unstable. While inside, the building continues to crumble, trapping Mike and two security guards inside. Of course, everyone turns out to be okay, and Alice and Sam reunite.
The movie, which aired on
CBS in December 1988 to high ratings, renewed interest in the Brady clan and set out the current careers and family situations which were continued in
The Bradys.
The fact that this movie aired on CBS gave the Bradys a rare feat: the original show and reunions aired on all of the "Big 3" networks — ABC, CBS and NBC.
The Bradys
The
dramedy series
The Bradys was produced in 1989 and premiered on February 6, 1990.
Maureen McCormick was pregnant at the time and decided not to participate in this series; the role of Marcia was filled by
Leah Ayres. TV critics dubbed this "Bradysomething"--a reference to the then-popular
Thirtysomething.
The theme music used an instrumental version for the (
CBS) network run and a lyrical version for reruns.
.^ I was a kid when the Brady Bunch was on (Friday nights!- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
Specials, documentaries, and other revivals
.^ We're using more electricity now than just a few years ago - and emissions are decreasing.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
- The Brady Kids, ABC, September 1972 – February 1974 (22 episodes). .
- The World of Sid & Marty Krofft at the Hollywood Bowl, 1973. Aired on Saturday morning on ABC. The kids sing in the famous Los Angeles venue, while Robert Reed and Ann B. Davis watch from box seats.
- Donny and Marie Show, ABC, October 1, 1976. Florence Henderson, Maureen McCormick, Mike Lookinland, and Susan Olsen appear as their Brady characters on an episode of Donny and Marie Osmond's variety show, without permission of the copyright owners of The Brady Bunch. They appear in several comedy sketches and the kids sing Cole Porter's We Open in Venice.
- The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, ABC, November 28, 1976. From the producers of Donny and Marie comes this special.^ I was a kid when the Brady Bunch was on (Friday nights!
- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ I came from a family with five kids and remember watching the Brady Bunch on TV. It seemed so sad that the bunch was formed after one of the parents in each birth family had died (not sure if that was actually true).- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
It leads to The Brady Bunch Hour as a series on ABC.
- The Brady Bunch Hour, ABC, January–May 1977 (8 episodes). Details above.
- The Brady Girls Get Married, NBC, January–February 1981 (made for TV movie shown in three parts). Details above.
- The Brady Brides, NBC, February–April 1981 (7 episodes). .
- The Love Boat, ABC, October 29, 1983. Although the name 'Brady' is not mentioned, Robert Reed and Florence Henderson appear in a cameo and talk about how they can take a cruise since the kids are all grown up.^ Now we never have to worry about how many children we might be forced to provide for at some point, since we decided to take responsibility for our own actions and not blame it all on God if we end up over our heads.
- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ I do wonder about the large families and how they justify it enviromentally.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ I grew up as the youngest of 4 and I absolutely love getting together with my siblings, their spouses, and all of our kids together.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
Other famous TV couples appear in the episode.
- A Very Brady Christmas, CBS, December 18, 1988. The highest-rated TV movie of the 1988–89 television season.
- Day by Day: A Very Brady Episode, NBC, February 5, 1989. Robert Reed and Florence Henderson reprise their roles as Mike and Carol in this episode of a short-lived sitcom starring Linda Kelsey and Courtney Thorne-Smith. Other Brady veterans appear, including (a then pregnant) Maureen McCormick. In the episode, a teenage boy in the family (Christopher Daniel Barnes) dreams he's Chuck Brady and escapes to the Bradys' world after he's yelled at for his poor scholastic habits (he was watching a Brady marathon); however, Chuck's dream comes apart when various Bradys begin repeating comments made only a few minutes earlier. Art came to imitate life when Barnes was cast as the new Greg Brady in the theatrical Brady Bunch movies in 1995 and 1996.
- Free Spirit: The New Secretary, ABC, December 10, 1989. Although the name Brady is never mentioned, Robert Reed and Florence Henderson play a couple seeking a divorce in an episode of this short-lived sitcom about a witch (Corinne Bohrer) working as a nanny to a widowed lawyer.
- The Real Live Brady Bunch stage show in the early 1990s featured re-enactments of series episodes. Andy Richter played Mike Brady, and appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on November 9, 1992 almost a year before becoming the sidekick on Late Night with Conan O' Brien.
- The Bradys, CBS, February–March 1990 (six episodes). Details above.
- The Brady 500, CBS, February 9, 1990. Bobby is injured in a car race and is paralyzed from the waist down. All original cast except for Maureen McCormick. This is actually the first two episodes of The Bradys and are also known as Start Your Engines. Most of the cast, except Robert Reed, promoted their new series on the Sally Jesse Raphael series. Their live Florida broadcast was interrupted by rain.
- Bradymania: A Very Brady Special, 1993. Based loosely on Elizabeth Moran's book Bradymania, this special was hosted by Florence Henderson and include clips comparing Brady behavior with that on other sitcoms.
- The Brady Bunch Movie, 1995. Theatrical release. A parody of the original series. Several Brady veterans appear in cameos. Scenes with Mike Lookinland and Susan Olsen were shot, but were cut from the final film. .
- A Very Brady Sequel, 1996. Theatrical release.^ Whacky - I have no bone to pick about your family.
- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
Same cast as previous but with Tim Matheson playing a villain impersonating Carol's first husband.
- Brady Bunch Home Movies, May 23, 1995. During the original series run, Robert Reed gave each of the juvenile cast members an 8 mm movie camera. This special includes footage the Brady kids shot in those days and is their tribute to Reed. Susan Olsen was executive producer.
- Groovin' with the Bradys, a 1998 special produced by VH1.
- Attack of the Bradys, 1998. Another VH1 special.
- E! True Hollywood Story: The Brady Bunch, June 6, 1999. Members of the cast retell their anecdotes for the benefit of this E! Network series, including an extensive discussion of Robert Reed's homosexuality.
- Unauthorized Brady Bunch: The Final Days, May 16, 2000. A made for TV movie looking at the making of The Brady Bunch focusing on the final season which was marred by dissension among the cast pertaining to their business arrangements and the creative direction of the show.
- Growing Up Brady, May 21, 2000. A made-for-TV movie of Barry Williams's hit 1992 book.
- Pop-Up Brady, VH-1, July 18, 2001. Several episodes of The Brady Bunch with textual commentary added in the form of on-screen balloons.
- The Weakest Link, NBC, September 24, 2001. All members of the Brady cast, except Reed and Davis, compete on this game show, including Robbie Rist, who joked during introductions, "I hope I don't kill this show, too!" Topics included Brady trivia.
- The Brady Bunch in the White House, November 29, 2002. Made-for-TV movie parody in the mould of The Brady Bunch Movie but with a mostly new cast.
- The Brady Bunch 35th Anniversary Reunion Special: Still Brady after All These Years, September 29, 2004. Reunion special featuring entire surviving cast, hosted by Jenny McCarthy.
- My Fair Brady, 2005. A reality TV series starring Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry (The first America's Next Top Model Winner) and their relationship post a stint on VH1's The Surreal Life. .
- Coming Together under One Roof, 2005. Sherwood Schwartz narrates this documentary about the creation of The Brady Bunch for the DVD release of the first season.
- Biography: The Brady Bunch, A&E Network, June 24, 2005. A&E's popular documentary program, having earlier profiled both Florence Henderson and Robert Reed, devotes an episode to the series.
- The Brady Bunch Cast Back in Hawaii, 2005. Florence Henderson, Barry Williams, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, and Susan Olsen go back to Hawaii and meet up with Don Ho.
- On June 6, 2008, a stage musical debuted in Los Angeles called A Very Brady Musical. The show was written by the Sherwood Schwartz's son Lloyd J. Schwartz and daughter Hope Juber (who also appeared in four episodes of the original series as Rachel, Greg's girlfriend).^ "Well, seeing as conservatism typically involves anti-intellectualism and anti-academic elitism, I don't expect you guys to come up with technological advances."
- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ And, seriously, the more people living together, well, you're using less per person of 'stuff.'- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Well, seeing as conservatism typically involves anti-intellectualism and anti-academic elitism, I don't expect you guys to come up with technological advances.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
The music was written by Hope and Laurence Juber. Lloyd Schwartz directed the production.[6]
- A Very Brady Reunion August 31, 2008. Barry Williams, Susan Olsen, and Mike Lookinland return to Kings Island for a 4 show special of song, dance, and Brady Bunch stories. [7]
Robert Reed vs. the producers
Robert Reed became increasingly jaded about appearing in the series, as he felt that his Shakespearean training would mean nothing if he became typecast in the "Mr. Brady" role. He frequently fought with producers to make changes in the show's scripts in order to remove what he felt were unbelievable scenes or dialogue. Despite his battles, he was allowed to direct several episodes, "The Winner" and "The Big Little Man" (1971), "How To Succeed In Business" and "Getting Greg's Goat" (1973).
Reed did not appear in a 1972 episode, "Goodbye Alice Hello," and his absence from this episode has never been explained. By the final season, his arguments with the producers led to his absence from the series finale, "The Hair-Brained Scheme", because he believed a key plot point – Bobby selling hair tonic from a disreputable supplier that turns Greg's hair orange – was too implausible to be believed.
.^ Growing up, I always said that I wanted to "have two and adopt one".- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Now, let's say they grow up and have kids.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
^ Eventually both our kids will grow up and leave the nest.- “The Brady Bunch” Revisited: Debating the Ideal Number of Children - On Parenting 16 January 2010 18:37 UTC voices.washingtonpost.com [Source type: General]
Williams cited in his autobiography the likelihood that Reed's character would have been killed off, or at least have his absence explained as being away on an "extended project," had
The Brady Bunch been renewed for a sixth season.
Despite these tensions, Reed went on to appear in all of the subsequent Brady reunion vehicles, including the much-ridiculed variety series.
Syndication
The Brady Bunch aired on many broadcast stations throughout the 1970s and into the 1990s. The show was aired on
TBS starting in the 1980s until 1997, on
Nick at Nite from 1998 to 2003, and on
TV Land from 2002 to 2009. The show will air on the
Hallmark Channel in 2010.
[citation needed]
Episodes
Season |
Ep # |
First Airdate |
Last Airdate |
Season 1 |
25 |
September 26, 1969 |
March 20, 1970 |
Season 2 |
24 |
September 27, 1970 |
March 20, 1971 |
Season 3 |
23 |
September 17, 1971 |
March 10, 1972 |
Season 4 |
23 |
September 22, 1972 |
March 23, 1973 |
Season 5 |
22 |
September 14, 1973 |
March 8, 1974 |
DVD releases
CBS DVD (distributed by
Paramount) released all five seasons (and a complete collection of the series) of
The Brady Bunch on DVD in
Region 1 from 2005 to 2007. The DVDs have since been released in other countries. The Complete Series is said to include
A Very Brady Christmas,
The Brady 500, and episodes of
The Brady Kids. The box art for the entire series features shag carpeting.
The first two seasons are also available on Region 2 DVD for the
Nordic countries, with audio in English and subtitle choices in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or Finnish.
[8][9]
DVD name |
Number of
episodes |
Release date |
The Complete First Season |
25 |
March 1, 2005 |
The Complete Second Season |
24 |
July 26, 2005 |
The Complete Third Season |
23 |
September 13, 2005 |
The Complete Fourth Season |
23 |
November 1, 2005 |
The Complete Fifth Season |
22 |
March 7, 2006 |
The Complete Series |
117 (with extras) |
April 3, 2007 |
See also
- It's a Sunshine Day: The Best of The Brady Bunch
- Tam Spiva, a Brady Bunch script writer
Notes
External links