The Brady Bunch

The Brady Bunch
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Sherwood Schwartz
Starring	Robert Reed Florence Henderson Ann B. Davis Maureen McCormick Eve Plumb Susan Olsen Barry Williams Christopher Knight Mike Lookinland
Theme music composer	Frank De Vol Sherwood Schwartz
Opening theme	"The Brady Bunch" performed by: Peppermint Trolley Company(season 1) The Brady Bunch Kids (seasons 2–5)
Composer	Frank De Vol
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No.of seasons	5
No.of episodes	117(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer	Sherwood Schwartz
Producers	Howard Leeds Sherwood Schwartz Lloyd J. Schwartz
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	25–26 minutes
Production companies	Redwood Productions Paramount Television
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	September 26, 1969(1969-09-26)– March 8, 1974(1974-03-08)
Related
The Brady Kids The Brady Bunch Hour

The Brady Bunchis an Americansitcomcreated bySherwood Schwartzthat aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, onABC.The series revolves around a largeblended familyof six children, with three boys and three girls. After its cancellation in 1974, the series debuted insyndicationin September 1975.Though it was never a ratings hit or a critical success during its original run, the program has since become a popular syndicated staple, especially among children and teenage viewers.

The Brady Bunch's success in syndication led to several television reunion films andspin-offseries:The Brady Bunch Hour(1976–77),The Brady Girls Get Married(1981),The Brady Brides(1981),A Very Brady Christmas(1988), andThe Bradys(1990). In 1995, the series was adapted into a satirical comedy theatrical film titledThe Brady Bunch Movie,followed byA Very Brady Sequelin 1996. A second sequel,The Brady Bunch in the White House,aired onFoxin November 2002 as amade-for-television film.

In 1997, "GettingDavy Jones"(season three, episode 12) was ranked number 37 onTV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time.The show's enduring popularity has resulted in its widespread recognition as an Americancultural icon.

Premise

Mike Brady (Robert Reed), a widowedarchitectwith three sons—Greg (Barry Williams), Peter (Christopher Knight), and Bobby (Mike Lookinland)—marries Carol Martin (Florence Henderson), who herself has three daughters: Marcia (Maureen McCormick), Jan (Eve Plumb), and Cindy (Susan Olsen). Mike and Carol adopt each other’s children and Carol and her daughters take the Brady surname. Included in the blended family are Mike's live-inhousekeeper,Alice Nelson (Ann B. Davis), and the boys' dog, Tiger. (In the pilot episode, the girls also have a pet: a cat named Fluffy who never appears in any other episodes). The setting is a large two-story house designed by Mike, located in a Los Angeles suburb.The show never addressed what happened to Carol's first husband.

In the first season, awkward adjustments, accommodations, gender rivalries, and resentments inherent in blended families dominate the storylines. In an early episode, Carol tells Bobby that the only "steps" in their household lead to the second floor (in other words, that the Bradys are not a "stepfamily", only "a family" ). Thereafter, episodes focus on typical teen andpreteenconcerns such assibling rivalry,puppy love,self-image,character building, responsibility,dating,school gradesand getting along in social company. Noticeably absent is anypolitical commentary,especially regarding theVietnam War,which was being waged at its largest extent during the height of the series.

Episodes

Main article:List of The Brady Bunch episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired	Network
1	25		September 26, 1969(1969-09-26)	March 20, 1970(1970-03-20)	ABC
2	24		September 25, 1970(1970-09-25)	March 19, 1971(1971-03-19)
3	23		September 17, 1971(1971-09-17)	March 10, 1972(1972-03-10)
4	23		September 22, 1972(1972-09-22)	March 23, 1973(1973-03-23)
5	22		September 14, 1973(1973-09-14)	March 8, 1974(1974-03-08)

Cast and characters

Main article:List of The Brady Bunch characters

Main

The regular cast appears in an opening title sequence in which video "headshots" are arranged in a three-by-three grid, with cast members appearing to look around at one another. The sequence used the then-new "multi-dynamic image technique"created by Canadian filmmakerChristopher Chapman;as a result of the popular attention it garnered in this sequence, it was referred to in the press as "the Brady Bunch effect".In a 2010 issue ofTV Guide,the show's opening title sequence ranked number eight on a list of TV's top-10 credits sequences, as selected by readers.

Cast ofThe Brady Bunchin the signature three-by-three grid featured in the show open. Click on a character for the actor's biography.

• Robert Reedas Mike Brady
• Florence Hendersonas Carol Brady
• Ann B. Davisas Alice Nelson
• Maureen McCormickas Marcia Brady
• Eve Plumbas Jan Brady
• Susan Olsenas Cindy Brady
• Barry Williamsas Greg Brady
• Christopher Knightas Peter Brady
• Mike Lookinlandas Bobby Brady

Recurring characters

• Sam Franklin (Allan Melvin) is Alice's boyfriend. He is the owner of a localbutchershop. Sam appears in only eight episodes, but they span all five seasons. He is also frequently mentioned in dialogue, and Alice occasionally goes on dates with him off-screen. By the time of the 1981 made-for-TV filmThe Brady Girls Get Married,Alice and Sam are married.
• Tiger the dog —the original dogthat played Tiger died early in the first season.A replacement dog proved problematic, so the producers decided the dog would appear only 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. Tiger seemingly vanished without an explanation and was not shown again after "The Impractical Joker" (last episode shown with Tiger) and "What Goes Up" (last episode made with Tiger); however, his doghouse remained in the back yard for the entire run of the series.
• Mr. Phillips (Jack Collins) is Mike's boss at the architectural firm. He appears only in season two, in three episodes, but is often mentioned in other episodes when work-related issues occur.
• Cousin Oliver (Robbie Rist) — in the middle of season five, producers added a new character named Oliver, Carol Brady's young nephew, who is sent to live with the Bradys while his parents are living in South America. The character was added in an attempt to fill the age gap left by the maturing Brady children — the youngest (Susan Olsen) was 12 years old during the show's final season. Lloyd Schwartz, son of creator and executive producer Sherwood Schwartz, later admitted that the character threw off the balance of the show. Fans disliked the character of Oliver, regarding him as an interloper. Oliver appears in the final six episodes of season five, which proved to be the final season, as ABC cancelled the series in 1974. The addition of the character has been cited as the moment the series "jumped the shark".The term "Cousin Oliver" has been used to describe the addition of a young character as an attempt to save a series from cancellation.

Notable guest stars

• Herbert Andersonas Dr. Cameron, a doctor who comes to treat the boys' measles in "Is There a Doctor in the House?" (season one).
• Melissa Sue Andersonplayed Millicent, a girl who gives Bobby his first kiss ( "Never Too Young", season five).
• Desi Arnaz Jr.meets Marcia, who wrote about him in her diary in "The Possible Dream" (season one).
• Jim Backusappears three times in the series, twice in two of the three Grand Canyon episodes, "Ghost Town U.S.A." and "Grand Canyon or Bust", playing Zaccariah T. Brown, who mistakenly thinks the Bradys are jumping his gold claim and locks them in a ghost-town jail; and in "The Hustler" (season five) playing Mike's second boss, Mr. Harry Matthews.
• Ken Berryplayed Ken Kelly, the Bradys' new neighbor who is the adoptive father of three diverse boys (black, white, and Asian) in the season five episode "Kelly's Kids". Sherwood Schwartz was attempting to sell aspin-offseries calledKelly's Kidsfeaturing Berry, but the show idea failed to interest ABC.
• Imogene Cocaplays the Brady girls' great-aunt Jenny, whom Jan fears she will grow up to resemble after seeing a childhood photo of her in "Jan's Aunt Jenny" (season three).
• Jackie Cooganplays Harry Duggan, a man who tries to get money out of Carol Brady by faking an injury after a minor parking lot fender-bender.
• Don Drysdaletries to inject reality into Greg's dreams of being a professionalbaseballplayer in "The Dropout" (season two).
• Don Homeets Cindy and Bobby and serenades Cindy inHonoluluin "Hawaii Bound" (part one of a three-part season-four episode), filmed on location in Hawaii.
• Davy Jones(ofThe Monkees) performs at a music studio and then takes Marcia to her school dance in "Getting Davy Jones" (season three). Decades later, Jones satirized his cameo inThe Brady Bunch Movie.
• Deacon Jonesencourages Peter's singing in "The Drummer Boy" (season two).
• Kym Karathas Kerry Hathaway, a girl Peter woos in "Cyrano de Brady" (season four).
• Bart La Rueplays a football coach in "The Drummer Boy" (season two) and "Click" (season three).
• E. G. Marshallis J.P. Randolph, Marcia's school principal, in "The Slumber Caper" (season two).
• Brigadier General James McDivitt(NASAastronaut) signs autographs for Peter and Bobby after appearing on a talk show in "Out of This World" (season five).
• Burt Mustinplays Jethroe Collins, the son of a victim ofJesse James,invited over by Mike Brady to help Bobby understand the truth about Jesse James.
• Joe Namathvisits Bobby after Cindy contacts him saying Bobby has a terminal illness in "Mail Order Hero" (season five).
• Denise Nickersonas Pamela Phillips, niece of Mike Brady's boss, Ed Phillips, whom Peter dates at Mike's request in "Two Petes in a Pod" (season five).
• Wes Parkermeets Mike and Greg in Greg's math classroom, thus curing Greg of the crush he had on his teacher Miss Linda O'Hara (played byGigi Perreau), Parker's fiancée in "The Undergraduate" (season one).
• Vincent Priceappears twice in the series in two of the three Hawaii episodes, "Pass the Tabu", and "The Tiki Caves" from season four, playing the villainous Professor Hubert Whitehead, who holds the Brady boys hostage.
• Marion Rossappears as Dr. Porter, a doctor who comes to treat the girls' measles in "Is There a Doctor in the House?" (season one).
• Natalie Schaferis Mike's fussy client, Penelope Fletcher, who is charmed by Cindy's impromptu 'Shirley Temple' routine in "The Snooperstar" (season five).
• Hal Smithappears as Santa Claus in "The Voice of Christmas" (season one), and as Kartoon King in "The Winner" (season two).
• Marcia Wallaceplays a salesclerk in "Would the Real Jan Brady Please Stand Up" (season two) and Mrs. Robbins in "Getting Davy Jones" (season three).
• Rita Wilsonbegan her career with a guest appearance in "Greg's Triangle" (season four) where she plays one of the candidates running against Marcia for head cheerleader.
• Paul Winchellappears as Skip Farnum, the TV commercial director in "And Now a Word From Our Sponsor" (season three).

Production

Development

In 1966, following the success of his TV seriesGilligan's Island,Sherwood Schwartz conceived the idea forThe Brady Bunchafter reading in theLos Angeles Timesthat "30% of marriages [in the United States] have a child or children from a previous marriage". He set to work on apilotscript for a series tentatively titledMine and Yours.Schwartz then developed the script to include three children for each parent. While Mike Brady is depicted as being a widower, Schwartz originally wanted the character of Carol Brady to have been a divorcée, but the network objected to this. A compromise was reached whereby Carol's marital status (whether she was divorced or widowed) was never directly revealed.

Schwartz shopped the series to the "big three" television networks of the era.ABC,CBS,andNBCall liked the script, but each network wanted changes before they would commit to filming, so Schwartz shelved the project.Although similarities exist between the series and two 1968 theatrical release films, United Artists'Yours, Mine and Ours(starringHenry FondaandLucille Ball) andCBS'sWith Six You Get Eggroll(starringBrian KeithandDoris Day), the original script forThe Brady Bunchpredated the scripts for both of these films. Nonetheless, the outstanding success ofYours, Mine and Ours(the 11th-highest-grossing film of 1968) was a factor in ABC's decision to order episodes for the series.

After receiving a commitment for 13 weeks of television shows from ABC in 1968, Schwartz hired film and television directorJohn Richto direct the pilot, then called "The Brady Brood", cast the six children from 264 interviews during that summer, and hired the actors to play the mother, father, and housekeeper roles.For the part of the father, Schwartz originally castBob Holiday,who was well known for portrayingSupermanin aBroadway musical,but since Holiday had little on-camera experience, network executives overrode Schwartz's decision and gave the role to TV veteranRobert Reed.As the sets were built onParamount Televisionstage 5, adjacent to the stage whereH.R. Pufnstufwas filmed bySid and Marty Krofft,who later producedThe Brady Bunch Hour,the production crew prepared the backyard of a home inSherman Oaks, Los Angeles,as the exterior location for the chaotic backyard wedding scene. Filming of the pilot began on Friday, October 4, 1968, and lasted eight days.

Theme song and credits sequence

The theme song, written by Schwartz andFrank De Vol,and originally arranged, sung, and performed by Paul Parrish, Lois Fletcher, and John Beland under the name thePeppermint Trolley Company,quickly communicated to audiences that the Bradys were a blended family.As described above, the Brady family is shown in a three-by-three grid, tic-tac-toe board-style graphic with Carol in the top center, Alice in the middle block, and Mike in the bottom center. To the right are three blocks with the boys from the oldest on top to the youngest. To the left are three blocks with the girls from the oldest to the youngest. In season two, the Brady kids took over singing the theme song. In season three, the boys sing the first verse, girls sing the second verse, and all sing together for the third and last verse. In season four, a new version is recorded with the same structure as the season three version, but in season five, the season three version returns. UtilizingChristopher Chapman's"multi-dynamic image technique",a version of which had famously appeared in the 1968 filmThe Thomas Crown Affair,the sequence was created and filmed byHoward A. Anderson Jr.,a visual effects pioneer who worked on the title sequences for many popular television series.The use of this innovation here became so familiar through the sitcom's popularity that it was referred to in the press as the "Brady Bunch effect".

The end credits feature an instrumental version of the theme song's third verse. In season one, it was recorded by the Peppermint Trolley Company. From season two on, the theme was recorded in-house by Paramount musicians.

The Brady house

The house built in 1959, byHarry M. Londelius Jr.,and used in exterior shots, is located inStudio City,within the city limits of Los Angeles. It originally bore little relation to the interior of the Bradys' on-screen home, but was gutted and renovated in 2018 to match the layout of the soundstage sets. According to a 1994 article in theLos Angeles Times,theSan Fernando Valleyhouse was built in 1959 and selected as the Brady residence because series creator Schwartz felt it looked like a home where an architect would live.A false window was attached to the front'sA-framesection to give the illusion that it had two full stories (the 2018/19 renovation installed a real window where the false one was in the TV show footage).Contemporary establishing shots of the house were filmed with the owner's permission for the 1990 TV seriesThe Bradys.The owner refused to allow Paramount to restore the property to its 1969 look forThe Brady Bunch Moviein 1995, so afacaderesembling the original home was built around an existing house.

The house was put up for sale, for the first time since 1973, in the summer of 2018 with an asking price of $1.885 million.Cable networkHGTVoutbid seven others for it, includingNSYNC'sLance Bass.HGTV has expanded the home for its original seriesA Very Brady Renovation,with the goal of recreating each of the interior rooms used in the TV series (which had only existed as a Paramount Studios set) while maintaining the original exterior look from the street, and to make it fully habitable (unlike the sets made on Paramount soundstage #5). The six actors who played the TV children, and who also actively participated in the 2018/19 renovation, posed for a photo in front on November 1 the same year.In May 2023, it was announced that HGTV was selling the house for $5.5 million.

In the series, the address of the house was given as 4222 Clinton Way (as read aloud by Carol from an arriving package in the first-season episode entitled "Lost Locket, Found Locket", and "Clinton Way" is clearly legible on Marcia's driver permit in the fifth-season episode "The Driver's Seat" ).Although no city was ever specified, it was presumed from references to theLos Angeles Dodgers,theLos Angeles Rams,and aHollywoodfilm studio, among many others, that the Bradys lived inSouthern California,most likely Los Angeles or one of its suburbs.

The interior sets of the Brady house were used at least three times for other Paramount TV shows whileThe Brady Bunchwas still in production: twice forMannixand once forMission: Impossible.In the case ofMission: Impossible,the Brady furniture was also used.A re-creation of the Brady house was constructed for theX-Filesepisode "Sunshine Days",which also revolved aroundThe Brady Bunch.

Broadcast and syndication

Since its first syndicated airing in September 1975, an episode of the show has been broadcast somewhere in the United States and abroad every day of the year.Episodes were also shown onABC Daytimefrom July 9, 1973, to April 18, 1975, and from June 30 to August 29, 1975, at 11:30 a.m. EST/10:30 CST.

The show aired onTBSstarting in the 1980s until 1997,Nickelodeon(as part of theNick at Niteblock in 1995 for a special event, and again from 1998 to 2003 and briefly during the spring of 2012),Noggin(as part ofThe Nblock from March to April 2004),TV Landfrom 2002 to 2015,Nick Jr. Channel(as part of theNickMomblock from 2012 to 2013), andHallmark Channelfrom January to June 2013 and again starting September 5–30, 2016.

Current airings

U.S.

Since its national launch in 2010, theWeigel Broadcasting–owned classic-TV networkMeTVhas aired a weekly block of the show every Sunday morning promoted as the "Brady Bunch Brunch".MeTV's sister networkCatchy Comedyairs the show weekday mornings.

International

InWest Germany,the show premiered on ZDF under the nameDrei Mädchen und drei Jungen( "Three Girls and Three Boys" ) on August 8, 1971, with episode six "A Clubhouse Is Not a Home", and was shown on Sunday afternoons until halfway through Season 4, culminating with episode 77 "Cyrano De Brady" on October 5, 1974.Some episodes were omitted. From 1984 to 1998, reruns would sporadically occur onSat.1.The later reunion show, "The Brady Girls Get Married/The Brady Brides" would be broadcast on ZDF asEine Reizende Familie( "A Lovely Family" ) from October 18, 1984, to January 10, 1985.The second half of Season 4, Season 5 and the omitted episodes would not premiere before 1997 on Comedy & Co.

In Italy, under a RAI-Paramount deal, eight episodes were broadcast on Programma Nazionale (today RAI 1) from April 27 to June 15, 1973 under the nameAlbum di famiglia.In the late-70s, it would be shown again in Italian dub on Swiss and Istrian networks.Years later, RAI bought the distribution rights again, and the show began airing on Rai 1 and later Rai 3 under the nameLa famiglia Brady(The Brady Family) starting on March 11, 1987.It was later bought by Fininvest, that aired it on Italia 1 from July 9, 1990 and on Canale 5 from January 5, 1991.

ITVbroadcast the show in a number of United Kingdom regions, includingThames,Granada,Tyne Tees,GrampianandUlsterfrom 1975 to 1982.

Streaming

The Brady Bunchis also available throughvideo-on-demandservicesHuluandParamount+,although neither streamer offers the complete collection of episodes in its entirety. It was shown dubbed in Argentina under the name “La tribu Brady”.

Home media

Paramount Home Entertainmentreleased all five seasons on DVD inRegion 1from 2005 to 2006, beforeCBS Home Entertainmenttook over DVD rights to theParamount Televisionlibrary (though CBS DVD releases are still distributed by Paramount). Paramount/CBS has released the series on DVD in other countries as well.

In April 2007, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment released the complete seriesbox set,which includes the TV filmsA Very Brady Christmasand "The Brady 500" (an episode ofThe Bradys), as well as two episodes ofThe Brady Kidsanimated series. The box art for this set features greenshag carpetingand 1970s-style wood paneling.

8 years later on April 7, 2015, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment re-released the complete series box set, a repackaged version at a lower price, but it does not include the bonus disc that was part of the original complete series release.

The TV filmA Very Brady Christmaswas released as a stand-alone DVD in Region 1 on October 10, 2017.

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the original series, CBS/Paramount releasedThe Brady-est Brady Bunch TV & Movie Collectionin Region 1 on June 4, 2019.The collection contains every episode ofThe Brady Bunch,The Brady Kids,The Brady Brides,andThe Bradys,as well as the filmsA Very Brady Christmas,The Brady Bunch Movie,A Very Brady Sequel,The Brady Bunch in the White House,andGrowing Up Brady.

The first two seasons are also available on Region 2 DVD for the UK, with audio in English and subtitle choices inNorwegian,Swedish,Danish,orFinnish.

The series has also been released onVHS.

DVD name	Episodes	Release dates
		Region 1	Region 2	Region 4	DVD Special Features
The Complete First Season	25	March 1, 2005	August 27, 2007	September 19, 2007	Audio Commentary on 4 Selected Episodes. 15 min Behind the scenes Feature Special features are on the Region 1 release only
The Complete Second Season	24	July 26, 2005	March 24, 2008	March 6, 2008	None
The Complete Third Season	23	September 13, 2005	N/A	September 4, 2008	None
The Complete Fourth Season	23	November 1, 2005	N/A	April 2, 2009	None
The Complete Final Season	22	March 7, 2006	N/A	June 18, 2009	None
The Complete Series	117 (with extras)	April 3, 2007 April 7, 2015 (re-release)	N/A	N/A	Audio Commentary on 4 Selected (Season One) Episodes. 15 min Behind the scenes Feature (Season One) A Very Brady Christmas "The Brady 500" Two episodes ofThe Brady Kids
The Brady Kids: The Complete Series	22	February 16, 2016	N/A	August 6, 2016	Episode Promos
A Very Brady Christmas	Film	October 10, 2017	N/A	N/A	None
The Brady-est Brady Bunch TV & Movie Collection	50th Anniversary Collection	June 4, 2019	N/A	N/A	The Brady Bunch: The Complete Series The Brady Kids: The Complete Series The Brady Brides: The Complete Series A Very Brady Christmas The Bradys: The Complete Series The Brady Bunch Movie A Very Brady Sequel The Brady Bunch in the White House Growing Up Brady

Reception

U.S. television ratings

Season	Episodes		Originally aired		Rank (Nielsen ratings)	Rating
			First aired	Last aired
1	25		September 26, 1969(1969-09-26)	March 20, 1970(1970-03-20)	56	14.9
2	24		September 25, 1970(1970-09-25)	March 19, 1971(1971-03-19)	N/A	N/A
3	23		September 17, 1971(1971-09-17)	March 10, 1972(1972-03-10)	31	19.3
4	23		September 22, 1972(1972-09-22)	March 23, 1973(1973-03-23)	45	17.8
5	22		September 14, 1973(1973-09-14)	March 8, 1974(1974-03-08)	54	16.1

Ratings data prior to 1972 is scarce for shows that did not place in the Top 30. Beginning in 2017, The TV Ratings Guide began publishing vintage television ratings as they became readily available from old newspaper publishings. Season 4 ratings came fromVarietyyear-end rankings dated May 30, 1973.The Brady Bunchearned steady ratings during its primetime run (but never placed in the top 30 during the five years it aired) and was cancelled in 1974 after five seasons and 117 episodes; it was cancelled shortly after the series crossed theminimum thresholdforsyndication.At that point in the storyline, Greg graduated from high school and was about to enroll in college.

Awards and honors

The Brady Bunchwas not an award-winning show at the time of its original broadcast in the 1970s. The series and its cast and crew were not nominated for an award until 1989, whenBarry Williamswas honored with theFormer Child Star Lifetime Achievement Awardat the10th Youth in Film Awards.

All other awards and nominations for the series have come from theTV Land Awards:

TV Land Awards

Year	Category	Recipient	Result
2003	Hippest Fashion Plate – Male	Barry Williams	Nominated
	Favorite Dual-Role Character	Christopher Knight (as Peter Brady and Arthur)	Nominated
	Funniest Food Fight	The Brady Pie Fight on the Paramount Lot	Nominated
	Favorite Guest Performance by a Musician on a TV Show	Davy Jones	Won
	Most Memorable Male Guest Star in a Comedy as Himself	Joe Namath	Won
2004	Favorite Fashion Plate – Male	Barry Williams	Nominated
	Most Memorable Mane	Susan Olsen	Nominated
	Favorite Made-for-TV Maid	Ann B. Davis	Won
2005	Theme Song You Just Cannot Get out of Your Head	The Brady Bunchtheme	Nominated
	Best Dream Sequence	Episode: "Love and the Older Man", in which Marcia has a crush on her dentist.	Nominated
	Favorite Two-Parter/Cliffhanger	For the Greg Brady surfboard accident.	Nominated
	Favorite Singing Siblings	Williams, McCormick, Knight, Plumb, Lookinland, Olsen	Nominated
2006	Best Dream Sequence	Episode: "Love and the Older Man", in which Marcia has a crush on her dentist.	Nominated
	Favorite Made-for-TV Maid	Ann B. Davis	Won
	Favorite TV Food	Pork chops and applesauce.	Won
2007	Most Beautiful Braces	Maureen McCormick	Nominated
	Pop Culture Award	Williams, McCormick, Knight, Plumb, Lookinland, Olsen, Davis, Henderson, Lloyd J. Schwartz (producer)	Won

Discography

During the series' original run, the six Brady kids recorded several albums on Paramount's record label, all credited to "The Brady Bunch". Note that Florence Henderson and Robert Reed did not participate in these recordings, and are not pictured on the album sleeves.

Whilesession musiciansprovided backing, the actors from the series provided their own singing voices (which was not always the case for early 1970s television crossover acts). In addition, Chris Knight & Maureen McCormick issued a duet LP in 1973, and five of the six Brady kids also released solo singles between 1970 and 1974; only Susan Olsen did not. None of the singles from The Brady Bunch, or any single or album from the assorted spin-off acts, ever became hits on any national musiccharts.The group's 1972 albumMeet The Brady Bunchwas their only charting release, hitting #108 on Billboard's album charts.

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		US	US Cashbox	US RW
Merry Christmas from the Brady Bunch	Released: November 2, 1970 Label: Paramount Format:LP,8-track,cassette	—	—	—
Meet the Brady Bunch	Released: April 17, 1972 Label: Paramount Format: LP, 8-track, cassette	108	66	107
The Kids from the Brady Bunch	Released: December 4, 1972 Label: Paramount Format: LP, 8-track	—	—	—
The Brady Bunch Phonographic Album	Released: June 18, 1973 Label: Paramount Format: LP, 8-track	—	—	—
Chris Knight & Maureen McCormick (Chris KnightandMaureen McCormickduet album)	Released: September 14, 1973 Label: Paramount Format: LP	—	—	—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

List of albums, showing relevant details

Title	Album details
It's a Sunshine Day: The Best of the Brady Bunch	Released: March 2, 1993 Label: MCA(MCA 10764) Format: CD

Singles

Also includes solo singles as indicated.

Title	Year	Album
"Frosty the Snowman"	1970	Merry Christmas from the Brady Bunch
"How Will It Be?"(Eve Plumb)		Non-album single
"Sweet Sweetheart"(Barry Williams)	1971
"Time to Change"	1972	Meet the Brady Bunch
"We'll Always Be Friends"
"Over and Over"(Chris Knight)		Non-album single
"Candy (Sugar Shoppe)"		The Kids from the Brady Bunch
"Zuckerman's Famous Pig"	1973	The Brady Bunch Phonographic Album
"Truckin' Back to You"(Maureen McCormick)		Non-album single
"Everything I Do"		The Brady Bunch Phonographic Album
"Little Bird (Sing Your Song)"(Maureen McCormick)		Chris Knight & Maureen McCormick
"Love's in the Roses"(Maureen McCormick)	1974	Non-album single
"Love Doesn't Care Who's in It"(Mike Lookinland)

Spin-offs, sequels, and reunions

Severalspin-offs,andsequels,and reality series to the original series have been made, featuring all or most of the original cast. These include another sitcom, an animated series, a variety show, television films, a dramatic series, a stage play, theatrical films, and a reality series.

Kelly's Kids/Together We Stand/Nothing Is Easy

A final-seasonBrady Bunchepisode, "Kelly's Kids", was intended as a pilot for a prospective spin-off series of the same name.Ken Berrystarred 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. One of the adopted sons was played by Todd Lookinland, the younger brother of Mike Lookinland. WhileKelly's Kidswas not subsequently picked up as a full series, producer Sherwood Schwartz reworked the basic premise for the short-lived 1980s sitcomTogether We StandstarringElliott GouldandDee Wallace.

The Brady Kids

Main article:The Brady Kids

A 22-episode animatedSaturday morning cartoonseries, produced byFilmationand airing on ABC from September 1972 to August 1974, is about the Brady kids having various adventures.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 (Merlin) which could do magic, and an ordinary pet dog (Mop Top). The first 17 episodes featured the voices of all six of the original child actors from the show, but Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, and Christopher Knight were replaced for the last five episodes due to a contract dispute.

The Brady Bunch Variety Hour

Main article:The Brady Bunch Hour

On November 28, 1976, a one-hourtelevision specialentitledThe Brady Bunch Variety Houraired on ABC.Eve Plumbwas the only regular cast member from the original show who declined to be in the series and the role of Jan was recast withGeri Reischl.Produced bySid and Marty Krofft,the sibling team behindH.R. Pufnstuf,Donny and Marie,and other variety shows and children's series of the era, the show was intended to air every fifth week in the same slot asThe Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries,but ended up being scheduled sporadically throughout the season, leading to inconsistent ratings and its inevitable cancellation.

In 2009,Brady Bunchcast member Susan Olsen, with Lisa Sutton, published a book,Love to Love You Bradys,which dissects and celebrates theVariety Houras a cult classic.

The Brady Girls Get Married/The Brady Brides

The Brady Bunch
Also known as	The Brady Brides
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Sherwood Schwartz Lloyd J. Schwartz
Directed by	Peter Baldwin
Starring	Maureen McCormick Eve Plumb Jerry Houser Ron Kuhlman Florence Henderson Ann B. Davis Keland Love
Theme music composer	Frank De Vol
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No.of seasons	1
No.of episodes	10
Production
Executive producers	Sherwood Schwartz Lloyd J. Schwartz
Producer	John Thomas Lenox
Production locations	Paramount Studios,Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Cinematography	Lester Shorr
Running time	25 minutes
Production companies	Redwood Productions Paramount Television
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	February 6(1981-02-06)– April 17, 1981(1981-04-17)
Related
The Brady Bunch Hour A Very Brady Christmas The Brady Bunch

A TV reunion film calledThe Brady Girls Get Marriedwas produced in 1981. Although scheduled to be shown in its original full-length film format, NBC decided at the last minute to divide it into half-hour segments and show one part a week for three weeks. The fourth week debuted a spin-off sitcom titledThe Brady Brides,which carried on from where the reunion film left off. The film featured the entire original cast; this proved to be the only time the entire cast worked together on a single project following the cancellation of the original series (the complete surviving cast also appeared in these official projects together:Brady Bunch Home Moviesfrom 1995,The Brady Bunch 35th Anniversary Reunion Special: Still Brady After All These Yearsfrom 2004, as well as various reunion programs in 2019 for the 50th anniversary). The film's opening credits featured the season-one "Grid" and theme song, with the addition ofThe Brady Girls Get Marriedtitle.The film shows what the characters had been doing since the original series ended: Mike is still an architect, Carol is a real-estate agent, Greg is a doctor, Marcia is a fashion designer, Peter is in the Air Force, Jan is also an architect, Bobby and Cindy are in college, and Alice has married Sam. Eventually, they all reunite for Marcia and Jan's double wedding.

The Brady BridesfeaturesMaureen McCormickandEve Plumbreprising their respective roles as Marcia and Jan Brady. The series begins with Marcia and Jan and their new husbands buying a house and living together. The clashes between Jan's uptight and conservative husband, Philip Covington III (a college professor in science who is several years older than Jan, played by Ron Kuhlman) and Marcia's slovenly and morebohemianhusband, Wally Logan (a fun-loving salesman for a large toy company, played byJerry Houser), were the pivot on which many of the stories were based, not unlikeThe Odd Couple.Florence HendersonandAnn B. Davisalso appeared regularly. 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 Eubanksguest-starred as himself in an episode where the two couples appear onThe Newlywed Game.

Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s,The Brady Girls Get Marriedwas rerun on various networks in its original full-length film format.

In 2019, the series was released on DVD for the first time as a part ofThe Brady-est Brady Bunch TV & Movie Collection.

Episodes (1981)

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"The Brady Girls Get Married (Part 1)"	February 6, 1981(1981-02-06)
Marcia and Jan announce that they are both getting married and plans soon begin for a double wedding. Note: This was the final time that the original cast of The Brady Bunch was all together.
2	"The Brady Girls Get Married (Part 2)"	February 13, 1981(1981-02-13)
Jan and Philip want a traditional wedding, and Marcia and Wally want a modern wedding.
3	"The Brady Girls Get Married (Part 3)"	February 20, 1981(February 20, 1981)
The weather spells disaster for an outdoor wedding, so they end up having the ceremony inside the Brady house.
4	"Living Together"	March 6, 1981(1981-03-06)
After all the houses they see are too expensive, Marcia, Jan and their husbands decide to share a house.
5	"Gorilla of My Dreams"	March 13, 1981(1981-03-13)
Marcia and Jan get some self-defense lessons from their mother, while a thief attempts to burglarize their home.
6	"The Newlywed Game"	March 20, 1981(1981-03-20)
Game-show hostBob Eubanksasks Marcia and Jan to appear onThe Newlywed Gamewith their new husbands.
7	"The Mom Who Came to Dinner"	March 27, 1981(1981-03-27)
Carol temporarily moves in with her newly wedded daughters and their husbands while Mike is out of town.
8	"The Siege"	April 3, 1981(1981-04-03)
Wally's guilt over parking tickets causes him to panic when a policeman visits the house, so he decides to impersonate Philip.
9	"Cool Hand Phil"	April 10, 1981(1981-04-10)
Philip tries to change his image by dressing and acting "hip".
10	"A Pretty Boy is Like a Melody"	April 17, 1981(1981-04-17)
Marcia is forced to use Wally and Philip in her fashion show after her models go on strike.

A Very Brady Christmas

Main article:A Very Brady Christmas

A second TV reunion film,A Very Brady Christmas,aired in December 1988 on CBS and features most of the regular cast (exceptSusan Olsen,who was on her honeymoon at the time of filming; the role of Cindy was played byJennifer Runyon), as well as three grandchildren, Peter's girlfriend, Valerie, and the spouses of Greg, Marcia, and Jan (Nora, Wally, and Phillip, respectively).TheNielsen ratingsforA Very Brady Christmaswere the highest of any television film that season for CBS.

The Bradys

Main article:The Bradys

Due to the success ofA Very Brady Christmas,CBS askedBrady Bunchcreator Sherwood Schwartz and son Lloyd to create a new series for the network. According to Lloyd Schwartz, he and his father initially balked at the idea because they felt a new series would harm the Brady franchise. They finally relented because CBS was "desperate for programming". A new series featuring the Brady clan was created entitledThe Bradys.All originalBrady Bunchcast members returned for the series, except forMaureen McCormick(Marcia), who was replaced withLeah Ayres.

As withA Very Brady Christmas,The Bradysalso balanced elements of comedy and drama and featured storylines of a more serious nature than the original series and subsequent spin-offs. Lloyd Schwartz later said he comparedThe Bradysto another dramedy of the time,thirtysomething.The two-hour series premiere episode aired on February 9, 1990, at 9 pm on CBS and initially drew respectable ratings. Subsequent episodes were moved to 8 pm, where ratings quickly declined. Due to the decline, CBS cancelled the series after six episodes.

Day by Day:"A Very Brady Episode"

TheDay by Dayepisode titled "A Very Brady Episode" (February 5, 1989), on NBC, reunited six of the originalBrady Bunchcast members:Robert Reed,Florence Henderson,Ann B. Davis,Christopher Knight,Mike LookinlandandMaureen McCormick.

Bradymania: A Very Brady Special

A one-hour TV specialretrospectiveofThe Brady Bunchhosted byFlorence Hendersonwho introduces a montage of various episodes of the original series, and also examines the show's phenomenal after-life, illustrated by clips from spin-offs and other incarnations of the series. Also, cast membersChristopher Knight,Susan Olsen,Mike Lookinland,Barry Williams,Ann B. Davis,and creatorSherwood Schwartzreflect on the impact of the show on their lives. Directed byMalcolm Leo,the special was originally broadcast onABCon May 19, 1993.

A Very Brady Renovation

Main article:A Very Brady Renovation

Christopher Knight,Mike Lookinland,Maureen McCormick,Susan Olsen,Eve Plumb,andBarry Williamsreunited for the 2019HGTVseriesA Very Brady Renovation,which follows a full renovation (interior mostly) of the real house, used for the sitcom's exterior shots, into the fictional Brady house.

Chopped

In conjunction with the Renovation series, in the autumn of 2019,The Food Networkaired two episodes of their programChoppedwith the siblings as guest judges. Season 43, episode 3 - "Brady Bunch Bash" features Williams, Plumb, and Lookinland judging meals made from Hawaiian ingredients.Season 43, episode 4 - "A Very Brady Chopped" features McCormick, Knight, and Olsen judging meals from "groovy" ingredients of the '70s.

A Very Brady Musical

In October 2020,Ogunquit Playhousedid a live stream broadcast ofA Very Brady Musical,a brand new musical adventure for the stage created byLloyd J. Schwartz(son of Brady Bunch creatorSherwood Schwartz), Hope Juber (book/lyrics), andLaurence Juber(music/lyrics) and directed by Richard Israel. It was co-produced by Ogunquit Playhouse, Purple Mountain Productions, and Broadway and Beyond Theatricals. More in the vein of the Brady films, this PG-13 story follows the Brady kids’ misadventures when they come to the mistaken conclusion that Mike and Carol are headed for divorce. After consulting Alice, the kids raise money to pay for marriage counseling, learning valuable lessons along the way, as their respective well-intentioned ideas land them in outrageous trouble.Barry WilliamsandChristopher Knightwere on hand for a post-show question and answer session on all things Brady.

Dragging the Classics: The Brady Bunch

On June 30, 2021, streaming serviceParamount+celebrated Pride Month with the premiere of acrossover specialcombiningThe Brady Bunchand the reality television seriesRuPaul's Drag Race.In the crossover event, originalBradycast members and formerDrag Racecompetitors come together to recreate aBrady Bunchepisode.Christopher KnightandMike Lookinlandreprise their roles of Peter and Bobby Brady, respectively, while the original Greg Brady,Barry Williams,switches parts to play family patriarch Mike; Greg Brady is portrayed byDrag RaceSeason 6andAll Stars 3competitorBenDeLaCreme.Season 6 winnerBianca Del Riofills the role of mother Carol Brady, and daughters Marcia, Jan, and Cindy are portrayed byAll Stars 5winnerShea Couleé,season 2andAll Stars 6competitorKylie Sonique Love,andseason 13runner-upKandy Muse,respectively.Season 11Miss CongenialityNina Westappears as housekeeper Alice Nelson.

The special, which recreates the season two episode "Will the Real Jan Brady Please Stand Up?", also contains cameos byDrag RacejudgesRuPaulandMichelle Visage,who appear as employees of a wig shop that Jan patronizes. The original Jan and Cindy Brady,Eve PlumbandSusan Olsen,also appear as children who are guests at the birthday party.

The Real Brady Bros: Podcast

In January 2022, Christopher Knight and Barry Williams published their new podcast The Real Brady Bros. The weekly podcast recaps episodes ofThe Brady Bunch.Eve Plumb, Susan Olsen and Mike Lookinland have guested to discuss episodes in which they have featured.

Unmade revival

In October 2024,Susan Olsenclaimed on a political podcast that due to her right-wing political views, in 2022, a planned Brady Bunch revival, which would have picked up with the Brady Bunch children as adults, was cancelled.Olsen alleged that Lloyd J. Schwartz questioned her about her political views, and due to her behavior, the project died in early stages and it was unclear whether even a script had been written. Reportedly, in the series, Cindy was going to be a libertarian podcaster. According to Olsen, the project was "dead in the water".

Film adaptations

Twenty years following the conclusion of the original series, a film adaptation,The Brady Bunch Movie,went into production and was released in 1995 fromParamount Pictures.The film is set in the present day (1990s) and the Bradys, still living their lives as if it were the 1970s, are unfamiliar with their surroundings. It starsGary ColeandShelley Longas Mike and Carol Brady, withChristopher Daniel Barnes(Greg),Christine Taylor(Marcia), Paul Sutera (Peter),Jennifer Elise Cox(Jan),Jesse Lee(Bobby),Olivia Hack(Cindy),Henriette Mantel(Alice), and cameo appearances fromAnn B. Davisas a long-haul truck driver,Barry Williamsas a record label executive,Christopher Knightas a Westdale High gym teacher,RuPaulas a guidance counselor, andFlorence Hendersonas Carol's mother.Mike Lookinland,Susan OlsenandMaureen McCormickappear in deleted scenes.

A sequel,A Very Brady Sequel,was released in 1996. The cast of the first film returned for the sequel. Another sequel,The Brady Bunch in the White House,was made-for-television and aired onFoxin 2002.Gary ColeandShelley Longreturned for the third film, while the Brady kids and Alice were recast.

The third episode of theDisney+miniseriesWandaVision,"Now in Color",pays homage to 1970s sitcoms, includingThe Brady Bunch,and uses a similar intro for the virtualWandaVisionin-show program.

See also

• It's a Sunshine Day: The Best of The Brady Bunch
• Tam Spiva,aBrady Bunchscript writer
• Christmas with The Brady Bunch,an album released by Paramount Records in 1970

External links

• Official website
• The Brady BunchatIMDb
• "The Brady Bunch Cast: Where are they now?"- ABC News, 2010 (includes some editorial errors)
• The Brady BunchatThe Interviews: An Oral History of Television
• The Real Brady Bros on Apple Podcasts- The Real Brady Bros Podcast