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Here’s the story of a lovely lady, a man named Brady — and a TV sitcom that is still an American TV classic 50 years later.
“The Brady Bunch,” which premiered on ABC on Sept. 26, 1969, has been at turns maligned, beloved, mocked and praised for its kitschy portrayal of a blended California family in the turbulent 1970s.
The show followed the adventures of six step-siblings (Greg, Marcia, Jan, Peter, Mike and Cindy) growing up under the wise and watchful eyes of their dad, Mike Brady, mom, Carol Brady, and their wise-cracking live-in maid, Alice.
Thanks to re-runs, parodies (“Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!”), films — even home-improvement shows — it seems like we’ve never stopped living next door to the madcap clan.
“It was a very nice, safe, fun show, knowing that nothing scary was going to happen and that problems would be solved in 20 minutes,” says Eve Plumb, who played middle daughter Jan. “It was familiar — like a chocolate chip cookie.”
In honor of a half a century of “Brady Bunch” history, The Post has organized an exclusive Brady family reunion with members of the original cast.
We’ve sat down with actors Barry Williams (Greg), Maureen McCormick (Marcia), Christopher Knight (Peter), Eve Plumb (Jan), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy), who have agreed to share their memories about what it was like working on the legendary show, which influenced a generation to never lie about breaking a vase and to avoid being hit in the face with a football before a big date at all costs.
Favorite moments from the show:
Williams: When we went to Hawaii [for the trilogy episode “Hawaii Bound”]. The only thing I’ve been longer than a Brady is a surfer. I had to talk them into letting me do my own surfing, and the amazing thing, for the two days we filmed that [episode], the beach was rented by our company from the state, so everyone that was out there surfing with me was a paid extra, which gave me a lot of juice and priority on the waves. I was like, “Hey, guys, I’ll grab this one, the cameras are rolling.” That was an extraordinary teenage experience which has become a lifetime memory.
McCormick: I loved doing the episode [“The Show Must Go On”] with Florence where we sang “Together Wherever We Go,” where we were two hobos. I also loved the “Father of the Year” episode — I always looked up to Bob [Reed] as a father figure, and my father was just such an important part of my life … so that meant a lot to me. I loved doing the episodes with Desi Arnaz Jr. [“The Possible Dream”] and Davy Jones [“Getting Davy Jones”]. They all have special memories.
Lookinland: I like the episode where Greg had to make a movie for his high school history class [“The Un-Underground Movie”] and we were pilgrims and Indians. We got to dress up and do stuff and be in slow motion and do fake fights.
Olsen: Going to Hawaii. Robert Reed actually showed up at the airport when we arrived and when we got to the hotel I said, “Oh no, it’s raining” — I wanted to go swimming — and he said, “Don’t worry about it, Susan, everybody here swims in the rain.” I didn’t swim very well and my mom was fine letting Bob take care of me and I’m on his shoulders in the ocean and all rest of the Bradys are there and we’re watching people go, “Is that Bobby? Is that Cindy? It’s Mike and Carol!” Soon we had all these people around us going, “They must be a real family” and I felt very proud that they thought that.
Lookinland: Bobby was the last of the nine regulars cast. They had trouble finding Bobby. One thing I do recall, after I had been cast … I was led into a room full of people and someone, most likely Sherwood [Schwartz], said, “Mike, this is your new family.” All the other cast members, including Ann B. Davis, were present in that room, and it was kind of a strange situation for a child to hear. My new family, huh? Whatever that means. But it certainly came to mean something over the years, that’s for sure.
Who were you closest to during the show’s run?
Knight: It was Mike [Lookinland]. I’m a little Huck Finn-ish and was looking to explore, and he was my little explorer buddy, although he always fashioned himself to be an adult. Only later in the show or even after did we the show we become closer and closer friends. He always cracked me up and was always great company. I would consider him my closest buddy. If I got into a little bit of trouble, it’s probably because I was trying to drag him into a little bit of trouble. I teased Maureen [McCormick] mercilessly. She couldn’t be more different from me — she was so prissy and nice and clean, and I needed to dirty her up.
Olsen: It was Mike. He’s my favorite. I named my son after him. And also Eve, because I looked up to her and I already had a sister who was the same age as Maureen, so that was covered. Eve was closer to my age so it was easier for me to look up to her and I did — because she was very, very cool.
Lookinland: No question is was Chris Knight. We had sleepovers at each other’s houses. Susan and I were very buddy-buddy and hung out together. She has a real sick sense of humor and I thought, “She’s a little off” and I thought it was my duty to keep her laughing. So we hit it off on that basis.
Williams: I was romantically interested in Maureen. I’d say I was closest to Robert Reed and Florence Henderson, and through the years I’d say Chris Knight. We’ve probably shared the most mutual experiences — weddings, dates, camping, hanging out. Just being together.
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How did “The Brady Bunch” impact your career?
Olsen: The whole attitude was, “Oh, you were on that show,” like as if I had written it. It just wasn’t taken seriously; it was totally disrespected, and as a result we were disrespected. I was in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts … realizing the only thing people really saw me for were for roles like Cindy all grown up, which I really didn’t want to play. Then, suddenly, the people who grew up on the show started coming into their own and being adults. I think first time I realized ‘The Brady Bunch’ was cool was when I met the singer from the Black Crowes, who came running up to me and said, “Oh my gosh, our drummer would be crying if he was here because he has an ‘I Saw The Brady Bunch Live in Concert’ picture on his wall.” Suddenly being cool with rock stars made a whole difference to me.
Williams: I realized some people would or would not cast me because I was Greg Brady. The good news for me was that Greg could conceivably grow up to become anything. I moved to New York immediately after the show and auditioned for Bob Fosse for the title role in “Pippin.” I was cast to do the first national tour of show, and I was invited to join the Broadway cast. With “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour” … I thought I’d have a better opportunity to launch a music career on a TV show than I did on Broadway and that’s been the story ever since. I’ve had a thriving career over the last 54 years.
McCormick: When I was cast on “The Brady Bunch” I believe I was 12. I feel like I’ve been really lucky [since then] and given the opportunity to do Movies of the Week like “The Barbara Mandrell Story” and “The Idolmaker.” I did a movie with Patrick Swayze [“Skatetown, USA”] and did lots of indie Westerns.
Knight: I was a a young leading man and wanted to get beyond that, but at the same time I had the feeling I was being tethered to the show and it was going to create a burden in being considered a serious adult. But it became this thing that I owe everything to … what is really has provided is this wholeness with this community that’s huge. I’m a member of everyone’s family and that engenders this great outpouring of brotherhood and love.
Why does the series resonate 50 years later?
McCormick: The bottom line is that it was about love, coming together, working out innocent problems people had, and a lot of them were basic problems that still exist. We all kind of celebrated working it out together, and I think we all really loved each other — there was a genuine love for all people on show, and I think that resonates.
Knight: I think it’s now a a nostalgia thing, but initially it was a child’s show for children to tap into — and then it became nostalgia as soon as people got old enough to look on what the consumed as a child — we’re doing that right now. Regardless of whatever generation you are … it’s the same loop for everyone, regardless of their era. “The Brady Bunch” has never not been around.
Williams: This is Monday-morning quarterbacking, but what is unique about “The Brady Bunch” is that it came along at a time when the entire complexion of TV was changing with entry of cable. Our show went into strip syndication on the local and major networks before we finished filming … and since then it’s never been off the air, ever — and that’s unique. “The Andy Griffith Show” and “I Love Lucy” are really the only two shows that have had this kind of consistent run.
How did the series impact your life?
Lookinland: Practically the whole theme of the show from the beginning was a blonde mother and her three blonde daughters and a brunette father and three dark-haired boys. That was the fundamental premise of the show. I had kind of strawberry blond hair and when they cast me they told me I’d have to dye my hair. I didn’t like it and I recall it being very weird for me. No one ever really presented the hair color thing to me in that light and it was very strange for a 9-year-old boy to go to school one morning with red hair then show up on Monday with jet-black hair.
Olsen: I was teased unmercilessly. I know about bullying. But I had really good parents who gave me a lot of wisdom and at least I knew I wasn’t being bullied because I had club foot, but I was being bullied because [other kids] were jealous. One time I was riding my bike around the neighborhood and saw group of kids playing on big mound of dirt and I wanted to go play with them. I thought, “No, they won’t want me to play with them because I’m Cindy freakin’ Brady. I thought, “Wait a minute, I’ve lived in this neighborhood longer than any of them have — I have just as much right to that mound of dirt than they do. So I got up my nerve and rode my bike over to them and tried to play with them and they started throwing dirt at me saying “Brady brat go home!” I thought, “Wait a minute, I’m on a TV show and I have so much fun — I don’t blame them for being jealous and I’d rather be on that TV show than playing on a mound of dirt. So let them have their dirt.” This only happened with kids that didn’t know me; my friends at school always defended me and would even get in fights for me.
Was getting on a network TV show a big deal for you at the time?
Plumb: I had already been working for four years when “The Brady Bunch” started. I was a little girl in danger on “Lassie” and my dog ran away at Christmas on “The Big Valley.” I fell down a well on “The Virginian.” I was the little girl in peril — that was my stock in trade. I’d done a few pilots … but who knew this would happen? At any age a steady paycheck was welcomed.
Any cringe-worthy moments?
Williams: Yes. That stupid episode [“The Driver’s Seat”]. I told the writers at the time that no one would ever believe it. It had to with Marcia and Greg competing in a driving contest with an egg on top of a cone, and then Greg was supposed to lose. Well, c’mon … you mean I’m gonna knock the cone off for real? I just hit the accelerator and closed my eyes and cringed. I never apologize for any of the clothing — look at the ’80s hair bands. I felt cool at the time and felt we weren’t the most extreme in terms of fashion.
How do you feel about your “Brady Bunch” catchphrases?
Knight (on Peter’s “Pork chops and applesauce” Humphrey Bogart impersonation): Pork chops and applesauce? Where does that come from? I still don’t have an answer for that. My production is Porkchop Phenomenon Inc. I have to be the only one on this planet that has a pork chop phenomenon. It’s odd; it’s not like somebody out there on social media said, “This is my favorite line,” and then recruited a bunch of people to believe the same way. When I went down to Australia, people there were asking me to say “Pork chops and applesauce.” Who knows?
Plumb (on Jan’s exasperated “Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!”): Do you know where that came from? It was from “Saturday Night Live” and [former cast member] Melanie Hutsell did a parody of it. (Note: Jan Brady was one of Hutsell’s running “SNL” characters.) That’s why it’s so popular, thanks to her. Until then, it wasn’t a thing.
Is it weird being back on the “set” in “A Very Brady Renovation?” (The new HGTV show where they’ve bought the Brady house and refurbished it to look exactly as it did.)
Olsen: As a child I said there was no way that house could be this set, and they lied to me and told me I was wrong — that if you walked inside that house it looks exactly like our set. I was hoping to maybe be an architect or designer and couldn’t get my mind around that. It couldn’t possibly be. My mom finally told me they were just trying to shut me up. But as an 8-year-old I was correct — it didn’t look anything like that set. I just want to spend a night in the [“Very Brady Renovation”] house. I’d love to, but Eve’s totally not into it. She’s always been “The Reluctant Brady.”
McCormick: It looks and feels exactly familiar in the best way. It really is amazing.
Williams: It’s nostalgic, but sentimental. It’s extraordinary what they did. It went from kind of being this silly idea — we’re gonna have this house with this familiar facade but you can’t tour there, it’s zoned residentially so you can’t make a museum of it. You can’t sell tickets. It’s not a ride. HGTV didn’t know exactly where they going with it at first so they consulted with all of us, and what emerged is emotionally packed and relatable to the series. You can sense the presence of Alice cooking dinner.
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