Here’s the story, of the family Brady! Hello friends and readers, the review of the first episode of the Bradys will be posted on Friday. Below is the link used to write the review in case you’d like to familiarize yourself with the episode ahead of time. See you Friday!
Hello again! Thank you for joining me today to review “A Very Brady Sequel”! The film came out the year following its predecessor. The entire cast, except David Graf playing Sam, returned for the sequel. The film took a fun poke at one of the most pondered questions from the original series. What happened to Carol’s first husband? I had always assumed the biological father to Marcia, Jan and Cindy had passed away. Some surmised he and Carol divorced. Well, “A Very Brady Sequel” has fun with the question and has hubby number one dawning the Brady doorstep. Let’s begin reviewing “A Very Brady Sequel”!
The story opens with an Indiana Jones-like adventure. Two adventurers find themselves in Thailand unearthing a horse statue. As they seek to leave with their prize, it is stated that the artifact recovered was mailed to the wife of one of the men. Then we see one of the men cut the fuel line on the boat once it is out to sea. This harrowing scene is then followed with a scene from an auction. A horse like the one dug up in Thailand is on the auction block for a whopping $20 million dollars. An auction attendee questions where the other might be as it is shown sitting in the Brady living room. The opening credits soon roll and “A Very Brady Sequel” is underway.
The scenes at the Brady home begin like an episode of the series. Jan and Marcia arrive home from the last day of school before summer break. Jan is still a loser and Marcia still a pompous beauty. Mike Brady scoffs at the idea of cable TV even being possible as he ends a phone call. Upstairs, Peter shares with Carol he is not excited at the prospect of working alongside Mike at the architecture firm that summer or in even being an architect. Regular viewers will recall this was a dilemma Greg faced in the original series. It was interesting how it was changed up for the movie.
We see Alice in the kitchen mixing up a batch of pink muck that will eventually be a meatloaf. Alongside it is a huge tub of lard. This gave me a chuckle as even the unhealthy ways of the 1970s are part of the Brady’s own little sphere. Although, I have heard that lard does add a very scrumptious flavor to some foods. I don’t remember my mom ever using it in the 1980s and I have never even noticed it for sale in a store. Readers, if any of you can attest to what lard adds to a dish (aside from very unhealthy calories and fats), please share. One will also notice a large quantity of salt in use in the scene.
Some plot points of old are inserted into the opening of the film. Greg seeks to be a man and wears clothes almost identical (if not so) to those worn in the original episode. The attic room is a bone of contention between Greg and Marcia. The pair seek to settle occupancy via building a house of cards. As they partake of the card building contest, a basketball comes sailing down from upstairs and misses Carol’s favorite vase. It does result in grape juice being spilled on the valuable horse, making it necessary to be sent out for repairs.
Soon, the fun new element (that in my opinion made this film better than the first) is introduced. Carol’s first husband graces the Brady doorstep! He explains away his change in appearance by regaling the kids with tales of adventure. An elephant stepped on his head, making reconstructive surgery necessary. Being tortured on a rack increased his height. Peter is especially enamored with Carol’s ex-husband.
The assumed Roy Martin was played by Tim Matheson. While he has a very familiar face, I could not name another movie or show I’ve seen him in. A check of his acting resume shows he was in the film “Yours, Mine and Ours” which some attribute to being the inspiration of the original Brady Bunch series. Some also dispute this. Other acting credits include “Magnum Force”, “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”.
Jan’s woes continue as we see her preparing for bed. Savvy viewers will notice the bowl of lemons on the bathroom counter among her other beauty treatments. The next day, just before she seeks fatherly counsel from her assumed biological dad, Roy Martin is revealed to be a fraud. Whoever this guy is, he is there to steal the valuable artifact horse. He suggests Jan solve her love-life issues via a faux boyfriend. This launches a humorous George Glass subplot.
The attic subplot continues as Greg and Marcia are sharing the space. This was the solution Mike came up with when the siblings were feuding over the space. In the nonsensical and aloof version of the Bradys this movie gives us, this is funny writing. Mike and Carol always did encourage their children to share and share alike. However, suggesting two teenagers of the opposite sex share a space like this is just silly. With the newfound knowledge that Greg and Marcia may no longer be stepbrother and stepsister, the pair look at one another in a new light and hormones rage. This is one of those risque elements introduced into the wholesome show of old that I did not care for in either movie.
At the local pool, Jan tries to fuel the George Glass ruse. In a husky voice, she makes a call to have herself paged by George. The plot fails when Marcia fails to hear the page because of another pool goer’s loud music. Jan soon encounters her guidance counselor, Ms. Cummings, from the first movie. RuPaul reprises the role for this film.
While Jan chats with Ms. Cummings, a funny scene plays out. Ms. Cummings’ own three daughters walk up and appear to be trio quite similar to the Brady girls. The oldest sister is a babe who enjoys combing her flowing locks. The middle child suffers angst in the shadow of her sister and laments how it is always, “Moesha, Moesha, Moesha!”
“Roy Martin” gives Peter a set of nunchaku (aka nunchuks). Upon bringing them to Mike’s office, Peter conks Mr. Phillips in the head with them. Mike chides Peter that drumsticks are not toys. Peter corrects him that they are weapons. Mike replies that weapons are not toys either. For some reason this got a good laugh out of me. Mr. Phillips was played by Steven Gilborn in both films. If I had not checked, I would have sworn he played a role at some point on the original series. He just has that look about him. That was not the case though as IMDB lists his first acting role in 1983. I will always remember him as Mr. Collins from The Wonder Years. Steven Gilborn died in 2009.
“Roy Martin” suffers a visit to an outdoor mall with the Brady kids. It was chance to show the culture clash between the lives of the Bradys and an outsider and for them to perform song and dance. It was a fun scene that ends with him wearing some very Brady like attire.
An unexpected homage to another corner of the Brady universe is worked into “A Very Brady Sequel”. Alice finds some mushrooms among “Roy Martin’s” things and surmises he would like them as part of his meal. She includes them with some spaghetti, sending Roy on an drug fueled hallucination full of images of The Brady Kids cartoon. Along with the cartoon versions of the kids, we see Ping and Pong the pandas and Marlon the magic bird. When I first saw this in 1996, I was not familiar with the cartoon at all, so this bit completely escaped my memory. Seeing the cartoon worked into this plot was a fun surprise.
In an added bit of humor, Alice also partook of the spaghetti and is seen exiting the scene via the Brady’s refrigerator.
Peter, following Mr. Martin’s advice, tries to be tough on the job with Mike. He chides some burly construction workers for loafing on the job. They laugh at Peter’s failed attempt at taking charge and suggest he should become part of the cement being mixed that day. This scene is a fine example of why I enjoyed the sequel more than the original. This was just a funny bit with one of the Bradys that wasn’t trying to mimic some scene or plot from the original series.
Another touch of the old series comes about as Greg and Marcia attempt a date rivalry with Kathy Lawrence and Warren Mulaney. This worked into romantic subplot involving Greg and Marcia. The courting couples visit a coffee shop. The only eye rolling moment for the film came when Jan enters the same establishment with a mannequin/doll that is supposed to be George Glass. I realize this is a satire/comedy, but this was just dumb and unfunny for me. The earlier scene where Jan tried to call 555-HUNK to create the ruse that she was speaking to George on the phone was quite funny. Marcia snatches the phone and invites George to Mike and Carol’s anniversary party. Upon learning it will “cost extra”, Jan’s ruse is busted. The George Glass subplot should have ended there, but continued onto this nonsense at the coffee shop.
Roy Martin fails to obtain the prized horse at a charity auction as he is outbid by Zsa Zsa Gabor. This was her final film role. He steals the horse for himself and goes on the run. 
As part of his villainous ways, he kidnaps Carol and ties up all the Brady kids and Alice. The camera pans along each character’s mug as they all think to themselves how the predicament is his or her own fault. All of them except Marcia, who blames Jan. An added touch of humor is played out as even Cindy’s doll is tied up. Mike arrives home to find his family tied up and Roy Martin exposed as a con-man. He lets the family know they are pursuing Roy and Carol to Hawaii.
Mike learns of Roy Martin’s not being Roy Martin by paying a visit to the LAPD. There we get a fun cameo by Richard Belzer. He was recognizable to me via his role on Law and Order: SVU, but at the time would have been recognized as John Munch from Homicide: Life On The Street. The precinct is abuzz with activity dealing with grisly murders and street crime. Mike Brady enters demanding an instant background check on a no-gooder at his home.
En route to Hawaii, the Brady kids attempt a song and dance number, much to the chagrin of the other passengers. A stewardess soon shuts this down via an announcement on the plane’s public address system. The kids silently dance back to 
their seats. In Hawaii, Roy rents a jeep to travel about the island in. Savvy viewers will notice the car rental agent’s name tag reads Mr. Hanalei. With Carol in tow, Mr. Martin races to meet his buyer of the horse artifact. He soon finds his jeep disabled as the taboo idol punctures a tire. The pair proceed on foot to meet the buyer as the Bradys and Alice give chase.
Things come to a head at the home of Dr. Whitehead. The character’s name is a fun nod to the professor who the boys encountered in Hawaii in the original series. For the film, Dr. Whitehead was played by John Hillerman. This was a nice attribute to the series Magnum P.I. that was set in Hawaii where Hillerman played Jonathan Quayle Higgins. My favorite line of the movie is delivered as we learn that Dr. Whitehead’s own son, Gilligan, was aboard the same boat that the real Roy Martin was lost at sea on. What a fantastic tie-in to Sherwood Schwartz other infamous sitcom. Mike saves the day as he knocks Carol’s captor into a fountain.
Back at the Brady home, the still married couple celebrate their anniversary with a second wedding. Carol is wearing a dress very similar to the one seen in the pilot 
episode. Mike has on a tuxedo more fitting a bad nightclub performer. While in Hawaii, Jan met a genuine George Glass and he is at the anniversary celebration. A surprising reference to the Bradys of old is seen as there is a quick shot of Cousin Oliver. He is seen chasing Tiger after he runs across the table. The film ends on a strange note as Jeannie, from I Dream of Jeannie appears in the Brady driveway claiming to be Mike’s wife. This was a bit of a headscratcher for me. I Dream of Jeannie and The Brady Bunch have nothing in common aside from being classic sitcoms. I adore Barbara Eden, but she just seems out of place here.
As stated before, I enjoyed “A Very Brady Sequel” much more than “The Brady Bunch Movie”. Unlike the original, the second installment did not feel like the writers were trying to cram as many original episode plots and jokes into a single film. While some of that continued, it was a bit more subtle than in the original film. At least one critic agreed with me as Gene Siskel stated this movie was “A genuine movie rarity – a sequel better than the original.” Please share with us your own thoughts and opinions of “A Very Brady Sequel”!
In a few weeks we will be reviewing “The Bradys”. I’ve never watched a single episode of the series, but from what has been shared online and by others, the show was a total miss. Maybe that won’t be the case! See you soon.
Hello again readers, family and friends. Today we review the feature film that parodied our beloved Bradys; it was aptly titled “The Brady Bunch Movie”. The film was was first in theaters in February of 1995. Per Wikipedia, the film opened at #1 at the box office with $14.8 million and grossed $46.6 million in the U.S. and Canada. It would also spawn two sequels. One of them was another theatrical release and the other a made for TV movie. It also launched a slew of similar films based on old TV shows. There was a Beverly Hillbillies movie that was kind of “eh”, A Leave It To Beaver Movie and even Car 54 Where Are You? film. There were others of varying quality. Late Edit: I was wrong on the point that “The Brady Bunch Movie” launched the trend that movies were made based on TV Shows. The movie was actually late to the party as the two of the aforementioned films came before “The Brady Bunch Movie”.
I remember going to see the film on opening weekend. Myself and a family friend had been lovers of the original series for years and were excited to go see it. While we enjoyed it enough, I think both of us were disappointed in the film’s content. We didn’t quite know what to expect other than the few laughs shown in the film’s trailer. I can honestly say I’ve never sat down to watch the film again since that day in the theater. I don’t have any ill will towards it or even necessarily dislike it. It just doesn’t embody or represent the show I had enjoyed for so many years.
I was hoping that viewing the movie some 25 years later, I might have a new appreciation for it. Being an older and wiser viewer, I was hoping to find some appreciation in the art of parody and campiness that can make life more light-hearted and fun. After all, I spent years disparaging the likes of Gilligan’s Island and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C only to find a new found fondness and appreciation in recent years. Well, I am afraid my most recent viewing of “The Brady Bunch Movie” left me feeling the same as I did a quarter of a decade ago. It’s okay, but nothing I care to watch more than once. Love it, hate it or feel indifferent like me, I welcome your own thoughts! Let’s begin reviewing “The Brady Bunch Movie”.
The films opens with shots of 1990s era Los Angeles. The city is buzzing with people living their busy and technology driven lives. I laughed at the large clunky cell phones everybody was carrying that at the time was cutting edge technology. Among these bustling city-goers is Mr. Dittmeyer. For a character who was only occasionally referenced and seen only once, sans any lines, on the original show he sure plays a big role in this movie. Mr. Dittmeyer was played by Michael McKean. McKean’s best known role was that of Lenny on Lavern and Shirley. Although, in recent years he has starred in another notable role as Chuck on the series Better Call Saul. There is a well done transition during Mr. Dittmeyer’s scene. He is working out a deal for which he is purchasing all the homes in his neighborhood, with only one family holding out. He says the lone family that refuses to sell is just different.
The scene then transitions to an opening mirroring that of the original series. It was fun getting a look at all the 1990s Brady counterparts right away. The producers hit one out of the park in casting Christine Taylor as Marcia Brady. At one point, I thought Maureen McCormick’s old image was being used for this opening. The similarities between the two actresses is striking. The remainder of the cast looks close enough to the original characters.
As for the portrayal of some characters, some things were just too similar and taken to extremes. Marcia is so preoccupied with her looks you wonder if she is ever more than a foot away from a mirror. Jan is neurotic to the extremes that her inner voice is constantly tormenting her mercilessly. We are only 5 minutes and 40 seconds into the movie when the “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” line is uttered for the first time. Cindy lisps every other word to the point that other characters can not understand what she is saying.
My least favorite parody of a character was that of Mike Brady. This film has him as an aloof nincompoop who is clueless about his profession and utters nonsensical platitudes to those around him. I realize some aspects of the original character had to be adjusted to make the film the silly comedy it is, but I wish they’d have gone another direction with Mike Brady. Maybe make him annoyingly wise so that everything he says, while sage and true, still muffs things up. He could be a superb architect whose designs are the talk of the town, but he is just too humble to accept the recognition he deserves.
Shelley Long does a fantastic job playing Carol Brady. While I have never really cared for other roles she has portrayed, I did enjoy her as Carol Brady. To be fair, Dianne on Cheers and DeDe on Modern Family were not necessarily written to be well liked characters.
The Brady house for the movie looks to be a cheap and hastily created mock up of the original one. Per IMDB, the owners of the original Brady house refused to allow their home to be used for the film. I don’t know if the fence that once surrounded the house was erected in 1995. If it was, I can see the owners not wishing it razed just for the film.
The film attempts to cram several episodes’ plots into the story. Bobby is a safety monitor, Jan doesn’t like wearing her glasses, Peter’s voice is changing, Greg wants to be a musician, Alice pines for a marriage proposal from Sam and Marcia’s nose is pelted with a football along with her seeking Davy Jones to sing at her school dance. Cindy is just annoying. At least she didn’t have a chance to be the next Shirley Temple in the film!
One regular player missing from the film is Tiger, the Brady’s dog. A funny line is uttered as Carol tells Mike, “Go get’em Tiger” and follows with “Tiger? Whatever happened to that dog?” If I were writing the film, the Bradys’ cat Fluffy would have then meandered past Carol into the house with her saying something like, “Fluffy! You’re back.” However, only us well versed fans would have gotten the gag.
The film portrays the Bradys as an aloof clan still living in the 1970s, unaware that two decades have passed. Even the cars driven by the family are pristine models from the 1970s. As Greg and Marcia cruise to school in the station wagon, one of the funnier scenes from the film plays out. A car thief attempts to boost the wagon and announces “This is a car jack!” Greg replies, “Well, of course this a car, but my name’s not Jack….” This scene was part of the film’s trailer and one of those laughs that got people talking about the film.
Speaking of trailers, one trailer has Peter telling a girl in the cafeteria he is having “Pork chops and apple sauce” a la Humphrey Bogart. However, this did not make the theatrical release nor the DVD I watched. Speaking of cut scenes, apparently Susan Olsen, Maureen McCormick and Mike Lookinland all filmed cameo scenes for the movie that were cut. I can’t fathom why the producers did this. Could they not have had just one line in the film made possible by the original show they starred in? I understand that some DVD prints include the cuts scenes. I tried to look them up on Youtube, but to no avail. The DVD I purchased from Amazon did not include any extras.
The cameos that did make the final cut were well done. Ann B. Davis appears as a truck driver who picks up a runaway Jan. In a tribute to an earlier role in life, her character is named Schultzy. Christopher Knight appears as a faculty member at Peter’s school who saves him from a beat down in the cafeteria. Barry Williams appears as a record producer who tells Greg his music is out of touch.
A fun crossover of the music of old and the modern music of the era comes about with an appearance by Davy Jones. Even in 1995, Marcia is president of the former Monkee’s fan club. He comes to perform at the high school dance and attempts to sing “Girl”. The band playing at the gig accompanies his tune with a grunge/1990s rock sound that actually works out well. It was a well done bit. The dance also sees Jan debuting herself as the new Jan Brady. She is wearing a wig just a tad worse than the one used in the original series episode.
Amidst all the old episode plots crammed into the film, there is one fresh one. The Bradys are at risk to lose their home due to back taxes. How a man like Mike Brady failed to notice taxes were due on his house is not really explained. I mean, property taxes were even around the in 1970s. There is some hint that maybe the notices were misdelivered to the Dittmeyer’s.
This conflict does give rise to some funny lines. At the thought of Alice no longer living with the Bradys, Carol asks “Who will pack the lunches I hand out?” As the kids ponder their situation, Jan laments having to relocate away from all of her friends. In all seriousness, Marcia states, “But Jan, you don’t have any friends.” The conflict resolution again treats viewers to the plots of the show of old. The kids try to raise the money on their own, but to no avail. At one point, Mike has found a way to attain the funds to pay the back taxes, only for Mr. Dittmeyer to sabotage it.
The tax dilemma is resolved when the Bradys perform at a talent contest offering up a $20,000 prize. Adorning duds very similar, if not the same as, to those from the original show, they sing “Keep On Movin” to a less than enthusiastic audience. Peter is smooched by a girl just before the show and now sings in a deep Elvis inspired tone of voice. I found this funny. Much to the shock of everyone present, the Brady kids win the top prize. The reason is soon revealed in another fun cameo as we see three of the four original Monkees were the judges.
With $20,000 in hand, the Bradys rush back to their home to save it from being auctioned off. In a very Brady like scene, Mike yells through a bull horn “Stop the auction” as they arrive on the scene. With Mr. Dittmeyer’s real estate project in ruins, he incurs the wrath of angry neighbors. Angry neighbors who are soon soothed by Mike Brady’s sharing of how wonderful the neighborhood is. One of the policeman present states how he wishes he lived on their street. In a funny follow up, the neighbors also take solace in the money they will get from suing Mr. Dittmeyer.
The film wraps up with one final cameo. The Bradys go to visit Grandma who is played by Florence Henderson. With a few words she cures Jan’s neurosis. Per IMDB, Florence Henderson originally refused the cameo as she did not like the role she was offered. I would be curious to know what that was. This film was chock full of sexual innuendo that was by no means in tune with the original series. That may be another reason I am not a huge fan of “The Brady Bunch Movie”. I am no prude, but one of the reasons I enjoy classic TV so much is that it was entertaining without resorting crude jokes, innuendo and insults. I wonder if Florence’s original scripted cameo contained material she found objectionable.
Thank you friends for reviewing the film with me. As always, I look forward to you sharing your own thoughts and observations with us. Expect “A Very Brady Sequel” to be reviewed soon. I remember enjoying the sequel more than I did “The Brady Bunch Movie” when I originally saw it. Hopefully, that will still hold true! See you soon.
Hello readers and friends! This was ordered today and will be reviewed soon with A Very Brady Sequel to follow soon thereafter.
Original Air Date: April 17, 1981
Video Link: https://dai.ly/x4jtcv7
Hello again friends and readers. Today we end our blogging adventure that has been The Brady Brides. Thank you for all those who have suffered along with me as we reviewed some weak plots, idiotic scripts and underdeveloped characters. If you enjoyed these episodes, I want to thank you for joining as well. I will say that of all The Brady Brides episodes this one, “A Pretty Boy Is Like a Melody”, was probably the best of the lot. I reviewed the writing credits for all of the episodes and they list Lloyd J. Schwartz and Sherwood Schwartz along with another writer or two. For the painful experience that was “The Siege”, Hope Sherwood was one of the writers. She played Greg’s date Rachel in the episode with the frogs in the backseat at the drive-in. The episode we are reviewing today was penned with the assistance of Richard Gurman. I scanned his other writing credits on IMBD and he wrote scripts for some series I have enjoyed; among them are episodes of The New Leave It to Beaver, Married… with Children and Still Standing. I am not saying for sure I saw the ones he wrote, but his resume suggests some talent and it shines through in “A Pretty Boy Is Like a Melody”. IMDB notes Richard Gurman wrote the script for a well known Happy Days episode that has Fonzie integrating a diner in the south.
Something I noticed with The Brady Brides was the Logan/Covington home shares something in common with the childhood home of Marcia and Jan. The outside doesn’t quite jive with the inside. The front door appears to be to the far left of the front porch, while interior shots indicate it should be to the right .
This time it is Marcia’s turn to have her livelihood threatened. She arrives home with the fantastic news that some of her designs will be part of a fashion show with a big shot critic in attendance. The scene plays out in the kitchen. Before this episode, we only got to see the kitchen through the opening from the dining area. I hope the production getting the funds for a full kitchen set didn’t get their hopes up that the series would be on a while.
Some genuine humor plays out when some models arrive at the house to be fitted for the fashion show duds. Wally is expecting some fine looking ladies to grace his living room. He answers the door to find Harry standing there. A few seconds later, it is revealed some studly men are modeling Marcia’s clothes. Wally is dismayed by this and as Harry leaves he laughs at him through the window. This was quite funny and I still chuckle thinking about the exchange.
Jealousy abounds as Wally must share the company of the two hunky dudes and learns they work with Marcia regularly. The models throw a few barbs at Wally. The David Hasselhoff looking guy, Brandon, tosses his coat on Wally as he disrobes for a fitting. As Marcia begins the fitting, Wally asks if they don’t all ready know their own measurements. The reply from Brandon is he does in fact know them and they get bigger every day. Wally’s jealous way eventually annoy the pair to the point that they decide to leave. The guy who looks like Scott Baio, Lance, tells Marcia that Muhammad Wally is a bit much and they are out. The entire scene had me laughing out loud a few times. Oh, if only the other episodes could have done that.
Brandon and Lance were played by Tom Gagen and Tom Jordan. Tom Gagen’s IMDB resume lists little of note and no acting gigs beyond a 1982 appearance on The Powers of Matthew Star. Tom Jordan’s acting career continued until 2017. He appeared in 146 episodes of Fair City along with other appearances on TV and in movies. Tom Jordan died in 2019.
Without models, Marcia’s show can not go on. She states it is the weekend and the agencies are closed, leaving her with nobody else to hire. Surely in southern California there were models to be found for work on the weekend! So her career may not end, the husbands agree to model for the show. Philip is of course cajoled into it. The fashion show exhibits the typical nonsense that was to be expected with this show.
Marcia’s designs are all sportswear of some sort, despite her company’s name being Casual Clothes. A fencing get up, leopard print shorts and a scuba suit are hardly what I would consider casual. Wally and Philip clumsily model the clothes and Wally is soon stuck in the scuba suit and unable to model “Jungle Fever”. As Marcia dashes backstage to help, Carol gets on stage and stalls the audience. Philip’s unwillingness to walk out on stage in the leopard shorts should be the comedic high of the episode, but in my opinion that happened already. The fashion show concludes with the big shot fashion critic telling Marcia she will do fine as a designer.
There is a scene back at the house, but at this point dear readers, I am done with the Brady Brides. I welcome your own thoughts on this episode and the series as a whole. Thanks to all who have shared their thoughts thus far. I’ve really enjoyed reading your commentary. My plan is to review the first two of the parody movies next. However, with two small children and the holidays rapidly approaching, I am not sure when I will have time to sit down and scrutinize a film from start to finish. So, it may be a while, but I will be back with more Brady blogging!
Hello again! Thank you for joining me today as we take a look at some more episodes of The Brady Brides. As a lifelong fan of the Brady Bunch, I am glad I gave these episodes a look, but don’t think I ever will again. The show never hit any kind of stride that left me wanting to see more of the characters or know what would be happening next. I know that new programs have to find a groove and get their footing, but The Brady Brides were unique in that the show came with ready made characters viewers all ready knew and would enjoy seeing again. The problem was the writing staff for the show never seemed to take advantage of that and write any good stories for them.
The Mom Who Came To Dinner
Air Date 3/27/1981
Video Link: https://dai.ly/x4jtcu9
When I first endured watching the earlier episodes, I thought to myself that maybe what was missing from the show was a strong lead character, a voice of reason or an anchor for the rest of the cast. Well, this episode proved me wrong. Carol is an overnight guest at her daughters’ home and the show still stunk. The ever present adult thrown into the mix did nothing to improve the story.
Just to make sure some hijinks were in store, Philip rigged up some crazy scientist contraption to operate the appliances and alert all emergency personnel should they be needed. I can’t even see the professor on Gilligan’s Island inventing something this dumb.
There was a funny line when Carol says she will wash the dishes. Wally assures her she doesn’t have to, she can wait and do them in the morning. With the tastes of dinner still lingering on their palates, the entire household decides to hit the hay. What follows is a musical chairs version of sleeping arrangements as different household members swap beds and the guest cot. Just to keep things wacky, Harry comes over to spend the night since his mom is working late. Philip serenades him to sleep with an overly long and overly loud version of Moon River.
Another glimpse of the original greatness of The Brady Bunch occurs when Alice comes knocking at the window since she is locked out of her house. She delivers a line about it being too early for the late show or too late for the early show. That was some classic Alice there. The line was a nice reminder of how great the original series was and a bad reminder of how lousy this one was. Alice’s visit activates Philip’s moronic invention making the appliances go haywire while the police, fire department and paramedics were summoned. Folks, this was more fitting for the Brady Kids cartoon and even then it might have been one of their worst episodes.
The Siege
Air Date: 4/3/1981
Video Link https://dai.ly/x4jtcua
Speaking of The Brady Kids cartoon, the plot of The Siege is more fitting of a cartoon than any live action program. Philip’s next big job as a college professor requires he have a security clearance. Inspector Mann arrives to initiate it. Wally, who has racked up hella parking tickets, thinks the inspector is there for him. So, Wally puts on the guise that he is Philip. Before making his exit, the inspector snags a water glass. From the fingerprints on it, he learns that the man posing as Philip Covington was Wally Logan. Wally’s suspicious activity warrants further investigation!
If this was not contrived enough, the Logan/Covington abode is soon surrounded by a plethora of trench coat and fedora wearing government agents seeking to know more about Wally Logan. Wally thinks all this nonsense is because of his parking tickets.
This episode gives us two more damn make out sessions with Wally and Marcia, a visit from Carol and Harry and virtually nothing of redeeming value. This episode has to be the worst of the worst of The Brady Brides.
Cool Hand Phil
Air Date: 4/10/1981
Video Link https://dai.ly/x4jtcu8
Philip arrives home disheartened that he got zero votes for favorite professor at the college. Jan comes home with the great news that she has the opportunity to design a rich lady’s vacation home. Phil seeks to undo his stuffy and uptight ways via instruction from Wally. Harry shows up too and gives some lessons in coolness of his own.
For some reason none of the residents of the Logan/Covington home have realized that having potential clients and employers over is a terrible idea. Jan has the rich lady, Mrs. Richardson, over to look at the model of the home she has built, just as Phil puts his newly learned cool ways to use. He is way too fresh with Jan’s potential client and an appalled Mrs. Richardson leaves. Sigh, maybe Jan can pitch that A-Frame design to a KOA.
There was a fun scene with Alice in this episode. Jan and Marcia are angry at each other and Alice tries to intervene. A funny line is shared as she asks “Have you forgotten you are sisters?” Marcia answers, “I’m trying.” It gave me a chuckle. In the company of all the other attempts at humor in this episode, it’s gut busting hilarious! Oh my side, my side….
The cool lesson for Phil continues at a local cowboy bar. In the company of a drunk bar patron, Phil takes to the bottle. The party follows Philip home. Catastrophe awaits as Mrs. Richardson has returned to give the A-Frame house another look. As a crowd of drunks spills into the living room Mrs. Richardson is aghast. However, Jan wins her business by stating how all these boozy people are there to suggest a western motif for her potential vacation home. Mrs. Richardson buys Jan’s ruse and likes the idea of a western design. Mrs. Richardson must be really gullible. I wonder if the vacation home Jan is designing is going on Mrs. Richardson’s newly purchased Tennessee beachfront property?
Well friends, we have one more episode to review. “A Pretty Boy Is Like a Melody” was the last one of the series. I’ve watched it already and it was probably the best of The Brady Brides ever offered. We will have a look at that one tomorrow. Please share any thoughts with us on these three or the series as a whole! See you soon.
Greetings friends and readers! Thank you for joining me today to review another episode of The Brady Brides. This one is aptly titled “The Newlywed Game”. It first aired on March 20, 1981. Which is interesting because per Wikipedia and IMDB, the game show, The Newlywed Game, had been cancelled in 1980. I gave this episode its own blog post with high expectations. Oftentimes, a short lived series best remembered episode was when it crossed over with some more established or better known series. We saw this with the Brady Bunch parody on Day By Day. I was hoping the Brady brides on the Newlywed game might be the crème de la crème of the series. Dear readers, I am hoping this is not the case. If it is, the next four episodes are nothing to look forward to. The episode was viewed using Daily Motion. This time, the upload was taken from a Fox Family broadcast. The link is below. Let us begin our review of “The Newlywed Game”!
Video Link: https://dai.ly/x4jo69p
The episode begins with yet another make out session between Marcia and Wally. The producers of the series wanted to make clear there was a strong physical attraction between the pair. I bet Maureen McCormick insisted Jerry Houser shave his mustache when she found out how many kissing scenes were involved in the series. The smooching is interrupted by a knock at the door.
The celebrity to grace the doorstep of the Covington/Logan home is Bob Eubanks. Of all the celebrities that ever came to the Brady home on the original series, none of them ever showed up by accident like Bob Eubanks. His car has broken down in the neighborhood and he needs to use the phone to summon a tow truck. Since the previous episode was so keen to make it known important work decisions take place at the home, this episode should have had Tyler Toys releasing a new and improved Newlywed Game home version or maybe a Bob Eubanks doll. Either of these could have required Bob Eubanks to visit the house and give his stamp of approval. Yes, this sounds ridiculous, but at this point I think credulity was no longer a factor in the writing room.
As Bob summons a tow truck, he observes Marcia and Wally and invites them to try out for the show. I wonder how many newlyweds approached him in public seeking a spot on the show or actually tried to get on the show and never even got a call back. Here, Marcia and Wally get the invite without lifting a finger. Why not just have them actually go through the normal channels to get on the the show?
Jan and Philip are soon home and happy to learn about Marcia and Wally’s potentially being contestants on a game show. Carol is around too and is just excited. We get some classic Carol Brady antics as she mimics Bob Eubanks in a practice run for Marcia and Wally’s appearance on the dating game. With a “booming” voice and exaggerated gestures she serves as the stand in Bob Eubanks. Well, it is not long before the man himself is back in the house needing to use the phone again. The use of his flashers while his car was disabled/being repaired has killed his battery and made necessary another call to the tow company. Whoever fixed his car (a busted water hose was the problem) didn’t crank it up to make sure the repair was sufficient? Bob could have just asked either Philip or Wally for a jump. So impressed is he with the dining room game play, he wants Philip and Jan to compete on the show too! Did the writers of The Brady Brides think they had such a commodity in having part of the original cast on hand that no effort was needed when penning the scripts? It sure seems that way.
Well, it is not long before the Logans and the Covingtons are on the show competing against two other couples. Friends, I will admit that as of the writing of this blog, I have seen more episodes of The Brady Brides than I have The Newlywed Game. I remember it airing on different networks during my lifetime. As I flipped the channels as a kid, I would pass it and see images like the one above. The set design always struck me as looking quite cheap. Some white lattice and a sign that reads “The Newlywed Game” were the extent of the effort put into dressing the set. Where the contestants sat was equally humdrum. Family Feud had that huge spinning device with the survey results and contestants emerging from behind a big sliding wall with their last name on it. Wheel of Fortune has the giant puzzle board and of course the wheel. We need not even mention the grandiose the Price Is Right gives us. The Newlywed Game set could be replicated with a single trip to Lowes or Home Depot.
The other contestants on the show were played by actors with some interesting credits. The Marine Corps contestant was played by Leonard Lightfoot. He was a regular on She’s The Sheriff and had a recurring role on Silver Spoons. The lady playing his wife, Renee Jones, had a long run on Days of Our Lives. The older couple was played by Harvey Vernon and Edith Fellows. Edith Fellows’ acting resume, while long, listed nothing eye catching for me. Harvey Vernon stayed busy in Hollywood and had a regular role on Carter Country. His IMDB page’s profile photo lists a shot of him as the crotchety liquor store owner in the film “Teen Wolf”.
The games plays out with three of the four couples in a tie at the end. The other young couple bailed as they had better things to do; or maybe better shows to act in. The final question of the show that could win it for Jan and Philip is an obvious one Philip should know, but of course he blows it in the most embarrassing way possible. Earlier in the episode, during the practice round at home, he was too prudish to name breasts and thighs as his favorite part of the chicken; choosing instead to say the face was his favorite part. One of the multiple choice answers for the winning question is “face” and Jan angrily suggests he answer like he did at home. To Philip’s humiliation and a fitting nod to the sad attempt at humor in the episode, Philip stands up and yells “breasts and thighs”, despite it not even being an option to the question asked. This man teaches college? I will admit, the episodes lone smirk on my part was Jan’s angry “suggestion” towards Philip to answer “face”.
Neither of the couples walk away as winners. The grand prize was an aquarium, the biggest one offered to non-commercial owners. It was valued at $1200. In today’s dollars, that is around $3400. I wonder what that elderly couple thought of the prize? Watching shows like The Price Is Right, I used to wonder how underwhelmed some contestants might have been to learn they just won a popcorn cart, a jukebox or new skiing equipment. I later learned that they are offered a cash equivalent in place of a prize. If my game show prowess won me a $3500 fish aquarium or top of the line snow shoes, I’d be going home with cash.
They all sit at home and sulk over losing the Newlywed Game and how they really don’t know each other all that well. Philip suggests that is not bad as getting to know new things about one another makes life grand. They decide it is time to head to their bedrooms for some more exploration. With that, the episode ends.
Thank you readers for reviewing this episode with me. I would love to hear your thoughts. Watching this series is not easy for me. I was not expecting to happen upon some lost comedy gem, but I did expect it to be a bit more entertaining than it has been. If you happened to enjoy the show/series, please do let us know where you found merit and enjoyment in it. As I have stated before, the comments are what fuel this blog and make it great. I’ll be back soon with the review of the remainder of the episodes.
Greetings again readers, family and friends. Thank you for joining me today as we begin reviewing The Brady Brides. Today we review “Living Together” and “Gorilla Of My Dreams”. The episodes aired on March 6th and March 13th, 1981. Again, I used Daily Motion to review the episodes and the user who uploaded them recorded them off of TV Land once upon a time. So dear readers, these are no doubt abridged copies of what many of you have viewed in the past. If some great part is missing from the prints I viewed, please share. However, based on the parts that were left for syndication, I shudder at the thought of what might have been deemed disposable. I sincerely appreciate the efforts to bring our beloved Bradys back to the small screen, but if these two episodes are indicative of the series as a whole, I can see why it was so short lived.
Video Links:
Living Together https://dai.ly/x4jo69n
Gorilla of My Dreams https://dai.ly/x4jo69o
“Living Together” sees Marcia and Jan seeking to share an abode. Since neither couple can afford to purchase a home of their own, the two newlywed couples decide to pool their incomes and purchase a house. The apartment we saw Jan living in when Philip proposed seemed plenty big for the Covingtons to call home. We only saw the outside door of Marcia’s old place and it did seem small. Philip is initially against the idea of sharing a pad with somebody he has so little in common with. In some writing more fitting of a Bugs Bunny cartoon, he decides to sign the mortgage paperwork just to show the others he can be impractical. 1981 must have been a different time for home financing. My stepfather had a devil of a time getting a mortgage approved when he and my mom wanted to share a place/mortgage with my sister and her family. The Logans and the Covingtons have no trouble sharing a loan. They sure will have trouble sharing a home! Sorry, I had to put that cheesy line in this blog as it is fitting of the dialogue of this show.
Just as virtually no planning or thinking ahead was initially involved with the dual wedding, the same applies when furnishing the home. All the worldly possessions of each couple are tossed haphazardly into the home. It is like the movers initially made an effort to bring things into the home in an organized fashion, but eventually said “Screw it!” and just started hurling furniture over the rail by the front door.
Classic sitcoms were known for having some kind of disapproving or prudish neighbor at some point. The Brady Brides was no exception. Miss Fritzinger works her way through the maze of crap that populates the living room to let the newlyweds know that they now live in a respectable neighborhood. I figured Miss Fritzinger was a regular on this show, but per her IMDB resume, Barbara Cason made only this one appearance. Along with several one off appearances, she did enjoy recurring roles on Carter Country, Trapper John MD and It’s Garry Shandling’s Show. The latter is the only one I remember her from and she was great in the role of Garry’s mom. Barbara Cason died in 1990.
The conflict of who’s furniture stays and who’s goes is resolved off camera. Soon the house is arranged and new problems make themselves known. Wally enjoys strolling about the house au naturel after hours. I know the seventies were more liberal in some ways and that probably spilled over to 1981, but him thinking this is okay living with another couple is just weird. Of course, he did pursue Marcia in some creepy ways, so maybe strutting around in the buff does not give him much pause. It sure does Philip though. This generates conflict and the Logan/Covington home is soon a house divided.
Once again the tape down the middle of the room makes an appearance. Just to add some wackiness, it even divides windows and doors. Groan. Folks, I know this was a sitcom, but if any vein of the original series was to be continued here, the story should be halfway believable! The only other time I recall adults acting this way was an episode of The Munsters when Herman and Grandpa split the house. Since neither Wally or Philp are ghouls or monsters, their doing this doesn’t work for me. Also, Philip does some kind of science experiment right smack dab in the middle of the living room. If you want to devalue your home, handling chemicals in the main living area is a good way to do it. Even Peter Brady knew to build his volcano outdoors.
Unity is found in a common enemy. Miss Fritzinger arrives with a policeman and accuses her new neighbors of brewing up a batch of drugs. Wally will hear none of this and defends Philip. Philip shows his support of Wally by dropping his britches. The newlyweds are all friends again and the episode ends.
This was rough. I think I might have cracked a smile once.
The next episode has Wally bringing home an oversized stuffed Gorilla. His employer, The Tyler Toy Company, is looking to sell it. What child would not want that hideously oversized creation in their bedroom? Speaking of bedroom, some risque jokes about leaving the lights on in the bedroom are attempted here. For 1981 they might have been funny. Philip is not happy to see the huge gorilla in his home as his boss is going to visit him there regarding an important research grant. I know my boss where I work always discusses important stuff with me at my house instead of the workplace. I guess Philip’s does too. Heck, maybe Philip does a lot of his work at home based on the living room science experiment we saw earlier.
We also learn in this episode that there have been some burglaries in the neighborhood. Alice pays a visit and it is suggested she is somehow over the neighborhood watch. Not even the wonderful acting of Ann B. Davis can do anything for this snooze-fest of an episode. Her fear of the oversized toy was well acted with some physical comedy thrown in, but the scene still falls flat. It’s like Adele or Elton John singing a song I wrote; not even the best talent could make something lousy enjoyable.
There is a scene of the newlyweds at the dining table with mismatched chairs. Maybe off camera or in a cut scene, some nonsense resolution was reached that saw this hodgepodge seating come to be when the house was overstuffed with furniture in the last episode. Some more childish squabbling occurs here as Wally balks at washing the dishes. I will say this scene garnered a chuckle as Wally first praises the food Marcia cooked with a mini make out session, only to learn it was not Marcia that cooked it. He then gives Jan a peck on the cheek for a fine meal only to learn it was Philip who did the cooking. He gives him a kiss too.
Another classic sitcom trope plays out in The Brady Brides. A wisecracking and back talking neighborhood kid, Harry, pays the newlyweds a visit. Wally consults Harry about toys his company is considering selling. Harry doesn’t ooze the cuteness of an Arnold Jackson or Webster, but he gets the job done. Harry was played by Keland Love. This was one of five appearances on The Brady Brides. He appeared on a few other shows and did voice work in cartoons from 1984-1986. A Google search did not produce any more current information about him.
The story plods along as we see another make out session between Marcia and Wally, the giant gorilla toy spook Philip’s boss and cost him the grant and Carol, Marcia and Jan practice karate to fend off potential burglars.
The episode ends with a burglar striking the Logan/Covington home. I will admit, I fully expected that large toy to so scare the burglar so that he flees the home and doesn’t rob the newlyweds. So, I will give credit that the writers did not mix in that predictable bit with all the other ones. The robber holds Marcia, Wally and Philip at gunpoint while he decides what to steal. An attempt at humorous banter plays out, but it’s just dumb. I know the show was taking a lighthearted approach to felonious activity, but seeing robbery victims debate robbery versus burglary with an armed thug just didn’t make for funny TV. Only when his tropical fish are threatened does Philip take action and disarm the robber. Jan then exits the bedroom and uses her newly learned karate moves to take the bad guy down.
I know the original Brady Bunch series took an equally lighthearted attempt at kidnapping and false imprisonment (Ghost Town, U.S.A and The Tiki Caves), so maybe I am being a bit tough on The Brady Brides here. Maybe we knew Vincent Price and Jim Backus meant no harm, just wanted their interests protected. An armed man entering an occupied dwelling is not quite the same caliber of sitcom material and it shows here.
Well folks, my opinion of The Brady Brides thus far is that the honeymoon is over. The enjoyment their marriage brought us in the past episodes/tv movie seems to be over now. Let’s hope better things lay ahead. Please share your own thoughts with us!
The gorilla reminds me of those animatronic creatures that used to be at Showbiz Pizza.
Hello again friends and readers! Thank you for joining me today to review “The Brady Girls Get Married”. The world first saw Marcia and Jan get married (not to each other) on February 6th, 1981. By this time, the original series had ended seven years before. The Variety Hour had brought the family back to TV in 1976, but was short lived. This TV movie was the first and last time the entire original cast reprized their roles at the same time. Future reunions had at least one character being portrayed by another actress. I’ve heard this “movie” was originally a few episodes of The Brady Brides series constructed into a TV movie or maybe it was the reverse. I am sure some dedicated fan out there can share the truth with us. I am sure by 1981, fans of the original show were happy to see the Brady family together again. I remember seeing this movie air on some now extinct cable channel in the late 80s or early 90s. This time around, I had to rely on Daily Motion to view the film. The video link is below. So dear readers, if this upload excluded some iconic or fabulous scene, forgive me for not knowing about it. Please share with us something the link below may have excluded. Let’s begin reviewing “The Brady Girls Get Married”!
Video Link: https://dai.ly/x6lu4go
The movie begins with some guy we have never seen before entering an apartment building. Can you imagine viewers chomping at the bit to see the Bradys again, only to see this stranger enter the scene? It turns out the fellow is Philip Convington, Jan’s boyfriend and soon to be fiance. The classic trope of a nervous husband to be fumbling about with the engagement ring as he pops the question is played out here. I will say the years continued to be very kind to Eve Plumb. She looks fantastic in this movie. Maureen McCormick certainly looked nice too, but there is something about Eve….
The engaged pair pay a visit to Mike and Carol. They are relaxing on the couch when Jan and Philip arrive. As they turn off the TV, we learn they were watching Gilligan’s Island. It was a fun nod to Sherwood Schwartz other iconic creation. Jan and Philip share their good news and Philip asks Mike for Jan’s hand in marriage. I thought this was supposed to be done before the groom pops the question, but will admit the practice now seems so outdated that my knowledge of it could be off. Mike and Carol give a lukewarm response to Jan and Philip’s news. The reason for this was quite absurd. They feel Marcia should be getting married before Jan. What? This was 1981! I assume Jan has her own career by now. She definitely has her own place and has been seeing Philip for a while. She is expected to put her own nuptials on hold until Marcia gets married? We soon learn that Marcia isn’t even seeing anyone! I’m surprised Jan was even allowed to move out of Mike and Carol’s home if such archaic mindsets are in place with Mike and Carol. The newly engaged pair leave disheartened at Mike and Carol’s response; and rightfully so!
Here is a nice shot of a 1980s Mike and Carol Brady. Carol fondly remembers her father catching her and Mike in the backseat of a car making out. Mike informs her that the memory is not about him. If Mike and Carol had dated as teenagers, this would have been funny. All regular viewers and fans know that Mike and Carol were grown adults with children while they dated. The gag just falls flat here.
The courtship of Marcia and Wally soon commences. A chance meeting at a cafeteria sows the seeds of love between the pair. Well, not at first. The man who has just met her can tell something is wrong and Marcia opens up about her not being hitched and Jan wanting to be and the problems it has caused. Wally must have a thing for troubled women so willing to share as he asks Marcia to get married after knowing her only a few minutes. He says he has been looking for her all of his life. Shivers! I suppose what passed for comedy in 1981 is considered creepy by today’s standards. Marcia arrives home that night to flowers on her doorstep from Wally. How did he know where to send them? He went to Marcia’s workplace where they gave him her address. Shivers again!
Maybe I can be a tad forgiving of Wally’s efforts. A man my mom dated for a while in the late 90s contacted her workplace in hopes of getting her phone number. Thankfully, the lady working the desk refused to give it to him, but did pass his number along to my mom. It turns out my mom was interested and they dated a long time. Wally’s creepiness and contacting Marcia’s workplace are excessive, but Marcia’s employer handing over her address is unacceptable in any day and age.
Wally crashes Marcia’s workplace under the guise of being a clothing inspector. He won’t leave until Marcia agrees to date him. If any man or woman seeking a date are reading this blog, DON’T DO WHAT WALLY DOES! What made for funny in 1981 could get you in a lot of trouble today. For whatever reason, Wally’s persistence has worn Marcia down and she hides a smirk at his actions. What follows is a montage of scenes showing the pair out on dates. At their conclusion we learn they have been dating for seven days. Based on the clothing changes, they have had a very active seven days. It reminds me of the montage of dating scenes in “The Naked Gun” that show Frank Drebin and Jane on all kinds of dates and concludes with Jane sharing they met only yesterday.
Soon we see Mike and Carol lamenting they have not heard from Jan in over a week. It seems Mike and Carol always encouraged their kids to do the right thing and apologize when they were wrong. Here, Mike and Carol have not reached out to Jan in a week? Just as they seek to amend the error of their ways, Jan arrives with apologies. Mike and Carol share their own. Seconds later, Marcia and Wally arrive to share the news they are getting married. However, they won’t do it without the consent of Mike and Carol. Mike and Carol ponder the matter for a few brief seconds and consent. This same couple that did not want Jan married until Marcia tied the knot give their marriage blessing to Marcia after a seven day courtship. Jan learns of this and the two eldest Brady sisters are elated at the idea of sharing a wedding day. This was a bit of a surprise for me. I could easily see Jan being dismayed at Marcia stealing her thunder by arranging a marriage of her own so soon after Jan had announced she was getting married. It seems most any bride would want her wedding day to be all her own. Jan, who always felt overshadowed by Marcia in the original series, has no problem sharing her big day with her older sister? Perhaps this was meant to show Jan was older and more mature now, but even a grown woman might be disappointed to learn she was sharing a wedding.
In the next scene, we finally get to see the rest of the Brady kids. Carol phones them all to share the news of Marcia and Jan getting married. Greg gets the call first. He is now a doctor! In seven years, he completed his undergraduate degree, medical school and is now practicing medicine. Based on the timeline, he should still be in medical school. Peter is serving in the Air Force. In one of those annoying, but necessary lines, Peter says to Carol “..I enlist in the Air Force a while so I can decide what to do with my life…”. Yes, the audience needed to know this, but I am certain Carol knew and did not need the reminder. During their conversation, Peter holds up a general trying to leave the flight line. It seems Peter would be controlling access to the flight line, not those exiting it. The phone call to Bobby and Cindy are both at college. Susan Olsen is looking great even with that 1980s hairstyle.
As wedding preparations begin, we finally see Alice. She and Sam have been married four years now. She is there to help with all things wedding. However, she can’t stop crying at the idea of Jan and Marcia getting married. She fondly remembers Marcia as a child writing in crayon on the family room walls. This is another head scratching line for devout fans. By the time Carol and her daughters moved into the house, even Cindy was well beyond the age where she would be writing on the walls.
The wedding preparations or lack thereof are made evident with Alice’s arrival. Marcia and Jan have completely different visions for their wedding. Jan wants a traditional event with formal wear, classical music and the like. Wally and Marcia are imagining a casual BYOB type event that the guests will find not much different than the regular boozy weekend parties. Oh, except there will be a live rock-n-roll band.
This of course causes conflict. The two couples’ clash continues into Mike and Carol’s living room where they all meet for the first time. The obvious solution here would be for each Brady girl to have her own celebration. Mikes does suggest this. Well, such a common sense resolution would not make for a good movie. No resolution is reached; Wally and Philip are now having second thoughts about getting married at all. I was not quite clear why they felt this way. Maybe neither guy wants the rest of his life dictated by Jan and Marcia not getting along?
The Brady girls getting married plot line had all ready moved on to a shaky track, but the next plot resolution sends it sailing off the track into the ravine. The dueling couples meet at a restaurant, down a bottle of wine and decide to course the wedding by spinning the empty bottle on the table. Yes, they are going to decide what kind of wedding they will have by spinning a wine bottle. The bottle lands between Marcia and Jan, leaving them to conclude the wedding should be half traditional and half modern. This is some classic Brady nonsense here. I could see this having been some kind of resolution on the original show when it came to some song Greg wrote, a play the kids were putting or maybe two girls sharing hostess honors due to the banquet guest of honor being an astronaut.
The wedding is planned in less than a week due to Peter’s Air Force service sending him off on an exercise. This comes at a great inconvenience to all the Brady kids, but they will be there. Somehow, all of the other guests coming could rearrange their plans. Maybe this abrupt change is why we don’t see Aunt Jenny as she was in Washington DC advising a newly elected Ronald Reagan on how to deal with the USSR.
The wedding begins with more lame jokes. Bobby arrives still wearing his cleats. How did he “accidentally” put cleats on after changing out of his uniform into a suit? Greg arrives wearing white doctor shoes and is laughed at as only the bride is supposed to wear white. I will give kudos to the production of this movie in that they at least make clear the wedding was taking place someplace besides the Brady house. However, the wedding is moved there as rain soon cancels the outdoor nuptials.
It seems to be such a TV sitcom mainstay that characters get married on the main set of the show. I remember an episode of Good Times where James’ father was getting married and the ceremony took place in the Evans’ apartment. When this was mentioned at the Sitcomsonline board for the show, somebody commented to the effect of, “If they would have had Thelma get married in that damned apartment…” and I still laugh thinking about that. For the Brady brides, at least we have rain to blame for them getting married in the Brady home’s living room.
The half and half ceremony plays out onscreen. Jan and Philip swap traditional vows while Marcia and Wally share some they penned on their own. Stewart Copeland jams alongside Carlos Santana while a violin players strolls about the event. The wacky wedding ends the same way Mike and Carol’s did. However, this time it is Wally who finds himself covered in wedding cake. It was a nice subtle nod to the original series.
I want to thank you all for reviewing “The Brady Girls Get Married” with me. Please do share your own thoughts! My own line of thinking here is that it was nice to see everyone again, but the level of enjoyment is nowhere near what I found with the original series. A sensible and responsible gal like Marcia agreeing to marry a man after a week’s time was a stretch. Maybe if it was Desi Arnaz Jr, I might understand, but not some guy who sat beside her at the Piccadilly. As mentioned before, the willingness to have a half and half wedding might have worked on the original series, but here just rings hokey to me. In the coming days, I will be seeking episodes of The Brady Brides out and another blog will post before too long with a review of those. Based on the TV movie, I can’t see reviewing each episode one by one. Again, I hope you will all share your own thoughts! See you again soon.
Hello again dear readers! Thank you for joining me today to look back on a fun spoof of The Brady Bunch. On February 5th, 1989, an episode of the sitcom Day By Day aired an episode where one of the characters dreams he is a part of the Brady family. In case you have not seen it, a Youtube link for the episode is below. It is here that I viewed it for the first time in nearly 30 years. I also obtained the screenshots from here, so please excuse the lackluster quality of them. Let’s begin our review!
Video Link: https://youtu.be/gapSLY5Fxbo
I remember seeing this episode when it aired during prime time. Other than viewing this one particular episode, I had zero recollection of the series as a whole prior to starting this review. I had to Google it for more information. To my surprise, it was associated with the long running series Family Ties. The fathers on each show were college roommates. So in the same TV world where Steven and Elyse Keaton worried over the conservative era of Reagan clashing with their flower child pasts, another family ran a day care and enjoyed The Brady Bunch.
The premise of Day By Day had a husband and wife with successful careers shucking their high paying jobs to run a day care. Thrown into the mix was their teenage son Ross, a toddler aged daughter, a pre-Seinfeld Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a neighbor and a pre-Melrose Place Courtney Thorne-Smith as a nanny. The show starred Douglas Sheehan and Linda Kelsey as the parents and Christopher Daniel Barnes as Ross. Thora Birch played the daughter. If any readers are more familiar with this series as a whole, please share your thoughts!
It is a well known bit of Brady trivia that Christopher Daniel Barnes would later play Greg in the Brady movies from the 1990s. He did not reprise the role for the third Brady film where Mike Brady is elected president.
The episode begins with Ross utilizing some vintage 1980s technology to watch a vintage 1970s show. I remember those little hand held TVs being quite the novelty at one time. A friend and his dad were utilizing their own to watch Alf one night at church while waiting to have their photo snapped for the directory. That was advanced technology at the time!
Ross is soon joined by the neighbor, Eileen, and the nanny, Kristin, and they all sing the Brady Bunch theme song together. It was a nice nod to the show’s longevity that so many knew the words to the theme song by heart.
Along with some vintage 1980s tech, this episode also treats us to some vintage 80s fashion. Check out that shirt Ross is wearing. At the time it was current and stylish. Later in this episode, we will see him wearing some laughable 1970s duds. Now, this episode gives a glimpse to the dated fashion of two decades! Eileen’s business attire would still be considered fashionable today or at least it would not catch my eye like a leisure suit or parachute pants would. Kristin’s outfit does have a 1980s Gap vibe, but probably would only reveal that under scrutiny.
The conflict of this Day By Day episode is that Ross has written a lousy history paper. The conflict is revealed with some of those classic 80s sitcoms tropes. The other characters vow their support and then balk moments later. The issue at hand is rendered more grave by dialogue of the other characters still unaware of the said issue. In this case, the parents reflect on the teacher that gave Ross the bad grade and how easy it was to pass his class. These tropes are predictable and heavy handed, but they sure were fun back then.
Ross blames his bad grade on a recent Brady Bunch marathon. Part of this crappy paper stated that Benedict Arnold was the pig on Green Acres. Well Ross, if you were watching a Brady Bunch marathon, you should be well aware Benedict Arnold was not the famous swine from Green Acres. Your parents are so right to be disappointed in you. You didn’t pay attention in class or while watching The Brady Bunch. Ross laments that Mike and Carol Brady would not be angry with one of the kids brought home a bad grade.
Ross must hit the books as part of his punishment for the F paper. This is where the fun begins as he dozes off and dreams he is a part of The Brady Brunch. The opening of the original show is altered in that it excludes Susan Olsen from the opening head shots. I assume the little girl taking her place was the actress who played Ross’s little sister on Day By Day. Outside of this shot, the child does not appear elsewhere in the episode. Susan Olsen is also absent from this mini-reunion. Sadly, we won’t see Eve Plumb or Barry Williams either outside of these opening credits.
Ross finds himself in the Brady home of old and greeted by Carol. Florence Henderson adorned the lady mullet for this spoof. Either the studio audience or a well crafted canned excited audience track erupt upon her entrance. True to the original show, she enjoys one cup of coffee after another. Missing was that pea green coffee pot Alice always served from. In this introduction, we learn that Ross is no longer Ross, but Chuck Brady. We get the only mention of Cindy and Jan here. Carol gleefully shares that Cindy is at a bake sale and Jan just ran up to her room and slammed the door.
Soon, Robert Reed comes from Mike’s den sporting a mustache and some classic Mr. Brady attire. In a funny bit, he chides Chuck about his long hair. The boy refuses to have it cut, but Mike Brady isn’t asking that at all. He asked that Chuck get that long hair permed. Most devout fans of the show now know the curls of the Brady men came naturally, not chemically, but this was still a really funny line. It was fantastic that Robert Reed took part in this, despite his misgivings about the original series. Perhaps this opportunity to poke fun at it could not be resisted by him.
It is soon revealed that Mike is carrying a ukulele. He cracks a silly joke about taking it to a roaring 20s party. He says that’s where “we all get roaring and act like we’re twenty”. Carol of course finds this hilarious. Throughout this entire dream bit, Florence Henderson and Robert Reed look to be having a blast spoofing their old characters. It was great to see them together having so much fun.
Soon Ann B. Davis makes her entrance. She references the boxing gloves she is wearing as being a gift from Sam The Butcher. It was nice that her old beau was at least referenced. As of 1989, Miss Davis did not appear to have lost a step. She dances around throwing jabs and looks as fit as ever. I’ve shared before that Ann B. Davis was known to be in excellent health right up until the day she passed. Her death took those who knew her by surprise. During this scene, Alice also mentions Buddy Hinton giving Chuck trouble at school. Whoever crafted this spoof seemed to know the show very well.
The audience is then treated to the arrival of two of the Brady boys. Christopher Knight and Mike Lookinland enter the scene. It was funny seeing Bobby with a mustache, still dressed like he was 12 years old. They introduce the mini-conflict of the episode when they share that Chuck is running for student council president. Chuck refuses saying he does not do extracurricular activities. Here Mike pulls aside Chuck and the music is queued that accompanied wisdom being shared on the original series. The “talking to” lasts all of 15 seconds as Mike shares facing new challenges is part of growing up and closing with “I’m glad we had this talk” as the music stops abruptly. It was a funny well done parody of the original series.
The next scene has Maureen McCormick entering the dream sequence. A very pregnant Marcia rushes over to Chuck to share with him some “wonderful news”. Chuck is taken aback by a pregnant Marcia. At the time this episode was filmed, Maureen McCormick was pregnant. I remember when I watched this years ago, Chuck questioned if Mike and Carol knew Marcia was with child, but this is cut from the version posted on Youtube. It’s a shame too because it made for a really funny exchange. The wonderful news Marcia has to share is that she is running for Student Council president.
The remainder of the dream sequence treats viewers to more silliness via the spoof of the original series. At one point Chuck suggests he and his brothers get on their bikes and go someplace, but is rebuked by Peter saying “we never ride our bikes” followed by Bobby saying “we just fix them”. While us die hard fans of the show know this not to be true, to a casual viewer it makes for continued hilarity. Eileen and Kristin appear in the dream as two of Marcia’s cheer leading chums and kind of stand in for Jan and Cindy. The boys and girls march across a the living room, divided by a white line, in support of the candidate of their gender. Carol intervenes and Marcia states she wishes she was part of the Partridge Family. Another super quick “lesson” is shared with the music queued.
The dream sequence comes to an end with a laugh. Mike again shares the roaring 20s joke. When questioned about this by Chuck, Mike states he knows the joke was shared all ready. Carol states they are now in a rerun. Alice reenters throwing jabs and belts Chuck Brady, returning him to reality as Ross. Well, almost returning him. Ross awakens from the dream only to find his actual parents dressed like Mike and Carol Brady. This lasts only a few seconds as he awakens again to his own reality. The bit concludes with his own parents becoming enraptured with an episode of The Brady Bunch.
Thank you for reviewing this episode of Day By Day with me. I chose to review it as it is a testament to that lasting legacy in pop culture the Bradys left us. At the time this episode aired, the original show had been off the air almost 15 years. This episode is but one of many examples of how the Bradys have remained such a powerful mainstay in pop culture. We just saw the original house used only in establishing shots undergo a major renovation as the nostalgia associated with it was so great, so many did not want to see it razed. There a few classic TV shows with such staying power. Please share your own thoughts with us on this episode/spoof. The plan for the next review is The Brady Brides. See you soon.
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