8 Amazing Facts You Never Knew About The Brady Bunch

Situational comedies, or “sitcoms,” were a staple for television viewers in the 1970s. One of the most popular shows on the air was “The Brady Bunch,” which ran from 1969 until 1974. The sitcom centered around the Brady family, a combined family of eight, plus the live-in maid, Alice. Three children came from the father, and three from the mother.

It was one of the first shows demonstrating the challenges of a blended family. Dad was an architect and spent his days working on building design. Mom was a stay-at-home parent, but that did not limit her activities. Besides being the primary chauffeur for the family, Carol spent her time at PTA meetings and did the shopping and dry cleaning. In her spare time, she was a freelance writer, singer, and occasional political activist! But those are just the basics.

Here are a few little-known facts you probably didn’t know about the Brady Bunch!

According to Susan Olsen, who played Cindy Brady, she and her on-screen step-brother had crushes on each other. Mike Lookinland played Bobby Brady, and the two were the youngest cast members.

At the time, then-unknown actor Gene Hackman was cast in the role of Mike Brady. The network didn’t want an unknown actor in the role, and Robert Reed was brought in. The change didn’t seem to affect Hackman’s career.

Aside from the iconic stairwell, the boys’ and girls’ rooms used a “Jack and Jill” bathroom. This means that the room had entrances from both rooms. It was a pretty normal-looking bathroom, except there was no toilet! The problem was corrected during a recent home renovation, but there is still only one bathroom.

Christopher Knight, who played Peter Brady, was playing football in the yard with brother Bobby. In rehearsals for the scene, he threw the football but could never hit Marcia (Maureen McCormack). The show’s producer, Lloyd Schwartz, stepped in to demonstrate, lobbing a perfect spiral pass at Marcia’s nose!

The original casting had Joyce Bulifant playing Carol Brady. The original idea was that Mom would be a wacky mom-type. When Anne B. Davis became the Brady housekeeper, Alice, the network shifted to a serious mom-type. Florence Henderson replaced Bulifant, who ended up on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” as Murray’s wife!

The jealousy between on-screen characters Marcia and Jan erupted over Marcia winning the boy they both liked. Jan invented an imaginary boyfriend and called him “George.” She added the last name of “Glass” after spotting a water glass on a nearby table. Thus George Glass was born. The fictional boyfriend was referenced several times during the series but never made an appearance (because he wasn’t real). In the sequel, “A Very Brady Sequel,” filmed in 1996, Jan needed a date to a wedding. She met a real boy named George Gunther Glass, portrayed by Michael Lindburg, who added the punch line to the 26-year-old running joke.

Part of the allure of “The Brady Bunch” was that the three girls were all blonde like their mother. Actress Susan Olsen’s hair was apparently not blonde enough, so the makeup crew routinely bleached it. That lasted until midway through the second season when Susan’s hair began falling out.

Working on a tight budget and trying to finish filming on schedule can lead to some onscreen accidents. The “Oops” scenes in “The Brady Bunch” remain intact for syndication. As a result, viewers might see the family leaving in their convertible only to return in the family station wagon. Likewise, hairstyles might differ from the beginning of a scene as the scene closes. We’re not going to offer particular examples. You’ll have to watch the series to see the flubs for yourself!

“The Brady Bunch” remains a fan favorite. It is a perfect example of 1970s sitcoms, with canned scripts and recognizable plots. Many people living in blended families could relate to the Brady family. Be sure to share these facts with your friends if they also enjoyed the series.

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