Homily

I don't think so. She wears a uniform for one thing but mainly I think she was Mr Brady's housekeeper after his wife died (possibly even before but since they never really talk about anything that happens before Carol and Mike get married who knows!). Anyway I certainly always had the impression Alice was a paid employee - she even references being friends with other housekeepers/maids (e.g. the episode with Desi Arnez Jr.). No doubt she works for less than she might otherwise since room and board are included -- on that subject it always bothered me that Alice never ate with the family, even on the camping trip to the Grand Canyon she is sitting off on her lonesome eating her dinner.

She looks like just about every other woman I know who's 50ish and has had 4 kids. Personally I appreciate seeing someone who is a cooking celebrity who actually looks like they eat once in awhile.

I don't think she ever said going into town was impossible - these people clearly live in their cars! - it's just not realistic. It's not a ten minute drive and I doubt most people working on a ranch are going into the nearest town for their midday meals.

Also perhaps enough time has gone by that those who might have resented the way being a Brady coloured their life have made their peace with it? I think it also makes sense that, at least some of them, are feeling nostalgic for their youth (lord knows I get this) and that may be another reason they wanted to take part.

Mike was an architect and if memory serves he designed and built the house (not sure why I think that though - was this ever referenced on the show?) anyway I didn't find their house any more implausible for them to afford than I did the idea that a family with one income and a SAHM could afford live in help ☺️

We're househunting right now and saw a 1950s bungalow that had a room off the kitchen that was meant for the maid. It wasn't that dissimilar to the room shown above for Alice. Right off the back door entry and conveniently located near the kitchen and laundry room. Only reason this place was in our price range is it is definitely a fixer upper. We passed. But I had fun imagining myself being able to afford a live-in maid.

Agreed. As far as the donors go some of them got the chance to be on TV and I'm betting they got a few other perks from donating their stuff. Also if they're true fans of the show I'm betting they're thrilled to be involved even at arm's length. I'd hope if for some reason the house is sold privately that the powers that be would return the donated items and I'm sure (well not sure, guessing) that there are provisions in place for that to happen.

To me they all look good for their ages. Maybe not their ages for 60ish aged people in Hollywood I guess but for regular people? Pretty normal.

I say this (or similar) about most reality shows but for some reason I actually like this one. Nostalgia for sure but also I just genuinely like the people involved and they seem to be having fun. No faux drah-ma and made up cliffhangers. I'm good with that!

I remember loving that show the first year it was on and then the second season it sucked. I wasn't very old but old enough to be discriminating about silly TV shows I guess! ETA: Ah according to WIKI not two seasons, part way through the first year they switched gears and brought the astronauts and some of the cave people to modern times.

That makes a change! Usually when I go sleuthing after watching HHI I find they've moved on either back to their home country or sometimes on to another country - but that's rare.

I started disliking PF when they changed Keith from a caring, intelligent teenager into Danny's comic foil. They made him so so dumb. Hated that! I don't recall that really happening on Brady Bunch. The kids were never, as far as I remember, anything but real (for TV) kids. Worst thing they did on BB was trying to keep Cindy the baby of the family for too long. They should have cast a much younger actress if they were going to go down that road! More to the topic - so far what I am liking about the renovation show is they are allowing the "kids" to have some say in what happens without it being lots of drah-ma and silliness. Everyone involved seems excited and happy to be there and willing to work to make the whole concept come alive. I guess a lot of that may be TV fakery but at least they're doing a good job with the faking -- unlike most reality shows!

If I were Eve I'd still be pretty furious! If what Maureen wrote was true it was personal and should only have been shared with permission - and if it was something out of nothing in order to be scandalous-ugh, so wrong.

I've had lots of incidents thanks to going barefoot over the years but I just can't wear shoes if I don't have to! I lived in Hawaii until I was 8 so maybe that's part of my problem - I can still remember walking to school carrying my shoes because there was no way I was wearing them any sooner than I had to. Then my parents moved us to Montreal. Not wearing shoes outside wasn't going to happen!

I keep waiting for the bacon makes everything better craze to die. No sign of it happening yet. I've never tried lavender ice cream but I had lavender cupcakes at a wedding and liked them but to be honest don't really see what all the fuss is about but then :small voice: I don't like Red Velvet cake either...

For that matter the original Star Wars was described as being akin to Westerns! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Western

Thanks to the magic of google and IMDB when I watch old movies - you know the ones where everyone and his uncle seems to be smoking all the time - I tend to look up the stars and the rest of the cast for that matter. Of course most have died long since but it's still so sad how many died of lung cancer and other cancers that are usually associated with smoking.

I was on a message board years ago where this topic became almost as big a Great Divider as whether the toilet paper should go over or under on the roll! I too grew up where it's automatic to take your shoes off as you come through the door in a private home but, contrary to what I have always believed, this is absolutely not the case for a lot of people! What really surprises me on TV is when I see people come downstairs, supposedly having just dressed for the day, and they're wearing shoes. In my little corner of the world people keep their shoes near the front door and only the super special worn once in a blue moon shoes are kept in the bedroom.

I know what you mean. I don't watch the last season but enjoy it to that point (not blaming poor Cousin Oliver - the show had run its course by then) but back in the day I loved the Partridge Family and adored David (swoon) Cassidy. PF though hasn't aged well. It's fun to watch an episode or two (especially fun to watch for future stars who guested on it) but I dunno, it's silly but PF was always just a show but the Brady Bunch seemed real 😊. I may need to see someone about this but that's the way it always struck me.

I'm just amazed that after 50 years (how the hell did that happen?) there is still so much interest in the Bradys. Just curious - is this boomer nostalgia or have younger generations also gotten hooked on the Brady's through the magic of eternal reruns?

Wasn't this a "Make a Wish" kind of thing? If you look at their FB page they seemed very happy that Hazel got a chance to visit the ranch.

Absolutely. When we first lived in England it was with children - and we chose an area with good schools and easy proximity to shops and to the train for commuting into London. A social life wasn't an issue. When we went back without kids (they were in university in Canada) we chose a place that was much closer to the centre of things - we weren't in our 20s anymore but we did want a social life - we didn't need to be near clubs and a busy night life wasn't in the cards but there was a happy medium that we were able to find.

Basically the entire living area of the house is one big room. Kitcha-living-dining room. Watch any flip show and almost without exception the first thing they do is "tear down these walls"!

Oh god if they had decided to go for open concept I'd have to bail even for the nostalgia factor of seeing the Brady kids one more time I just couldn't have handled that!!

Eve Plumb did a few things immediately post Brady Bunch (Dawn Portrait of a teenage Runaway comes to mind) and more recently I recall she played the mother in the sitcom Fudge - and was very good. I think of all the "kids" she was the one who could have had a real career in acting but it just didn't really work out. Not sure if it's because people couldn't see her as anyone other than Jan Brady or if it's just the breaks and there are a lot of talented actors who never get more than a few decent roles. Probably a bit of both. I always have some sympathy for kids actors who end up careerless in Hollywood. But only so much. At least they had their moment in the sun. The ones who are grateful for that and move on are the ones who end up happy adults.