The Brady Bunch - General Discussion

[legaleagle53]

12 hours ago, Katy M said:

And I've kind of fanwanked that she died from a long illness, so, of course they would also need help during that.  then, you certainly wouldn't get rid of the housekeeper, both because Mike still needed help, and you wouldn't want to take yet another person out of the boys' lives.  Then, after all that, assuming it's not a financial hardship, it would just be very unfeeling to let Alice go just because Mike remarried.  She's family by that point.

Which was exactly the point of one the early episodes where Alice herself decided to leave because she felt that Mike and the boys no longer needed her now that Carol was there and had started bonding with the boys (as Alice had been encouraging them to do). Mike, Carol, and the kids then came up with that over-the-top "crisis" plot to prove to Alice that she really was still very much needed and wanted as part of the family. It's actually one of my favorite episodes.

[smittykins]

The only time the boys’ mother is mentioned is in the pilot, when Bobby put her photo away because he didn’t want to hurt Carol’s feelings.

Edited September 1, 2020 by smittykins

[mmecorday]

In the latter seasons Carol and Mike act as though they had never been married to other people.

[GHScorpiosRule]

37 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

In the latter seasons Carol and Mike act as though they had never been married to other people.

Not exactly. The episode where Jan needs glasses and they get the portrait taken, Mike tells the photographer that he and Carol have been married three years. 
And the photographer muses about six children in three years as everyone being in a rush these days.

While they don’t outright say it, it’s implied. We also have the episode of Carol’s grandmother and Mike’s grandfather. If they’d been married to each other all this time, then Grandma and Grandpa would have known about the other.

Frankly, I don’t think too much about that continuity gaffe, as much as the others.

[Katy M]

51 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

rankly, I don’t think too much about that continuity gaffe, as much as the others.

I don't think I'd even call it a continuity gaffe.  They just moved on really well. Maybe unhealthily so.    The only times I thought it was a little weird (and even then not completely so) was when Jan said to one of the boys that blood was thicker than water when mad that they chose some other girl for her over something, and then when Carol claimed that Greg got some kind of talent from her.  

[Waterston Fan]

Fan Fiction wise its kinda fun to figure out the rest of the kids and what do you guys think of what I did? That was alot of work to do. 

[LexieLily]

The boys were all older than their counterpoint girl, I thought, so Bobby would be older than Cindy.

[legaleagle53]

7 hours ago, Waterston Fan said:

Fan Fiction wise its kinda fun to figure out the rest of the kids and what do you guys think of what I did? That was alot of work to do. 

In the show's only Christmas episode during the first season, Cindy reminds Mike that she's six years old. And Marcia was only 12 at the start of the show (she got her drivers' license in Season 5, so she couldn't have turned 16 before then).

[VCRTracking]

And Oliver was 9 or 10 when he came on. I like that he was blonde because it shows he was from Carol's side of the family!

Edited September 2, 2020 by VCRTracking

[Katy M]

7 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

nd Marcia was only 12 at the start of the show (she got her drivers' license in Season 5, so she couldn't have turned 16 before then).

Well, she could have. NOt everybody gets their license the second they turn 16.  But, yeah, the math otherwise works out that way.

[Waterston Fan]

7 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

In the show's only Christmas episode during the first season, Cindy reminds Mike that she's six years old. And Marcia was only 12 at the start of the show (she got her drivers' license in Season 5, so she couldn't have turned 16 before then).

The ages for Cindy and Bobby were from the Teeter totter caper where Cindy said she was 9 and a half and Bobby said he was 10. Unless Bobby and Cindy skipped a grade, there is no way Bobby is already in college and Cindy is leaving for college by the time the Brady girls get married.  Updating Bobby and Cindy's ages on the screenshot I posted, I might have to keep it like that for them. 

I fixed Marcia's age, thanks. 

Hard thing for me is Peter and Jan because I would think they are in the same grade even though from what I noticed, they were at Fillmore for 3 years. In the final episode, Peter stated he was going to Westdale but I would think Jan would go there as well. 

 

EDIT: I should say I will flip the ages for Bobby and Cindy. 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Waterston Fan

[VCRTracking]

I was thinking how good an actor Lippy Esplinda aka "Mr. Hanalei" in the Hawaii episodes. Like you believe the Tiki statue is tabu because how much he believes it. I also like how Mike and Carol refer to him as "superstitious old gentleman" to the kids. Much more respectful than if they called him a "superstitious old man".

[mmecorday]

Quote

I was thinking how good an actor Lippy Esplinda aka "Mr. Hanalei"

I always feel sorry for him when Mike and Carol are asking him where he thinks the boys might have gone to return the idol. "I didn't do nothing wrong!" he says. Poor guy!

Boy, King's Island must have been a tremendous let down for the cast after they got to vacation in Hawaii!

[legaleagle53]

On 9/11/2020 at 9:57 AM, mmecorday said:

I always feel sorry for him when Mike and Carol are asking him where he thinks the boys might have gone to return the idol. "I didn't do nothing wrong!" he says. Poor guy!

Boy, King's Island must have been a tremendous let down for the cast after they got to vacation in Hawaii!

Maybe that's why Robert took them all to London on his dime later on, to make up for it!

[VCRTracking]

On 9/11/2020 at 9:57 AM, mmecorday said:

Boy, King's Island must have been a tremendous let down for the cast after they got to vacation in Hawaii!

Teenage me was let down by the wardrobe. I get they had Marcia and Jan wear those ugly buns because they would be running all over the place later in the relay to deliver the plans but who wears long pants to an amusement park?

[mmecorday]

"The Cincinnati Kids" episode always bugged me. Greg was at his horn dog worst stalking that poor park employee who obviously wanted nothing to do with the Casanova of Clinton Avenue. No means no, dude.

[Liamsmom617]

On 9/21/2020 at 12:20 PM, mmecorday said:

"The Cincinnati Kids" episode always bugged me. Greg was at his horn dog worst stalking that poor park employee who obviously wanted nothing to do with the Casanova of Clinton Avenue. No means no, dude

[Liamsmom617]

  I am so loving these message boards. Just rediscovered “The Brady Bunch“ because it’s on Hulu and am enjoying it so immensely!! Watched it as a little kid and then again as a teenager (kind of sarcastically, to make fun of it). Now I’m just out and out loving it. It’s so comforting somehow… Simpler times, LOL.
   Watching with adult eyes Robert Reed was hot hot hot. Yeah, yeah... I know he played for the other team...but still! 
   On “The Cincinnati Kids”, I’m surprised no one else has mentioned that Jan was… well...braless?! All those scenes when they’re running with the cylinder of plans… Nobody thought to make her wear a bra? I know it was the early 70s but damn!

Edited September 29, 2020 by Liamsmom617

[smittykins]

In one of the books, either Maureen or Eve said that they both would try to go braless as much as possible, but often Lloyd Schwartz(or maybe Sherwood, which, ick!)would touch their backs and make them put one on.

Edited September 26, 2020 by smittykins

[Waterston Fan]

20 hours ago, Liamsmom617 said:

  I am so loving these message boards. Just rediscovered “The Brady Bunch“ because it’s on Hulu and am enjoying it so immensely!! Watched it as a little kid and then again as a teenager (kind of sarcastically, to make fun of it). Now I’m just out and out loving it. It’s so comforting somehow… Simpler times, LOL.
   Watching with adult eyes Robert Reed was hot hot hot. Yeah, yeah... I know he played for the other team...but still! 
   On “The Cincinnati Kids”, I’m surprised no one else has mentioned that Jan was… well...brakes?! All those scenes when they’re running with the cylinder of plans… Nobody thought to make her wear a bra? I know it was the early 70s but damn!

I bet they wished they had worn a bra but I would think they would have seen that in the script, they would be running. 

Yes, Robert Reed was hot, hot, hot, especially in that speedo/swimsuit he wore in the Hawaii episode. 

[mmecorday]

MeTV showed a quartet of Marcia-themed episodes yesterday. One of my favorite episodes of the series is "Juliet is the Sun" because Maureen McCormick plays monstrous diva so well. "Getting Davy Jones" was one of the features episodes. How lame was Fimore Junior High's prom committee? They waited until two weeks before the event to talk about who they were going to get to perform at the dance? Maybe I'm expecting too much from 14-year-olds.

Edited September 29, 2020 by mmecorday

[Katy M]

2 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

Maybe I'm expecting too much from 14-year-olds.

I think you are, when one of them took a form letter so seriously to heart.  And others believed that she could actually get Davy Jones just because she was President of his fan club.  I mean I Imagine a fan club consisted of a bunch of girls sitting around listening to records, saying how cute he was or something, and writing him fan letters.

[TheLastKidPicked]

On 9/25/2020 at 6:03 PM, Liamsmom617 said:

I am so loving these message boards. Just rediscovered “The Brady Bunch“ because it’s on Hulu and am enjoying it so immensely!! Watched it as a little kid and then again as a teenager (kind of sarcastically, to make fun of it). Now I’m just out and out loving it. It’s so comforting somehow… Simpler times, LOL.

Oh, yes!

Just looking at a picture of the Brady house brings back the comforts of simpler times.

 

[Snow Apple]

So many people compare The Brady Bunch to The Partridge Family, but the Brady's are such a comfort show. There's so much love and support even when they fight. I still love both shows though.

Also "Cindy" is a much better actress than "Tracy" and Oliver is waaaaaaaay less annoying than Ricky.

[legaleagle53]

10 hours ago, mmecorday said:

One of my favorite episodes of the series is "Juliet is the Sun" because Maureen McCormick plays monstrous diva so well.

AND because she gives me the best example of "ugly cry" when Carol tells Marcia that she's been fired from the play because no one can stand to work with her anymore.

[Snow Apple]

The costumes for the Romeo and Juliet cast were pretty good too for a school play. I always loved Marcia’s headpiece.

[mmecorday]

Filmore Junior High had a well budgeted costume shop. The George Washington play Peter played Benedict Arnold in had some nice costumes as well.

[Snow Apple]

In the anniversary picture/Jan needs glasses episode, is that camera normal for 1971? It seems old fashioned. But what do I know?

On the other hand, Jan's glasses doesn't look dated at all and look like something we can wear today.

[mmecorday]

Quote

In the anniversary picture/Jan needs glasses episode, is that camera normal for 1971? It seems old fashioned. But what do I know?

My cousin owned a photography studio and operated a camera very much like that one as late as 1993.

And to have done that much damage to their parents' anniversary gift, Jan would have had to have been FLYING on her bicycle.

[Snow Apple]

I hope the photographer gave them a discount since he lost the negatives! If there's a cost to print a copy of the negative, he should just let them pay that price and not for a brand new session. 

Now that I'm thinking this through, I think he took advantage of the children.

[legaleagle53]

9 hours ago, mmecorday said:

And to have done that much damage to their parents' anniversary gift, Jan would have had to have been FLYING on her bicycle.

She pretty much was. She kept going at full speed and didn't even slow down before she hit the picture because she didn't start braking in time to stop. And that was because she misjudged the distance she still had to go before braking because she wasn't wearing her glasses.

[mmecorday]

Quote

I hope the photographer gave them a discount since he lost the negatives! If there's a cost to print a copy of the negative, he should just let them pay that price and not for a brand new session. 

And the actor who played the photographer also plays the silversmith who sells the kids the silver platter. Jan screws up that anniversary gift too!

[Katy M]

34 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

And the actor who played the photographer also plays the silversmith who sells the kids the silver platter. Jan screws up that anniversary gift too!

I'm really surprised they did the engraving without payment up front.  Because like he said when Jan asked if he would hold it, what else was he going to do with it? And in Jan's defense, her name cost the least:)

[ClassicShowsFan]

‘A Very Brady Musical’ Virtual Benefit Boxes In Some Broadway Stars And Very Brady Names

[VCRTracking]

 

 

 

 

[mmecorday]

Now he's calling them up asking them if they're taking advantage of all the benefits that Medicare has to offer.

[eel21788]

On 9/1/2020 at 2:29 PM, Waterston Fan said:

Fan Fiction wise its kinda fun to figure out the rest of the kids and what do you guys think of what I did? That was alot of work to do. 

I remember it being mentioned in the George Glass episode (season 2) that Cindy was 8 years old.

[legaleagle53]

1 hour ago, eel21788 said:

I remember it being mentioned in the George Glass episode (season 2) that Cindy was 8 years old.

Which is inconsistent with what we were told in the Season 1 Christmas episode. Cindy was definitively stated as being only six. Unless she turned seven shortly after that episode, there's no way she'd be eight in Season 2.

Marcia's age is somewhat problematic as well. According to "Her Sister's Shadow," she's three years older than Jan, but somehow, they don't come across as being quite that far apart in age, only two years at the most. And Marcia didn't start high school until Season 4, when she would only have been 15, not 16 (Greg says that she'd better get her act together by the time he graduates "next year"). I think part of the problem is that once Eve Plumb reached puberty, it accelerated her physical development to the point that she had actually surpassed Maureen by Season 5.

Let's face it -- consistency and continuity were never this show's strong suits. That's just the way it was back then.

Edited October 20, 2020 by legaleagle53

[smittykins]

Especially on the episode “Today I Am A Freshman.”  Marcia had just finished junior high, which was, IME, grades 7-9.  So shouldn’t she be a sophomore?

(I wonder if any junior highs even exist anymore.  They’ve been replaced by middle schools-grades 6-8–in my area).

[Snow Apple]

1 hour ago, smittykins said:

Especially on the episode “Today I Am A Freshman.”  Marcia had just finished junior high, which was, IME, grades 7-9.  So shouldn’t she be a sophomore?

(I wonder if any junior highs even exist anymore.  They’ve been replaced by middle schools-grades 6-8–in my area).

Junior High where I went to school was grades 7-8. High school is four years, grades 9-12.

I always get startled when I hear a school’s grade 9 is still junior high. 

Neither is wrong. It is what it is. But what’s the point of being called a freshman if you’re still in the jr high building?

Edited October 20, 2020 by Snow Apple

[Waterston Fan]

I wish I had saved the link to a website that gave the kids ages and school until the fifth season but if I remember right, in the final episode Peter stated he was going to High School the following year but no mention if Jan would be but I would think she would as well. 

But consistency was not the shows favorite thing to do. 

[TheLastKidPicked]

After the third or fourth time Joe Namath asked how old Marcia and Jan were, everyone on set got a little uncomfortable.

On 10/18/2020 at 8:10 PM, mmecorday said:

Now he's calling them up asking them if they're taking advantage of all the benefits that Medicare has to offer.

BWHAHAHAHAHA!  I just love you people on this site.

 

[Gemma Violet]

I was watching the episode where Marcia goes to work in an ice cream shop and I happened to have the close-captioning on.  Imagine my surprise when Marcia was invited to a rock concert and the close caption said "rap concert."  Apparently, the transcriber must not have realized that rap didn't exist back then. 😄

[Katy M]

On 11/16/2020 at 5:33 PM, TheLastKidPicked said:

After the third or fourth time Joe Namath asked how old Marcia and Jan were, everyone on set got a little uncomfortable.

Did he take so many blows to the head that he forgot he asked, or was he hoping they magically hit 18?

[TheLastKidPicked]

1 hour ago, Katy M said:

Did he take so many blows to the head that he forgot he asked, or was he hoping they magically hit 18?

I think @mmecorday was making a joke because that picture popped up.

Maureen McCormick had said in an interview that around that time, people were asking her when she was going to turn 18.  For her sake, I'm glad that there was no social media back then.  Could you imagine the propositions she would have seen?

Sometimes those simpler days before cell phones and the internet were a good thing.

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by TheLastKidPicked

[Snow Apple]

13 hours ago, Gemma Violet said:

I was watching the episode where Marcia goes to work in an ice cream shop and I happened to have the close-captioning on.  Imagine my surprise when Marcia was invited to a rock concert and the close caption said "rap concert."  Apparently, the transcriber must not have realized that rap didn't exist back then. 😄

But I think they have rap sessions back then. Maybe the transcriber mixed up what the event was. The 70’s were a happening time.

[Gemma Violet]

7 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

But I think they have rap sessions back then. Maybe the transcriber mixed up what the event was. The 70’s were a happening time.

Good point.  I totally forgot that it was used back then as a term for talking.  I never used it because I was a bit of a nerd, but I heard others say it. 🙂

[mmecorday]

Quote

I was watching the episode where Marcia goes to work in an ice cream shop

And she's dating Shazam!

Also, Peter was about as good at his job at the ice cream parlor as he was fixing bikes for Mr. Martinelli.

[Katy M]

I had a dream about the Brady Bunch last night.  It was just so weird, I feel compelled to share it.

Marcia and Greg were dating and Bobby and Cindy were dating.  Age wise, they're probably around season 3 or 4.  So, weird in more ways than one.  Anyway, Jan doesn't want to date Peter, because she wants to be different.  Fair enough.  There's one spot on the football team.  Both Peter and this other kid are trying out.  for reasons which are unclear to me, Jan has to date whoever gets the football spot.  So, she's rooting for other dude.  The rest of the family is upset with her disloyalty and then, thank goodness, my alarm clock went off.  I hope other dude won.  Because I am firmly in Jan's corner on this.

[legaleagle53]

10 hours ago, mmecorday said:

Also, Peter was about as good at his job at the ice cream parlor as he was fixing bikes for Mr. Martinelli.

Oh, he was much worse at the ice-cream parlor. At least he tried to do a good job working for Mr. Martinelli, even if he had no idea what he was doing and completely sucked at it. At the ice-cream parlor, all he wanted to do was play around, eat ice cream all day, and somehow expect to get paid for it. As Marcia put it, he was a capital G Goof-off!