A Very Brady Renovation - General Discussion

[foxfreakinmulder]

50 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

I remember thinking the ice maker on the door was so cool. I don’t think I had one until the 90’s. Were they a thing in the 70’s?  I don’t recall anyone having one growing up and I’m 55 now.

I'm 60 and I remember my mom had the avocado refrigerator with ice maker on the door in 1969 or 1970. I ate a lot of ice because I thought it was so cool to get ice out of the door lol.

[princelina]

6 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I do wonder how much is just for the cameras, and how much is them actually caring?

Maybe they're acting more excited for the cameras than they really feel, but I have to believe they are enjoying it!  If I were one of them I'd be loving it 😄 

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, eel21788 said:

I met him on a couple of occasions. He can be a really nice guy or a total jerk, depending on his mood.

Sounds like most of us! 😆

[catlover79]

28 minutes ago, princelina said:

Maybe they're acting more excited for the cameras than they really feel, but I have to believe they are enjoying it!  If I were one of them I'd be loving it 😄 

I agree, and I believe the emotional reactions to seeing the finished rooms are genuine. It's definitely genuine when they talk about the "grownups" of the cast who are no longer with us. 

[txhorns79]

7 hours ago, catlover79 said:

It's definitely genuine when they talk about the "grownups" of the cast who are no longer with us. 

Oh I have no doubt that they loved Florence, Bob and Ann.  I just sometimes wonder what is going through their heads while all this is happening. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

31 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

Oh I have no doubt that they loved Florence, Bob and Ann.  I just sometimes wonder what is going through their heads while all this is happening. 

Well, to me, I see the emotional impact seeing the den renovated on Barry. Even seeing the steps completed and the living room, Maureen got emotional. I think, seeing the sound stage being "remade" into real life living spaces, where they spent five years together, brought back those memories, and then knowing that Florence, Bob, and Ann aren't there to see it too. And with the upcoming episodes, there was one where (spoiler tagging just in case)

Maureen is very emotional and says how she "misses her so much" which I assume the "she" is Florence. Florence was there for her, rooting her on, when Maureen was on

DWTS, and you could still see the love and affection between them.

I admit, I am cynical about most things these days, but when it comes to these people and cast? My inner child refuses to believe that they're not emotionally invested in seeing "their" house come to life. 

Sue me.

[Angeltoes]

9 hours ago, catlover79 said:

It's definitely genuine when they talk about the "grownups" of the cast who are no longer with us. 

I think they miss a lot of others, too.  When they walked into the new living room, there were comments about the "fourth wall."  On the original set that wall was not there and Susan said (with a catch in her voice) that she used to be able to look in that direction and see her mother sitting there on the soundstage.

[MarkHB]

I'm going to predict that this will be the 2020 HGTV Dream Home.

[iMonrey]

All six of the Bradys were on the Colbert show last night. I'm not sure what to make of that except they're in it all the way. Maybe they're contractually obligated to promote this thing or maybe they were just all thrilled to be on a late night talk show for the first time in their lives.

Quote

Mr Angeltoes (who is about a year older than Barry) says he doesn't understand why this renovation is a big deal or why it's even being done.  His exact words were,"America must be hard up for entertainment if they put this crap on TV." 

I find it fascinating to see them completely gut the house and change the floorplan without altering the front view of the house. I mean most HGTV reality shows are very fake but there's nothing about this one that isn't genuine. They're really doing this. It's kind of mind boggling, you can clearly see from the front of the house that only the left side has an upper floor, and yet the show put the staircase and the upstairs on the right side. In hindsight it was a completely inappropriate house to use for exterior establishing shots. I couldn't imagine how they were going to "fix" that, and it's pretty ingenious how they did it.

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 If I thought much about it at all, I imagined Mike's drafting table was against the far wall of the den - which didn't exist because it was a set.

Mike's drafting table was up against a window on the set. They had curtains drawn over it in the remodel, I couldn't tell if there was really a window there or not. I bet not. Cheaters!

Quote

I hope that HGTV is paying for those items viewers donated or returning them to their owners after the show. 

"Donated" suggests they got them for free and are keeping them. 

[Homily]

9 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

"Donated" suggests they got them for free and are keeping them. 

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.

[Writing Wrongs]

On 9/12/2019 at 12:18 PM, Homily said:

but back in the day I  loved the Partridge Family and adored David (swoon) Cassidy.

Me too! In the Bradys vs Partridges, I always picked The Partridges. 

This show is interesting to see how they recreate the original. Man, they had some ugly colors back then. I was born the same year as the show debuted.

[iMonrey]

Quote

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.  

Realistically few, if any, of these donated items would be worth much on E-Bay. The stuffed giraffe, the bookcase, the ornamental grapes - are these really items that would start bidding wars? Even if they were advertised as "As Seen On The Brady Bunch?" I think not. And the person they had to turn to for Kitty Carry-All was none other than Sherwood Schwartz's own daughter.

Quote

Me too! In the Bradys vs Partridges, I always picked The Partridges. 

Certainly the Brady Kids themselves wished they were the Partridges, which is why they sent their agents directly to Sherwood Schwartz before the fifth season demanding they be made into a singing group.

I'm not sure why The Brady Bunch has endured more than The Partridge Family, but I'm guessing it was syndicated more broadly. The Partridge Family only had four seasons and generally local affiliates want a show with at least five. 

[eel21788]

14 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Sounds like most of us! 😆

My point was a lot of celebrities are known for either being jerks all the time or always adoring for their fans. Barry was capable of  turning on the charm when he wanted to but not all the time.

[eel21788]

1 hour ago, Writing Wrongs said:

Me too! In the Bradys vs Partridges, I always picked The Partridges. 

 I loved the Brady Bunch, but I was obsessed with The Partridge Family.

[MaKaM]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I find it fascinating to see them completely gut the house and change the floorplan without altering the front view of the house. I mean most HGTV reality shows are very fake but there's nothing about this one that isn't genuine. They're really doing this. It's kind of mind boggling, you can clearly see from the front of the house that only the left side has an upper floor, and yet the show put the staircase and the upstairs on the right side. In hindsight it was a completely inappropriate house to use for exterior establishing shots. I couldn't imagine how they were going to "fix" that, and it's pretty ingenious how they did it.

Mike's drafting table was up against a window on the set. They had curtains drawn over it in the remodel, I couldn't tell if there was really a window there or not. I bet not. Cheaters!

I like how they dealt with the additional space left by the original house.

Sure, the step up area isn't "original" to the show but to get everything to line up right with the front of the house and do something with that remaining front window, I thought it was a good use of space.

I know most people are appalled by the mix of materials everywhere but dang, I love it. I grew up in a 70s contemporary with wood beams and brick and I love the stone feature walls everywhere. The main living room with the planter box under the stairs is basically my dream. The different levels in each room is another thing I love--houses that are a straight 3/2 ranch with split floor plan are snoozers compared to the feast for the senses this house is. The stone columns, the vaulted ceiling, double fireplace, skylights...I love it all.

I am *really* interested in seeing what they do with Alice's Room (and bathroom, I assume) since I don't remember ever seeing that on the show.

Edited September 18, 2019 by MaKaM

[txhorns79]

1 hour ago, MaKaM said:

I am *really* interested in seeing what they do with Alice's Room (and bathroom, I assume) since I don't remember ever seeing that on the show.

Here is a picture I found:

[LittleIggy]

So the broom closet was in Alice’s room! 😆

[txhorns79]

3 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

So the broom closet was in Alice’s room! 😆

LOL.  I think that was the service porch, and you walk through it to get to Alice's room.  I'm not sure we ever saw an indication she had a bathroom.  Perhaps she just used the washing machine and then put it on the rinse cycle after!

Edited September 18, 2019 by txhorns79

[Homily]

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.

[jumper sage]

3 hours ago, eel21788 said:

 I loved the Brady Bunch, but I was obsessed with The Partridge Family.

Keith vs. Greg?  No question - Keith.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Sure, the step up area isn't "original" to the show but to get everything to line up right with the front of the house and do something with that remaining front window, I thought it was a good use of space.

Nothing on the fourth wall is "original" to the show since those sets didn't have a fourth wall. So they're free to let their imaginations run wild, to an extent.

I don't ever remember seeing Alice's bedroom either, but I have a vague recollection of seeing her stumble into the kitchen wearing her bathrobe and curlers, and it seemed like there was some kind of entrance into the kitchen she emerged from. 

Quote

Keith vs. Greg?  No question - Keith.

I think Barry Williams aged better than David Cassidy. He's had less plastic surgery, anyway.

[jabinlbc]

3 hours ago, eel21788 said:

 I loved the Brady Bunch, but I was obsessed with The Partridge Family.

Me too!  Had my Partridge Family lunchbox the first day of first grade!

[SimoneS]

The ratings in the key 18 to 49 demo slipped from .6 to .4, but that is still great for HGTV so the exes must still be happy. They are probably brainstorming about what other show they can recreate.

[QQQQ]

I'm curious what today's economic/architectural equivalent of the 1969 Brady house would be. I was born in 1970 so I caught the show in syndication, but as a midwestern kid I grew up surrounded by farmhouses and ranch homes. The Brady house was AMAZING!

[eel21788]

23 hours ago, QQQQ said:

I'm curious what today's economic/architectural equivalent of the 1969 Brady house would be. I was born in 1970 so I caught the show in syndication, but as a midwestern kid I grew up surrounded by farmhouses and ranch homes. The Brady house was AMAZING!

When the show was in its first run, my father used to complain that the Bradys never would have been able to afford that house. According to him, the staircase alone would cost $10,000. Back then you could buy an entire three-bedroom house for $10,000. 

Edited September 19, 2019 by eel21788

[Homily]

28 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

When the show was in its first run, my father used to complain that the Brady's never would have been able to afford that house. According to him, the staircase alone would cost $10,000. Back then you could buy an entire three-bedroom house for $10,000. 

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 ☺️

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 minute ago, Homily said:

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 ☺️

I thought it was mentioned at some point in the first season? Maybe when the kids wanted a bigger house and then changed their minds and tried to make it seem it was haunted?

[QQQQ]

If I'd been Carol, I probably would've been thinking, "Look, buddy, if you were willing to build a house this size for your first wife and 3 kids, how about we step it up a notch for your second wife and six kids?!" Then again, I'm a childless spinster, so what do I know?!

[LittleIggy]

I’m loving this show even though I wasn’t a huge BB fan. I was there for the first run, but Star Trek, Dark Shadows, and Lost in Space were my jams.

[suzeecat]

I didn't think too much of The Brady Bunch back in the day but did watch it occasionally.  I'm really enjoying the nostalgia of it all now, though.  I love all the stories about how they are recreating the sets, finding or making the furniture and décor, and watching the actors enjoying their memories.  I also love the crazy trivia like the fact that the bathroom didn't actually have a toilet and the ranch house they showed from the front turned into a two-story once you got inside through the magic of tv.

Edited to add:  I'm also impressed that HGTV was able to get all six kids on board.  If I remember correctly, some of them turned down appearances in the movies and other specials.

Edited September 19, 2019 by suzeecat
additional thought

[catlover79]

1 hour ago, suzeecat said:

I'm also impressed that HGTV was able to get all six kids on board.  If I remember correctly, some of them turned down appearances in the movies and other specials.

I think part of it had to do with the fact that they are appearing on HGTV as themselves and not their characters. That's my theory, anyway.

[Homily]

4 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

think part of it had to do with the fact that they are appearing on HGTV as themselves and not their characters. That's my theory, anyway.

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.

[catlover79]

18 minutes ago, Homily said:

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.

Great points. Also, what better way to commemorate the show's 50th anniversary? ☺

[txhorns79]

1 hour ago, catlover79 said:

I think part of it had to do with the fact that they are appearing on HGTV as themselves and not their characters. That's my theory, anyway.

My guess is it was probably decent money, and not a huge time commitment.   

[ByaNose]

20 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

My guess is it was probably decent money, and not a huge time commitment.   

Actually, I didn't think the interviews would be such a big part of it. I'm actually impressed that they all sat together to do it. That said, I know they were paid but I'm not sure if it's $25,000, $50,000 or in the 6 figure range. HGTV paid a boat load of money ($3.5 million) for the house. So they have money but I'm not sure how much of it went to secure the six "kids"?!?

Edited September 19, 2019 by ByaNose

[iMonrey]

Quote

The ratings in the key 18 to 49 demo slipped from .6 to .4, but that is still great for HGTV so the exes must still be happy. They are probably brainstorming about what other show they can recreate.

I bet a lot of people didn't realize there was more than one episode. I can't believe they aren't re-running this thing every day of the week. Anyway, that's still a really good rating for HGTV.

Quote

I wonder if that comes from this seeming like a good opportunity to rehab her image after getting fired from her radio show.

Ugh, I had forgotten this ugly story RE: Susan Olsen. I kind of wish you hadn't reminded me. My opinion of her has really plummeted. 

[ChicksDigScars]

20 hours ago, jumper sage said:

Keith vs. Greg?  No question - Keith.

Ahhh. David Cassidy's feathered hair and bitchin' puka shell necklace. Poster on my wall. But really, why must we choose? Barry was (IS!) no slouch.

But Danny vs. Peter? Pete, all the way.

Also, the Partridge Family wasn't as evenly split when it came to the kids. Cassidy was the focal point, and it wasn't until they decided that Danny Bonaduce was funny, that he got more lines.  Tracy barely had lines, and Chris went from a dark haired, brown eyed kid in the beginning, to a fair complexion blond in the later seasons. They were background players. At least Bobby and Cindy got actual story lines. I had a David Cassidy poster on my wall, but had a poster of ALL six Bradys. They were more of a unit than the Partridge Family. 

As far as television sets not matching exterior shots, Monica and Rachel's (later Chandler's) apartment? 

Edited September 19, 2019 by ChicksDigScars

[eel21788]

17 hours ago, Homily said:

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 ☺️

My father was very adamant that the Bradys could not afford that house unless Mike owned his own firm. Since we have seen or heard about his boss in several episodes, he definitely wasn't the owner.

I supposed we could assume that one or both of them got a significant insurance pay out or maybe even a wrongful death claim when their spouses died. 

[JennyMominFL]

On 9/18/2019 at 2:38 PM, iMonrey said:

Realistically few, if any, of these donated items would be worth much on E-Bay. The stuffed giraffe, the bookcase, the ornamental grapes - are these really items that would start bidding wars? Even if they were advertised as "As Seen On The Brady Bunch?" I think not. And the person they had to turn to for Kitty Carry-All was none other than Sherwood Schwartz's own daughter.

Certainly the Brady Kids themselves wished they were the Partridges, which is why they sent their agents directly to Sherwood Schwartz before the fifth season demanding they be made into a singing group.

I'm not sure why The Brady Bunch has endured more than The Partridge Family, but I'm guessing it was syndicated more broadly. The Partridge Family only had four seasons and generally local affiliates want a show with at least five. 

I have a friend who was the curator for the BBC Doctor Who Museum. He still buys and occasionally sells screen used props from the show. I have seen small pieces from the show go for 10,000. This stuff is insured  and sold by Christie's and such. Dont be surprised if some Brady items sell well. People will pay a lot for nostalgia.

[lu1535]

Ok, I thought I could let this go but after watching this week's show, I can't. Why did they paint the front door blue when the original was brown and they claim to be wanting to be as authentic as possible? Inquiring minds want to know!

[CruiseDiva]

2 hours ago, lu1535 said:

Ok, I thought I could let this go but after watching this week's show, I can't. Why did they paint the front door blue when the original was brown and they claim to be wanting to be as authentic as possible? Inquiring minds want to know!

Maybe because it needed the ubiquitous "pop of color"? 😎

I had the same thought about the door, especially after they spent so much time to get the color of the siding correct.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I supposed we could assume that one or both of them got a significant insurance pay out or maybe even a wrongful death claim when their spouses died. 

Carol was supposed to be divorced, although it was never mentioned on the show. The network thought it was too risque. 

Quote

Ok, I thought I could let this go but after watching this week's show, I can't. Why did they paint the front door blue when the original was brown and they claim to be wanting to be as authentic as possible?

Is it possible it was blue during the first season? They've chosen to use the first season episodes for their color palette since the sets changed over the course of five seasons.

[lu1535]

3 hours ago, CruiseDiva said:

Maybe because it needed the ubiquitous "pop of color"?

Ugh............😁

21 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Is it possible it was blue during the first season? They've chosen to use the first season episodes for their color palette since the sets changed over the course of five seasons.

Thank you for trying to make me feel better but this is a screen shot from the opening credits of season 1. The door looks brown to me. I think they are just trying to create angst and, damn it, it's worked!

[izabella]

36 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Carol was supposed to be divorced, although it was never mentioned on the show. The network thought it was too risque. 

Wow.  The girls never saw their dad!  No weekend visitation or anything. 

[ByaNose]

Yeah, I thought I was the only one who noticed the front was the wrong color. That said, I always the door was black with the gold hardware on the outside. The new color is blue/green or something. It is odd that they changed it so dramatically.

[alexa]

That is funny about the door!  I didn't remember blue either, but thought maybe I had just remembered incorrectly.  lol

[iMonrey]

Is it possible it just looked brown on pre-HD TV? Maybe some weird shade of dark blue that read as brown on old film? It does seem odd for them to make such a dramatic change considering the painstaking effort to reproduce the house down to the last detail.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, izabella said:

Wow.  The girls never saw their dad!  No weekend visitation or anything. 

They also were adopted by Mike and became Bradys.  I think the network bagged the whole idea of a divorce and went with widowed for both of them.  Interesting, too, that none of the kids ever mentioned the absent parent.  Greg and Marcia, in particular, would seemingly have been old enough to remember.  You'd think there might've been a photo of the missing parent in each of the kids' bedrooms, if nothing else.

[izabella]

23 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Interesting, too, that none of the kids ever mentioned the absent parent. 

Now that you mention it, I vaguely recall Bobby being sad about his mom way back in the very early days of the show when Bobby was tiny.  But, it's been decades since I've seen the show so my memory could be making things up.

[eel21788]

On 9/20/2019 at 2:27 PM, izabella said:

Now that you mention it, I vaguely recall Bobby being sad about his mom way back in the very early days of the show when Bobby was tiny.  But, it's been decades since I've seen the show so my memory could be making things up.

You're thinking of the pilot episode. Bobby put his picture of his mother away because he thought it might bother his new mom. Mike assured him it was okay to have her picture visible.

On 9/20/2019 at 11:11 AM, iMonrey said:

Carol was supposed to be divorced, although it was never mentioned on the show. The network thought it was too risque. 

Florence Henderson said she always thought she was a widow until the Brady movie came out, and then they tried to make her missing husband the professor on Gilligan's Island. Also in the pilot, Carol laments to her parents about "all these years since Steve's been gone" which really implied she was mourning a late husband. (Also, the Professor's name was Roy).

After those two mentions in the pilot, the respective deceased parents were never mentioned through the entire run of the show.

On 9/20/2019 at 2:01 PM, doodlebug said:

They also were adopted by Mike and became Bradys.  

Very early in season one, Jan calls her sister "Marcia Brady" without hesitation. They seem to have forgotten their last name used to be Martin very quickly.

Edited September 22, 2019 by eel21788