Oct. 15, 2023

The Brady Bunch Variety Hour / The Brady Kids

The Brady Bunch Variety Hour / The Brady Kids

Get ready to journey back to the disco era, as we revisit an iconic part of television history - The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. Prepare to be dazzled by our groovy exploration of this quirk-filled trip down memory lane where sitcom crossed paths with...

Get ready to journey back to the disco era, as we revisit an iconic part of television history - The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. Prepare to be dazzled by our groovy exploration of this quirk-filled trip down memory lane where sitcom crossed paths with variety, creating a unique blend of comedy, music, and the occasional dash of the surreal. We'll pull back the curtain on the original cast, the fresh faces that joined them, and the cavalcade of celebrity guest stars that shared the stage. You'll also get to hear intriguing fan theories and trivia that would even make Alice say, "Oh, my stars!" Plus FAKE JAN!!!!

Then hold onto your bell bottoms as we switch tracks to the animated wonderland of The Brady Kids. Discover how Filmation Associates spun the charm of the Brady Bunch into animation gold, sprinkling new elements while retaining the classic Brady essence.

So, pull up a shag carpet, hit play, and let's get groovy with the Brady Bunch!

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WEBVTT

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Welcome to TV in the Basement,
the podcast that takes you on a journey

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down memory lane to revisit the shows
we used to watch and love. I'm

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your host Journey Joe Mitchell, and
we're dusting off the VHS tapes and flipping

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the channels back to the classic series
that had us glued to our screens.

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Today, I'm back in the Basement
with Mittens the Cat with a dazzling recap

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of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
This odd ball television series showcased the beloved

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Brady family as they embarked on a
musical adventure. When the family has chosen

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to star in a new variety series
for ABC, Mike Brady gives up his

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architectural career and moves his family into
a beachside home somewhere in southern California.

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In addition to the Brady Clan,
next door neighbor Jack Merrill Rip Taylor frequently

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finds his way into the act and
is a love interest for the Brady's maid

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Alice. Her former boyfriend Sam.
The butcher is never mentioned. Each episode.

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It features the obligatory variety show song
and dance numbers and sketches, as

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well as a show within a show
behind the scenes story. The Variety Show

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premiered in nineteen seventy six and ran
for one season, consisting of nine episodes.

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The premise of the show was simple
yet innovative. It combined the comedy

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of the original series with musical performances. The format of the show followed a

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typical variety show structure, with the
Brady family performing musical numbers, comedy sketches,

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and hosting celebrity guests. The Brady
family, consisting of Mike and Carol

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Brady and their six children, brought
their charisma and charm to the Variety Show

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stage. Greg Marsha, Peter,
Bobby, Cindy and replacement Jan showcased their

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individual talents with Greg's smooth vocals,
Marsha's impeccable dance moves, and the younger

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children's adorable performances. The show was
a true family affair, highlighting the Brady's

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close knit dynamic and their ability to
entertain audiences of all ages. The cast

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of The Brady Bunch variet consisted of
the original Brady family members, along with

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a few new additions. Robert Reid
and Florence Henderson reprised their Roles as Mike

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and Carol Brady, the loving and
supportive parents. Five of the six Brady

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children, Barry Williams as Greg,
Maureen McCormick as Marsha, Christopher Knight as

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Peter, Mike Lookinland as Bobby,
and Susan Olsen as Cindy brought their characters

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to life with their exceptional performances.
Contrary to popular belief, Eve Plum was

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originally slated to appear in The Variety
Hour as Jan. She said in her

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interview from nineteen seventy six, I
wanted to do the show, but there

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was a built in option for thirteen
more shows and possibly five years. Plumb

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agreed to appear in five of the
thirteen planned episodes, but when the network

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demanded that it was all or nothing, she backed out of the project.

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Producers scrambled to find a replacement and
met with over fifteen hundred hopefuls, eventually

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settling on Gary Reichel to fill the
void. Reischel, who had extensive singing

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experience, auditioned several times and landed
the role only one day before rehearsals began.

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Reichel was later dubbed Fake Jan,
a moniker, which she has openly

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embraced. Guest stars were a major
highlight of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour,

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with each episode featuring a well known
celebrity. Stars like Vincent Price, Farah

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Fawcett, and Milton Burrell made memorable
appearances, adding an extra dose of star

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power to the show. These guest
stars often participated in musical numbers and comedy

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skits alongside the Brady family, creating
a delightful blend of talent and entertainment.

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The Brady Bunch Variety Hour received mixed
reviews from critics and audiences alike. While

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some praised the show's nostalgic charm and
the talents of the cast, others felt

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that the variety show format didn't fully
capture the magic of the original series.

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The decision to incorporate musical performances and
comedy sketches was seen by some as a

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departure from the family oriented storytelling that
made the original show so beloved. Despite

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the mixed reviews, the Brady Bunch
Variety Hour gained a loyal fan base who

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appreciated the show's lighthearted humor and entertaining
performances. The show's ratings were moderate,

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but it didn't achieve the same level
of success as the original series. However,

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The Brady Bunch Variety Hour has since
become a cult classic and continues to

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be celebrated for its unique blend of
comedy and music. Over the years,

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fans of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour
have come up with various theories in trivia

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about the show. One popular theory
suggests that the Variety Show was a dream

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sequence or alternate reality for the Brady
family, explaining the surreal nature of the

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musical performances and celebrity cameos. While
this theory is purely speculative, it adds

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an extra layer of intrigue to the
show's already unique concept. In terms of

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trivia, one interesting fact is that
the show was initially intended to be a

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spin off featuring only the Brady children. However, producers decided to include the

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original cast members to capitalize on the
success of the original series. This decision

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proved to be a wise one,
as the chemistry between the entire cast contributed

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to the show's overall appeal. Another
series was the animated The Brady Kids.

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The show followed the adventures of the
Brady Bunch children as they embarked on thrilling

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escapades filled with fun, laughter,
and valuable life lessons. They lived in

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a treehouse. They had a dog, no, not tiger, this one

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was named mop Top, and they
were friends with two pandas and a magical

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mina bird named Marlon, who could
talk and often join them on their adventures.

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Marlon became an honorary member of the
Brady family, offering guidance and occasionally

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getting into his own hilarious predicaments.
The Brady Kids quickly gained popularity upon its

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debut in nineteen seventy two. It
became a Saturday morning staple, captivating young

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viewers with its vibrant animation, catchy
theme song, and relatable characters. The

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show resonated with audiences who were already
familiar with the Brady Bunch from the live

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action series The Brady Kids. Blend
of entertainment and education made it a hit

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among parents as well. Each episode
taught valuable life lessons, emphasizing the importance

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of family, friendship and personal growth. The show's ability to tackle important topics

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in a fun and engaging way set
it apart from other children's programming of the

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time. While The Brady Kids aired
for only two seasons, it left a

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lasting impact on its viewers. The
show's positive messages and relatable characters made it

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a beloved favorite among children and adults
alike. Even decades later, it still

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holds a special place in the hearts
of those who grew up watching it.

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The Brady Kids was produced by Filmation
Associates, a renowned animation studio known for

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its high quality animated productions. Filmation
took great care to ensure that the animated

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series captured the essence of the Brady
Bunch universe, while also introducing new and

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exciting elements. They worked closely with
the original cast members to ensure that the

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animated characters resembled their real life counterparts. The animation style of The Brady Kids

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was vibrant and colorful, reflecting the
groovy aesthetic of the seventies. The show's

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theme song, with its catchy lyrics
and upbeat melody, became an instant hit

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and further contributed to the show's popularity. The Brady Kids had many memorable episodes

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that showcased the fun and adventurous spirit
of the Brady Bunch children. One standout

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episode, titled It's All Greek to
Me saw the kids traveling back in time

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to ancient Greece, where they helped
solve a mystery and learned about Greek mythology

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along the way. Another memorable episode
titled The Big Time, had the Brady

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kids becoming famous rock stars, only
to realize that fame isn't everything it's cracked

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up to be. In an upcoming
episode, we'll take a look at two

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more Brady shows, The Brady Brides, in which Jan and Marsha are now

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old enough to get married, and
The Brady's, which caught up with the

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family a generation later. Until then, I'm the Real Journey Joe Mitchell and

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I am watching TV in the basement.