Many believe the concept for the Brady Bunch came from the movie, Yours Mine & Ours. Truth is, Sherwood Schwartz, creator and producer, had dreamt of the sitcom about a mixed marriage with lots of kids well before the Lucille Ball comedy was a hit. However, it was only after Yours Mine & Ours became such a box office success that the networks took a chance on such a sitcom.
Irregardless of how it began, for many people, The Brady Bunch remains one of the most endearing shows in television history. Full of fun characters, zany situations, and a lot of love and affection, it was a show kids could enjoy and their parents could relate to on one level or another. Growing up, I have to admit that I was a fan of the show, having seen some of the later episodes in their first run, and then watching the re-runs avidly in my grammar school days. Little did I know that years later, I would have a "bunch" of my own.
Recently, with the show celebrating its 35th anniversary, the first season of The Brady Bunch was released on DVD. Even as a kid, many of my favorite episodes were from the early days of the series. While the trip to Hawaii was a lot of fun (and who could forget Vincent Price talking to his tiki pole), later in the series would focus more on the silly rather than the true challenges and trials faced by large families in general, and mixed families in particular.
Watching the first season again, now as a mother of a large family, I was pleasantly surprised at how real the show was. While any sitcom is going to exaggerate life to some degree, it was refreshing to see a healthy amount of sibling fighting and family tension, along with examples of learning to compromise and getting along. The Brady parents talk of financial hardships and not being able to afford to give their children everything they want. There are real concerns about living space, cost of feeding such a large group, and other issues relevant today to large families. Despite the comedy, life is not painted as easy or fun, but shown for what it is, difficult at times, but certainly rewarding.
Another aspect of the show that surprised me was the strength of the father. In today's age, where fathers are often depicted as clueless, bumbling, and inept, the Brady father is a strong figure in the household, firm with the kids, yet loving and fair. He is human though, struggling with guilt about being too hard on his children, juggling work responsibilities and family issues. While it has been said Robert Reed, the actor who played Mike Brady, hated the series, you would never know by his performances, which really gave the show a strong anchor.
One of my main pleasures was watching the six children enjoying their siblings and family closeness, and unwillingness to let anything wreck that. There is no better example than in the episode, To Move Or Not To Move, featured on this DVD. The kids complain they need a bigger house: six kids between 2 bedrooms and one bath can be quite a challenge--true of many real-life large families. However, when Mike and Carol decide to sell the house and buy a bigger one where everyone will have their own room, the kids realize they will be lonely be so far apart from each other, so they hatch a plot to discourage any prospective buyers.
The DVD set also features the pilot for the series, The Honeymoon. The wedding of the two parents is filled with love, and chaos, but ends with the couple missing their children and going back to bring them on the honeymoon with them. In Sherwood Schwartzs commentary on the episode, he said that network producers were totally against such an ending, saying it was totally unbelievable. Schwartz stuck to his guns and kept the ending, which is a wonderful thing since many families, particular real-life large families, can truly sympathize and relate (me and my husband have had many a romantic weekend getaway turn into a family excursion).
There are 25 episodes in the 4 DVD set, including The Voice of Christmas, a little-seen episode where Carol is to sing at her church Christmas service, but develops laryngitis. Because this episode deals with religious themes and features a Christmas song, it's not often shown in syndication. However, it is one of the sweetest episodes, showcasing many of the unselfish aspects of growing up in a large family. The set also features commentary on three of the episodes, and a featurette with recent interviews with cast and creator.
When I purchased this DVD to review for this site, my children eagerly watched many of the episodes with me. I was pleasantly surprised how much they enjoyed them, even my 2 year old asking to watch "another one." Many times during the show, I would hear them comment about how our house was like the Brady's, or how they could relate to a certain situation. After a while, my 6 year old was referring to us as "The Lehmann Bunch." It was heartening to share something with my kids that not only entertained them, but made them feel good about being in a large family themselves.
The Brady Bunch is still playing on many stations today, and you can see most of these episodes on regular t.v. However, if you are looking for positive large-family entertainment to add to your collection, I would definitely recommend The Brady Bunch - First Season. Even if you do not purchase future seasons, this one in particular is worth having on hand as a great testament to the joys of lots of children, and even moreso the joys of blended families.
CREDITS
The Brady Bunch - Season One
Paramount Home Video
Creator: Sherwood Schwartz
Cast:
Michael Brady: Robert Reed
Carol Brady: Florence Henderson
Greg: Barry Williams
Marcia: Maureen McCormick
Peter: Christopher Knight
Jan: Eve Plumb
Bobby: Mike Lookinland
Cindy: Susan Olsen
Alice: Ann B Davis
25 Episodes
Click here for list/description
(outside link, will open in separate window)
Special Features:
- Commentary "The Honeymoon" by Sherwood Schwartz, creator.
- Commentary "A-Camping We Will Go" and "The Hero" by
Susan Olsen, Barry Williams, and Christopher Knight.
- "Coming Together Under One Roof" featurette
MPAA rating: Not Rated
Running time: 10 hours, 52 minutes
|
