What happens when you take nine of the most popular characters in TV history and drop 'em into a blatant knockoff of "Donny & Marie?" You get a show that's so bizarre and tacky that its hard to tear your eyes away! The brothers Krofft certainly did something right when developing this show (let me finish) - while other installments of the Brady franchise have been virtually forgotten ("The Brady Kids," "The Brady Brides," "The Bradys"), this one still endures with endless references, spoofs and citations in "Worst Shows in History" lists. Realistically, it's no worse than any other variety show of its time... matter of fact, it's more watchable today than many other old variety shows.
Each episode had a very Brady sitcom plot line. Whether it was Greg moving into his own pad (which Vincent Price informed him was haunted), Cindy giving Rich Little amnesia (he thought he was a Brady kid), Carol becoming jealous of Charo (whom she though Mike had eyes for) or Milton Berle attempting to take over the show (and putting Mike in drag!), the sitcom portions weren't that far off from the wacky antics on the original series. Where it deviated was the characterizations. The writers and actors seemed to be parodying the established characters... not dissimilar to the later parodies in the big-screen Brady Bunch movies. Perhaps audiences just weren't ready for that in '77.
Of course, what made the show so memorable was the musical segments. The Bradys shook their booties to an endless barrage of disco and disco-ized tunes, ranging from "Yankee Doodle Dandy" to "Love to Love You, Baby," dressed in flamboyant costumes and dancing (sometimes badly) on overblown sets. Who wouldn't be traumatized by seeing Marcia, Peter, Greg, Alice and Rip Taylor dressed as characters from "The Wizard of Oz," belting out "Car Wash?" And who wouldn't be creeped out by seeing Greg and his step-mom serenading each other with a love song? There's something deliriously surreal but oddly captivating about the songs. Then there's "Fake Jan." Say what you will about Geri Reischl, but she's a helluva singer, and she openly embraced the camp element of the show in a way Eve Plumb never could've.
Yes, you can say it's a bad show, but it's left an indelible impression on viewers that's lasted more than three decades. And that's more than one can say about most short-lived TV shows.
Each episode had a very Brady sitcom plot line. Whether it was Greg moving into his own pad (which Vincent Price informed him was haunted), Cindy giving Rich Little amnesia (he thought he was a Brady kid), Carol becoming jealous of Charo (whom she though Mike had eyes for) or Milton Berle attempting to take over the show (and putting Mike in drag!), the sitcom portions weren't that far off from the wacky antics on the original series. Where it deviated was the characterizations. The writers and actors seemed to be parodying the established characters... not dissimilar to the later parodies in the big-screen Brady Bunch movies. Perhaps audiences just weren't ready for that in '77.
Of course, what made the show so memorable was the musical segments. The Bradys shook their booties to an endless barrage of disco and disco-ized tunes, ranging from "Yankee Doodle Dandy" to "Love to Love You, Baby," dressed in flamboyant costumes and dancing (sometimes badly) on overblown sets. Who wouldn't be traumatized by seeing Marcia, Peter, Greg, Alice and Rip Taylor dressed as characters from "The Wizard of Oz," belting out "Car Wash?" And who wouldn't be creeped out by seeing Greg and his step-mom serenading each other with a love song? There's something deliriously surreal but oddly captivating about the songs. Then there's "Fake Jan." Say what you will about Geri Reischl, but she's a helluva singer, and she openly embraced the camp element of the show in a way Eve Plumb never could've.
Yes, you can say it's a bad show, but it's left an indelible impression on viewers that's lasted more than three decades. And that's more than one can say about most short-lived TV shows.