Here’s a story…about the Brady Bunch, and how it changed the world. When it debuted in 1969, the US was in turmoil. From the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon’s election, the Kennedy-Chappaquiddick trial, and the Stonewall riots, the country was on unprecedented ground, and the feelings of change were in the air. Yet, this small show called The Brady Bunch took hold of the television sets, and echoed the change about to happen in the country
1. Carol Brady
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Carol was a new-age mom and wife on The Brady Bunch. While she didn’t work outside the home, she was no wallflower. Not afraid to show her feisty side or to succumb to the fashion choices of many women and mothers her age, Carol had her own style filled with self-confidence and humor, and felt comfortable expressing that.
2. Carol and Mike!
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Yes, the first ‘marital bed’ was Carol’s and Mike’s. Before then, the only spousal beds allowed to be seen on TV were side-by-side twin beds (think The Dick Van Dyke Show or I Love Lucy). Carol’s and Mike’s interaction were playful, sometimes sexually charged, sparring, and connected. A couple such as them had not before been seen on the tube.
3. The Sibs
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When the series started, the number of blended families were on the rise. The newer idea of divorce followed by subsequent marriages had been coming more to public consciousness. The ideas of children from different households cohabitating now seemed more visible. The Brady Bunch mirrored this with the formation of the Brady blended fam. They addressed the growing pains of this in the first season, and matured into the children feeling like one unit during the run of the show.
4. Alice’s Attitude
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There were few housekeepers on previous shows which showed the dedication, caring, and feistiness of Alice. Not to mention hers was a character that was more developed than most domestics up until this point. Alice had a boyfriend (Sam, a recurring character), and her own space in the home to make her own. Alice’s way of looking at the weekly sitcom issues was a blend of parent and friend to the kids on the show. Her opinion mattered to the Bradys, which made all the difference.
5. Their Humor
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The humor used on the show was real, topical, and actually funny. The girls as well as the boys had senses of humor, and there was a level of self-deprecation rarely seen before.
6. The Outfits
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When the Brady’s decided to form their own singing group, and appeared on TV in the matching jumpsuits, who didn’t drool just a bit over all of the sequins and bell bottoms? The outfits may not have changed the world, but they may have changed your sense of fashion.
7. Blended Harmony
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Blended families, brothers and sisters from different parents, a housekeeper from another family, and two adults who found love the second time around, were all topics becoming more and more real in the months and years leading up to the Brady Bunch. In fact, even after the show ended in 1974, it lived on in TV movies, attempted spin-off series, and even some big screen movies to come all the through the 1990s.
The Brady Bunch was a turning point in TV. With the advent of so many reality shows on television these days, this is a phenomenon rarely experienced anymore. What is your favorite Brady Bunch moment?