How to Be a Brady Bunch Fan

The Brady Bunch is a situation comedy that originally aired on ABC TV from 1969 to 1974. The story of a widow and widower (Mike and Carol Brady), who get married and combine their families of 3 boys and 3 girls, the Brady Bunch was the first show of its kind. Since it began airing in the late 1960’s, the show has never been out of syndication and it has been seen by millions of people all over the world.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Television with cable or satellite access
• computer with Internet connection
• DVD player

1. Know the cast. The Brady Bunch starred Robert Reed as Mike Brady, Florence Henderson as Carol Brady, Barry Williams as Greg, Maureen McCormick as Marcia, Christopher Knight as Peter, Eve Plumb as Jan, Mike Lookinland as Bobby, Susan Olsen as Cindy, and Ann B. Davis as Alice, the family’s housekeeper.
2. Watch the entire series. The Brady Bunch is still running on various cable and satellite television stations around the world. If you don’t have access to a TV channel that airs the Brady Bunch, the series is available on DVD boxed set.
3. Know the key episodes. Some Brady Bunch episodes are considered classics. One of the most famous episodes is dubbed the “Marcia Marcia Marcia” episode. The episode is actually called “Her Sister’s Shadow”. The Brady Bunch series also features 2 three-part episodes. One is a series filmed in the Grand Canyon. The other three-parter is the famous Hawaii episodes, where an unlucky tiki charm beings bad luck to the family.
4. Know the lingo. Because this show was set in the late 60’s and early 70’s, the language used on it is a bit dated. A popular word on the Brady Bunch is “groovy”, which means “cool”. Sometimes words like “heavy” and “far out” are used—these also mean “cool”.
5. Know the songs. Besides the famous Brady Bunch theme song, there are several other songs that very Brady fan should know. When the kids try out for a talent contest they sing a song called “Sunshine Day”. When Peter’s voice starts to change they sing a song called “When it’s time to Change”. And every Brady fan should know Davey Jones’ song “Girl” by heart.
6. Check out the fan websites. As with any popular show, The Brady Bunch has several great fan websites. Two of the most popular are Brady World (www.bradyworld.com) and The Brady Bunch Shrine (www.bradybunchshrine.com). These sites contain photos, trivia, episode guides and updates on what the original cast members are doing today.
7. Don't be confused by the movie. 1995's "The Brady Bunch Movie" is a hilarious spoof of the original series. Any true fan should have a sense of humor about it. But it is just a parody of the TV show- it really has nothing to do with the original series.