179 Fun Facts About The Brady Bunch

What stage name did a talent agency give Greg as a would-be pop star?

Johnny Bravo was the name the agency gave Greg in the season-five episode 'Adios, Johnny Bravo'; he quit when he learned they only wanted him because he fit the suit.

Who played the role of the housekeeper, Alice Nelson?

Ann B. Davis played Alice as the zany one, because the producers wanted a balance between a comic housekeeper and a calm, grounded Carol.

How do the Brady boys and girls settle who gets to spend the family's trading stamps?

A house-of-cards contest decides it: the boys want a rowboat and the girls a sewing machine, and when the girls win they settle on a portable colour television for everyone.

What was the name of the family's dog?

Tiger was the Bradys' dog, seen mostly in the first season; his doghouse stayed in the backyard for the whole run even after he stopped appearing.

What does Mike install at home to teach the kids a lesson after a huge telephone bill?

A pay phone: the plan nearly backfires when Mike is forced to use it himself to close a business deal.

What was the name of Alice's boyfriend, played by Allan Melvin?

Sam Franklin appears in only eight episodes across all five seasons; he and Alice get engaged in the final season, and by the 1981 reunion movie they are already married.

In the pilot, where do Mike and Carol end up taking all six children, Alice and the pets?

On their honeymoon: after scolding the children when the pets wrecked the backyard wedding, the guilty newlyweds turn back and collect all six, plus the housekeeper, the dog and the cat.

Fed up with being compared to Marcia, what of her sister's does Jan dump in the closet?

Her trophies and awards go into the closet as Jan wails 'Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!'; she then wins an essay prize of her own, only to own up that a scoring error gave it to her.

What was the name of the oldest Brady son?

Greg was the eldest of the Brady boys, often seen navigating teenage life and aspiring to be a musician.

How many seasons did The Brady Bunch originally run?

The series aired for five seasons, from autumn 1969 to spring 1974, before the network declined to order a sixth.

Which actress played Carol Brady?

Florence Henderson played Carol Brady; she came to the sitcom from Broadway musicals and had toured the country as Maria in The Sound of Music before being cast.

When Mike considers selling the Brady house, how do the children drive buyers away?

They pretend it is haunted: the children had complained the house was too small, but once Mike agrees to sell they play ghosts to scare off the first buyer, and he sees how much they love it.

The exterior shots of the Brady house were filmed in which Los Angeles neighbourhood?

Studio City's real house looked nothing like the show inside and lacked a full second storey until a televised renovation rebuilt it to fit the familiar rooms.

Which song do the Brady kids perform on a TV talent show in "Amateur Nite"?

"It's a Sunshine Day" is one of two songs the kids sing on the show; they need the prize money because Jan misread the price of engraving their parents' anniversary gift.

Why did Robert Reed sit out The Brady Bunch's finale?

He disliked the script: Reed wrote a memo attacking the hair-tonic plot, and the producers answered by writing Mike out of what proved to be the last episode.

Which children's classic do the Bradys stage in their backyard to fund a gift for Cindy's retiring teacher?

Snow White needs seven dwarfs, so the six kids are joined by Alice's boyfriend as Dopey, while Alice plays the wicked queen and eats the 'poisoned' apple in rehearsal.

Sherwood Schwartz conceived The Brady Bunch after reading a newspaper article about what social trend?

The prevalence of blended families struck him in a short Los Angeles Times filler on remarriages with children; no sitcom had been built around one, so he wrote it.

What was the name of the youngest Brady daughter?

Cindy, played by Susan Olsen, was the youngest of the girls, known for her lisp and innocence.

Which pop idol guest-starred as himself in an episode about Marcia's fan-club crush?

Davy Jones of The Monkees plays himself: Marcia had rashly promised he would sing at her school dance, and he comes through because he once wrote her a letter offering a favour.

In 'The Personality Kid', Peter's Humphrey Bogart impression turns which dinner menu into a catchphrase?

Pork chops and applesauce is that night's dinner; told he has no personality, Peter borrows ones from old movies, then buys a joke book, only to find everyone knows the punchlines.

The Brady house exterior was used for establishing shots, but where were interiors filmed?

Interiors were shot on a Paramount soundstage, Stage 5; the living room and staircase set was so familiar that other Paramount series borrowed it for episodes while the show was in production.

Which fairy tale on television convinces Bobby that stepmothers are wicked, so he decides to run away?

Cinderella sets him off: straight afterwards his new stepsisters tease him and Carol asks him to clean out the fireplace, so he starts packing a bag.

What makes Marcia sob that she is 'ugly, ugly, ugly' just before a school dance?

Her new braces crush her confidence, and her date cancels with a thin excuse; just before the dance he turns up after all, wearing braces of his own.

In the Hawaii episodes, what is Greg doing when the 'cursed' idol seems to cause his accident?

Surfing: Greg wipes out while wearing the idol Bobby found on a construction site, and the boys decide they must return it to an ancient burial ground.

What was the name of the girls' cat, seen only in The Brady Bunch's pilot episode?

Fluffy was the girls' cat in the pilot, where the boys' dog chased her through Mike and Carol's backyard wedding and set off the chaos; she was never seen again.

What was the name of the actor who played Greg Brady?

Barry Williams played Greg for all five seasons; when a real car accident cut his lip, the writers passed the scar off as a shaving mishap in a late episode.

What hits Marcia in the nose days before her date with the school hunk?

A football thrown by Peter does it; hunk Doug then cancels with the same 'something suddenly came up' line Marcia had used to drop nice-guy Charley for him.

What type of business did Alice's boyfriend own?

A butcher shop was his, and bowling was their usual date; the family once laid on a wedding reception after wrongly concluding the pair were about to elope.

Jan seems to be allergic to the family dog, but what is really making her sneeze?

His flea powder is the culprit, found just as the dog is about to be sent away; by then the girls, the boys, Alice and Mike had each secretly given him a bath.

What was Carol Brady's birth surname, from before her first marriage?

Tyler was her maiden name: her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler, are guests at her wedding to Mike, and the name returns in the final season with her brother's son, Oliver Tyler.

In 'Confessions, Confessions', what does Peter break while playing ball in the house?

Carol's vase is glued back together by the kids so Peter can still go camping, but it leaks over the dinner table, and every child except Peter then confesses.

Who wrote The Brady Bunch theme with creator Sherwood Schwartz?

Frank De Vol, also behind the My Three Sons theme, co-wrote a song that lays out the whole premise, so a new viewer never needs the blended family explained.

What was the name of the youngest Brady son?

Bobby was the youngest of the Brady boys, often involved in whimsical dream sequences.

Which science project of Peter's ruins Marcia's interview with the snobbish Boosters club?

A model volcano that had refused to work finally erupts, showering Marcia and the Boosters with 'lava'; she bursts out laughing and decides they are not her kind of girls.

Which 1981 spin-off had Marcia, Jan and their new husbands sharing one house?

The Brady Brides has the two couples buy one house together, and the comedy comes from the clash between Jan's uptight professor and Marcia's fun-loving toy salesman.

How did Sherwood Schwartz's fight with ABC over making Carol Brady a divorcee end?

Her past was left unexplained: ABC preferred a widow and Schwartz a divorcee, so the compromise was that the scripts never said what had become of her first husband.

Which actor was considered for Mike Brady but deemed too unknown for television?

Gene Hackman was considered for Mike but rejected as too little known to TV audiences; he won the Best Actor Oscar for The French Connection while the show was still on the air.

Peter helps Cindy over her new fear of the dark by making her his assistant in what?

A magic act: Cindy had been scared by a magician's vanishing-lady trick at a party, so Peter gives her the part of the lady who vanishes in his own school-show routine.

Which fictional high school did Greg and Marcia attend?

Westdale High is also Alice's old school; when rival Fairview's quarterback woos Marcia to get at Westdale's playbook, Greg leaves out a fake one for him to steal.

Where does Marcia land an after-school job, only to fire Peter and then lose out to Jan?

An ice cream shop: left in charge, Marcia hires Peter, fires him for goofing off and brings in Jan; when the owner returns full-time he keeps hard-working Jan and lets Marcia go.

What does Jan crash her bike into after refusing to wear her new glasses?

A portrait of the kids, meant as an anniversary present, is what she wrecks; she sells her bicycle to pay for a secret retake, but her glasses in the new picture give the swap away.

Which star's son does Alice arrange to visit Marcia after her lost diary reveals her crush?

Desi Arnaz Jr. drops in because Alice asked a favour of Lucille Ball's housekeeper; Marcia's diary, with its dream of becoming Mrs. Arnaz, had gone out with books for a charity drive.

In 'The Impractical Joker', which animal from Greg's science project escapes after Jan hides it as a prank?

A mouse named Myron: Jan hides him as one more practical joke, he gets loose, and Alice, back from a trip and unaware he is a pet, calls in an exterminator.

Which actor played Peter Brady?

Christopher Knight, a self-described geek, left acting in 1988 for the computer industry, where he became a sales manager and then a vice president.

What surname did Carol and her daughters use before she married Mike Brady?

Martin was the name from Carol's first marriage; at the wedding she and the girls take the name Brady, and Mike adopts all three.

Which Ohio amusement park do the Bradys visit in 'The Cincinnati Kids'?

Kings Island had only just opened near Cincinnati when the Bradys filmed there; in the story Mike's plans for the park get swapped with Jan's Yogi Bear poster just before his pitch.

On what date did the series finale air on ABC?

The finale, 'The Hair-Brained Scheme', aired on March 8, 1974; the show had premiered on September 26, 1969, and ran five seasons.

Alice's identical cousin Emma, who fills in for a week, had made her career where?

In the Army: Emma, a retired Women's Army Corps sergeant, puts the kids and then Mike and Carol through daily drills until everyone longs for Alice's return.

In the 2002 TV-movie sequel to the Brady films, which job does Mike Brady end up holding?

US President: in The Brady Bunch in the White House, Mike's honesty over a winning lottery ticket makes him famous, and the sitting president's resignation hands him the top job.

Which pets of Peter and Bobby's get loose in the car and wreck Greg's drive-in date?

Frogs: the boys had been training them for a jumping contest and left the spares in the car, in the week Greg tried to dodge a grounding by sticking to his 'exact words'.

Which 1968 film had famously used the same split-screen technique as The Brady Bunch's opening credits?

The Thomas Crown Affair took its split screens from a Canadian short shown at Expo 67; after the same multi-image method framed the Bradys, the press called it the Brady Bunch effect.

Where did the opening title sequence rank on TV Guide's 2010 reader poll of top credits?

Readers placed the Brady grid eighth in TV Guide's 2010 ranking of television's top credit sequences; in the grid Carol is top center, Alice dead center and Mike bottom center.

What was the name of Cindy's doll that went missing in season one?

Kitty Karry-All vanishes after a quarrel, so Cindy accuses Bobby and the kids put him on mock trial; the real thief turns out to be the family dog.

Why did the Bradys' dog all but vanish from the show after its early episodes?

The original dog died when a vehicle hit him during the first season, and the look-alike found to replace him was so hard to direct that the pet was quietly dropped from the show.

What was the name of the boyfriend Jan invented to seem popular?

Jan invented a boyfriend named George Glass in 'The Not-So-Ugly Duckling' to convince her family she was popular, after her crush Clark Tyson chose Marcia over her.

Who is Mr. Phillips on The Brady Bunch?

Mike's boss at the architectural firm is Mr. Phillips for nearly the whole run, more often mentioned than seen; in the last episodes Mike answers to Mr. Matthews, who gives the family a pool table.

Where were Cousin Oliver's parents living when he moved in with the Bradys?

South America is where Carol's brother Jack and his wife had gone on an archaeological dig, so their son moved in for the last six episodes, convinced at first that he was a jinx.

Which hair colour does The Brady Bunch's theme song give Carol and her three girls?

Gold is the word the opening verse uses for the girls' hair, like their mother's; from the second season the six young actors sang the theme themselves.

Which future 'Little House' star gave Bobby his first kiss in 'Never Too Young'?

Melissa Sue Anderson, later Mary Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, played Millicent, who kisses Bobby in 'Never Too Young'; Bobby then frets that she has exposed him to mumps.

Which Gilligan's Island actor played the old prospector in the Grand Canyon episodes?

Jim Backus, Thurston Howell III on Gilligan's Island, plays an old prospector who takes the Bradys for claim jumpers, locks them in a ghost-town jail and drives off in their car.

Which actor starred in 'Kelly's Kids', an episode meant as a spin-off pilot?

Ken Berry played Ken Kelly, a neighbour who adopts three boys of different races in 'Kelly's Kids'; the episode was a backdoor pilot Schwartz later reworked as the 1986 sitcom Together We Stand.

Which comedy legend played the girls' great-aunt Jenny?

Imogene Coca, Sid Caesar's partner on Your Show of Shows, played Aunt Jenny; Jan panics on learning she looked just like Jenny as a girl, then warms to the fun-loving aunt once they meet.

Which Dodgers pitcher tried to inject reality into Greg's baseball dreams?

Don Drysdale, a client of Mike's, praises Greg's pitching and then warns him how hard a ballplayer's life is; the warning bounces off, and it takes a twelve-run first inning to bring Greg down to earth.

Which singer serenades Cindy when the Bradys tour Honolulu?

Don Ho, the 'Tiny Bubbles' singer, plays himself: he and Sam Kapu stop to sing to Cindy, one treat of a trip the boys spend convinced an idol has cursed them.

After meeting an astronaut, what are Peter and Bobby convinced they have seen over their backyard?

A UFO, in fact a prank rigged by Greg; when the boys' photographs bring an Air Force investigator to the house, Greg has to confess and loses the car.

Which NFL star visits Bobby after Cindy writes that her brother is gravely ill?

Joe Namath comes because Bobby had bragged to friends that he knew the Jets quarterback; Namath plays along with the fib and offers to throw passes with Bobby and his friends.

Which horror icon played Professor Hubert Whitehead, holding the Brady boys hostage in the season-four Hawaii episodes?

Vincent Price played archaeologist Professor Whitehead, who holds the boys captive because he thinks they mean to steal credit for his burial-cave find, until Mike talks him round.

Which future sitcom mom played the doctor treating the Brady girls' measles?

Marion Ross, later Mrs. Cunningham on Happy Days, played the girls' Dr. Porter; when the boys held out for their own male doctor, Mike and Carol simply kept both.

Which actress played Mike's fussy client Penelope Fletcher in 'The Snooperstar'?

Natalie Schafer, Lovey Howell on Gilligan's Island, played Penelope Fletcher in 'The Snooperstar'; Cindy, convinced she is being scouted, performs a Shirley Temple routine that wins the fussy client over.

Which actress made her screen debut as a cheerleader candidate in 'Greg's Triangle'?

Rita Wilson, then a high-schooler, made her debut as Pat Conway, who beat Marcia for head cheerleader after Greg judged the tryouts; she married Tom Hanks in 1988.

What world record did Bobby and Cindy attempt after being left out of a wedding?

In 'The Teeter-Totter Caper', Bobby and Cindy, told they are too young to attend a family wedding, go for the longest seesaw ride on record to prove they count.

Which 1968 blended-family film's success helped persuade the network to order The Brady Bunch?

Yours, Mine and Ours, the 1968 Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda hit about a widow and widower with eighteen children, helped sway the network, though the show's pilot script predated the film.

What was the pilot called when John Rich was hired to direct it?

When John Rich signed on to direct the pilot, the project was titled The Brady Brood; the final name The Brady Bunch came later, before the September 1969 premiere.

Which actress nearly played a wackier Carol Brady before the part went to Florence Henderson?

Joyce Bulifant came close to playing a wackier Carol and lost the part before filming; accounts differ on who was cast first, but the show ended up pairing a straighter mother with a comic housekeeper.

Which pop group sang The Brady Bunch theme for the pilot?

The Peppermint Trolley Company, a pop group from Redlands, California, is credited with arranging and singing the pilot's theme; the young cast took over the singing from season two.

Which network bought the Brady house in 2018, outbidding Lance Bass?

HGTV paid $3.5 million for the house in 2018, topping Lance Bass's bid, then rebuilt the interior to copy the rooms seen on the show for A Very Brady Renovation.

Which star plays Mrs. Cummings in both 'The Brady Bunch Movie' and 'A Very Brady Sequel'?

RuPaul plays Mrs. Cummings, Jan's guidance counselor, in both films, years before Drag Race; the 2021 Brady crossover special brought the host back for one more cameo.

What address was given for the Brady house?

4222 Clinton Way is read aloud by Carol from a package holding a locket for Jan; the secret admirer who sent it turns out to be Alice, once an overlooked middle child herself.

Which two other series filmed scenes in the Brady interiors during the sitcom's run?

Mannix and Mission: Impossible both borrowed the Brady interiors during the sitcom's run; Mission: Impossible even left the family's furniture in place.

Which X-Files episode featured a re-creation of the Brady house?

'Sunshine Days', a 2002 ninth-season X-Files episode, centres on a man who telekinetically rebuilds the Brady house inside his own home, with Michael Emerson as the obsessed fan.

Under what German title did The Brady Bunch air on ZDF from 1971?

Drei Mädchen und drei Jungen ('three girls and three boys') was the ZDF title; the channel showed only part of the run, and the remaining episodes did not reach German television until the late 1990s.

Where did The Brady Bunch become a lasting hit after its network cancelled it in 1974?

In syndicated reruns: never a ratings hit during its network run, the sitcom became a daily staple for young viewers, and that success led to spin-offs and reunion films.

Which 1972 album by The Brady Bunch's young cast reached No. 108 on the Billboard album chart?

Meet The Brady Bunch peaked at No. 108, the kids' only release ever to chart; its lead single, 'Time to Change', the song built around Peter's cracking voice, missed the charts entirely.

What did Greg buy from his friend Eddie in 'The Wheeler-Dealer'?

A used car from his friend Eddie turns out to be a lemon; Greg plans to palm it off on another friend with the same slick patter, then has a change of heart and sells it for junk.

What were the two pandas called in the animated Brady spin-off of the early 1970s?

Ping and Pong were the pandas the kids met on a mysterious island in the cartoon's pilot movie, along with Marlon, a talking mynah bird voiced by Larry Storch.

Which studio produced the animated Brady spin-off that ran on Saturday mornings?

Filmation, the studio behind Fat Albert and the animated Star Trek, made the cartoon, which left the parents and Alice out entirely and spun off Mission: Magic!, starring Rick Springfield.

Who replaced the original Jan in The Brady Bunch Variety Hour?

Geri Reischl took over Jan when the original actress declined the 1976-77 variety show; fans nicknamed her 'Fake Jan', a label she later embraced as a badge of honor.

Which 2009 book, co-written by Susan Olsen, chronicles The Brady Bunch Variety Hour?

Love to Love You Bradys echoes 'Love to Love You Baby', the Donna Summer disco hit the family performed on the show; Susan Olsen wrote it with Ted Nichelson and Lisa Sutton.

How did NBC air the 1981 reunion movie in which Marcia and Jan marry?

In three weekly half-hour parts: NBC split the finished TV movie at the last minute and ran it over three February Fridays, then launched a spin-off sitcom in March.

What careers do Greg and Jan have in the 1981 reunion movie built around a double wedding?

Doctor and architect: Greg, who once chased pop stardom, has become a physician, and Jan a junior architect; Peter is serving in the Air Force.

What are the names of Marcia's and Jan's husbands in the 1981 spin-off?

Wally Logan and Phillip Covington III: Marcia married Wally, a fun-loving toy salesman, and Jan married Phillip, a strait-laced science professor; the spin-off put both couples in one house.

Which game show host played himself when Marcia, Jan and their husbands competed on his show in 1981?

Bob Eubanks appeared as himself, hosting The Newlywed Game in an episode of that name: fresh from their double wedding, Marcia and Jan went on with their husbands as contestants.

Who played Cindy in 'A Very Brady Christmas' while the original actress honeymooned?

Jennifer Runyon stepped in as Cindy after a pay dispute and a clash with Susan Olsen's honeymoon kept the original actress out; fans dubbed her 'Christmas Cindy', and Olsen returned for The Bradys.

Which actress took over the role of Marcia in the 1990 series 'The Bradys'?

Leah Ayres played Marcia in The Bradys after the original actress, who had just had a baby, declined a weekly series; she was the only substitution among the returning cast.

Which sitcom's 1989 episode reunited six Brady cast members?

Day by Day's 1989 'A Very Brady Episode' had teenage Ross dream himself into the Brady household, with both TV parents, the housekeeper and three of the six kids back in their old roles.

Which Food Network show had the Brady siblings as guest judges in 2019?

Chopped ran two Brady-themed episodes in 2019 to tie in with A Very Brady Renovation, with the six Brady siblings as guest judges: one used Hawaiian ingredients, the other 'groovy' 1970s ones.

Which Drag Race star played Carol in the 2021 'Dragging the Classics' special?

Bianca Del Rio played Carol in the 2021 Paramount+ special, which mixed Drag Race queens with original cast members: two Brady boys reprised their roles while a third original played Mike.

Which Brady Bunch episode did the 2021 Drag Race crossover special recreate?

'Will the Real Jan Brady Please Stand Up?', in which Jan buys a dark wig to stand out at a party and is taken for a joke, was the episode recreated; the Drag Race host cameoed as the wig-shop attendant.

Who directed 'The Brady Bunch Movie' in 1995?

Betty Thomas, the Hill Street Blues actress turned director, made the 1995 film, which strands the still-1970s Bradys in 1990s Los Angeles and plays the culture clash for laughs.

What do three of the Monkees do in their cameo in 'The Brady Bunch Movie'?

Judge the talent contest: three of the Monkees sit on the Search for the Stars panel and, though the crowd prefers the modern bands, vote the out-of-date Brady act the winner.

What is the name of the conman neighbor in 'The Brady Bunch Movie'?

Larry Dittmeyer, played by Michael McKean, schemes to have the Bradys lose their house so the whole block can be sold for a shopping mall.

Which unpaid bill nearly costs the Bradys their house in 'The Brady Bunch Movie'?

Property taxes: a $20,000 bill, first delivered by mistake to the scheming neighbors, threatens foreclosure until the Brady kids win exactly that sum in prize money.

Which trucker character picks up runaway Jan in 'The Brady Bunch Movie'?

Schultzy, the trucker who gives runaway Jan a ride, is played by Ann B. Davis, and the name is a nod to Schultzy, the 1950s sitcom role that won Davis two Emmys.

Who plays the fake first husband Roy in 'A Very Brady Sequel'?

Tim Matheson plays Roy, who is really a con man named Trevor Thomas; once exposed he kidnaps Carol and flees to Hawaii, with the whole family in pursuit.

Which Brady household ornament, secretly worth $20 million, is the impostor after in 'A Very Brady Sequel'?

A horse statue: the family's familiar ornament is really an ancient artifact worth $20 million, which is why a con man moves in posing as Carol's long-lost first husband.

Which relative did Robert Reed play in a dual role?

Judge Hank Brady, Mike's grandfather, was Robert Reed's second role in 'You're Never Too Old', while the actress playing Carol doubled as her grandmother Connie; the kids play matchmaker and the two elope to Las Vegas.

Which legal drama starred Robert Reed alongside E. G. Marshall from 1961 to 1965?

The Defenders made Reed's name as Kenneth Preston, junior partner to his attorney father, played by E. G. Marshall; a studio contract signed in 1968 then steered him to the role of Mike Brady.

What was Robert Reed's surname at birth?

Rietz was his birth surname: Robert Reed was born John Robert Rietz Jr. in Highland Park, Illinois, and The X-Files later slipped a Dr. John Rietz into its Brady-themed episode.

Which 1977 miniseries earned Robert Reed his third Emmy nomination?

Roots brought Reed his third Emmy nomination, as Dr. William Reynolds; the miniseries cast familiar TV fathers, Reed among them, against type as slaveholders.

Which cooking-oil brand did Florence Henderson promote in TV commercials for about two decades?

Wesson signed Florence Henderson as its commercial spokeswoman in the mid-1970s, soon after the sitcom ended, and kept her until 1996, far longer than any Brady series ran.

Florence Henderson originated the title role in which 1954 Broadway musical?

Fanny opened in 1954 with Henderson in the title role: left pregnant when her sweetheart goes off to sea, Fanny marries a wealthy older man.

On which 1950s sitcom did Ann B. Davis win two Emmys?

The Bob Cummings Show won Ann B. Davis Emmys in 1958 and 1959 as a playboy photographer's lovelorn secretary, a part she saluted decades later in a Brady movie cameo.

Whom did Ann B. Davis replace as Princess Winnifred in 'Once Upon a Mattress' in 1960?

Carol Burnett, the original Winnifred, left the Broadway run in June 1960; Ann B. Davis took over and played just eight performances before the show closed that week.

What is the title of Maureen McCormick's 2008 autobiography?

Here's the Story debuted at number four on The New York Times bestseller list in October 2008 and stayed three weeks; McCormick had spent years after the show battling cocaine addiction.

Which 1976 NBC television film cast Eve Plumb as a teenage prostitute in Hollywood?

Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway cast Plumb as 15-year-old Dawn Wetherby, who leaves a small town for Hollywood; it drew a 1977 sequel, Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn, in which she reprised the role.

Which other role was Mike Lookinland offered alongside Bobby Brady?

Mike Lookinland was offered Eddie in The Courtship of Eddie's Father at the same time as Bobby Brady; his parents chose the Bradys so he would work alongside other children, and Brandon Cruz took Eddie.

Why was Mike Lookinland's sandy hair dyed dark brown to play Bobby Brady?

To match his TV brothers, Peter and Greg, whose hair was naturally dark brown; hot set lights sometimes made the dye run down his face.

In which Utah town was Mike Lookinland born?

Mike Lookinland was born in Mount Pleasant, a small town in central Utah, on December 19, 1960; he returned to Utah as an adult and made his home in the Salt Lake City area.

Which comedian's program did Schwartz head-write, winning an Emmy in 1961?

Red Skelton's show made Sherwood Schwartz an Emmy-winning head writer; he had studied science hoping to be a doctor, then began selling jokes to Bob Hope's radio show, where his brother wrote.

Which TV series did Sherwood Schwartz's nephew Douglas co-create in 1989?

Baywatch, co-created by Sherwood's nephew Douglas Schwartz, was cancelled by NBC after one season, then lived on in syndication and by 1996 was the most widely watched TV series in the world.

Who played neighbor Jack Merrill, Alice's love interest, on The Brady Bunch Hour?

Rip Taylor, the confetti-throwing comic, joined after the pilot, when the producers decided they needed a regular comedian; his Jack Merrill was the Bradys' neighbor, realtor and moving man.

Which MTV VJ played Bobby's wife Tracy in 'The Bradys'?

Martha Quinn, one of MTV's original VJs, played Tracy, Bobby's college girlfriend, who comes back while he is recovering and marries him.

Which two ABC TGIF shows beat 'The Bradys' in the ratings?

The Bradys aired Fridays at 8 on CBS against ABC's Full House and Family Matters, the TGIF hour that crushed it; CBS cancelled the show after six episodes in March 1990.

Which trips did Mike and Carol each secretly plan in 'A Very Brady Christmas'?

Greece and Japan were the secret plans: Carol had saved for a trip to Greece and Mike for one to Japan; on discovering the duplicate surprises they spend the money flying the whole family home for Christmas instead.

What career has Bobby secretly taken up in 'A Very Brady Christmas'?

Bobby has quit graduate school to become a race car driver, a secret he hides from Mike and Carol until the holiday gathering; in The Bradys a crash later leaves him paralysed.

Which Ninja Turtle did Cousin Oliver actor Robbie Rist voice in 1990's 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'?

Michelangelo spoke with Robbie Rist's voice, but another actor wore the shell: in the 1990 film Michelan Sisti was the performer inside the suit.

Which Hanna-Barbera ape did Allan Melvin voice?

Allan Melvin was the voice of Magilla Gorilla, the pet-shop ape nobody would buy, from 1964; he also voiced Drooper the lion on The Banana Splits.

Why did The Brady Bunch's creator plan to keep spare child actors in two hair colours?

The parents weren't cast yet: they were meant to have contrasting hair matched by their children, so the plan was to hold blond and dark-haired trios of both boys and girls until the leads were chosen.

Under what name did the six children perform on the talent show in 'Amateur Nite'?

The Silver Platters took their name from the engraved silver platter the kids were giving Mike and Carol; Jan had misread the engraving price, so they entered a TV amateur hour to cover the bill.

What does Mike Brady have installed at home to teach his children a lesson about a huge bill?

A pay telephone went in after a huge phone bill, and the plan nearly backfired when Mike had to use it himself to close a business deal. His client, a father of three teenagers, copied the idea.

How do the Brady boys and girls decide who gets to spend 94 books of trading stamps?

Building a house of cards settled it, and the girls won. Instead of the sewing machine they wanted, or the boys' rowboat, they compromised on a portable color television.

What does Peter Brady break playing ball in the house, which his siblings then glue back together?

A clay vase of Carol's was the casualty, and the cover-up failed at dinner when water seeped through the glued cracks onto the table. Peter owned up only after his siblings had confessed for him.

After trying out for George Washington in a school play, which figure is Peter Brady cast as?

Benedict Arnold earned Peter so much teasing as a traitor that he faked laryngitis to escape the part, until Mike pointed out that letting the cast down would be a betrayal of its own.

Which outlaw is Bobby Brady's idol until he dreams of the man gunning down the family on a train?

Jesse James lost his shine only after Mike tracked down a relative of one of the outlaw's victims to tell Bobby what the robberies had really cost.

What turns Mike and Carol's backyard wedding into chaos in the first episode of The Brady Bunch?

The dog chases the cat, the boys' pet going after the girls'. The guilty couple later fetched all six children, the housekeeper and both animals to join them on their honeymoon.

Which Shakespeare role does Marcia Brady lose when stardom goes to her head in a school play?

Juliet went to Marcia although she had only tried out for the nurse. After her diva turn got her dropped, she begged her way back in as Lady Capulet when another girl caught the mumps.

In the spooky Brady Bunch episode 'Fright Night', what does a panicked Alice end up smashing?

Carol's sculpture of Mike, made for an art contest, was smashed because Alice took it for a burglar's head. The kids had set out to scare a housekeeper who swore nothing frightened her.

After Peter Brady saves a girl in a toy store and throws himself a party, what humbles him?

No one shows up, a lesson in humility for a boy so taken with his own heroics that he organised the celebration himself. The rescue had put his name in the local newspaper.

In The Brady Bunch's 'The Wheeler-Dealer', how does Greg finally get rid of the lemon he restored?

He sells it for junk, the honest way out: Greg had planned to pass the 1956 Chevrolet convertible on to a gullible friend, then had a change of heart.

Which part of the Brady house becomes Greg's bedroom after he and Marcia both lay claim to it?

The attic went to Greg as the eldest, but he gave it up after Marcia's tearful plea for privacy. She handed it back once she reasoned that it would be hers when he left for college.

What colour does Bobby's hair tonic turn Greg Brady's hair on the eve of his high-school graduation?

Orange was the result, and Greg had to swallow his pride at a beauty parlor to dye it back in time. Bobby had sold him the tonic as part of a get-rich scheme.

Which animal does Greg Brady hide in his bedroom after helping steal a rival high school's mascot?

A goat named Raquel was taken in revenge for the theft of his own school's bear cub. For a while Mike believed that Greg was keeping a girl in his room.

How does Greg Brady get around a week-long ban on driving the family car, earning a grounding?

He borrows a friend's car and argues that he obeyed the letter of the rule. Mike and Carol then hold him to his exact words on every promise he has made, until the lesson sinks in.

In The Brady Bunch's 'Where There's Smoke', whose cigarettes fall out of the jacket Greg is wearing?

His friend Tommy's jacket had been swapped with Greg's, and Alice cracked the case: the real one had a mended tear in its lining. By then Carol had been dropped from an anti-smoking committee.

Which contest does Greg Brady lose to Bobby, making him his little brother's servant for a week?

Chin-ups were the bet, after Greg boasted that he could do twice as many. Bobby turned tyrant, invited himself along on Greg's date and tore the soft top of Mike's convertible.

After a football injury sidelines Greg Brady, which hobby lets him catch a bad call on the field?

Photography gave Greg a way back to the team after a scrimmage injury proved Carol's fears right: one of his snapshots caught the bad call.

Which Partridge Family star floored the actor who played Greg Brady five times on Celebrity Boxing?

Danny Bonaduce dominated the 2002 bout until his opponent's trainer threw in the towel in round two. TV Guide later ranked the programme among the worst ever made.

Christopher Daniel Barnes, the big-screen Greg Brady, voiced which Disney character as a teenager?

Prince Eric of The Little Mermaid was Barnes at sixteen. He was also the voice of the 1990s animated Spider-Man while playing Greg in both big-screen Brady films.

Which Dodgers first baseman is engaged to the math teacher Greg Brady has a crush on?

Wes Parker, playing himself, cured the crush by promising Greg two tickets to the next season's opener if he earned an A in math.

In The Brady Brides, why do Marcia, Jan and their new husbands end up sharing one house?

Homes cost too much for either couple alone, so the four move in together. The friction between Jan's strait-laced husband and Marcia's free-spirited one then drives most of the plots.

In the spin-off sitcom The Brady Brides, what does the grown-up Marcia Brady do for a living?

Fashion designer is the career the reunion film gave Marcia. In the sitcom's last episode she has to send her own husband and her brother-in-law out in her show.

When bad weather ruins the outdoor double wedding in The Brady Girls Get Married, where is the ceremony held?

Inside the house was the fallback, so Marcia and Jan married in the home where the original series was set. It was the last time the whole original cast appeared together.

What do the two couples clash over while planning the double wedding in The Brady Girls Get Married?

Traditional or modern was the split: Jan and her fiancé wanted a classic ceremony, while Marcia and hers wanted something up to date.

In The Brady Girls Get Married, what career has Carol Brady taken up since the original series ended?

Real-estate agent is Carol's new line of work in the reunion film, which catches up with every member of the household seven years after the series left the air.

Which military branch is Peter Brady serving in during The Brady Girls Get Married?

The Air Force is where the reunion film finds Peter, while his two youngest siblings are away at college.

What is the job of Jan's older, uptight husband in the spin-off sitcom The Brady Brides?

A science professor at a college, he is several years older than Jan and the conservative foil to her sister's fun-loving, bohemian husband.

What does Carol teach her married daughters in the Brady Brides episode 'Gorilla of My Dreams'?

Self-defense lessons from their mother arrive just as a thief tries to break into the home the two couples share.

In The Brady Brides episode 'The Siege', what makes Marcia's husband panic when a policeman visits?

His parking tickets weigh on him so heavily that he passes himself off as his brother-in-law when the officer comes to the door.

Jerry Houser, Marcia's husband in The Brady Brides, played Oscy in which coming-of-age film?

Summer of '42 made Houser's name a decade before he became Marcia's toy-salesman husband, and he later played Killer Carlson in the Paul Newman hockey comedy Slap Shot.

What does Bobby Brady pick up in Hawaii that legend says brings bad luck to whoever touches it?

An ancient tiki caught Bobby's eye on a walk with his father, and the boys laughed off the legend until accidents began piling up.

What crawls into the Brady boys' Hawaiian hotel room one night and nearly bites Peter?

A tarantula was one more stroke of bad luck that the boys blamed on the curse, and it sent them looking for a way to be rid of the charm for good.

What brings the whole Brady family to Hawaii for the three-part opener of season four?

Mike's work trip paid for it: his firm sent him to check on a construction project and let him bring his wife, the six children and the housekeeper along.

On their sightseeing tour in the first Hawaii episode, the Bradys learn the history of which site?

Pearl Harbor gave the comedy a serious stop before the curse plot took over. In the same episode, two island singers serenade Cindy.

Where must the Brady boys take their cursed Hawaiian charm in order to lift the curse?

A burial ground of the early islanders was the only place the charm could be discarded, and the journey there delivered the three brothers into the hands of a suspicious stranger.

What is the profession of the man who holds the Brady boys captive in a Hawaiian cave?

Archaeologist is his trade, and he ties the boys up because he believes they have come to steal his latest find. Mike wins their release by promising that nobody wants the credit.

Jack Arnold, director of The Brady Bunch's Hawaii episodes, made which 1954 monster movie?

Creature from the Black Lagoon was one of Arnold's best-known films, part of a run of 1950s science-fiction hits that also included The Incredible Shrinking Man.

Patrick Adiarte, who plays David in The Brady Bunch's Hawaii episodes, was Ho-Jon on which sitcom?

M*A*S*H cast Adiarte as Ho-Jon in 1972, the year of the Bradys' island visit. As a boy he had played the king's young heir in the film of The King and I.

What does bully Buddy Hinton tease Cindy Brady about until Peter finally punches him?

Her lisp was the target, and Peter's punch loosened one of Buddy's teeth. The bully later turned up at the house hoping to borrow Cindy's tongue-twister book.

What happens when Cindy Brady finally appears on a children's TV quiz show after out-testing Bobby?

She freezes on camera, blanking the moment taping starts after all her boasting about winning a place. The host was played by the real-life father of the actor who played Peter.

Which child star does Cindy Brady imitate for Mike's client, believing a Hollywood agent is watching?

Shirley Temple was the bait in fake diary entries that Marcia wrote to punish Cindy for snooping. The impromptu performance charmed the client, and Mike got his contract.

What does Cindy ask a department-store Santa for in The Brady Bunch's only Christmas episode?

Her mother's voice back was the wish, because laryngitis threatened to keep Carol from singing at the holiday service.

What job does a grown-up Cindy Brady hold in the 1990 drama series The Bradys?

Morning radio DJ is Cindy's career in the revival, where she falls for her boss at the station, a widower with two children.

Whom does Cindy Brady report seeing Alice hug, causing trouble with Alice's boyfriend?

The mailman had only delivered a package that Alice was thrilled to receive, her first win after entering contest after contest, but Cindy's report made it sound like romance.

Where do the Bradys finally find the earrings that Cindy took and lost in 'The Great Earring Caper'?

In the washing machine, and damaged: the family had to reconstruct Cindy's steps to trace them, just as Carol wanted to wear them to a costume party as Cleopatra.

In which school play does Cindy Brady play the fairy princess, with a ticket for only one parent?

The Frog Prince left Cindy agonising over whether to invite Mike or Carol, until the school let the whole family sit through the dress rehearsal.

Which future Oscar winner got the Swiss Family Robinson role that Cindy Brady's actress auditioned for?

Helen Hunt landed the 1975 series part, and the actress who had played Cindy found few roles after high school beyond the family's reunion specials.

What is the name of the TV quiz show that Cindy Brady qualifies for in season four?

Question the Kids was fronted by a host named Monty Marshall, and Cindy won her seat on it by beating Bobby in the tryouts.

What does Peter Brady have to sell after joining the Sunflower Girls to get back at Marcia?

Cookies proved too embarrassing for Peter to sell. Marcia, meanwhile, passed every initiation test of the all-male Frontier Scouts and then declined to join, her point made.

Who runs the Brady household like a boot camp while Alice takes a week's vacation?

Her identical cousin Emma, a former Army WAC played by the same actress, put the children and then Mike and Carol through a rigid schedule of exercise and chores.