This episode does not really fit with the series since we get so little Bradys in it. Its one of only 2 episodes that Sherwood wrote (The Honeymoon was the other). It was written as a possible spin off that never happened. The idea of the show was used in another show many years later though. Chris Knight sees something now that he did not realize when it first aired. The episode is exactly halfway through the 5th season. When the season was half over would have been contract negotiations for another season (that never happened). It was the first clue there might not be another season of the Brady Bunch. But Kelly's Kids deals with things the Brady's never had to deal with in their show: racism or discrimination. Race was not even discussed on the Brady Bunch. Knight speculates that All In The Family and Sanford and Son were high in the ratings and provoking race jokes and discussions that Sherwood wanted to spin off the Brady Bunch with a show with the same situations. These shows were killing the Brady Bunch in ratings. Archie Bunker is even mentioned in the episode and the neighbor says "boys are bound to be destructive especially minority ones." Then she implies she and her husband are "friendly" to a family with a Jewish name (The Shapiros). Its almost like the neighbor was a female version of Archie Bunker.
The mom and dad look like younger versions of Mike and Carol Brady. The Brady Bunch set was also used for much of the house. The boys room and the bedspread are the same.
Mike Lookinland's brother Todd plays Matt. The black boy appears on the Brady Bunch episode with Joe Namath giving Bobby a racially diverse group of friends.
Its sort of funny because the show makes adoption look easy as if you are shopping at Walmart for kids. You just go to some orphanage and see them play on the playground and take home which ones you want. Another timestamp on the show is describing the Asian boy as "oriental." That is considered a slur today.
There is a tiny goof in the end. Carol makes hot chocolate for the boys and pours it in their cups. But one of them picks up the coffee cup and tilts it towards the camera and we see there is nothing in the cup :lol:
Molly Dodd who played the mean neighbor Mrs Payne appeared in an earlier Brady Bunch episode "Brace Yourself" as a sales lady.

It's embarrassing to watch in those artificial themes.

I noticed that there were no female children. It is always boys who are added to a series later on. Like cousin Oliver for example.

It's embarrassing to watch in those artificial themes.

I noticed that there were no female children. It is always boys who are added to a series later on. Like cousin Oliver for example.

This episode was originally intended to be a backdoor pilot for a spin-off....too bad it never happened

It reminded me of the final 2 episodes of Green Acres which were backdoor pilots, these 2 episodes were ranked as the 2 weakest episodes, basically nothing to do with the Green Acres gang, with Oliver and Lisa only appearing like 2 minutes in each one

This episode was originally intended to be a backdoor pilot for a spin-off....too bad it never happened

It reminded me of the final 2 episodes of Green Acres which were backdoor pilots, these 2 episodes were ranked as the 2 weakest episodes, basically nothing to do with the Green Acres gang, with Oliver and Lisa only appearing like 2 minutes in each one

I hate spin-offs, because the viewer is the one who gets cheated out of an episode. When I tune in to watch my favorite show or sitcom, I don't want to see a bunch of weirdos stealing it away from my favorite television characters. It's just a waste of an episode. Even worse, it would involved the main actors always pretending they were longtime friends with these strangers in a rather weak attempt to convince the viewers watching, that we should also like them an accept them into our homes.

Love American Style was the perfect dumping ground for these kind of bad ideas.

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I quite like the episode. Though I do feel cheated out of a Brady episode in what was the short season.

I wonder, if they had gone to series, whether they would have added a girl as it would have been 4 males and 1 female. Though the neighbour was female and could have been a regular. Perhaps the mother would have taken in a neice whose parents died in a plane crash to balance things out.

The Brady Bunch was rare perhaps in that it had 5 regular females and 4 regular males. 5 if you include Tiger. ;)

I quite like the episode. Though I do feel cheated out of a Brady episode in what was the short season.

I wonder, if they had gone to series, whether they would have added a girl as it would have been 4 males and 1 female. Though the neighbour was female and could have been a regular. Perhaps the mother would have taken in a neice whose parents died in a plane crash to balance things out.

The Brady Bunch was rare perhaps in that it had 5 regular females and 4 regular males. 5 if you include Tiger. ;)


That sort of reminds me of episodes that take place AWAY from the main setting, like vacation episodes, I don't like those as well for some reason. I'm not sure why. But like during the Grand Canyon episodes or Hawaiian episode, I kinda feel like I'm being cheated out of a BB episode lol

What the sad part is that I don't think this was a bad sitcom idea.
What was different here is that this would be show had kids.

However, when I see this episode coming, you sense the Brady Bunch in ending. This was the first episode shown in 1974.

Back in the 1970's, you didn't get too much closure. If the Brady Bunch was ending, the episodes should have been more focused on giving the series/characters closure.

For example - In the first episode of season 5, it was the only time college was mentioned for Greg. There should have been more talk about college throughout the season.

That sort of reminds me of episodes that take place AWAY from the main setting, like vacation episodes, I don't like those as well for some reason. I'm not sure why. But like during the Grand Canyon episodes or Hawaiian episode, I kinda feel like I'm being cheated out of a BB episode lol

I get that, and sort of feel the same way. I prefer the Hawaii episodes as TGC ones are a little dull looking in all those scenes looking for Bobby and Cindy.

I get that, and sort of feel the same way. I prefer the Hawaii episodes as TGC ones are a little dull looking in all those scenes looking for Bobby and Cindy.

lol I remember when I was little watching the episode where Bobby and Cindy get lost and thinking, HOW hard could it be to find them as long as they are IN the Canyon, I guess I was thinking the Grand Canyon was just basically a large pit that you couldn't really get lost in.... then I finally saw it for real and saw just how HUGE it was

I get that, and sort of feel the same way. I prefer the Hawaii episodes as TGC ones are a little dull looking in all those scenes looking for Bobby and Cindy.

I hate that television trope, where the family goes on a trip and the cute kid character(s) get lost and the family has to waste a whole epidode searching for them, instead of being able to enjoy their trip like a normal family. In real life, a scary/ nightmarish scenario that is played for laughs in tv land.

Kids do what they're told not to. So Bobby and Cindy go off and get lost. Jimmy sets them straight, and they get a lecture from Mike.

So what do they do? They go off AGAIN and give Jimmy some beans; this time, in the dark of night.

We probably needed to see some consequences for that--like a punishment, rather than the ceremony they ended up having.

In the real world the initial wandering off could have been the end for two kids.

I hate that television trope, where the family goes on a trip and the cute kid character(s) get lost and the family has to waste a whole epidode searching for them, instead of being able to enjoy their trip like a normal family. In real life, a scary/ nightmarish scenario that is played for laughs in tv land.


I mean if they just had a smooth vacation, it wouldn't be much of a show lol

I typically don't care for vacation episodes anyway that take place AWAY from the main setting, so if it was just they family lounging on the beach with not much happening it would be extra boring :lol: