Did ABC, CBS, and NBC really think new shows about the Bradys would be a success when

[TVFactFan]

the Original Show called the Brady Bunch in 1969-74 never ever finished in the Top 30. So ABC had to know a Variety Show in 1977 would fai, and NBC had to know Brady Brides would Flop in 1981 and CBS really looked foolish trying to bring the Brady Family back in 1990. I heard of spinoffs before but bringing back the entire cast in 1977 when viewers were not watching in 1974 was silly. Never understood why all these shows were created.

[jehobden]

Originally Posted by TVShow Analyzer

the Original Show called the Brady Bunch in 1969-74 never ever finished in the Top 30. So ABC had to know a Variety Show in 1977 would fai, and NBC had to know Brady Brides would Flop in 1981 and CBS really looked foolish trying to bring the Brady Family back in 1990. I heard of spinoffs before but bringing back the entire cast in 1977 when viewers were not watching in 1974 was silly. Never understood why all these shows were created.

First of all, even though The Brady Bunch was never a hit in ABC primetime, it was a much bigger hit in syndication and started to become a cultural phenomenon then. The ABC variety series was a result of high ratings that The Donny & Marie Show received when some of the Brady cast members made a guest appearance on that show. Some ABC executives, probably Fred Silverman included, thought that The Brady Bunch cast in a variety show would get high ratings. The Brady Brides was a result of NBC pulling apart its tv movie, The Brady Girls Get Married, into the first four eps of The Brady Brides, followed by a few other eps of the show before it was cancelled. The Bradys was a result of CBS receiving high ratings for the 1988 tv movie A Very Brady Christmas. That movie was one of the highest-rated tv movies of the season, and CBS wanted to capitalize on the success of the movie. As NBC did before, CBS tried to make a tv series out of what should have been two tv movies. There was going to be a movie about Bobby's racing career and Mike's political career, but they were turned into eps of The Bradys. The Bradys failed as a tv series likely due to trying to run as an adult "dramedy" against Full House.

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by jehobden

First of all, even though The Brady Bunch was never a hit in ABC primetime, it was a much bigger hit in syndication and started to become a cultural phenomenon then. The ABC variety series was a result of high ratings that The Donny & Marie Show received when some of the Brady cast members made a guest appearance on that show. Some ABC executives, probably Fred Silverman included, thought that The Brady Bunch cast in a variety show would get high ratings. The Brady Brides was a result of NBC pulling apart its tv movie, The Brady Girls Get Married, into the first four eps of The Brady Brides, followed by a few other eps of the show before it was cancelled. The Bradys was a result of CBS receiving high ratings for the 1988 tv movie A Very Brady Christmas. That movie was one of the highest-rated tv movies of the season, and CBS wanted to capitalize on the success of the movie. As NBC did before, CBS tried to make a tv series out of what should have been two tv movies. There was going to be a movie about Bobby's racing career and Mike's political career, but they were turned into eps of The Bradys. The Bradys failed as a tv series likely due to trying to run as an adult "dramedy" against Full House.

Good points

[tdr]

I was about the age of Knight ['Peter'] and Plumb ['Jan'] when TBB started its run, and I hardly ever saw the show then because we just had one television. I don't remember just what was on opposite TBB on those Friday nights, but I have a hunch one reason it became more popular in repeats and syndication was because many of us were in that kind of position, plus Friday not being a big TV night. However, those who did watch the show in its original run usually were fans of the whole Friday night lineup of ABC, which also included Room 222, Love American Style, The Partridge Family, and I think for a year or 2, Nanny and the Professor, one of the last of the 60's style shows concerning magic, this one being more subtle.

Anyway, the simple fact that TBB was so popular in syndiation, for whatever reasons, is surely what led the networks to keep bringing it back in different specific forms. As Jerry Mathers said in a book, "No one recycles like Hollywood." To me, the bigger mystery is why Robert Reed always agreed to be in these reincarnations, considering his well-known attitude toward the show and being embarrassed by his identification as Mike Brady, and his quarrels with Sherwood Schwartz. Maybe he just named his big price and they thought it was worth the expense.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by tdr

I was about the age of Knight ['Peter'] and Plumb ['Jan'] when TBB started its run, and I hardly ever saw the show then because we just had one television. I don't remember just what was on opposite TBB on those Friday nights, but I have a hunch one reason it became more popular in repeats and syndication was because many of us were in that kind of position, plus Friday not being a big TV night. However, those who did watch the show in its original run usually were fans of the whole Friday night lineup of ABC, which also included Room 222, Love American Style, The Partridge Family, and I think for a year or 2, Nanny and the Professor, one of the last of the 60's style shows concerning magic, this one being more subtle.

Anyway, the simple fact that TBB was so popular in syndiation, for whatever reasons, is surely what led the networks to keep bringing it back in different specific forms. As Jerry Mathers said in a book, "No one recycles like Hollywood." To me, the bigger mystery is why Robert Reed always agreed to be in these reincarnations, considering his well-known attitude toward the show and being embarrassed by his identification as Mike Brady, and his quarrels with Sherwood Schwartz. Maybe he just named his big price and they thought it was worth the expense.

The Brady Brides was competing with the Incredible Hulk on CBS on Fridays Nights

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by RetroTVCollector

The Brady Brides was competing with the Incredible Hulk on CBS on Fridays Nights

I use to watch the Brady Brides on NBC. It's lead in was Harper Valley PTA if I'm not mistaken.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

I use to watch the Brady Brides on NBC. It's lead in was Harper Valley PTA if I'm not mistaken.

Yeah it was. So that's two reasons the Brady Brides was yanked, A Crappy Lead In and Going Up against the Incredible Hulk-lol

[Brian Damage]

I actually liked both shows...then again, I was 7.

[Mr. Television]

Harper Valley was a good show.

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by Nighthawk

Harper Valley was a good show.

I thought so too. Although my memory of it is really fuzzy. Barbara Eden is all I really remember about it.

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by tdr

... I don't remember just what was on opposite TBB on those Friday nights, but I have a hunch one reason it became more popular in repeats and syndication was because many of us were in that kind of position, plus Friday not being a big TV night....

Friday Night Lineups (8 pm):

1969-70
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - the Good Guys (starring Bob Denver)
NBC - High Chaparral (on from 7:30 to 8:30)


1970-71
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - The Interns (on from 8-9 pm)
NBC - High Chaparral (on from 8-9 pm)

1971-72
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - Chicago Teddy Bears
NBC - The D.A.

1972-73
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (8-9)
NBC - Sanford & Son

1973-74
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - Calucci's Dept.
NBC - Sandord & Son

ABC would follow the B Bunch with the Partridge Family, Room 222, The Odd Couple and Love American Style...

I didn't watch the Partridge Family or Room 222, but I loved the Odd Couple and Love American Style... (I don't know how much I'd like L.Amer. Style if it was shown today...my guess is that i'd probably not enjoy it as much today as i did when it originally aired).

I guess Friday evening was not a big TV night back then, but the Bradys did manage to hold their own until Sanford and Son came along...

(Like most of the cast members, I'm glad the Brady Bunch lasted only five years... that was enough to give us a lot of fun episodes to watch... thank goodness we never had to see Mike and Carol reprise their roles as "Great Grandpa Brady and Great Grandma Hutchins"... egad, that was ghastly).

:sick

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Tweety

Friday Night Lineups (8 pm):

1969-70
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - the Good Guys (starring Bob Denver)
NBC - High Chaparral (on from 7:30 to 8:30)


1970-71
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - The Interns (on from 8-9 pm)
NBC - High Chaparral (on from 8-9 pm)

1971-72
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - Chicago Teddy Bears
NBC - The D.A.

1972-73
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (8-9)
NBC - Sanford & Son

1973-74
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - Calucci's Dept.
NBC - Sandord & Son

ABC would follow the B Bunch with the Partridge Family, Room 222, The Odd Couple and Love American Style...

I didn't watch the Partridge Family or Room 222, but I loved the Odd Couple and Love American Style... (I don't know how much I'd like L.Amer. Style if it was shown today...my guess is that i'd probably not enjoy it as much today as i did when it originally aired).

I guess Friday evening was not a big TV night back then, but the Bradys did manage to hold their own until Sanford and Son came along...

(Like most of the cast members, I'm glad the Brady Bunch lasted only five years... that was enough to give us a lot of fun episodes to watch... thank goodness we never had to see Mike and Carol reprise their roles as "Great Grandpa Brady and Great Grandma Hutchins"... egad, that was ghastly).

:sick

It was said on the A&E Biography of The Brady Bunch that the show didn't do well in the Ratings because it was TOO FICTIONAL.

[jehobden]

Originally Posted by Tweety

Friday Night Lineups (8 pm):

1970-71
ABC - Brady Bunch
CBS - The Interns (on from 8-9 pm)
NBC - High Chaparral (on from 8-9 pm)

Actually 1970-71, Brady Bunch aired at 7:30 PM, the last year that the networks programmed that time slot every night, though the competition was the same, as CBS and NBC aired the same programs listed above from 7:30 to 8:30. Nanny and the Professor aired at 8:00 PM in its second and only full season, and The Partridge Family premiered that fall at 8:30 PM. Fall 1971 Bradys moved back to 8:00 PM, and Nanny was shoved off to 8:00 PM Monday, before Monday Night Football (ABC didn't program the 8:30 PM timeslot that fall.), so it was probably seen either late or not at all in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Nanny was cancelled that December, probably about the same time that MNF ended its run that fall.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by jehobden

Actually 1970-71, Brady Bunch aired at 7:30 PM, the last year that the networks programmed that time slot every night, though the competition was the same, as CBS and NBC aired the same programs listed above from 7:30 to 8:30. Nanny and the Professor aired at 8:00 PM in its second and only full season, and The Partridge Family premiered that fall at 8:30 PM. Fall 1971 Bradys moved back to 8:00 PM, and Nanny was shoved off to 8:00 PM Monday, before Monday Night Football (ABC didn't program the 8:30 PM timeslot that fall.), so it was probably seen either late or not at all in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Nanny was cancelled that December, probably about the same time that MNF ended its run that fall.

Looks like the Brady Bunch didn't have much competition in the 71-72 season. Chicago Teddy Bears on CBS and D.A. on NBC

[sixfingers]

I really liked "The Brady girls get married" but I never saw Brady Brides I'm not sure if it was because it ran when I wasn't home (and couldn't afford a VCR) or if may have not been shown on our local station (there were several shows that I wanted to see that our local affiliate decided not to broadcast). I'd love to see that today, but I've never been able to find it.