The Brady Bunch: Inside Jokes

[scott_bolger2001]

Here is a list of inside jokes I read about from a Brady Bunch book. It is intresting to see the little things they slipped into the show

In "The Hair-Brained Scheme," Carol is trying to impress Bobby about famous people who never quit, like Thomas Edison. She then mentions "Carl Mahakian." Bobby say he never heard of him, so Carol answers "He quit!" Carl Mahakian was also the name of the show's postproduction coordinator.

In "Miss Popularity," Jan wants to go to the dance with BILLY GARST, the most popular boy in school. BILL E. GARST was the show's film editor.

[Dr. Thong]

A lot of shows do things like this. The Simpsons had a writer/producer named John Schwartzwelder and in one episode, his name was seen on a building.

It's the shows' way of having a little fun and giving a nod to the behind-the-scenes folk.

[SirFreebie1975]

saved by the bell and Cosby show did that also

[gidgetgrape]

I didn't know that stuff about The Brady Bunch. Thanks for the info.

[James]

In the episode "The Babysitters" at the restaurant Mike said he saw his friend Charlie Hoffman. ISTR seeing the name "Charles Hoffman" in the closing credits.

[OKCRay]

Originally Posted by SirFreebie1975

saved by the bell and Cosby show did that also

The Golden Girls did that a few times too, most likely by using names of behind-the-scenes people for character names (examples are KENT ZBORNAK, whose surname went to Dorothy and Stan, and BOBBY SPINA and JEANNIE TAYLOR whose names were used for the two kids who shared Dorothy's embarrassing birthday at Mr. Ha-Ha's Hot Dog Hacienda)

[Tweety]

I've always thought that was pretty cool when shows did that kind of thing. The behind the scenes folks don't get enough credit for what they do.

The practice of honoring behind the scenes people goes back at least as far as Hal Roach and the Our Gang comedies of the 20s and 30s. Our Gang shorts would sometimes have a sign or poster advertising some fictitious 'company' and would incorporate some crew member's name into the sign. Or they might show a close up of a letter, and the name and signature on the letter would be an actual behind-the-scenes person.

Always nice to see behind-the-scenes people acknowledged that way.

One would, of course, have to be a pretty big fan of a show/movie to know that this was being done, as most people pay scant attention to the credits. But in most cases, it's not really done for the audience's benefit, but rather is just for the person being mentioned.

[jehobden]

Originally Posted by James

In the episode "The Babysitters" at the restaurant Mike said he saw his friend Charlie Hoffman. ISTR seeing the name "Charles Hoffman" in the closing credits.

Charles Hoffman was the script editor for The Brady Bunch for the 2nd season only, in which this episode appeared. I figure that he became ill after the season, since he died in April 1972, according to IMDB. From what I remember, Ruth Brooks Flippen (wife of actor Jay C. Flippen) was the 1st season story editor, and Tam Spiva took over this job after Hoffman. If I'm correct, the script or story editor is responsible for rewriting every episode of a series between the time that it is received from the writer until it is produced.

[Marvo301]

So was George Glass a crew member on The Brady Bunch?

[treky]

"STAR TREK" (all of them, exept the last one-but the less said about that thing, the better!) also did this: there was something on the ships called a "jefferies tube". Matt Jefferies was the production designer on the original series.

On "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" episode called "B-ROOM B-ROOM" in one scene they show a billboard advertising "CALVADA SODA"-Calvada was the name of the shows production company.

[Steve Carras]

WB Looney Tunes cartoons many times [1930s's Bob Clampett short, "Porky's Hero Agency"--this was one of the very first use of THE seminal Looney Tunes themer], caricatures of directors Tex Averry, Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett,] for instance, 1947's "Hare-Do" with "Drink Friz" in the background at one scene, after director Friz Freleng, back then just I.Freleng, and in the same cartoon, "Hopalong Shapire" [this is Bugs and Elmer in the Chinese theatre in Hollywood], Shapiro, Bernstein and Co. being one of WB's many music companies, mainly at first publishing entertainer Al Jolson songs] and one very early Yogi Bear, 1959's "Buzzin' Bruin", had two rangers named Bill and Joe. I'll give you ONE guess why!]

[Mark Mallard]

From what I remember, in "The Impractical Joker," when the guys are looking for Myron the Mouse, Bobby mentions that a notably short classmate of his, Tom Tannenbaum, would be helpful in finding Myron. If I'm not mistaken, Tom Tannenbaum is listed in the credits!