Cereal Question

[Madame X]

Apparently the studios keep props for a long time and different shows share them. Below are photos from the "Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" (1959), and "The Brady Bunch" (1970). The same cereal box was used for Wakey Flakies, Korny Krinkles and Bran Shreddies. A newer variation of the box was used on the B.B. under the old name of Wakey Flakies.

I heard that "The Honeymooners" possibly used the old box too. It should appear in the first color ep. where Ralph enters the contest to go to Europe, called "In Twenty-Five Words Or Less" (1966). The name used here might be Flakey Wakies.

Can anyone check that out for me? I don't have that episode, just the Classic 39.

Thanks.

[Madame X]

Hi Bill-

I thought you might come through. Thanks!

Was the box of Wakey Flakies and Flakey Wakies the same?

[Ireneparalegal]

OMG, how funny that is. Good eye my lady!!!! Very interesting. Is that four cereal boxes that the Bradys have there?

I know that props have been seen on other shows. For example, on Roseanne, she has that famous afghan on the couch. I thought it was unique. Well, to my surprise, that same afghan appears in the show AMEN starring Sherman Hemsley. They also use that afghan on the couch. AMEN was from the 80's so they used it before Roseanne used it.

[Madame X]

Bill, if you could check out the B & W's, that would be great. There is no rush on that. Thanks for posting the link to the photo. It is hard to tell from that view. It kind of looks like the box has scenery on the front like the others, but we can't be sure.

Thanks, Bill.

[Jack1000]

Interesting!

I love it when people have keen eyes for this type of stuff!

For The Brady Bunch if you look closely at food props, many of the same food boxes were used regularly on the show. Not only food props, but books and magazines as well:

For instance, in "Juliet is the Sun" Greg is reading a baseball book that I am pretty sure was also one of the books about baseball that Carol reeds when she and Mike switch household responsibilities in "The Grass is Always Greener." In the pool table episode, "The Hustler" you will find outside packages in the garage from Driskell's Toy Shop. The same store where Peter saves Tina Spencer from the falling shelf in "The Hero." Safe laundry soap, wasn't just used in the Brady's Safe vs. Best rehearsal for the TV Commercial in "Now a Word from Our Sponsor", it was also used when Bobby put too much of it in the washing machine causing it to overflow in "Law and Disorder"

Most of the kids also had the same schoolbooks in different episodes. Most likely these were the actual books that were being used for the subjects taught within the LA School District curriculum at that time. Most often you would see a Basic Mathematics or Algebra book being carried by the kids or an English grammar book and notebook. The Brady Kids had to attend studio school throughout the run of the show, so it is logical that they would often use their actual books on the Brady Bunch set if a scene required a school book as a prop.

Jack

[Madame X]

I agree, Jack. It is fun to try and find the subleties. It kind of blew my mind to see the same cereal box, the same name, on my two favorite shows, filmed 11 years apart!

Now I wonder if those dang boxes didn't make appearances elsewhere in TV land.

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by Jack1000

Interesting!

...Most of the kids also had the same schoolbooks in different episodes. Most likely these were the actual books that were being used for the subjects taught within the LA School District curriculum at that time. Most often you would see a Basic Mathematics or Algebra book being carried by the kids or an English grammar book and notebook. The Brady Kids had to attend studio school throughout the run of the show, so it is logical that they would often use their actual books on the Brady Bunch set if a scene required a school book as a prop.

Jack

Yes, absolutely... one of the props that the kids used (except Bobby and Cindy) was an algebra book that was a real algebra book from that time... my brother had used the same book in the early 70s... I remember recognizing it, if not in the show's original run, very soon afterward when it went into syndication.

[Tweety]

As far as the cereal goes, I hope Alice checked the expiration date on the box!

[kooky12]

I wonder about the Green Acres episode with the Crickly Wickly cereal, where everyone got an expensive prize, like real gold jewelry in the box. I'll keep my eyes open for that episode.

[Torgo]

I've noticed on many different sitcoms they all use the same cereal- Oaties. And on several sitcoms I noticed they use the same magazine- on the back cover it has a green background with a yellow ring in the middle.

[kooky12]

Yup I think I know what you mean - it looks like some kind of a cigarette ad on the back of the magazines. I do recall, though, that in I Love Lucy, they sometimes had Life or Look or Variety magazines in the show, and they looked quite real.
Of course when you see the same prop on different shows, it may also be the same person or company supplying to the different shows, not the same actual prop being used.

[Torgo]

Originally Posted by kooky12

Of course when you see the same prop on different shows, it may also be the same person or company supplying to the different shows, not the same actual prop being used.

Well, yeah...I didn't mean they were handling just the one box of cereal and magazine over the years on different shows, otherwise they would look pretty ragged

I do remember them using real mags on Lucy.

[kooky12]

Originally Posted by Torgo

Well, yeah...I didn't mean they were handling just the one box of cereal and magazine over the years on different shows, otherwise they would look pretty ragged

I do remember them using real mags on Lucy.

I hope someone checks the expiration date on it !