A Very Brady Christmas should never have been done since Susan Olsen wasn't involved - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TVFactFan · 12-25-2007, 02:11 PM

It just was a incomplete movie and was ruined with a replacement Cindy. I;m sorry but I think all the original actors and actresses have to be involved in a reunion movie for it to work. Watching it Now on ABC Family and just can't help from turning my head when they put the camera on the replacement Cindy.

Why in the World was Susan Olsen not involved in the movie? I know the Cindy character was kind of SLOW but I didn't know the actress who played her was SLOW too-lol

OH Nuts! · 12-25-2007, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingofTVResearch

It just was a incomplete movie and was ruined with a replacement Cindy. I;m sorry but I think all the original actors and actresses have to be involved in a reunion movie for it to work. Watching it Now on ABC Family and just can't help from turning my head when they put the camera on the replacement Cindy.

Why in the World was Susan Olsen not involved in the movie? I know the Cindy character was kind of SLOW but I didn't know the actress who played her was SLOW too-lol

Of course that is ideal, but because so many are involved in reunions it's always seems they can never get everyone. It's a pity because I agree with you a reunion with ALL the cast would be fabulous. But if I had to choose between no reunion or a reunion w 1-2 replacements, I could live with replacements if they were well chosen.

BTW, Merry XMAS

TVFactFan · 12-25-2007, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rich p

Of course that is ideal, but because so many are involved in reunions it's always seems they can never get everyone. It's a pity because I agree with you a reunion with ALL the cast would be fabulous. But if I had to choose between no reunion or a reunion w 1-2 replacements I could live with replacements if they were well chosen.

BTW, Merry XMAS--(hope you didn't get any Entemen's pies

)

Two replacements????-lol One is bad enough

OH Nuts! · 12-25-2007, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingofTVResearch

Two replacements????-lol One is bad enough

Yes one is surely better than two, and Thank God, I can't think of an instance where a reunion has had two. Two would be my max for replacements. BUT one of couse is much much better. And zero w/b devine. But to not have a reunion at all would be very disappointing.

catlover79 · 12-25-2007, 02:44 PM

Susan Olsen did not participate in the Brady Christmas movie because she was on her honeymoon. I don't think it would've been fair to her to postpone the honeymoon, or to everyone present on the movie wait for her, so it would've been easier to just recast this once. Susan Olsen DID return for the short-lived Bradys series that followed a couple of years later.

To be fair, I think Jennifer Runyon did a credible job in the role of Cindy. She did resemble Susan Olsen quite a bit, and she looked comfortable with the cast. Maureen McCormick and her replacement in The Bradys, Leah Ayres Kalish, looked absolutely nothing alike. So they could've done worse!!

TVFactFan · 12-25-2007, 02:47 PM

Honeymoon??? Yeah that sounds like bullsh*t to me

catlover79 · 12-25-2007, 02:58 PM

Read any article about the Brady Christmas movie, or any Brady website and it'll tell you. Susan married her first husband in August 1988, right when the movie was set to begin filming.

The movie sure has endured longer than the marriage, which ended after only a couple of years! Here are pictures of the two Cindys - Susan Olsen and Jennifer Runyon.

TVFactFan · 12-25-2007, 03:06 PM

I'm just surprised she couldn't just postpone the honeymoon, it wasn;t like she was going to do the reunion for free

catlover79 · 12-25-2007, 07:01 PM

Here's a bit of trivia: this was not the first time Jennifer Runyon worked with Chris Knight (Peter Brady). They previously played boyfriend and girlfriend in 1981 on the soap opera Another World. One of the magazines printed a photo of them together from their AW days. If I can find it, I'll scan it and post it here one of these days.

Ireneparalegal · 12-26-2007, 12:22 AM

I remember watching the Brady Bunch variety shows and hating to see that girl who replaced Eve Plumb (Jan Brady)...it wasn't the same.

catlover79 · 12-26-2007, 04:35 PM

I really didn't think "Fake Cindy" and "Fake Jan" weren't that bad, considering. I don't know about "Fake Marcia", since I never saw The Bradys. Can anyone enlighten me there??

TVFactFan · 12-26-2007, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

I remember watching the Brady Bunch variety shows and hating to see that girl who replaced Eve Plumb (Jan Brady)...it wasn't the same.

Exactly, its like a class picture with a subsitute teacher, just ain't right-lol

gotsmart · 12-26-2007, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

I really didn't think "Fake Cindy" and "Fake Jan" weren't that bad, considering. I don't know about "Fake Marcia", since I never saw The Bradys. Can anyone enlighten me there??

I didn't like the Fake Marcia at all. The Fake Jan was bad also. I liked Fake Cindy the best out of the three. I think she did a decent job. While it is disappointing that Susan wasn't involved, I still enjoyed the movie. It would have been great to have her there but I would rather have it without her than no movie at all.

Here's a pic of Fake Marcia in case you haven't seen her:

Waterston_Fan · 12-26-2007, 08:15 PM

I haven't seen 'The Bradys' or the one in '77...

I did like the 'fake Cindy' but she didn't have much of a plotline anyway...

catlover79 · 12-26-2007, 11:36 PM

Here's a pic of Leah Ayres Kalish from when she was on Edge of Night in the early 1980s, and another from a movie called Bloodsport. I read she is now retired from acting and works as a yoga therapist. She also produces yoga videos.

12-25-2007, 02:11 PM	#1
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,982	A Very Brady Christmas should never have been done since Susan Olsen wasn't involved It just was a incomplete movie and was ruined with a replacement Cindy. I;m sorry but I think all the original actors and actresses have to be involved in a reunion movie for it to work. Watching it Now on ABC Family and just can't help from turning my head when they put the camera on the replacement Cindy. Why in the World was Susan Olsen not involved in the movie? I know the Cindy character was kind of SLOW but I didn't know the actress who played her was SLOW too-lol

12-25-2007, 02:44 PM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Susan Olsen did not participate in the Brady Christmas movie because she was on her honeymoon. I don't think it would've been fair to her to postpone the honeymoon, or to everyone present on the movie wait for her, so it would've been easier to just recast this once. Susan Olsen DID return for the short-lived Bradys series that followed a couple of years later. To be fair, I think Jennifer Runyon did a credible job in the role of Cindy. She did resemble Susan Olsen quite a bit, and she looked comfortable with the cast. Maureen McCormick and her replacement in The Bradys, Leah Ayres Kalish, looked absolutely nothing alike. So they could've done worse!!
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

12-25-2007, 02:58 PM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Read any article about the Brady Christmas movie, or any Brady website and it'll tell you. Susan married her first husband in August 1988, right when the movie was set to begin filming. The movie sure has endured longer than the marriage, which ended after only a couple of years! Here are pictures of the two Cindys - Susan Olsen and Jennifer Runyon. Attached Images

12-26-2007, 12:22 AM	#10
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,689	I remember watching the Brady Bunch variety shows and hating to see that girl who replaced Eve Plumb (Jan Brady)...it wasn't the same.
	__________________ DALLAS COWBOYS ARE HERE AT TRAINING CAMP!!!

12-26-2007, 11:36 PM	#15
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Here's a pic of Leah Ayres Kalish from when she was on Edge of Night in the early 1980s, and another from a movie called Bloodsport. I read she is now retired from acting and works as a yoga therapist. She also produces yoga videos. Attached Images

12-25-2007, 02:47 PM	#6
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,982	Honeymoon??? Yeah that sounds like bullsh*t to me

12-25-2007, 03:06 PM	#8
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,982	I'm just surprised she couldn't just postpone the honeymoon, it wasn;t like she was going to do the reunion for free

12-25-2007, 07:01 PM	#9
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Here's a bit of trivia: this was not the first time Jennifer Runyon worked with Chris Knight (Peter Brady). They previously played boyfriend and girlfriend in 1981 on the soap opera Another World. One of the magazines printed a photo of them together from their AW days. If I can find it, I'll scan it and post it here one of these days.

12-26-2007, 04:35 PM	#11
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I really didn't think "Fake Cindy" and "Fake Jan" weren't that bad, considering. I don't know about "Fake Marcia", since I never saw The Bradys. Can anyone enlighten me there??

12-26-2007, 08:15 PM	#14
Waterston_Fan Eternal Member Eternal Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 26, 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 3,195	I haven't seen 'The Bradys' or the one in '77... I did like the 'fake Cindy' but she didn't have much of a plotline anyway...