
In November 1976, a TV special premiered that paved the way for a series the following January... and it's a series that's perhaps become more legendary than even the exec producers' kiddie series "H.R. Pufnstuf." The show featured all of the off-kilter humor, bizarre, colorful sets, wackiness and tackiness that is the trademark of '70s Saturday morning TV moguls Sid and Marty Krofft... along with a family named Brady. Several Brady cast members guest starred on an episode of the Kroffts' "Donny and Marie" in October, 1976. The episode garnered such high ratings that the president of ABC approached the Kroffts to quickly develop a TV Special (and potential weekly show) for the Bradys.

Funny thing about the special though: It was rushed into production so hurriedly that it wasn't cleared with Brady creator Sherwood Schwartz or Paramount, who owned the episodes of the original Brady sitcom. A deal was struck at the last minute because Paramount wanted the extra publicity for the syndicated prints of the sitcom, and Schwartz didn't want to deprive the actors of a paycheck. The kids, meanwhile,
only did it for the paycheck. Florence Henderson and Robert Reed were both excited to be doing a musical variety show, so the kids were sucked back in as a result of the enthusiasm of their "parents."

"
The Brady Bunch Variety Hour" reunited all of the Brady cast members except for Eve Plumb, who was shooting a film at the time (she was replaced by "
fake Jan"
Geri Reischl). The premise was that Mike Brady quit being an architect, bought a new house and the family attempted to mount (in the words of Barry Williams) "
the best darned variety show ever! They didn't even come close." A doppleganger of "
The Donny and Marie Show," this incarnation of the Brady Bunch featured the family singing tacky disco tunes, performing skits that were lamer than the ones on their previous series, and standing idly by as the Krofftettes performed creepy underwater ballets, ala Esther Williams, in the Brady's backyard (soundstage) swimming pool.

Nearly two decades before THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, the actual Brady actors seemed to be lampooning their characters. Some fans found that insulting, but others (like myself) delighted in its absurdity. The parents went through a bizarre role reversal, with Carol suddenly wearing the pants (-suit) in the family, and the kids became more cardboard and one-dimensional than they'd ever been. (Fake) Jan took over the role of the stupid but cute kid, because previous stupid but cute kid Cindy was too busy doing nothing but fighting with Bobby. Greg didn't care about anything but music and Peter was suddenly a walking erection, completely obsessed with girls. And Marcia was, well, Marcia. To call the Brady kids "
thoroughly self-involved" in this incarnation would be an overwhelming understatement!

The variety show aired in November and was another ratings success, so a regular recurring series was immidiately ordered. Being a family show in several senses of the term, Krofft alum (and flaming queen) Rip Taylor was a featured supporting player, and H.R. Pufnstuf and Kaptain Kool and the Kongs made guest appearances during the brief run of the show.

Airing with a rotating roster of shows (there was generally a different show each week), "
The Brady Bunch Hour" saw a steady decline in ratings over the course of eight episodes, which aired sporadically from January to May, 1977. The show was quickly canceled, but with the continued popularity of the Brady Bunch, the variety show has become this legendary beast on par with "
The Star Wars Holiday Special," and it's been referenced and lampooned countless times -- most notably in episodes of "
The Simpsons" and "
That '70s Show." "
The Brady Bunch Hour" generally
tops the list of all-time worst TV series, though that's hardly fair (there were many worse shows that weren't so high-profile). Sure it's
undeniably terrible, but like all Krofft shows, it never once takes itself seriously, which lends a certain charm.

Only two episodes are available on DVD... In the nine episodes that were produced, there were 117 songs(!!), which is why the other episodes weren't released on DVD -- that's a
whole lotta royalties to pay!
Pilot
01. The Brady Bunch/Baby Face/Love to Love You
02. One
03. Splish-Splash (with Donnie & Marie)
04. Clowning Around (Instrumental)
05. Corner of the Sky - Barry Williams (Greg)
06. Facade - Tony Randall
07. What I Did For Love/The Way We Were - Florence Henderson (Carol)
08.
Medley: Dancinga) Attitude Dancing
b) Cheek to Cheek
c) Dance with Me
d) I Could Have Danced All Night
e) The Hustle
f) Shake Your Booty
09. The Way We Were (reprise)
Episode 3
10. Brady Bunch/Sunny Side Up
11. It's Not Where You Start (It's Where You Finish)
12. Traces/All By Myself - Florence Henderson (Carol) & Barry Williams (Greg)
13. Celebration - H.R. Pufnstuf
14. Time in a Bottle - Maureen McCormack (Marcia)
15.
Medley: Happiness - I Want to Be Happy / You've Made Me So Very Happy / Make Someone Happy / Happy Together / Put on a Happy Face / Happy Days (with Rip Taylor)
16. United We Stand
WARNING: If, after listening to these songs, you start a torrid affair with a parental figure, you get the overwhelming urge to dress in plaid, polyester leisure suits, or if you notice that your sister's been replaced with a lookalike, contact the president of the Davy Jones fan club immediately! Side effects may include singing dreadful disco songs, canoodling in the pool with underwater ballerinas and selling your baby sister's beloved Kitty Karry-All doll for blow. Offer prohibited on Gilligan's Island.
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