The Brady Bunch

March 25, 2012

My absolute favorite show when I was little was, hands down, “The Brady Bunch”. I don’t remember when I started watching it (the five seasons originally aired from 1969–when I was one year old–until 1974 and then syndication began immediately, making the shows available almost every day for years and years), but I watched it all the time. I watched “The Brady Kids” (the animated show), “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour” (singing and dancing in kooky outfits? yes please!), “The Brady Girls Get Married” (reunion tv movie!), “The Brady Brides” (so wacky!), “A Very Brady Christmas” (classic!), and even “The Bradys”, the hour-long drama that aired in 1990, depicting Marcia as an alcoholic. (That was very disturbing to me.) I have followed the cast in their later endeavors, watched their reality shows, read their books. Not surprisingly, I still watch the original now and then, especially on the weekends.

So when we found out that Susan Olsen (Cindy) and Mike Lookinland (Bobby) would be making an appearance at our theater? I was pumped UP.

My sister and I headed over to the theater last night, and as much as I would consider myself a Brady Superfan, even on the way I was torn about whether I was just going to take pictures from afar, or pay the money for an autograph and a picture with one or both of them. I wondered what I would say to them: the same thing that everyone says? “I’m a big fan: I grew up with you!” Something original? “Your Fluffart is really cool, and I love the story behind it.” I couldn’t figure it out.

As it turns out, the “to meet or not to meet” decision was made for me: it was cash-only and I had two bucks on me (I rarely carry cash: I use my debit card all the time!). It would have to do, to take pictures from fifteen feet away.

Mike Lookinland is still adorable. (Did you know that he had to dye his hair for the show, to match his tv brothers?)

bobby

Susan Olsen is adorable too. Here she is, posing with someone who brought cash.

cindy with guy

Being the resourceful person she is, my sister realized that we could get pictures of me with Mike and Susan after all! Hello, holiday cards!

bobby and me

cindy and me

Of course, on the way out we had to capture Susan’s hair of gold since we had such a great view.

cindy2

All in all, considering I couldn’t pay to play I think this was still a winning evening with the Bradys. What do you think?

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22 Comments

  • tracey

    March 25, 2012 at 9:52 am

    Definitely. And I applaud your fiscal choice, even if it was kinda made for you being that you had no cash. I mean, it’s kinda like prostitution, isn’t it? Paying for a hug? How much for a kiss? And then it’s just one easy step into being someone’s pretend date for a polo match…

    • Melisa

      March 25, 2012 at 10:59 am

      You’ll probably not be surprised that I know the answer to this question. I just read last night that it ran in syndication every single day on some channel, somewhere, until 2008 when it must’ve missed a few days or something, but generally it’s been on the air for the most part all along.

  • Heather

    March 25, 2012 at 10:32 am

    How hilarious that I’ve been watching the Brady’s since my cable is gone & it’s all that’s been on during the weekends. Jealous you were so close!

  • Ally Bean

    March 25, 2012 at 10:38 am

    Smart move to not pay any $$$ for the opportunity to have your photo taken with Bobby & Cindy. I like your pics better because they have more of a story, worthy of a Brady Bunch episode, with them. 😉

    • Melisa

      March 25, 2012 at 11:04 am

      Well, I don’t know. The actors who worked on successful shows before the 80s-90s really lost out on tons (and tons!) of income because they get NOTHING from syndication profits or licensing contract deals that are so common today. These appearances are a source of income for them, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

      That being said, I do agree that my pictures do tell quite a story, and I still, even after thinking about it last night and this morning, don’t really know what I would’ve said to them. 🙂

  • Cy

    March 25, 2012 at 2:38 pm

    I, too, know waaay too much about The Bradys. My mom even got me Sherwood Schwartz’s book about the show (which was a snoozer–the book, not the show.) Was this the same event that Greg & Peter were at? (I’m guessing not or you would have snagged pics.) They were on the morning shows last week here in Chicago. Because 4 out of 6 of The Brady Kids in town at the same time? Is too much awesome!

    • Melisa

      March 25, 2012 at 2:50 pm

      We can be geeky together, I guess. 🙂
      Greg and Peter were not at my theater: you’re right…I would’ve taken pictures for sure! There was a Celebrity Autograph Show or something in the Chicago area, and that’s why Barry Williams and Chris Knight were in town. I spoke to an insider at the theater who told me that ORIGINALLY the appearance wasn’t supposed to only be Susan and Mike but also the other two boys AND Davy Jones (RIP). Not sure why Barry and Chris weren’t there but OH YES I WOULD HAVE GONE CRAZY.

  • Momo Fali

    March 25, 2012 at 10:13 pm

    Well, at least you didn’t look desperate. (But, ohmygosh I am CRYING at your non-desperation and exclamation points for Cindy Brady’s hair!)

    • Melisa

      March 26, 2012 at 6:18 am

      Hmm. I’m not sure if you’re making fun of me or not, so I will just say…THANK YOU! 🙂 haha

  • Mom24@4evermom

    March 26, 2012 at 8:45 am

    I loved the Brady Bunch and it’s fun that Jacob and Julianna are discovering it thanks to the ME channel we recently acquired. There aren’t a whole lot of things on tv that are new that they can watch, thank goodness for the classics!

    I can not imagine paying for the autograph, that just seems a little too much to me. I love the creativity of your solution. 🙂