Recently , a friend of mine, asked "What does the Brady Bunch mean to you?"
Does this look blurry to you? Well I'm sorry! Back in my day we didn't have HD television! Sometimes we even watched in... black and white!
Considering the question concerns a TV show that only produced 117 episodes with the last one airing over 45 years ago, you might imagine my answer would be, "Not much."
But nothing could be further from the truth. Although I do not recall ever watching a first-run episode (I was two when the show was cancelled) I also do not recall ever missing an episode. The show started its unprecedented run on syndication in 1975 when I was four years old. I have seen every episode at least a dozen times.
If you have ever read any of my other old man rantings, then you are well aware that back in my day, we only had four television channels... and we liked it! No we didn't! It sucked! We did not have much of a choice as to what to watch on a rainy day. Luckily for us, the Bradys were always there to help us pass the time.
By "us" I mean every single American born between 1945 and 1985.
By the way, this is not what I mean. No one wants to remember this variety show. No one.
This is where my answer to 's question comes into play.
There are not many things that can unite every member of a broad demographic. Love of sports teams can sometimes fill the bill. But that is usually limited by geographic location. Music can do it, but that might not bridge the gap between all 15 year olds and all 55 year olds. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet may be one of the few things that every person in America can relate to regardless of age. But who wants to talk about Romeo and Juliet at a party?
For my generation (and those directly before and after it), there is only one topic that everyone I know can converse about.
If I walk into a party filled with Americans ranging from age 30 to 75, I am 100% positive that I can strike up a conversation with any of them by simply asking one question:
"What is your favorite episode of the Brady Bunch?"
Come on Mom. Answer the question already!
Even people who do not like the show will smirk as they reminisce about a show they watched when they were kids... or with their kids.
I actually worry that due to the unlimited entertainment at our fingertips today, there will never be an all unifying cultural phenomenon like The Brady Bunch ever again. We didn't watch the show because it was great, we watched it because we could. Today there are so many options that I do not even have time to watch all the good shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Cable, and Youtube. I only have time for the great ones. What is great to me may only be good to someone else. As a result, there will be fewer unifying pieces of pop culture.
I think The Simpsons managed to pull it off for a while, but from my experience not many teenagers know or care about it. However, during every decade from 1970 to 2000, you could find many teenagers who knew the Bradys.
Even the Simpsons can't escape the influence of the Brady Bunch.
Back in my day, the Bradys brought us together... and we liked it!
We really did.
It is tough to pick my favorite episode. Is it when Marcia got hit in the face with a football? Or when Jan proved middle children are all insane enough to make up a boyfriend named George Glass? Perhaps it was Peter repeatedly saying 'Pork chops and apples sauce. Swell." Maybe it was one of the several episodes where the family inexplicably became musicians. Could it be the one where Sam the Butcher murdered that guy and hid him in his meat locker? (Just seeing if you were paying attention). Possibly it is the one which taught me the importance of "don't play ball in the house". How about the visit to the Grand Canyon where the Brady children find a boy living in the wilderness and they smuggle him beans in a flashlight... for some unknown reason?
Nope.
For me, there is one clear answer:
Hawaii Bound!!!!!!!!!
(and the two other episodes of the trilogy)
This trilogy includes surfing, cursed idols, a tarantula, caves inhabited by Vincent Price... and Don Freaking Ho!
If you don't have time to watch all three episodes, here's a nice musical synopsis.
So all of you between 30 and 70, what is your favorite episode of The Brady Bunch?
A little older or younger than that group but still have a favorite?
Groovy!