How Did ‘The Brady Bunch’ End?
Many people still reference the TV show The Brady Bunch. The series is about a married couple raising six children, and everyone struggles with blended family dynamics. The sitcom did not perform that well in the ratings, and it got canceled.
The cast and crew did not know that the season five finale would be the last episode filmed. Some people may have noticed that Robert Reed was not in the final episode. He refused to be in it due to the plot of the episode.
‘The Brady Bunch’ spin-offs and reunions
The Brady Bunch saw a series of spin-off shows and reunion films. One of them was a one-hour special called The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, which featured skits and songs. All but one of the original cast members reunited, with Eve Plumb being the odd one out.
The franchise also had an animated spin-off called The Brady Kids. The show had 22 episodes, and it was about the children going on various adventures. The characters got voiced by the original actors, but the cast got replaced for the last several episodes.
In 1981, a reunion film titled The Brady Girls Get Married featured everyone. It showed what the characters have been up to since the cancellation of the first series. The movie led to a sequel series called The Brady Brides.
In the final season of The Brady Bunch, there was a backdoor pilot for a potential spin-off. The show was Kelly’s Kids, but it failed to get picked up. The protagonist would have been the family’s neighbor, Ken Kelly.
How ‘The Brady Bunch’ ended
The Brady Bunch aired from 1969 to 1974, and it contained five seasons. The show would not become a critical success until after it got canceled. Not only did it gain popularity, but the old-family sitcom became a cultural icon. The very last season had 22 episodes.
According to the show’s Wiki page, the final episode was titled “The Hair-Brained Scheme.” The episode starts with Bobby getting an idea for becoming rich. He plans on selling Neat & Natural Hair tonics to people to achieve his goal.
Bobby sells a bottle to Greg, and the tonic turns Greg’s hair orange. Greg becomes worried since his high school graduation is the next day. The finale has him go to a beauty salon to dye his hair back. However, Bobby is not the only Brady with a get-rich-quick scheme.
Cindy breeds two rabbits in hopes of selling the babies. Like Bobby, her plan backfires when she discovers that the animals are both males. Toward the end, Cindy tries to get the shop owner to buy back the rabbits, but he refuses.
What other works has the cast been in?
After The Brady Bunch ended, the cast went on to appear in other works. Reed had various roles in The Love Boat, and he starred in Nurse as Dr. Adam Rose. Many of the child actors had a difficult time finding work after the show concluded. Eventually, they managed to obtain more roles.
Susan Olsen went into graphic design, but she continued her acting career. She appeared in Pacific Blue and Holiday Road Trip. Maureen McCormick landed roles in dozens of TV shows and films. McCormick had a regular role in Teen Angel, and she played Leah Farrell in Title to Murder.
Eve Plumb has built a successful career, especially in television. She had a main role in Fudge and portrayed Kris Cleland in Blue Ruin. Today, fans still remember the actors as their characters in The Brady Bunch.
