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Friday, November 2, 2012

Horrors / History / TV Election Stressbuster of the Day

Posted by David Schmader on Fri, Nov 2, 2012 at 10:49 AM

Here is five minutes and 33 seconds of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, which many people know primarily through the awesome Simpsons parody, and which I know primarily through a crusty old VHS tape that got passed around among my friends in the mid-'90s. (Also on this tape: Matt Parker and Trey Stone's The Spirit of Christmas and all of the acting scenes (but none of the porn) from the XXX parody Foreskin Gump.)

The main thing you need to know about The Brady Bunch Variety Hour is that it required the cast of The Brady Bunch to perform a televised variety show in character. On The Donny and Marie Show, Donny and Marie played Donny and Marie. But on The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, Robert Reed played Mike Brady (who was now the star of a variety show). Susan Olsen played Cindy Brady (who was also now the star of a variety show). You get the point. There is never any explanation given as to how Mike Brady transitioned out of his architecture career to star in a singing-and-dancing extravganza with his adult children. One of these adult children we've never seen before—the legendary Fake Jan, called in to replace Eve Plumb, who was the only person smart enough to say no to this project. (And whaddya know? Fake Jan is one of strongest singers in the bunch!)

Anyway, enjoy.

Bonus delights: The creepy couples-pairing of the stepbrothers and stepsisters, and the canned applause that greets the songs—songs which are clearly so great that audiences burst into applause even when actors pretending to be the Brady Bunch sing them! Also, at 4:38, it appears Robert Reed (or is it Mike Brady???) has a stroke.

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I feel guilty giggling at the lipsyncing and phantom audience effects while there are New Yorkers still suffering. But I can live with it. Thank you!

Posted by gloomy gus on November 2, 2012 at 10:56 AM

gloriously fucked.

Posted by Adrian Ryan on November 2, 2012 at 11:25 AM

I seem to remember that it ran on weeks alternating with the Sonny & Cher variety show ...

Posted by child of the 70s on November 2, 2012 at 11:32 AM

ROFL.. One of my close friends (and ex-employee) is one of those afro wig wearing dancers! She was in almost all of the episodes and is featured in the Love to Love You Bradys book! Aw.. even the cast knew it was a horrific show! :)

Posted by absolut_platinum on November 2, 2012 at 11:49 AM

Truly awful.

Posted by Gurldoggie

on November 2, 2012 at 12:14 PM

the disco duck bit has retaken its spot in my mind, after finally forgetting it via booze sometime in the early 90's. Thanks!

Posted by wilbur@work on November 2, 2012 at 12:15 PM

I kinda thought (and had really hoped) the South Park episode and Foreskin Gump were gonna be included here too.

Posted by mikethehammer on November 2, 2012 at 12:23 PM

I seem to remember from Barry Williams's book Growing Up Brady that Robert Reed -- legendarily belligerent about the cheesy Brady Bunch stories and dialogue -- absolutely LOVED doing this show.

Would it be stereotyping for me, a straight person, to guess he had such a good time because the 70s variety show genre really appealed to his gay side?

Posted by Chelydra_serpentina on November 2, 2012 at 1:17 PM

Thanks to you, I have wasted the better part of an hour watching other clips from this show on YouTube. It might be one of the greatest worst things ever.

Posted by Sheryl on November 2, 2012 at 1:20 PM

My friend played me the Brady Bunch version of "American Pie" There is nothing funnier than how chipper they sound when singing about Satan laughing with delight.

Posted by Zog in PDX on November 2, 2012 at 2:07 PM

It is so hard to explain variety shows to those that did NOT have to live through them.

Kids, no video, no DVDs, no Tivo. You watched what was on. And there were a LOT of variety shows/specials. My fav was always Sonny and Cher (for obvious reasons).

At least Donny and Marie could sing and dance.

Posted by westello on November 2, 2012 at 2:24 PM

@11, your new favorite website is http://ultimatevariety.blogspot.com.

here's a taste: the 1976 Paul Lynde Halloween Special, featuring Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch of the West), Florence Henderson, Betty White, and KISS. And much more. If you can get that far.

Posted by Fnarf