You're Fired! The Episode That Got Robert Reed Thrown Off The Brady Bunch
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- Опубліковано 21 кві 2024
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-- Ignominious Eps --
"Hair-Brained Scheme" (The Brady Bunch)
Aired: March 8, 1974
Written By: Charles Stewart
On the eve of Greg's (Barry Williams) graduation, Bobby (Mike Lookinland) embarks on a get-rich-quick scheme involving some shady hair tonic. Feeling bad, Greg buys a bottle... but freaks out when he discovers it has turned his hair orange! Meanwhile, Cindy (Susan Olson) and Cousin Oliver (Robbie Rist) embark on a money-making scheme of their own involving two bunny rabbits.
This episode is notable for the fact that it's the season (and series) finale, and yet Mike Brady (Robert Reed) was fired from the show during its production by creator Sherwood Schwartz and his producer son LLoyd Schwartz.
#RobertReed #TheBradyBunch #BestEpisode #TVHistory #GeneHackman - Розваги
I don't agree with Lloyd's assessment that Reed's relationship with the kids was just a power play, he maintained contact and friendship with them long after the show ended
I agree. I believe Reed understood they were kids and wanted them to have a positive experience. I don’t believe the kids ever had a bad thing to say about him.
I agree, there was an interview with the kids years ago, they spoke very highly of him as a father figure, i think it was Bobby, actually got emotional. His homosexuality was kind of a non-secret secret, but they didn’t care
@@sdcoinshooter but it was just a coincidence that none of them were gay- right?
@@tommurphy4307Huh? I have no idea what you’re saying but you probably don’t either
Consider the source there. "Producers" have always been some bitter vampiric figures. You can see how they believe anyone being nice must be doing it as some sort of scheme. Why do they believe it? Because that is what THEY do.
Gilligans Island wasn't a failure. It's well known that it was cancelled because the network President's wife was a big Gunsmoke fan, and they ditched Gilligan to save Gunsmoke. It actually still had respectable ratings when it got the axe.
Yeh, and I was so aggravated about that fact! I still hate gunsmoke to this day because of that, and besides you see one western you've seen them all weather it a TV show or a movie .
Awful reason to cancel a successful series
Gilligan's Island was cherished by its fans despite receiving unfavorable reviews from the press at that time.
@@arribaficationwineho32 Batman was cancelled because the network accidentally destroyed the sets and it would have been prohibitively expensive to replace them.
I loved watching Gilligan's Island reruns as a child growing up in the 70s and The Brady Bunch. I get tired of hearing everyone talking about how terrible Gilligan's Island was. I liked it
I met Robert Reed when I was a child when he came to do community theatre in Warren Ohio, "The Kenley Players". The performers would sit at a table at the shows end and sign autographs, and he playfully asked me "let me see who else you got", and started flipping through my little book. He was as nice and as handsome as could be. So, I don't necessarily believe that he was a good guy to his child coworkers for ulterior motives. Kudos to him for caring so much about the script and to the product that he appeared in though.
I'm also from Ohio.
I'm from Youngstown and remember seeing the "Kenley Players" twice out in Kent I believe.
I saw "Pippin" and "The Wiz" and it was a big deal back then.
Yes, his relationships with others may not be good, but he treats the children as if they were his own, both on set and in real life.
Sherwood Schwartz also was constantly looking out for the kids on the show. He refused to have RR thrown off at when he was hanging around after he had been named from the final episode. Someone (Lloyd?) wanted to call security and have him bodily removed. Sherwood said, "Over my dead body. Those kids will be traumatized if you so that to him "
Omg! From the first time I saw Cousin Oliver, I thought he looked just like John Denver too. 😂😂😂
Yeah I thought that's why they put him on the show bc John Denver was really big at that time.
He always reminded me of an even smaller Paul Williams.
@@orangemanok5800 Oh wow! Someone else remembers Paul Williams. 😊
He looked just like him.
He also reminds me of Scrappy Doo @@orangemanok5800
"Cousin Oliver" is on a par with "Jumping the shark"...
Not fair to pin the demise of TBB to Cousin Oliver - they had 9 regulars with which to write stories about. The show was dying anyway.
Yeah, it's a trend that happened in a lot of sitcoms through the years... they always need the young, "cute" kids on the show, but when the young kids grow up they have to find new young, "cute" kids to replace them. They did that on Family Ties, did it on Growing Pains, and they did it a lot on The Cosby Show. The trouble with Cousin Oliver is that he really just didn't fit in.
@@dx1450LMAO even Married With Children did it.
😂 hahahLOL yes I remember cousin Oliver, wasn't that something, the kid that thought he was a jinx😮
@@jeremy4375Roseanne too
Mike Brady was my TV Father growing up in a household where my real father left us when I was 5. I watched him every week, and years later, regardless of him being gay or a mean old man, love him just the same.
Glad you found a Dad!
Captain Kirk was mine. That is until that deadly Satruday Night Live sketch where he insulted his fans. "Have you ever kissed a girl?" Now he really sounds like a father. That's when I realize William Shatner was a real asshole.
@@Nash1a I figured that out too w Shatner. Spent most of his time on Twitter arguing with people
@@Nash1a I found out he was a cocky prick in that bootleg tape of him chewing the engineer after a voice over, because he asked for a second take. What bossy egotist Shatner was.
@@DexterHaven Oh definitely. He puts himself in charge of any production he is a apart of. I knew that in the movies, he was trying to re-write and direct etc but I didn't realize that started all the way back during TOS. And interview I saw today indicated that's why Roddenberry lost interest in the series.
Reed was wrong! The Brady Bunch is loved by millions and a classic and still a sensation in 2024!!!!
How could Reed expect anything serious from the man who created Gilligan's Island? Hated Cousin Oliver!
Cousin Oliver was annoying just as Sam was on D' ferent Strokes
Dodi on My three Sons, Scrappy Doo.
@@timothykozlowski2945 and Seven on Married With Children....and Spike on Happy Days
LOL!!!
I almost spit my water out, when they mentioned him and put up a picture of John Denver for a second, before changing it to Oliver!
Reed forgot the strength of “The Brady Bunch” and “Gilligan’s Island” was its silliness and farce. People watched them to have a fun escape from reality.
Can you imagine me at the age of 9 watching Cindy Brady reciting the part of Hermia from Midsummer Night's Dream in a Brady Bunch sitcom?
Plus, their cultural relevance - the crush on Bobby Sherman or Davy Jones, the excuse to get out of any date, "Something suddenly came up."
Unrealistic situations where everyone got what they wanted and no bumps in the road,I wonder if carol brady could’ve done her food shopping with $10 like my mother had to …..
@@GuyIncognito-mw8mr Yeah, the episode "Carole has an affair with OJ Simpson" never aired. At least I never saw it.
I believe Sherwood was being a bit childish for not going to Robert's funeral. Regardless of the bad blood between them, the Brady Bunch made Schwartz rich and Robert was a big part of that success. In spite of being in his feels, it would've shown respect for Reed as a person and I'm sure at one time they were friends.
Maybe he should have gone just to make sure Reed is truly dead.
I bet Robert Reed wouldn't have gone to Sherwood Schwartz's funeral if Schwartz had died first.
Sherwood always threw his actors under a bus, look at the Castaways.
Here is the thing would Robert really want someone he did not like during his time on earth at his funeral just because it is considered polite to do so because they worked together at one time. There are people I would not want at my funeral.
Well that was his decision, it’s not our business.
Bad infected blood.😂
Gene Hackman dodged a bullet there.
Yeah, can't imagine his career taking off, after that.
Actors who are part of shows like this, seldom get out of the pigeon hole.
Well, Hackman was still an up and coming actor, so, yes, he was more vulnerable. Reed had been around for a while, and this did not stop him from getting later dramatic roles such as in Roots.
I'll say.
The feel of the show would've been intirely different.
@@miggans21012 Especially if he kept asking the kids if they picked their feet in Poughkeepsie.
We will always be grateful for Mike, Robert Reed, Brady. Warts and all!
"The REAL story."
I never trust hearing those words because NO ONE knows the real truth because each person has their own version.
Of the truth you said: "....each person has their own version", except for this universal gem of wisdom: "...each person has their own version". 🤣
Yeah, OJ said he was the victim of Nicole's abuse.
@@DexterHaven he didn't do nothin
@@LegendLength right, but it sounded like 'nuffin'
You don’t need Reeds side of the story to see that he was a total pain in the ass
Gilligan's Island wasn't a failure. Do some research.
Those too young to remember, originally The Brady Bunch never had good ratings. When it was cancelled, ratings were pretty low. The show became a huge hit in reruns to young audiences / later generations.
It had great time slot Friday nights at 8:00 pm ,that is shocking that it never placed in the top 30 ratings ..
My mom was so upset when the Brady Bunch was canceled, she wrote a letter to TV guide lol
Many shows that became cult hits during reruns were not the top shows during their original run.
I only saw it in the original run.
I remember that. I was born in 1967 so I watched the fresh reruns and it was a huge show for kids in my generation.
I loved the scene in the movie where Greg and Marsha are arguing and suddenly realize they are not actually related. THAT was one of the most real scenes in the movie. 😏
As a 70s kid, I grew up on reruns of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island. I loved both shows, and still do... I'm sentimental that way.
I don't care about the 50 year old drama... just the characters I grew to love...
...especially Carol. 😂
Yes, indeed, Carol was a hottie!
@@jjouney And so were the three girls.
I have to say this: I agree with Robert Reed. The final episode of 'The Brady Bunch,' with Bobby dying Greg's hair orange was completely ridiculous. It was one of 2 episodes of the show that I was really embarrassed by (the other one was when Marcia had a crush on her dentist). You know what would have been a great way to have wrapped up the series? If in the final episode, they had Alice & Sam get married.
The thing is, no one knew that the last episode of Season 5 would be the series finale.
I agree with Mr. Reed. It was a VERY stupid episode. It was a very lame way for them to go out. If the producers were smart they would’ve updated the storylines to show the kids maturing. They didn’t need to add Robbie Rist as “Oliver”.
@@ghanasoul Definitely a stupid episode. Ditto for the one where Marcia had a crush on her dentist. That episode was way too embarrassing, rather than funny. I agree there was no need to add Oliver. I do wish the producers went ahead with that intended spin-off about the family with 3 adopted sons from different races. That would have been interesting.
@@splashenful Omg, me too!👏 That spinoff was going to be called "Kellie's Kids".
@@alaricabercrombie2692 Yes, I remember that was what it was going to be called.
My husband and I grew up watching the Brady Bunch, in fact we were both previously married with two kids each and likened our new family dynamic as a mini Brady Bunch. We even took family photo's of each of us plus 3 of our parents, all dressed in 70's attire with blue background and framed it just like the opening when they family is in the tic tac toe squares looking at each other lol. The show was a leader of its time depicting a blended family with its trials abd tribulations as they navigated new lives with each other. It was wholesome and light-hearted and always shared a life lesson with its young viewers. It gave us a view of a stable, supportive, loving family albeit chaotic at times, nevertheless expected under the circumstances and of that of a large blended family. After school kids of the 70's could immerse in family life with this show especially if they grew up with something less. Much like watching Friends in the 90's gave ppl friends they could be a part of for a little while. Robert Reed was an excellent father figure and extremely handsome and masculine ironically, he played his role beautifully...the dad everyone wanted. It was a shame that a classical, refined actor such as himself didnt recognize the huge impact he would have on young generations then and after, even likely still to this day in reruns. Alice was terrific too, loveable, funny and wise. Every character played their roles perfectly. An awesome,wholesome family show, something that is sadly missing in these times ever since. ❤
More than that, he never recognized the value in what they were doing. I think that is the saddest part. He "no, no, no"ed himself right out of a job. He probably should have tried to be a writer or producer and seen where that would get him. At least then maybe he could have had more respect for what Sherwood Schwartz brought to the table. Its quite the delicate balancing act. They don't pay you to make perfection. They pay you to gather an audience so someone can sell wheaties and ivory snow. That's it. That's all there is.
I would love to see the episode when Marsha was grounded for sneaking out of the house to mail off a letter to enter a father of the year contest.
Yeah, I was shocked at Mrs. Brady as a kid. I couldn't believe there was a mother who didn't get drunk and scream at the kids. I thought that's what moms did.
From the 'net: "The Brady Bunch became both the archetype and parody of the tight-knit American nuclear family."
I wish I had a father like him. My father could give zero flips about me, or what happens to me. Same with my mom. For those who have or had great parents. I hope you know how lucky you are.
"hold fast"! (1Thess.5 :21, the Bible)
I remember watching family shows and the parents asked the children, "how is school today?" and I thought it was a joke it was so unrealistic!
@@DavidPeacockChannel agreed. I thought a father and mother asking thoughtful questions was beyond realistic. Perfect example now.
Im close to losing our dream house for my wife who is in a wheelchair. They just received my grandnas estate. Millions.
My grandma said make sure the grandchildren are taken care of. Again, she had millions. Those two laughed at us. Who laughs at someone about to lose their house? They never even probated the estate.
@@alabamadeep4471 You can call a probate lawyer and demand the will be probated.
Was your dad like the one in the movie Stand By Me?
I guess Robert Reed forgot these words of wisdom... A wise man forgets his anger before he lies down to sleep.
A fool more like... a truly wise man remembers his anger in order to dream up a solution.
Alcohol.
@@SovereignStatesmanI like this take.
Also, you don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Greg graduates from high school--not college--in the final episode.
Yup. My bad.
I came here to say this.
Wasn't Greg in high school when the show started? He took a long time to graduate.
@@roachtoasties no. He was in 8th grade. Show ran for 5 seasons
@@tassymccormick LOL! 8th grade and looked like he was only 11 or 12?
So he basically ended the series because he didn't like a script where Greg gets a bad hair dye job, but two years later he signs up for that ludicrous variety show that has him wearing a giant bunny suit? Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
The heart wants what the heart wants. lol
I was reading that Reed had creative control privileges for the variety show, which I personally feel is the true root cause behind Reed being very difficult with Schwartz. I think Reed wanted creative control during the original show. I would imagine that if Schwartz had let Reed write some episodes, Reed wouldn't had been as controversial behind the scenes. Then again, Reed would probably want 100% control, something that would be a problem. Anyway, I've seen all nine of the variety show episodes. I'm one of the FEW who liked them, but I can understand why most people hated the variety show since it did get EXTREMELY ridiculous most times, to the point of absurdity. At least the original Brady Bunch was grounded in realism for the most part, the variety show is just insanity incarnate at times. I enjoyed both shows (I even liked the Jan actress from the variety show much, much more than the original, but I like the original actress as well), but even I have to acknowledge how much more absurd that variety show was.
According to the video, Lloyd Schwartz took advantage of a phrase in one of Robert Reed's memos to ruthlessly sabotage Reed, and write him out of the season finally. I believe it. And if it's true, you can't blame Reed!
And according to the video, Reed was extremely disgruntled at being forced out of the show. And you know that's true. And when Reed showed up on set Schwartz apparently wanted to take Reed's humiliation to the next level, but restrained his sadistic impulses for the sake of the rest of the cast.
The series would have to end at some point as child actors and parents, aged. Just like every show that has child actors. It's awkward to continue shows when children age. "Leave it To Beaver" was another show that ran out of time as Tony Dow, Barbara Billingsley, and Beaver aged. They went from grade school to high school. It would have been difficult to write scripts of kids going to college, parents getting older. Stop on a high note ! ! !
Hahaha 😂 I always thought that Oliver had that John Denver look. 🤣
No one else could replace Mr Brady
His first mistake was comparing Shakespeare to The Brady Bunch 😆
He didn't, go back and watch the fucking video next time GENIUS.
Et tu Bradey? Et tu??? (LOL)
I think we need a family meeting.
We do! Right next to the hi-fi on those uncomfortable plaid sofas 😂
We also need a new dog and another bathroom.
@@anastasiae.5338 and also - who was responsible for that broken lamp in the living room? 😛
@@wylierichardson-tu6zs she always said don’t play ball in the house. 😂
At times, Reed could be right. He refused to appear in the episode in which Alice suddenly (though temporarily) quit because the kids were angry with her and giving her the cold shoulder. Reed said that a devoted maid like Alice would never do something like that, especially over something like a simple spat. And he was right. The episode was made even more awkward when Alice left without saying good bye to the man who hired her.
And the family she served before the mother died. I know it's all about the blended family, but in real life I believe no way would she leave those boys who have know her for much of their young lives.
Wasn't another issue with Alice deciding to leave the kids were getting older and didn't need a housekeeper or nanny as they did as young children and Alice felt she was interfering with the boys getting to accept Mrs Brady as their mother because they always looked at Alice as their mother figure in their lives
@@bluemouse5039 That was actually in Season 1. Alice thought that she was no longer needed now that Mike had remarried (she was unaware how lazy Carol was, LOL). But she realized that with the family now as large as it was, that she in fact WAS needed. Robert Reed obviously had no problem with that scenario because it WAS realistic.
Right? I mean, imagine feeling like you're 100% a family member, hearing a few hurtful comments meant to be unheard, going to your little room off the kitchen and feeling that loneliness. At the time it was painful. Rejection, abandonment are both emotions that are relatable.
Agree, with Alice leaving, they were just kids who were upset, Carol Brady was too harsh on them for how they reacted. It was all about squealing, even though Alice did not know the consequences of speak up. This was sort of a rehash of the taletelling episode. I also believe the Hairbrained Scheme episode was terrible at least not one of my favorites.
RIP ROBERT REED 🙏🕯️ Certainly a fine actor and human being we still love you BOB 🌹⭐👋👋
Fine actors don't cause trouble on set and be difficult.
@@dhenderson1810 the Director was an idiot. Most of the stuff that came out was so damn stupid. I can understand why Reed was so upset. It didn’t make no damn sense and I think they all had a problem with him being gay even though he didn’t come out they knew about it because back then everybody seem to have a problem with that, when are you people going to stop gossiping about shit instead of putting out something that’s decent and relevant
I lost my uncle two years before to AIDS. He wasn't just my uncle, though. He was only 31, was my mentor, helped me get down to Orange County and choose UC Irvine. Makeover city, and I was his beard, because he was a financial analyst for older, wealthy people. The 1980s weren't just unsupportive of people with AIDS, there was a large population of people who wanted desperately to eradicate them.
@@dhenderson1810 And they don't go around town picnicking up young men for sex.
Lol Gene Hackman would have kicked the bleep out of those spoiled kids.
I could see him being like why are you snoring coke you are 13 kid.
I am now picturing The Brady Bunch and The Royale Tanenbaums as one blended family!!!
To me Robert Reed wanted to be taken seriously as an actor and must have felt that this show was making him into a joke. I've heard that he only agreed to do the show because he didn't think it would make it past pilot. I'm glad it didn't hurt his career though. I've seen a few of his performances in movies and TV and I always appreciated him as an actor.
He did direct an episode during its run.
He should have never accepted the part if he felt it was beneath him.
@@writeonbetty7835 The video said he was also under contractual obligations with the studio, so I guess it was complicated. BTW I could be wrong about what I heard. Also it sounded like that his biggest gripe with the show was how it was written.
@@timothykozlowski2945 That way He can do things the way he wanted, he was never happy with the show.
Oh what a lot of people dunno is the man in my opinion then shouldnt have took the role im not sure but he played a good role in the Movie 1976 Nightmare in Badham county. Him and chuck conners Just changed me on they good guy appeal period I never looked at Mike Brady the same if the brady bunch was losing ratings if it was out around the time or after the movie was made I can understand he played a not so guy in that movie and ill never forget it!
This what happens when you cast a classically trained Shakespearian actor in a light hearted TV sitcom. They’re never satisfied with anything.
William Shatner and Patrick Stewart were both classically trained Shakespeare actors. Look how there comic TV sitcom worked out.
I thought about that and have to reference what happened to John Amos and Esther Rolle in Good Times.
Their acting experience was mostly in serious and dramatic roles before appearing on that show. They disagreed with the path of the show while forgetting the show was written and tailored for Jimmy Walker, a comedian. Like the Brady Bunch, Good Times had an excellent cast all around but those two wanted it to be more than it was meant to be for them.
The show tackled all kinds of serious topics as well as a few fun ones, but the balance was not still acceptable to them.
Reed: To beith ah Brady nor not to beith ah Brady, doeth it maketh the inquiry, hard???
Fred Gwynn felt the same about the Munsters, that it was kind of beneath him. But who doesn't love Herman Munster lol
Shakespearean actors are the most demanding of all.
He was an interesting guy. I like to think that his affection for the kids was genuine and he had that protective instinct in him.
He wanted to do theater and i think he would've had a happier or at least a less stressful life if he had just pursued that. Im sure back then he would've made a pretty good living.
Also it's funny because despite all these stories of hate coming from both sides, Reed kept coming back for every damn show they did after the show was cancelled. And they were substantial. Had he lived longer we no doubt would've seen "Another very Brady Christmas"
Gilligan’s Island was hugely popular and did very well in syndication too. Wtf? I always thought Foxworth and Reed looked so much like. I didn’t know Foxworth was a possible replacement. The John Denver/cousin Oliver thing…priceless. We (as kids) always thought he was John Denver’s kid!
@ditzygypsy Cousin Oliver aka Robbi Rist would return to tv in 1984 to 1986 in the Saturday Morning NBC🦚live action/cartoon Kidd Video!🤓🎸📺📼
Robert Reed seemed like a jerk. Who cares if the show was unrealistic. You had 6 kids sharing 1 bathroom with no toilet. It was mindless fluff and we liked it that way.
The Bradys don't poop! Why would they need a toilet?
@@jartober Nobody on TV pooped until All In The Family
A house with six kids is chaos, no more peace and quiet.
I grew up in a house with seven kids and one bathroom. Not so bad for me (#6 ) but miserable for the older kids. My poor sister shared a room with girls five and 10 years younger than her until she left for college. The Brady house was palatial to me!
In junior high I tried to dye my hair blonde. I got a box of Nice & Easy light blonde and went to town, not realizing I needed to strip my natural color first. The result was bright orange as my red undertones took center stage. I liked it and kept doing the same thing until I hit high school. Happy accident!
Wow! : )
I remember a girl in my highschool that had some sort of hair dye accident. She tried to turn herself blonde but it was a fairly greenish blonde. This was back in the 70s when green hair was just not something you do.
I grew up loving the BB! It’s strange to learn about this because RR did such a great job playing the father. I would have never thunk he was gay either!
Raymond Burr, who played Perry Mason, was also gay, too.
mannix knew they were gay.
Florence said she could tell early on that when they would kiss, he seemed really uncomfortable.
I read a book about the show that said Reed, a gay man, threw an absolute fit over being made to kiss Florence Henderson on the show because, y'know, it's just insane for a man to kiss his wife. Florence finally talked him into it. But yeah, Reed was always whining about things he didn't like about the show.
He is an actor it is called acting.
@@nicoleackerman205 Yep. That had to be explained to him.
They should have fired his alphabet self
Robert Reed could play Hamlet, get booed off the stage and then say "Don't blame me, I didn't write this crap!"
This popped up on my feed and is GREAT! I’m glad I learned more about Robert.
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching.
I'm a filmmaker. Since when are actors stable people? I've never seen it!
That is the main reason most of them get paid well to live in fantasy worlds of their own creation.
@@acebrandon3522 the operative word is that they’re being paid which means they have a boss and when there’s a boss, you have to do what the boss says or get fired isn’t that how that works?
@@Christian_Ada1 But not in Hollyweird.... Now both the Execs n Stars are in a constant struggle for fame, control n power.
@@Christian_Ada1100%
And if it wasn't for those unstable actors, you will be directing animals.
Brady Bunch was a fun, cheesy 70s comedy. It's crazy how so many things were over thought.
Cheesy????? Better than 95% of any TV out there. The Cosby Show along with Seifield was so banal.
@@rocco... It WAS cheesy. Grade A American Cheese! There is no shame in that. I LOVE lost in Space for exactly that reason, its so cheesy. Lost is Space is like Star Trek meets The Brady Bunch.
@@Nash1a Been nothing good on tv for over 30 years now. Except The X-Files, Simpsons, Roseanne and The Golden Girls. All a waste of time and effort just like the music industry.
It was a good cheesy, they leaned into it and knew what they were doing. Just like Gilligans island.
Barry Williams had a great remark about Reed. "Bob is the type of actor who if he got booed off the stage while reading Shakespeare, his response would be "hey, don't blame me, I didn't write this sh*t."
So interesting, I had no idea what a diva Robert Reed was. As a now 60 year old man, I grew up with the Brady Bunch, and I loved it. As a gay man looking back, I’m embarrassed how things went with Reed, the producer, and the show. And of course, for all of the actors of that show and others of the time, the lack of consideration of residual payments as far as reruns etc. It was a crime for the actors considering that the owners and producers of those shows made out like bandits whereas the talent got screwed. But that was what happened to many many people in films as well going back many decades.
Gilligan’s Island wasn’t a failure
Let me explain: I would argue that at the time it aired (not in syndication) it was critically derided ("an insult to the intelligence of adult viewers" said the AP) and disappointing to CBS who prided itself as the vaunted Tiffany Network. In its final season G.I. was going down in the ratings. Yes, there are stories perpetuated by Sherwood Schwartz that the network prez (Bill Paley) appeased his wife by reversing the cancellation of Gunsmoke at G.I.'s expense; but the fact is: CBS had some other room on the '67 network schedule should Paley have decided to pick it up. Paley could have cancelled instead Lost in Space or Daktari, which were doing worse that G.I.. There's also this myth that it was beating NBC's the Monkees... which had been true earlier. But by the end of the season (March-April), the Monkees were topping Gilligan by a couple million viewers (11.4 to 10.1m) . And you must remember also that a new law in '67 prohibited cigarette companies from airing commercials during shows where the viewership was below 18yrs. Since Gilligan had fallen into that category, CBS wouldn't be making as much money as they had been on it. I mean, I love Gilligan's Island! It's one of my favorite classic TV shows! But from the perspective of the network, the bean counters, and the critics - in 1967 - the show was, as I said, a dismal failure.
I've never even heard of Gillian's Island.
@@tvsbesteps You clearly have done your research!
GILLIGAN’s for F-s sake
I thought he was being sarcastic.
Robert Reed kept getting in trouble by cruising the beaches of Southern California, looking to pick up young blonde surfers. It is rumored he had been arrested several times, and it became increasingly harder for the studio to cover it up. It was an open secret.
Source ?
The version I heard was that he'd hookup with the hustlers that worked the beaches but was so afraid of being outed he'd threaten them not to say anything. Thing was they knew who he was and actually liked him and weren't interested in causing any trouble for him.
I never heard of any arrests. That would have ruined evrything for him.
🥱🥱
@@lard_lad_AU Common knowledge.
@@marygersten4236 “common knowledge” is not a source.
I was just a kid back then and enjoyed watching the show. As kids we didn't know any of this stuff, it was grown up stuff we didn't care about. In some ways it sucks to be an adult with this information. It kinda tarnishes your childhood memories of the show that was just meant to provide entertainment back in a simpler time of life
I can identify, I worked for a company that drove me nuts not following or enforcing important policies. I was constantly writing memos to see things improved. And was either ignored, or told they would look into it, then ignored. I finally quit after a number of years of banging my head against the brick wall. I only saw Gilligan and Brady Bunch in after school syndication. No idea who any of them were. No idea Robert had a career before or after. But good for him. To bad his life was cut so short. The kids all loved him, and I believe (from what I read after his passing) he genuinely loved them as he would biological kids. He took them on trips, bought them all 35mm cameras to record it all.
Sam was always delivering meat to Alice.
Might have given his meat to Reed a time or too as well
Gilligan's Island was not a "dismal failure" during its original run. Sure, the show was shredded by critics, but enjoyed solid ratings for three seasons straight. In 1967, it was besting The Monkees on NBC, and CBS greenlit a fourth year. It was only cancelled when CBS boss William Paley demanded Gunsmoke be retained on the schedule for the 1967-68 season.
Yeah his wife loved Gunsmoke and if that got cancelled he probably would not get any loving time if you know what I mean.
Unfortunately this is sort of a myth perpetuated in later years by the Schwartzs. The truth is much more complicated.
@@tvsbesteps Remember The New Monkee's from 1987? They even released an Album!
The final episode of The Brady Bunch should have had the Brady's moving permanently to Hawaii and their new housekeeper turns out to be.....Vincent Price!
I can't tell you how many times Brady Bunch was postponed because of Watergate... very frustrating...
Very interesting. Thanks for posting this. Have a nice day now.
Thanks, you too!
I guess all of this shows to me what a good actor Reed was. I could never tell he hated the show.
What about being a jerk translates to being a good actor?
@@SCfanIam100 the fact that you couldn't tell he hated the show from watching it.
Talk about the hand that feeds you!
Many times when people say they CAN'T do something, they really mean they WON'T do it.:-)
Robert Reed's instincts were visionary. If Schwartz & Schwartz had given Reed more collaborative respect, Brady Bunch would have been at least a bit more successful and far more respected. It might not have gotten any easier, but it would have gotten better.
I love the episode Hair Brain Scheme. Greg with orange hair is funny to me.
Me too! When he got caught in the hair salon with his mom by some girls from school, hilarious!
Brady Bunch and Six Million Dollar Man were the shows that I watched before migrating from Korea to the US in 1976 when I was 4 years old...lol
On the SMDM, Oscar, Steve and Dr. Wells were all single men. Wasn't that strange? Three tall, handsome, middle-aged men with lot's of money and prestigious careers and they were all single. Most men in that position would have been married with a couple of kids.
Cousin Oliver went on to become the voice of Michelangelo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
In movies or what
@@saveThe90s88 The movies of course. Not to mention Cory Feldman as the voice of Donatello!🐢🎥⚔🐢
These writers and producers get in their feelings and HATE constructive criticism. Just like in GOOD TIMES, the cast would tell Norman Lear that Blacks wouldn't say certain lines the way they were written.
If you want these shows to be realistic and timeless and not filled with inaccuracies and unheard of situations, sometimes it's best to listen to the actors. The actors are the ones who are truly developing the characters and they have more of a feel about what the audience is looking for.
Norman Lear fired John Amos, causing Good Times to go downhill.
Like Redd Foxx! He certainly said things his own way, things a white guy wouldn;t dare say!
Both John Amos and Esther Rolle were fairly outspoken about how Good Times went downhill once the JJ character became a dumb clown who had to say DYNOMITE at least once per episode.
When you get your show on tv and keep it there, then you have a right to criticize them. Until then... (---- --) Kidding! LOL. Having and using consultants is a good idea, no doubt. But remembered that they weren't just trying to make a show for a very specific group. They were trying to make a show that might appeal to all audiences. I think they did pretty good. I don't seen anything terribly unrealistic about it. Do you? Bare in mind that Good Times was another Normal Lear production and he had already gone through years of that with Carol O'Conner. Carol so stressed Normal that he literally gave up. So I think as a defense mechanism he probably didn't want to hear any notes from any actors by the time he was producing Good Times.
Interestingly, it was the only episode in which the word 'sex' was said. And by Oliver of all people.
This is 100 percent true!
Oliver was a little pervert talking about sex in front of Cindy.
Man, this was some fascinating stuff. I watched all the reruns and all the reboots and all the movies. How could I forgot that epic mustache he sported?! 😂
What the heck kind of vehicle did Robert Reed think he was acting in?
He also refused to be in the episode where Carol and Alice smoke pot.
As if😂
Cousin Oliver gave them the weed. That kid always scored the best grass.
Darn I missed that episode.
@@CaptainGanja 😂
@@patoconnor9600 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Robert Reed was not the first choice for Mike Brady and he definitely loathed the role. But it should be pointed out that Reed was often right in his criticisms.
He may have loathed it but he was such a great actor in that role. I never would have thought he didn’t like it if I hand not learned later on that he did.
Sure he was right, in a way that was 99% irrelevant. He was a fool because he never learned to see the value in what they did. If he had taken a step back he could have realized that even if it is a farce, there was still a lesson that was of value. He could have been proud of the show instead of miserable.
@@Nash1a I think he saw some value in it, Florence, Ann and the kids he enjoyed being around...it was just that he was really starting to agree with the kids about how absolutely unnecessary that the season 5 episodes that would have been better off in season 1 were...I mean Susan Olsen was 12 playing 11 year old Cindy in the Shirley Temple episode...that would have been better in season 1 when she was still 7 playing 5...and she routinely brings up how season 5 pretty much went out of it's way to keep babyifying her and Mike and adding Oliver in to reinforce that Cindy and Bobby could never grow ever. Bobby doing this conman routine was the last straw though...Mike Lookinland was 13 (and the character of Bobby was stated to be 12 that season)...why is a 12 year old conning his 18 year old brother on one of the most important days of his life?
Actors playing younger is one thing if the characters don't grow in a progression of family life, but when you have one where they do...why are you writing a 12 year old like a 7 year old? Shouldn't the last episode have been more geared around home movie making if Mike had to miss?
Hair Brain Scheme was one of my favorites!
My favorite was the one when Peter and Bobby thought they were seeing a UFO.
Reed was a legend in his own mind and thought what he did was important
He sounds like a primadona. Who rewrites scripts and picks at tiny things like that? If he hated it all so much, why did he stay?
He couldn't quit because he was under contract to Paramount. The reason why Reed signed with Paramount because they promised him a leading role in a proposed TV series called "Barefoot in the Park"; based on the hit Broadway, romantic-comedy play & 1967 movie that bore the same name as the TV show. But, the plans never made it to production. So, since Reed was still under contract, Paramount obligated him to play Mike Brady, and the rest is television history.
Well, at least Gary Cole is a patient and wise actor in The Brady Bunch Movie.
Gary Cole is playing an exaggerated Robert Reed version of Mike Brady.
@@henrywallacesghost5883 Exaggerated means regarded or represented as larger, better, or worse than in reality.
He’s been having problems with his tps reports though
@@blacjackdaniels200 Looks like you got that from Office Space.
@@sharptoothtrex4486 You are sharp
You did good here... thank you
Very welcome, thanks.
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
He seemed to get really cranky as the show went on
This was a good watch. Sometimes I'll see these things and they're a bit iffy but this one was good. Well done. 🙂 I have to admit that I agree with some of the issues Robert Reed had about the show, though, beause sometimes it was like a live action cartoon. That last episode was a great example of it. Greg transforming Mike's Den overnight is another example. His line about "strawberry heaven" is better than the one originally written. Reed was a method actor which was why he was so picky about reality. What also got me was there were times that laugh track could be intrusive.
Thanks for the watch and comment!
@@tvsbesteps You're welcome 🙂 Thank you for the effort.
Good stuff. Best of luck with your channel. 👍👍🙏🙏
Thank you!
Trying to imagine Gene Hackman playing Mike Brady as Little Bill from the Unforgiven.
It was the last episode of the series, so it was no big deal. The episode was terrible. It was wrong to treat Greg's graduation in such a manner, so Robert Reed was right. The other cast members should have protested as well. Imagine their surprise when they were all banned from the studio after the show was canceled!
I know right it wasn’t a big deal but apparently Robert Reed thought it was according to Barry Williams (Greg). Robert thought the episode was stupid (not about Greg graduating) but the Hair Tonic changing his hair to Orange.
It was a big deal, but since Robert Reed was paid for the episode and it was his final check none of it really mattered in the long run. He retained the role in the made for TV movies, plus he didn't have to put up with Oliver! I wasn't a fan of "The Brady Bunch", but I watched Reed in many TV shows. He would show up on "Mannix" and he was awesome on an episode of "Medical Center", in which he played a man getting a second change. He was also excellent in "Roots".
I heard shows back then really dud not have last episodes like shows do now like they would just end and that was it.
@@nicoleackerman205same problem then as now: if you get cancelled during the season or after it there never is a finale. If you decide to cancel the show before the last episode is filmed, then you film a series finale. A lot more shows don't have these than those that get a final episode.
Reed acted like a jerk making all his technical fuss over the script of a mindless, yet popular and enjoyable little show. lighten up bro. RIP
This is a very interesting follow-up of datas that I've seen before but what's most interesting to me is to on the clicking thing for hair brained scheme is my 11th Birthday of May 15th 1974.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Alice always scared the shit out of me as a kid, and this was perfectly depicted in the satirical Brady Bunch movie in 1995.
For me it was robert reed when i learned he played in a movie where he was not so nice as a character that stuck with me for years even thou he was a brady dad the movie he played in it just again stuck with me
I must've been watching it in syndication...not sure, but it was the early 70s. I remember most of them being very unlike my own home, which is why we liked them. It also turned my older cousin, younger sister, and me into total fan girls of Marcia's celeb dates lol. THIS EPISODE IS VERY MEMORABLE!
I know it was a silly show. But I think Robert should have embraced it. One of the greatest American television shows that has transcended decades. I still watch the reruns on Tubi. ❤❤❤
What about Married With Children? That show is way more sillier than The Brady Bunch and look how successful it was.
I've wanted to know the name of the song that plays at the opening of your channel. That electronic beat song. Anyone know? Thank you.
Robert Reed was living a very stressful and dishonest life in public. But that still is no excuse for being such a dick.
I met Cousin Oliver... I feel bad because I think I insulted him but I didnt mean to. I told him he never should've hung with those Brady's. But I meant because they were so square. Not because he shouldnt have been cast.
May I offer, when I really wanted separation from the baffoons at work I started to "enforce the rules" & "make thing better". Sherwood/Schwartz should have saw this. We have ALL been there.
Well done. Subscribed.
Welcome aboard! Thanks!
Is the footage of Reed walking onto the set from a behind-the-scenes movie on the Brady Bunch?
It's from Unauthorized Brady Bunch: The Final Days. It's on UA-cam
@@LTurbide Thanks!
A very unhappy guy for a lot of reasons, none of which were brought on by others.
He was never happy with the quality of his perm.
He had the ghey
Maybe they should have had Reed & Bob Denver trade places.
I always loved Bob as Mike Brady and can’t imagine anyone else in the role. I worked with him in the mid 1980s and always found him to be a sweet guy, good sport and total pro. I’m sure it couldn’t have been easy to see the BB’s original sweet, social message about blended families so quickly morph into slapstick. RIP RR
Playing a transgender character in that Medical Center two parter was a gutsy move back in those days especially since it wasn't a comedic drag role.
I always thought it strange. As much as Mr. Brady supposed his children not go to his son's Highschool Graduation
Sames! It made it seem he would go to a business meeting out of the country than be at his oldest son's graduation which was unrealistic to Mike's character. That lazy writing kinda punctuates what Reed was fighting against.
@@macwyll so how do you work with a temperamental actor? Is he the one writing and doing the directing producing everything or it’s just an actor in someone else’s work?
Can you imagine as a producer, director and writer creating something and the actor that you hire gives you trouble and telling you how things should work?
That’s what it seems like you guys are promoting that actor has to do everything and change things that will that’s not how that works in the real
World
Imagine you paying a person to clean your house or to paint it and they’re telling you how they want it done ?
Smh
@@Christian_Ada1 Fact is too, Schwartz was Reed's boss. You do what your boss tells you to do.
I once had a disagreement with one of my managers as I wasn't happy about something. He told me that if I didn't like the decision, there's the door. I told him that I won't leave and I said what needed to be said, but would still comply. It wasn't a hill worth dying on.
@@Christian_Ada1 he was just trying to make the show better
would you really want him to stop caring
I've heard this about Read. Like Larry Hagman on I dream of Jennie...such likable characters, you'd never know that they were such pains in the butt on the set. Good video.
Thanks!
How much could you have to complain about working closely with Barbara Eden?
@@El_Peto That is why he was so upset Barbara Eden was definitely the star of that show, Hagman wasn't so that's why he was so upset, he drank a lot bc of that which just made it worse.
@@tvsbesteps Larry Hagman didn't return for I Dream Of Jeannie 15 Years Later and it's sequel I Still Dream Of Jeannie tv reunion movies LOL! Rumor is because he wanted too much money and of course the other excuse because he was filming Dallas LOL! I guess J.R. was too busy?!🤠🌇🧞♀🚀
Robert Reed was also still doing Mannix simultaneously, and some of those episodes used the Brady house as a setting
Very true! The Mannix episode "Hardball" (S08E24, Apr. 23, 1975) was filmed on the Brady set and features a (very) young John Ritter.
@@tvsbesteps If you haven't seen it, both John Ritter and Johnathan Frakes appeared on The Waltons long before the roles that would later make them famous.
So Robert Reed felt that many episodes were unrealistic. For crying out loud, it's a sitcom, not a documentary.
I never knew how much bad blood there was behind the supposedly well bonded cast of Happy Days. Ron Howard proved to be very difficult. The actor (Ric Carrott) playing his older brother was dropped after the first episode because Howard put up a stink about playing in a supporting role to an unknown actor like Carrott. Then, after the character of Fonzie took off, Howard put up another stink, but there was no way the producers were going to get rid of Henry Winkler. As a result, Howard walked. Winkler was no saint, either. The actress playing Pinky Toscadero (Fonzie's love interest) was dropped because Winkler saw her as a threat. Moreover, the rest of the cast pretty much ganged up on her as well. (She had been getting a lot of public acclaim). In the final episode, Donny Most and Anson Williams were not even there. (They had left the show a good deal earlier, but even Howard returned for the finale). During the pandemic, there was a Zoom reunion of the cast members (without the late Tom Bosley and Erin Moran), but Scott Baio was not invited due to his support for Donald Trump. Winkler even said something snotty about him. (And to think that Baio was the only one who reached out to Moran when she was slowly killing herself with alcohol and drugs). It just goes to show what nastiness can go on behind the scenes, even with the "happiest" of cast members.
Thanks for this back story. It explains alot !
The cast also fell out with the producers because the cast weren't getting a cent from "Happy Days" merchandise.
So it wasn't "Happy Days" on set when filming the show then.
I'll grab my coat!
@Jared-qf1tj And Ron never 'walked' - he was on virtually every single episode. There is often behind the scenes 'drama' on hit TV shows, which the producers often try to cover up. For example, Gary Burghof was not well-liked among his fellow cast members on "MASH", and William Frawley and Vivian Vance (of "I Love Lucy" fame) had virtually no love for each other in real life, despite playing a married couple on the show.
@Jared-qf1tj The older brother played by Ric Carriott was the backdoor pilot episode of "Love, American Style," not Happy Days itself. That episode aired 2 years before Happy Days the series aired. The show was not picked up by ABC at first, but when the movie American Graffiti, in which Howard starred in, became a hit, ABC called Garry Marshal and picked it up. Some of the roles were recast including the father Howard, the older brother Chuck and the younger sister Joanie
Cousin Oliver aka The Jinx!
Remember when Oliver threw the basketball and then Mike ruined that house model. Most people would have gone crazy in that situation.
I heard more than once he repeatedly pushed for the show to be more serious and deal with real world issues. It never took.
Can’t imagine Gene Hackman even taking this role. Gene is one of the greatest actors of all time.