The Brady Kids: Who Believes in Ghosts?

The Brady Kids: Who Believes in Ghosts?
ABC
October 6, 1973
Cartoon
DVD
C

Clearly, the show couldn't go on indefinitely with half of the "real Brady kids" gone.  But that's no excuse for the sloppiness in this last episode, seen most obviously in the fact that in every "walking group" shot Bobby is invisible for no reason.  (And it's not as if they haven't been recycling these shots from day one, probably from other Filmation series.)  Repeating "Ain't It Crazy?" doesn't help, nor does having yet another pair of thieves.  The maybe-maybe-not ghost idea is comparatively original.  The second season averages out to a C+ like the first, nonetheless.

The Brady Kids: Ceiling Zero

The Brady Kids: Ceiling Zero
ABC
September 29, 1973
Cartoon
DVD
C

Considering how short the second season is, it feels really lazy to already repeat a song from just a couple episodes ago, especially one as lame as "Love My Life Away with You" or whatever it's called.  The plot is also unoriginal, with Marlon bringing yet another historical figure into modern times, although this one is the fictional "Michael Angelglow."  That said, this episode does answer the question of whether the kids are actually living in the treehouse 24/7.  They turn out to have a main house they can see the treehouse from.

The Brady Kids: Marcia's Lib

The Brady Kids: Marcia's Lib
ABC
September 22, 1973
Cartoon
DVD
C+

Well, I was wrong, the frenemies are still around, with Chuck still playing annoying and possibly life-threatening pranks.  Still, it's interesting to see how this plot mashes up the "camping" and "Frontier Scouts" episodes of the main series, with more support of "equality" than BBunch offered in either 1969 or '71.  The song is a complete rehash of the "I Believe in You" production of the first season, including the inclusion of the Abominable Snowman!

The Brady Kids: Teacher's Pet

Mission: Magic! with Tickle and Rick

The Brady Kids: Teacher's Pet
ABC
September 15, 1973
Cartoon
DVD
B-

Despite the reuse of the song "Drummer Man," this is one of the better episodes, mostly because of the intriguing character of a magical schoolteacher.  In fact, Miss Tickle (as in "mystical") had her own cartoon series that Fall, Mission: Magic! with new Australian teen sensation Rick Springfield.  Also making poachers the villains is pretty daring, if no more so than George of the Jungle six years earlier.  Note that the frenemies (Chuck, Fleetwood, and Babs) seem to be gone for good in the second season, which can only be an improvement.

The Brady Kids: Frankincense

The Brady Kids: Frankincense
ABC
September 8, 1973
Cartoon
DVD
C+

The short second season begins with new credits (showcasing the kids playing instruments, and omitting the live-action footage) and half the kids replaced by new voice actors: Keith Sutherland (then credited as David E. Smith [is he related to Hal Sutherland?], as Peter) and Lane (Greg) and Erika (Marcia) Scheimer.  The one for Greg particularly stands out as a rough transition, since L. Scheimer has a sort of mid-'70s "dude voice."  The title has nothing to do with Christmas, but instead is a reference to the Frankenstein-like doctor who is trying to make a robot that he can play cards with but, thanks to Marlon's interference, instead creates twenty one-foot robots who like to eat jewels.  The song, still with the singing voices of Williams, McCormick, and perhaps Knight, is "We'll Always Be Friends."