The Brady Bunch: Law and Disorder

"Far out!"

The Brady Bunch: Law and Disorder
ABC
January 12, 1973
Sitcom
DVD
C+

The main points of interest in this Elroy-Schwartz-written episode are this is the one where Barry Williams (whose 100th program I've now reviewed) was stoned during the shooting of one scene (notice how he seems unclear where Cindy is, even though she's standing right next to him), and the Bradys still have enough boxes of Safe not only to use the detergent for snow in Peter's "Benedict Arnold" play but for Bobby to wash with an entire room-filling box of it.

Harlen Carraher was Ben in Gidget Grows Up and has his first of two Brady roles here as Steve.

The Brady Bunch: Cyrano de Brady

The Brady Bunch: Cyrano de Brady
ABC
October 20, 1972
Sitcom
DVD
B+

Skip Webster's last Brady story has always been one of my favorites.  Not only is it the one that started my crush on Peter, sometime in my preteens, but it has one of my favorite scenes.  Jan brings her new friend Kerry home, and Peter immediately becomes infatuated with Kerry.  Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to make a good impression on her, so he turns to Greg for help.  Through a misunderstanding suggested by the episode's title, Kerry thinks Greg is interested in her (despite an age difference of three or four years), and she returns his supposed interest.  Poor Jan is caught in the middle, giving Plumb some funny moments.

But the funniest part is when Greg acts like a jerk to scare off Kerry, with help from Marcia in a wig and dark glasses, as "the other woman."  As Alice quietly tells Mike and Carol when they get home, "I'm not sure but I think it's a teenage soap opera."  Then Peter comes home and scolds Greg and Marcia for playing a dirty trick on a nice girl like Kerry, who he thinks should be treated like a queen.  Awww!  Kerry asks him to walk her home.  After they leave, Greg and Marcia face their parents, who are pretty cool about it all, I guess recognizing their good intentions.

The Brady Bunch: Today I Am a Freshman

The Brady Bunch: Today I Am a Freshman
ABC
October 13, 1972
Sitcom
DVD
B

William Raynor and Myles Wilder's second of three Brady stories has good "A" and "B" plots.  That is, Marcia's efforts to fit in at high school are balanced well by the subplot of Peter's efforts to build a working model of a volcano.  Note that although the air-date was mid-October, this is set more like around Labor Day, since there are 111 days till Christmas vacation.

John Howard makes his second appearance as the Brady family doctor.

The Brady Bunch: Cindy Brady, Lady

The Brady Bunch: Cindy Brady, Lady
ABC
February 18, 1972
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Larry Rhine's first Brady story, co-written with Al Schwartz, shows Cindy again wanting respect, this time not liking being the baby of the family and envying her sisters for their dates and other social opportunities.  So she tries to act more mature.  And meanwhile Bobby pretends to be her secret admirer and, when unable to tell her the truth, he bribes a friend with "a real Kennedy half dollar" to pretend to be the admirer.  At first she tries to pull the mature act with this boy, saying among other things that she's too old for the teeter-totter, but then she's herself and the boy really likes her.  And, yes, a different message than when Jan liked Clark Tyson or Marcia liked Harvey Klinger.

The Brady Bunch: Jan's Aunt Jenny

The Brady Bunch: Jan's Aunt Jenny
ABC
January 21, 1972
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Michael Morris's second Brady story is about the title character (technically Carol's Aunt Jenny), sort of an Auntie Mame type, who looked like Jan 40 years ago.  Jan is afraid she'll inherit her aunt's looks.  It's hard not to feel uncomfortable about this episode, since Jenny has to learn, however delicately, that the family thinks she's ugly.  Still, I like that she admits she could've had plastic surgery but would rather have her own unique appearance.  Note that the family is clearing out the attic, which will make Greg moving in easier in a year, although it's still unclear why Mike thought the ceiling would be too low a year before this.

The Brady Bunch: The Private Ear

The Brady Bunch: The Private Ear
ABC
November 12, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Michael Morris's first of four Brady scripts has Peter tape-recording his siblings' conversations.  (And, yes, although the Brady-makers couldn't have known it, Nixon was doing the same thing to lots of other people at the time, including his brother.)  Greg and Marcia decide to punish Peter by making up a surprise party, a move not unlike how Marcia and Jan would later punish Cindy for snooping.  There's no follow-up to Marcia's confession to Jan (her confidante by this point in the series) about being "in love" again, or for that matter to Greg's great crime of an overdue library book.

The Brady Bunch: My Sister, Benedict Arnold

The Brady Bunch: My Sister, Benedict Arnold
ABC
October 15, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
B

Greg and Marcia date each other's rivals, which the other kids find at least as entertaining as I do.  Meanwhile, there's a dunking booth that the Bradys have constructed in their driveway for the junior high carnival, and filled with water, with no explanation of how it's going to be transported to the school.  And Alice speaks "modern" slang.  From the title onwards, this is a very Brady episode, although we have not yet reached the heights/depths of fashion that the show would prove capable of (which would've boosted this to a B+).

Sheri Cowart would reprise her role as Kathy Lawrence in the very next episode, so I guess Kathy and Marcia become friends after this.

The Brady Bunch: Call Me Irresponsible

The Brady Bunch: Call Me Irresponsible
ABC
October 30, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Bruce Howard's second Brady script is interesting for chronology and other reasons.  Greg is going to be 15 in a month.  (November or December?)  He tells his dad he'd like to follow in his footsteps as an architect, which sets up the "Frank Lloyd Wrong" debacle a couple years later.  And we see him with his first sort of girlfriend, who thinks architects are groovy.  Also, of course, there is the reason for the title of the episode, that Greg loses his dad's blueprints while working as a delivery boy, but he does redeem himself when given a second chance.  There's a scene that I honestly don't remember seeing in syndication, where Alice reminds Mr. Brady of an error she made early on that he forgave.  It added to this episode and gave me an insight into their relationship.  This is one reason why I'm glad to own uncut DVDs.

Drama Coach Barbara Morrison would later be Mrs. Tuttle.  Jack Collins makes his first appearance as Mike's boss Mr. Phillips.  This time Gordon Jump plays the Mechanic.  Note, I believe this is the first of the BBunch episodes where they cut costs by omitting a kid, this time Susan Olsen.

That Girl: The Night They Raided Daddy's

That Girl: The Night They Raided Daddy's
ABC
February 19, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Not only does this episode feel dated, like it should've aired a year or two earlier, but it's not as well structured as it could be.  I can understand that we're not shown any of the "nude scene," not even backs or feet, but why don't we see more of the crowd reaction?  And what about the Chekhov's Gun of the sheriff saying he'll be back later, but we don't see his return?  (The title is misleading.)  Or the fact that Donald changes the band's minds over the phone, with none of their side of the conversation?  Still, it does get Lew into a Nehru jacket and love beads, so I guess that's worth turning in for.

Leonard Bremen, who plays the Sheriff, had earlier appeared as a Baseball Fan, and was also doing Brady guest shots around this time.  Bill Quinn played a Priest before and is Harry this time.  Gene Baylos, who's the Agent, was previously Mort.

That Girl: Hearing Today, Gone Tomorrow

That Girl: Hearing Today, Gone Tomorrow
ABC
October 23, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Ann gets a cold and temporarily loses her hearing.  The fashions, both male and female, are getting uglier, as if in preparation for the '70s.  Andre Philippe plays Dino and would be later be Gino, not to be confused with Gino Conforti's character of Nino.  Roy Applegate plays Harry and would later be Bill.  And there's a fairly early appearance by 37-year-old Richard Stahl, as the Director.  (Look for the cute in-joke where the clapboard lists the director as H. Cooper.)  This is another Orenstein-Turteltaub script.

That Girl: The Homewrecker and the Window Washer

That Girl: The Homewrecker and the Window Washer
ABC
January 2, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This is another slightly above average script by Stan Cutler and Martin Donovan.  A window washer (Jules Munshin in his first of two TG roles) comes to Ann's defense, making his wife (Bobo Lewis, who was the abused wife on a previous episode) jealous.

Bill Quinn plays the priest, his first of two TG appearances.  Oliver McGowan is the Chairman and would be on The Brady Bunch a year or so later.  And, although she's uncredited, I'm pretty sure that's Jean Vander Pyl as the Secretary.

That Girl: Should All Our Old Acquaintances Be Forgot

That Girl: Should All Our Old Acquaintances Be Forgot
ABC
December 26, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Another Stan Cutler and Martin Donovan script, this one is obviously set on New Year's Eve.  (No Christmas episode this year.)  Donald and Ann plan to spend a quiet evening at her place, but Lew soon puts a stop to that, and it soon snowballs into a big party, with Ann serving peanut butter on corn flakes as snacks.  Meanwhile, Jerry and Ruthie would have a quiet evening themselves, except that Ann keeps dropping by to get supplies.

Renata Vanni returns as Mrs. Brentano.  Cliff Norton plays Charley Fitch, but I don't think it's the same character as Charlie on both versions of "What's in a Name?"  Patty Regan has her middle of two TG roles, as Marge.

That Girl: Ann vs. Secretary

That Girl: Ann vs. Secretary
ABC
December 5, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Ann is again justifiably jealous, this time of Donald's new secretary Pat, played by Mary Frann, then acting under the name Jennifer Douglas.  (No, she doesn't wear a sweater, but this episode is notable for a lot of Ann and even Ruthie wearing slacks.)  Donald gently rejects Pat, and Ann doesn't admit how far her jealousy has gone.  I must note that Donald (and Jerry) have gone through a lot of secretaries in the past couple years, and the one before Pat has gone on maternity leave, like the one whom Ann temporarily replaced in Season One.

Leon Colker again plays a Waiter.

That Girl: A Muggy Day in Central Park

That Girl: A Muggy Day in Central Park
ABC
November 14, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
C+

I feel like, roughly one-third into Season Three, the show is losing its way.  Not that it's jumped the shark, but the scripts seem less realistic, more contrived.  This is all right on Gilligan's Island, where the implausible can be funny, but it doesn't work here, where the humor should come from character truth.  Ann gets mugged in Central Park, which leads to her father catching Donald in drag and "necking" (more like snuggling) with a man in the park.  And characters don't react believably in terms of what they say and do, or even in the timing of it.  Still, I guess there's a novelty factor here, so I won't go with a lower grade.

Noam Pitlik was Donald Hardy on Gidget and makes his first of two TG cameos, as Det. Harry Walters.  Joe Perry makes his third of four TG appearances, as Det. Foster.  This is Arthur Julian's last TG script, although he would appear as an actor again.

This '68 episode was the 68th of TG to air in the '60s.

That Girl: 7 1/4, Part 2

That Girl: 7 1/4, Part 2
ABC
October 24, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

While the interwoven threads of Donald writing a series on violence in the media (a very hot topic in '68 by the way, especially after the RFK and Dr. King assassinations) and Ann doing death-defying soda commercials don't really pay off as well as they could (for one thing, why not just hire a stunt woman for the distant shots?), this is definitely one to watch for its guest cast.  Jesse White is back, this time as director Phil Bender.  Thirty-year-old Peter Bonerz plays his assistant,  Larry Yorkin.  Stuart Margolin is director Leonard Stanley, who makes the point (not original with him) that he'll stop making war movies when wars stop.  The episode's director Hal Cooper appears as the Interviewed Screenwriter.  Frank De Vol plays cartoonist Mr. Barber.  And, yes, that's an uncredited 14-year-old Barry Williams as the Autograph Seeker, around the time that he was being cast on The Brady Bunch.

Ken Lynch, who's Carl Sheldon here, was previously Officer Dombrowski.

That Girl: 7 1/4, Part 1

That Girl: 7 1/4, Part 1
ABC
October 17, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Donald is going to California for three weeks on assignment.  Ann will miss him terribly, so they decide that she'll go out there with him and look for an acting job.  Lew disapproves but doesn't go with them like he did to Florida.  The word "sex" is uttered multiple times but of course nothing happens.  As with other two-parters, I'm not sure if there's enough material here to fill almost an hour.

Lea Marmer makes her middle of three TG appearances, as the Maid.  Art Lewis has his last TG role, as the Bellboy.  George Neise, the Desk Clerk, was previously Norman Kramer.  And Waiter Buddy Lester is on the show for the third time.  Arthur Julian would also write Part 2.

That Girl: Eleven Angry Men and That Girl

That Girl: Eleven Angry Men and That Girl
ABC
October 10, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
C

This time Stan Cutler and Martin Donovan come up with the comedy gold of Ann being the one hold-out on the jury in a spousal abuse case, in favor of the husband.  The man (Dick Wilson) allegedly hit his wife (Bobo Lewis in her second of many TG roles) with an ashtray.  Ann convinces the rest of the jury, only to see the husband hit his wife with an ashtray in the courtroom, as the laugh track chuckles!  The only reason I'm not going with a lower grade is I sort of liked it when Ann (gently) hits and tells off the letch Dave Ketchum (Jack Packard, his first of three TG parts), and I was pleased to see 28-year-old Stuart Margolin as the hippie Talley.

Joe Besser had previously played a Messenger and is the Jury Foreman here.  Joe Perry makes his second of four appearances, as the Bailiff.

This is, unless I've forgotten to tag something, the 200th sitcom I've reviewed.  That genre will continue to dominate my collection, although other things will be mixed in as we go along.

That Girl: The Drunkard

That Girl: The Drunkard
ABC
April 18, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
D+

This collaboration between Danny Arnold and Ruth Brooks Flippen just doesn't work at all.  Sid Caesar plays Marty Nickels, a TV comic with a drinking problem.  (I believe this was about a decade before his real life drinking problem, but that doesn't make this any less painful to watch.)  He casts Ann, partly for her legs, even though one of her rivals is Teri Garr.  Then he shows up at her apartment drunk-- three nights in a row!-- and each morning thinks that he's slept with her.  (He asks her if she's old enough to vote, i.e. over 21.)  And then his mother shows up, just so that he can hear that "Mrs. Nickels" is in Ann's bedroom and think that he's married Ann.  (Audrey Christie, who plays his mother Ella Nickels, was previously Miss Dailey and was ten years older than Caesar, who was not aging well.)  The episode is tasteless, unfunny, implausible even on farcical terms, just a mess.  In fact, the worst episode of any show I've watched so far.  The only reason I'm not going lower with the grade is because Ann at least wears cute outfits.

That Girl: If You Were Almost the Only Man in the World

That Girl: If You Were Almost the Only Man in the World
ABC
March 21, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B

This is another Danny Arnold and Ruth Brooks Flippen collaboration, carrying the second season theme of various men pursuing Ann to the '60s inevitability of Donald's sort of lookalike, a brunet bespectacled "swinger" doctor.  Amusingly, once Lew gets over the shock, he prefers Dr. Rex to Donald.  You know, a doctor son-in-law.  Well, that was the '60s.

Leonard "Lennie" Bremen has an uncredited role as a Baseball Fan (the one who says, "That Goil"); he was a Janitor on Gidget and would do some Brady Bunch guest shots later.  Milton Selzer does his middle of three TG roles, as Dr. Corey.

That Girl: The Detective Story

That Girl: The Detective Story
ABC
March 14, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B

This must have one of the smallest casts, and simplest settings, of any of the TG episodes.  Carl Kleinschmitt's second script could be a stageplay, since it's just Ann, Donald, a detective, and an obscene phone caller whom we never see or even hear.  And it all takes place in Ann's apartment.  The detective falls for Ann, and Donald of course is suspicious about him being there at night.  I was surprised Lew didn't show up, with two men at Ann's place.