The Brady Bunch: Two Petes in a Pod

The Brady Bunch: Two Petes in a Pod
ABC
February 8, 1974
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This last of five Sam Locke & Milton Pascal Brady stories has the common Schwartzian motif of the inexplicable lookalike.  (That Alice's Cousin Emma is the most plausible should tell you something.)  Fifteen-year-old Peter meets a classmate who looks like him but with glasses.  He and Arthur play a prank on the Bradys, which leads to the scene where Knight acts infatuated with Plumb.  Then when Peter has two dates for one night, he needs Arthur to keep one of them.  Oliver (Robbie Rist)'s role in this episode is minor, mostly just tacked on to the scenes with the younger kids.

The Brady Bunch: Welcome Aboard

The Brady Bunch: Welcome Aboard
ABC
January 25, 1974
Sitcom
DVD
B-

The last Brady script from Al Schwartz and Larry Rhine introduces Cousin Oliver (Robbie Rist) son of Jack and Pauline, one of whom is Carol's sibling.  I may as well say that I actually liked Oliver and I don't think he jinxed the show (which was slowly declining anyway).  I know that many people of my generation feel differently, but I liked that Oliver was close to my age (especially in the beginning of syndication), and I always enjoyed spotting Rist in other projects.  And he has more personality than the Kelly Kids.  That said, I do find it amusing that Oliver got a category named after him on the Jump the Shark website, even if there are more egregious examples of the "add a little kid to the show" syndrome.  (Scrappy Doo springs to mind.)  Note, the family seems thrilled about the idea of Carol being pregnant, which would've been an interesting sixth-season development.

Truck Driver #1 Dick Winslow previously was Mark Winters.  The Keystone Cop is Snag Werris's fourth Brady role.  Judd Laurance, who plays the Director, would be a Technician in Rescue from Gilligan's Island.

The Brady Bunch: Kelly's Kids

The Brady Bunch: Kelly's Kids
ABC
January 4, 1974
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Another back-door pilot, which Sherwood S. resurrected in the '80s for Elliott Gould.  Since I watched that, I probably would've watched this had it been successful, especially at the age of almost 6, when I'd want to find another sitcom about kids.  Now, well, it's pretty corny, and I wish that they had given the little boys more personality.

Jackie Joseph, who plays Miss Phillips, did two shots on That Girl.  Molly Dodd, who plays the unsubtly named neighbor Mrs. Payne, the one that "makes Archie Bunker look like a liberal," had previously been a Saleslady.

The Brady Bunch: Never Too Young

The Brady Bunch: Never Too Young
ABC
October 5, 1973
Sitcom
DVD
B

Al Schwartz and Larry Rhine wrote this story of Bobby's first kiss (by Melissa Sue Anderson).  Cindy is still a tattletale but she does her best to keep Bobby's secret.  The moment when the older four are standing as Cindy sits, and they all look so tall, is always the moment for me when it feels like this has basically become a teenage show, although poor Cindy isn't really allowed to mature emotionally.  This episode is also notable for a lot of flirting between Mike & Carol, some of it suggestive, as in their "I Wanna Be Loved by You" conversation.  And the Roaring '20s stuff is fun.

The Brady Bunch: Everyone Can't Be George Washington

The Brady Bunch: Everyone Can't Be George Washington
ABC
December 22, 1972
Sitcom
DVD
B

Sam Locke and Milton Pascal's second Brady script has Peter understandably reluctant to play Benedict Arnold in the school play, especially considering how often his family has used the name as an insult.  He fakes an injury-- you'll never guess what --a sprained ankle!  His parents help him see that not being in the play would be an Arnold-worthy betrayal, so he goes on, and we get to see the dress rehearsal.  Meanwhile, there's a nice subplot with Jan designing the sets, with Mike's help, which in my head-canon is when she started to think about architecture, although the conscious career choice came much later.

Angela Satterwhite, who was Diane before, is Donna here.  (And apparently was 23, although playing Peter's classmate both times.)  Sean Kelly, who's Stuart, was Tim earlier.  Michael Barbera and Jimmy Bracken were both in Gidget Gets Married.  And Florence Henderson's daughter, Barbara Bernstein, makes her middle Brady appearance, as Peggy.

The Brady Bunch: Greg's Triangle

The Brady Bunch: Greg's Triangle
ABC
December 8, 1972
Sitcom
DVD
B

This Freedman & Gershman episode has Greg having to choose between Marcia and his new girlfriend Jennifer for head cheerleader.  He instead chooses sixteen-year-old Rita Wilson as Pat Conway, who does seem to be the best.  (Marcia misspeaks, with "gate" or "gay" for "great" in her cheer.)  There's some fun Greg & Marcia arguing here, as well as the younger brothers teasing Greg, Marcia telling Jan she (Jan) doesn't know anything about life and then Jan telling Peter he doesn't, as well as the parents' reaction to Jennifer's snow job.  (Cindy and Alice don't get very much to do this time.)  Notice how flirty Mike and Carol get when he's giving her golf lessons.  (Apparently she's forgotten how to play golf since the first season.)  Also, you can amuse yourself by counting how many times the guy in the Afro and sweater vest walks by in the campus scenes.

This is the first of six Brady episodes Richard Michaels directed.