These 10 Brady Bunch Secrets Will Surprise You!

5) Fair Hair Makes the Girl

Eve Plumb’s hair was naturally blonde, but the makeup staff wanted it blonder. Other child actors on the show had their hair dyed as well. Poor Plumb’s hair became so damaged that it began to fall out. It wasn’t until she was seen crying on set during the second season over the hair loss that it was decided they would leave her hair alone.

4) Lucille Ball Was a Factor

The show might not have aired if a film starring Lucille Ball with the plot of a widow with 8 kids hadn’t done well at the box office. The film, Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968) was enough of a hit to turn a few executive heads. The show was pitched before the film’s release but was not taken seriously until after the film scored big in theaters.

3) Classically-trained Actor On Board!

Mike Reed (Mr. Brady) was a classically-trained actor who graduated from the Royal Academy in London, which may explain why he was an extremely demanding personality on set. We’ve heard Reed felt that the show was a bit beneath him.

2) Mr. Brady Almost Died

The difficulties with Reed led producers to ponder killing his character off and making the show about a hapless widow instead! Can you even imagine if this had been the show’s plot? We bet Alice’s role would have become a lot more important if this had happened!

1) That Old Cousin Oliver Trick!

In a last ditch attempt to revive ratings in the final season, little Cousin Oliver was introduced on the show. Like many other “cute” characters added to gain ratings, the blonde tot did little to change viewership. This failure resulted in the coining of the term “cousin Oliver” to mean a desperate character added at the last minute for ratings, much like “jumping the shark.”

We hope you enjoyed these ten facts about The Brady Bunch. There are so many things we never know about our favorite shows. This was one of our favorite shows all those years ago. And, here is one of our all-time favorite clips from this fun show! The runner-up would have to be the driving contest between Greg and Marcia. But, this scene takes the cake every time.

Check out Lucille Ball changed TV forever»