A Very Brady Christmas
Encyclopedia
A Very Brady Christmas is a 1988 movie based on the television series The Brady Bunch
, featuring all of the original actors who appeared in the series except Susan Olsen
who was on her honeymoon when the film was being made; Jennifer Runyon
took her place as Cindy. Also missing from the original cast was Allan Melvin
who was the original Sam the butcher.
Marcia's husband Wally was fired from his job at a toy company, Jan is separating from her husband Phillip and Cindy is fighting for her independence since she is the youngest and still gets treated like the baby of the family. Cindy is currently a college undergraduate and in an issue similar to Bobby's, Cindy lies to her parents about overwhelming college student issues, when in actuality she plans to go skiing in Aspen with her roommates.
Even their former housekeeper Alice is dealing with a serious issue: Her husband Sam has recently left her for another woman. Through each child deciding to spend the holiday and eventually opening up about their issues, Mike and Carol are able to help them out. However the Bradys Christmas is disrupted by Mike Brady when he learns that a ruthless businessman he designed a building for has cut corners and it has resulted in a collapse and trapping of two Security Guards. Mike manages to free the trapped employees, but an aftershock results in Mike getting trapped in rubble himself.
In the end, Mike gets out of the debris after Carol and the entire family sings "O Come All Ye Faithful".
, based on the characters' adult lives; only six episodes were produced. However, since the tone of the new series dealt with adult issues the former Brady kids had to deal with, it was nicknamed "Brady-something", after the TV Show Thirtysomething which dealt with similar issues.
After The Bradys was cancelled, three theatrical films were made later in the 1990s: The Brady Bunch Movie
in 1995, and A Very Brady Sequel
in 1996 and The Brady Bunch in the White House
in 2002.
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
, featuring all of the original actors who appeared in the series except Susan Olsen
Susan Olsen
Susan Marie Olsen is a former American child television actress and current animal welfare advocate. Olsen is best known for her role as Mike and Carol Brady's youngest daughter, Cindy Brady, on the 1970s television sitcom The Brady Bunch for the full run of the show, from 1969-1974.-Early...
who was on her honeymoon when the film was being made; Jennifer Runyon
Jennifer Runyon
-Biography:She is known for guest appearances or secondary characters in various sitcoms and dramas, as well as a couple of made-for-TV movies. Among her roles are Sally Frame on Another World , Gwendolyn Pierce on Charles in Charge , and replacing Susan Olsen as Cindy Brady in A Very Brady Christmas...
took her place as Cindy. Also missing from the original cast was Allan Melvin
Allan Melvin
Allan Melvin was an American character actor who appeared in several television shows, including the roles of Corporal Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show; Alice's boyfriend Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch; and Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's...
who was the original Sam the butcher.
Synopsis
Mike and Carol Brady have a savings account which both spouses planned to use to bankroll a vacation for the other; Carol wanted to take Mike to Greece while Mike wanted to treat Carol to a trip to Japan. When they realize their ideas collide, they use the money to try to reunite the entire family for Christmas by paying for airline tickets for their children, grandchildren and their children's spouses. However, all of the Brady kids are facing personal obstacles that might keep them from enjoying the festivities. Greg's wife Nora is spending Christmas with her family. Peter is sexually involved with his boss Valerie and his inferior position and salary is affecting his self-confidence. Bobby has dropped out of college to become a racecar driver but has not revealed this to his parents.Marcia's husband Wally was fired from his job at a toy company, Jan is separating from her husband Phillip and Cindy is fighting for her independence since she is the youngest and still gets treated like the baby of the family. Cindy is currently a college undergraduate and in an issue similar to Bobby's, Cindy lies to her parents about overwhelming college student issues, when in actuality she plans to go skiing in Aspen with her roommates.
Even their former housekeeper Alice is dealing with a serious issue: Her husband Sam has recently left her for another woman. Through each child deciding to spend the holiday and eventually opening up about their issues, Mike and Carol are able to help them out. However the Bradys Christmas is disrupted by Mike Brady when he learns that a ruthless businessman he designed a building for has cut corners and it has resulted in a collapse and trapping of two Security Guards. Mike manages to free the trapped employees, but an aftershock results in Mike getting trapped in rubble himself.
In the end, Mike gets out of the debris after Carol and the entire family sings "O Come All Ye Faithful".
Credits
- Robert ReedRobert ReedRobert Reed was a prolific American character actor of stage, film and television. In his first big break, he played Kenneth Preston on the popular 1960s TV legal drama, The Defenders, alongside E. G. Marshall. But he was best remembered for portraying the father, Mike Brady, on the popular...
as Mike Brady - Florence HendersonFlorence HendersonFlorence Agnes Henderson is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her role of Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974...
as Carol Brady - Ann B. DavisAnn B. DavisAnn Bradford Davis is an American television actress.Davis achieved prominence for her role in The Bob Cummings Show for which she twice won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series...
as Alice Franklin - Barry WilliamsBarry WilliamsBarry William Blenkhorn , known professionally as Barry Williams, is an American actor best known for his role as Greg Brady in the ABC television series The Brady Bunch.-Early life and career:...
as Greg Brady - Maureen McCormickMaureen McCormickMaureen Denise McCormick is an American actress, celebrity and recording artist. She is most widely known as a child actress who played Marcia Brady in the television series The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974.- Early life and career :...
as Marcia Logan - Christopher Knight as Peter Brady
- Eve PlumbEve PlumbEve Aline Plumb is an American actress and painter. She is best known for her portrayal of Jan Brady in the iconic television sitcom The Brady Bunch.-Early career:...
as Jan Covington - Mike LookinlandMike LookinlandMichael Paul "Mike" Lookinland is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the youngest brother Bobby Brady on The Brady Bunch from 1969 until 1974.-Early life:...
as Bobby Brady - Jennifer RunyonJennifer Runyon-Biography:She is known for guest appearances or secondary characters in various sitcoms and dramas, as well as a couple of made-for-TV movies. Among her roles are Sally Frame on Another World , Gwendolyn Pierce on Charles in Charge , and replacing Susan Olsen as Cindy Brady in A Very Brady Christmas...
as Cindy Brady - Lewis ArquetteLewis ArquetteLewis Michael Arquette was an American film actor, writer and producer. Arquette was known for playing "J.D. Pickett" on the TV series, The Waltons, where he worked from 1978–1981.-Life and career:...
as Sam Franklin (Alice's husband) - Caryn RichmanCaryn RichmanCaryn Richman is an actress who primarily appeared in television series in the 1980s and early 1990s. Her roles include Elena Dekker on the soap opera Texas, Gidget on the television series The New Gidget, and Nora Brady in A Very Brady Christmas and The Bradys.-External links:...
as Nora Brady (Greg's wife) - Jerry HouserJerry HouserJerry Houser is an American character actor and voice actor in film and television.-Career:Houser was born in Los Angeles, California. Since 1971, he has appeared in countless films, TV series, animated series, and commercials...
as Wally Logan (Marcia's husband) - Carol Huston as Valerie Baxton (Peter's fiancée)
- Ron Kuhlman as Phillip Covington (Jan's husband)
Impact
When the movie fist aired it was the highest rated tv movie of the season with a 25.1 rating and a 39 share but ultimately finished as the second highest rated tv movie of the season. Thanks in large part to the movie's success, CBS and Sherwood Schwartz created a new television series in 1990, The BradysThe Bradys
The Bradys is a six-episode American drama series that aired on CBS in 1990. It was a revival of the early 1970s sitcom, The Brady Bunch , and was about the trials and tribulations of the extended Brady family some 15 years after the end of the earlier series...
, based on the characters' adult lives; only six episodes were produced. However, since the tone of the new series dealt with adult issues the former Brady kids had to deal with, it was nicknamed "Brady-something", after the TV Show Thirtysomething which dealt with similar issues.
After The Bradys was cancelled, three theatrical films were made later in the 1990s: The Brady Bunch Movie
The Brady Bunch Movie
The Brady Bunch Movie is a 1995 American comedy film based on the 1969–1974 television series The Brady Bunch.The film features all the original regular characters, all played by new actors...
in 1995, and A Very Brady Sequel
A Very Brady Sequel
A Very Brady Sequel is a 1996 comedy film and sequel to 1995’s The Brady Bunch Movie. Both films are parodies-homages of the classic 1969–1974 television sitcom The Brady Bunch. The film was directed by Arlene Sanford and stars Shelley Long and Gary Cole as Carol and Mike Brady. The film was a box...
in 1996 and The Brady Bunch in the White House
The Brady Bunch in the White House
The Brady Bunch in the White House is a 2002 TV movie. It is the second sequel to the The Brady Bunch Movie , following A Very Brady Sequel . It was directed by Neal Israel and written by Lloyd J...
in 2002.