By Michael Lyons
“I don’t have to be logical. I’m a mother.” - Carol Brady
To all those who think outside of logic; to all those who hold a house together; to all those who place constant, needy conversations above their own thoughts; to all those who run on the power of love and family, there’s a day thats all about you...
...Mother’s Day!
What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than to celebrate the TV Mom who has come to epitomize motherhood (yes, even in its most unrealistic state) for multiple generations: Carol Brady of “The Brady Bunch.”
From 1969 to 1974 and in countless reruns to this day, one of TV’s most popular and enduring sitcoms has continued to resonate, despite the fact that everything in it is not of this world, but instead exists in some, shiny, pretty world that could only exist in TV sitcoms of yesteryear.
One aspect of “The Brady Bunch” that resonated, particularly with kids, was the quiet, warm, nurturing mom, Carol Brady. Played so well by the late Florence Henderson, she was the kind, loving, firm, quirky, entertaining force that could hold the impeccable Brady household together and still belt out a good show tune every now and then.
In honor of Mother’s Day, it seems fitting to look back at some episodes of “The Brady Bunch” that centered around Carol and why she made kids everywhere want to be part of the “Bunch.”
“The Grass is Always Greener” (Originally aired March 13, 1970)
In this “battle of the sexes” episode, Mike Brady (Robert Reed) and Carol are comparing and contrasting the difficulties of being a mom and dad, each feeling their particular gender has it more difficult.
To settle the score, they both decide to switch places for a weekend, Mike will teach the girls to cook, while Carol will coach the boys in baseball. The results in both are disastrous, but come with some great moments of physical comedy from Henderson.
In the end, both come to a realization that neither domestic role is easy and mothers and fathers each come with their own unique challenges. And, as the viewer, we get a glimpse at a time before smart phones and streaming movies, when weekends were dedicated to scouting projects and backyard baseball. Plus, Mrs. Brady swings a mean bat!
“The Fender Benders” (Originally aired March 10, 1972)
While leaving the a supermarket parking lot, Mrs. Brady is involved in a fender bender with a gentleman named Mr. Duggan (Jackie Cooper, Uncle Fester from “The Addams Family”). All seems minor at first, until Duggan decides to take Carol to court to sue for damages to his car.
As we discover that Duggan is underhanded, Mrs. Brady emerges as the honest, innocent party in a court room scene that could only play out on ‘70’s sitcoms, showing why Mrs. Brady will always be the TV Mom we “judge” to be the best.
“The Show Must Go On??” (Originally aired November 3, 1972)
Greg (Barry Williams) and Marcia (Maureen McCormick) dupe their parents into participating in “Family Frolics,” a talent show at the local high school. In the show, Carol and Marcia perform the song “Together” from the musical “Gypsy.” It’s a sequence that always brings about a smile and showcases Henderson’s Broadway talents...and once again that there was nothing Mrs. Brady couldn’t do.
“You’re Never Too Old” (Originally aired March 9, 1973)
In this episode, Florence Henderson dons prosthetics to play a “dual role” as Mrs. Brady’s great-grandmother, a widow who the kids try to fix up with Mr. Brady’s great-grandfather (yup, played by Robert Reed).
The highlight of this episode is a trope trotted out in a number of ‘70’s sitcoms, in which the stars of the show don latex makeup to play an older member of the family. This one is a tour-de-force for the two leads and as charmingly “Brady” as they come!
These are just a few memorable moments in “the story of a lovely lady!” And, to so many other lovely ladies out there...
...Happy Mother’s Day!
Sources: IMDb
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