Maureen McCormick Movies

The fifth and final season of The Brady Bunch finds a newcomer amidst the familiar faces. Joining stars Robert Reed and Florence Henderson as Mike and Carol Brady, Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Mike Lookinland, and Susan Olsen as the various and sundry Brady kids, and Ann B. Davis as Alice the housekeeper, is child actor Robbie Rist as the infamous Cousin Oliver, whose addition to the family was a gimmick to "freshen up" the then five-year-old series. There are thousands upon thousands of Brady Bunch fans who are of the opinion that the world would be no worse off with one less Cousin Oliver, but thankfully (for these fans) the kid showed up in only six episodes. No matter what one's opinion of the estimable Oliver, it cannot be denied that several of the fifth-season Brady Bunch episodes are among the series' best and most memorable. These include "Adios, Johnny Bravo," in which Greg Brady adopts a new name in preparation for a showbiz career; "Mail Order Hero," distinguished by football legend Joe Namath in a guest appearance as himself; "Never Too Young," featuring a pre-Little House on the Prairie Melissa Sue Anderson as little Bobby Brady's first major crush; "Marcia Gets Creamed," a textbook example of the venerable adage "Never hire your relatives"; "The Elopement," wherein the Brady kids labor under the false assumption that Alice is about to marry her erstwhile beau Sam (Allan Melvin); "Two Petes in a Pod," with series regular Christopher Knight in a dual role; "The Cincinnati Kid," an episode built around the real-life opening of the Kings' Island amusement park in Cincinnati; and the series' final episode, "The Hair-Brained Scheme," the one in which Greg's hair turns orange. Also worth mentioning is the episode titled "Kelly's Kids," the story of a husband (Ken Berry) and wife (Brooke Bundy) who adopt a trio of interracial kids, which was filmed as the pilot for a series that never sold. ~ All Movie Guide

Season three of The Brady Bunch is pretty much the same as seasons one and two, not that anyone is complaining. Once again, the diverse members of the Brady clan, brought together two seasons earlier by the wedding of widow Carol Martin (Florence Henderson) and widower Mike Brady (Robert Reed), do their darnedest to live harmoniously under the same suburban roof, with sensible housekeeper Alice (Ann B. Davis) acting as sidelines observer and occasional plot motivator. The season opens with the series' first multi-episode story, in which the Bradys embark upon a memorable trip to the Grand Canyon -- and along the way are detained by an eccentric old prospector played by Jim Backus, here working for producer Sherwood Schwartz for the first time since the cancellation of Gilligan's Island. Subsequent episodes worth mentioning include "The Wheeler Dealer, in which oldest son Greg Brady (Barry Williams) buys his first car; "The Personality Kid," which finds middle son Peter (Christopher Knight) adopting a zany new personality and living to regret it (remember the "Porkchops and Applesauce" scene?); "Juliet Is the Sun," wherein oldest daughter Marcia (Maureen McCormick) develops a swelled head the size of Massachusetts when she lands the lead in her school play; "Her Sister's Shadow," an exercise in frustration for middle daughter Jan (Eve Plumb), who for the first -- and, astonishingly the last -- time utters the immortal rant "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"; "Getting Davy Jones," the celebrated episode featuring the titular ex-Monkee; "The Teeter-Totter Caper," a potent warning against incipient juvenile delinquency spotlighting youngest Brady kids Bobby (Mike Lookinland) and Cindy (Susan Olsen); and "Sergeant Emma," in which series regular Ann B. Davis delivers a bravura performance in the dual role of housekeeper Alice and her martinet cousin Emma. ~ All Movie Guide

Season one of The Brady Bunch opens famously with the wedding of widow Carol Martin (Florence Henderson) and widower Mike Brady (Robert Reed), attended by Carol's daughters, Marcia (Maureen McCormick), Jan (Eve Plumb), and Cindy (Susan Olsen) and by Mike's sons, Greg (Barry Williams), Peter (Christopher Knight), and Bobby (Mike Lookinland). This occasion also serves as the first -- and last -- appearance of the girls' pet cat, Fluffy, and is quickly followed by a chaotic "family honeymoon." Certainly an auspicious start for five years' worth of warm-hearted hilarity. The first season's best-remembered episodes include "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," in which Alice the housekeeper (Ann B. Davis) gets the mistaken notion that her services are no longer required; "A Clubhouse Is Not a Home," the first of many episodes in which the Brady kids build an elaborate prop; "A-Camping We Will Go," the contents of which should be self-explanatory; and "Sorry, Right Number," in which Mike installs a pay phone to teach his family a lesson in economizing (this episode also marks the first appearance of Alice's off-and-on beau Sam [Allan Melvin]). Other memorable episodes include "Vote for Brady," a cautionary tale of campaign promises unfulfilled; "Is There a Doctor in the House?," dramatizing a medical "turf war" arising from the kids' measles; "The Undergraduate," wherein Greg Brady develops a crush on his attractive teacher; "Brace Yourself," the story of Marcia's dental misfortunes; "The Possible Dream," with guest star Desi Arnaz Jr.; and "The Grass Is Always Greener," the one where Mike and Carol switch jobs for a day. ~ All Movie Guide

Darrin and Endora are arguing again, this time over how Samantha should celebrate Halloween. Unable to win her argument in a fair fashion, Endora gets even with Darrin by slowly transforming him into a werewolf. Naturally, this causes no end of confusion for Darrin's boss, Larry Tate, and their new client, Jack Rogers (Jack Collins). Written by Lawrence J. Cohen and Fred Freeman, "Trick or Treat" appropriately aired on October 28, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide