Brady, Brady, Brady by Sherwood Schwartz

Author:Sherwood Schwartz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Running Press

CHAPTER 32

MARCIA, MARCIA, MARCIA

Dad deliberately didn’t want too many topical references in The Brady Bunch. He wanted our shows to be universal and not about what was happening currently in the world. That may well be one of the reasons that the shows hold up in syndication.

We have been criticized for not being realistic and not taking on issues of a global nature, but Dad felt that our shows should reflect problems to which all kids and parents could relate, problems that were present in homes of many kinds.

In doing so, we did episodes about peer pressure, acceptance, honesty, etc. Sometimes Dad broke his own rule and did a show that reflected problems that were somewhat topical, and he wanted to address them. Dad showed courage in doing the aforementioned anti-smoking show when there were still cigarette ads on TV.

We also produced a women’s lib episode when Marcia wanted to join the all-boy Frontier Scouts and argued sex discrimination. I don’t think we used the words “sex discrimination” then because the term had yet to be invented.

Another rule that Dad insisted upon was “no catchphrases.” He thought that characters who constantly resorted to expressions like “Sit on it” or “Did I do that?” or “What you talking about, Willis?” would define a show as being part of a specific time and place.

Dad failed. Quite a few expressions have come from The Brady Bunch, but few people are aware that each of the Brady catchphrases were only said once in the entire series.

“Mom always said: Don’t play ball in the house.”

“Pork chops and applesauce.”

“Oh, my nose!”

“Something suddenly came up.”

“Exact words.”

And Dad’s and my favorite: “You fit the suit.”

Though hardly Shakespearean, many of these lines are quoted as if they were intended to be eternal. And thanks to the show’s fans, perhaps they will be.

But by far the most famous quote from a Brady episode is the redundant “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” which Jan exclaimed when Marcia’s overpowering popularity had gotten just too much for her.

I’m not exactly sure why it has caught on—maybe it’s the universality of having that kind of a golden sibling in a family—but “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” has entered the vernacular and manages to sneak into conversations everywhere.

I apologize to anyone named Marcia or Marsha who can’t escape having it as part a cross we have made her bear.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.