What do you think?
Rate this book
Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour
After decades under lock and key, Hollywood’s best kept secret is about to be revealed. Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour is an in-depth look at the most disastrous offering in television history brought to you by Cindy Brady herself, Susan Olsen. In this colourful, glitter-filled retrospective Susan and co-author Ted Nichelson investigate in very Brady detail how and why the rarely seen Variety Hour was conceived, produced, and ended up ranked in TV Guide’s top five “Worst Shows of All-Time.” Behind the scenes, this production was chock full of very serious human conflict: drug addiction, sexuality, weight issues, religion, and heated power struggles — all ultimately shattering the Bradys’ perfect image and forever scarring the legacy of TV's favorite family. Featuring hundreds of never-before-published photos and interviews with cast, crew, and production staff, including the Brady Bunch, Sherwood Schwartz, Sid and Marty Krofft, Bruce Vilanch, Paul Shaffer, and Rip Taylor.
- GenresTvMemoirNonfictionMusic
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
4 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 22, 2024
LOVE TO LOVE YOU BRADYS is an exhaustive look at an "only in the '70s" televised oddity, "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour." Someone thought it would be a great idea to team the wholesome Brady Bunch with producers Sid & Marty Krofft of "H.R. Pufinstuf" fame. The result was an absolute fever dream of otherwordly costumes, ill-advised musical numbers, confusing guest stars, and synchronized swimming.
However, at no point should we forget the amount of work it took to pull off this elaborate show, including the breakneck pace at which the crew had to assemble all of the components for a weekly event. The story of this show is at turns funny, impressive, and sad, but it is always memorable, and above all, bizarre!
However, at no point should we forget the amount of work it took to pull off this elaborate show, including the breakneck pace at which the crew had to assemble all of the components for a weekly event. The story of this show is at turns funny, impressive, and sad, but it is always memorable, and above all, bizarre!
May 1, 2024
If you are a Brady Bunch fan, and aware of the nine-episode variety show the cast assembled for in 1976-1977, this book is a treat! Co-written by Susan Olsen aka Cindy Brady, she and the two other authors share the bizarre behind-the-scenes drama that went into creating one of the worst tv series ever made.
Strangely, the premise of the show is that the Bradys won a chance to star in a variety show, so the father gives up his architectural job and the family moves to California, thus they all remain in character. All the actors except for Eve Plumb aka Jan Brady participated, and "fake Jan" remains a cultural joke. The only actors that truly had singing and dancing skills were the Brady Mom, Greg and fake Jan, thus all the musical numbers were lackluster. Plus, the water dancers, bad jokes and odd guest stars made the show exceptionally cringe-worthy. Not surprisingly, in subsequent Brady movie reunions, mentions of the show have been completely ignored (similar to the Star Wars Holiday Special).
The book is a fun read, with interviews of the Brady cast and many other wardrobe and camera crew. Many pictures are included of the sets, clothing and guest stars. It allowed for snarky commentary and some juicy gossip, which many readers are looking for in these memoir-type books. The entire first episode can be found on YouTube, so if you are not aware of this atrocity, you must watch it for yourself and be prepared to wince at the worst example of 70s-era excesses.
Strangely, the premise of the show is that the Bradys won a chance to star in a variety show, so the father gives up his architectural job and the family moves to California, thus they all remain in character. All the actors except for Eve Plumb aka Jan Brady participated, and "fake Jan" remains a cultural joke. The only actors that truly had singing and dancing skills were the Brady Mom, Greg and fake Jan, thus all the musical numbers were lackluster. Plus, the water dancers, bad jokes and odd guest stars made the show exceptionally cringe-worthy. Not surprisingly, in subsequent Brady movie reunions, mentions of the show have been completely ignored (similar to the Star Wars Holiday Special).
The book is a fun read, with interviews of the Brady cast and many other wardrobe and camera crew. Many pictures are included of the sets, clothing and guest stars. It allowed for snarky commentary and some juicy gossip, which many readers are looking for in these memoir-type books. The entire first episode can be found on YouTube, so if you are not aware of this atrocity, you must watch it for yourself and be prepared to wince at the worst example of 70s-era excesses.
April 14, 2011
A really nice book about a really crappy show! We see here how the only real chunk of Limberger in the whole production was the idea of the production in the first place; everything else--cast, crew, etc.--were top-notch. And oddly the show itself does have a certain eye-bugging left-field appeal...which perhaps leaves Susan Olsen to say it best:
"It's one thing to be in something that just sucks. I've been in plenty of those. But when it sucks so bad that it actually makes history that's kind of cool."
"It's one thing to be in something that just sucks. I've been in plenty of those. But when it sucks so bad that it actually makes history that's kind of cool."
April 29, 2024
This book was ripping good fun! Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) wrote a good part of it and it was full of photos and great memories of The Brady Bunch when they did a 9-episode Variety Hour.
January 17, 2010
Well the variety show might not have been very good, but the book is. A informative and interesting look at the Brady Brunch Variety show and all its cast members.
I really enjoyed the book. There were many things that I had no clue. I'm sure most people will learn something new about them while reading.
If you are a Brady Bunch fan, grab a copy and see what you know.
I really enjoyed the book. There were many things that I had no clue. I'm sure most people will learn something new about them while reading.
If you are a Brady Bunch fan, grab a copy and see what you know.
June 15, 2015
Everyone says it's campy now, but when I was 8 this was an awesome show :)
December 21, 2009
http://krofft.net/2009/09/05/review-l...
Up until now, “The Brady Bunch Hour” was one of those one-off shows that only Krofft-fanatics and Brady-ologists even remotely remembered…and many would have liked to forget. Variety shows in the 1970s were like reality-shows are today; occasionally there was a good one, but most of them were very bad. The Brady Hour was no exception.
I heard about this book (Love to Love You Bradys) two years ago when I was contacted by author Ted Nichelson. As a Krofft Fan, I was excited to hear a new book based on one of their properties was in the works, but at the same time wondered if was more a Brady book, than a Krofft book. The closer we got to the release, I started wondering if if my expectations were too high. I’m glad to say, they were too low.
I read this 300 page book in one sitting….I just couldn’t put it down. Nichelson’s over 7 years research and development pays off with a very engrossing, and well written book that pulls you in and won’t let you go. It’s a ‘coffee table book’, but structured well to tell a story from start to finish. What I found particularly interesting was the history of the show told from the writers’ point-of-view. Their insights provide us with a unique perspective of a Krofft production as well as 70s TV in general.
Being a coffee table book allows for lavish imagery throughout the book. Some pictures you’ve seen before, but more than not there is something new on every page. The show was such a visual experience that the photos are a must to experience the surreal-ality that was The Brady Hour. Also, the side notes by Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) really put it over the top.
If you have any interest in the Brady Bunch, Sid and Marty Krofft, or just TV show business in the 70s in general, this is the book to get. This is the story from start to finish on how the Brady Hour came to be, and how it faded away. I loved every minute of it…twice.
Up until now, “The Brady Bunch Hour” was one of those one-off shows that only Krofft-fanatics and Brady-ologists even remotely remembered…and many would have liked to forget. Variety shows in the 1970s were like reality-shows are today; occasionally there was a good one, but most of them were very bad. The Brady Hour was no exception.
I heard about this book (Love to Love You Bradys) two years ago when I was contacted by author Ted Nichelson. As a Krofft Fan, I was excited to hear a new book based on one of their properties was in the works, but at the same time wondered if was more a Brady book, than a Krofft book. The closer we got to the release, I started wondering if if my expectations were too high. I’m glad to say, they were too low.
I read this 300 page book in one sitting….I just couldn’t put it down. Nichelson’s over 7 years research and development pays off with a very engrossing, and well written book that pulls you in and won’t let you go. It’s a ‘coffee table book’, but structured well to tell a story from start to finish. What I found particularly interesting was the history of the show told from the writers’ point-of-view. Their insights provide us with a unique perspective of a Krofft production as well as 70s TV in general.
Being a coffee table book allows for lavish imagery throughout the book. Some pictures you’ve seen before, but more than not there is something new on every page. The show was such a visual experience that the photos are a must to experience the surreal-ality that was The Brady Hour. Also, the side notes by Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) really put it over the top.
If you have any interest in the Brady Bunch, Sid and Marty Krofft, or just TV show business in the 70s in general, this is the book to get. This is the story from start to finish on how the Brady Hour came to be, and how it faded away. I loved every minute of it…twice.
June 1, 2013
I love disasters (see my review of "My Year of Flops") and as far as television goes, the Brady Bunch Variety Hour is one of the all-time greats. Fake Jan, Robert Reed stumbling through songs from a Chorus Line, Florence Henderson shaking her booty, Greg Brady self-seriously crooning favorites from Pippen -- I seriously can't get enough. Rip Taylor is dating Ann B. Davis? OF COURSE HE IS!
This book, while amusing in spots, ain't the goods. Chapter after chapter devoted to costume design, set design, water ballet choreography, all in an attempt to fill pages, I suppose.
There's a few bits of fun Brady gossip, but those have been handled more salaciously and entertainingly elsewhere. (See Maureen McCormick's "Here's the Story" if you really want the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll.)
Skip the book and see if your library has a copy of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour DVD instead. (Currently out-of-print, it's hard to find one to buy for less that $75 -- I'm not the only disaster fan, apparently.)
This book, while amusing in spots, ain't the goods. Chapter after chapter devoted to costume design, set design, water ballet choreography, all in an attempt to fill pages, I suppose.
There's a few bits of fun Brady gossip, but those have been handled more salaciously and entertainingly elsewhere. (See Maureen McCormick's "Here's the Story" if you really want the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll.)
Skip the book and see if your library has a copy of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour DVD instead. (Currently out-of-print, it's hard to find one to buy for less that $75 -- I'm not the only disaster fan, apparently.)
November 9, 2023
I have been a fan of the Brady Bunch since I was a kid, and was very excited to purchase a 31 DVD set which came out in 2019 and had the original series, the animated series, the made for TV movies and subsequent series, as well as the 5 movies that followed. Somehow I learned that they also did a variety show in 1976 - 77, which blew my mind. There isn't much out there until I came across a 2009 book all about the show, this book as a matter of fact. I read Maureen McCormick's biography first to get a little background, and then dove into this amazing full colour book, which was easy to see was a labour of love for the three authors. Lots of photos, lots of detail, and very candid. It's a great collector's edition, and I look forward to reading it again. Before you read this book, I'd suggest going to YouTube and watching the very first episode, just so fully understand what you are about to get involved in. Love the Brady's!
February 16, 2022
You won't believe to research that went into this book! Amazing quality. Fantasticly FUN read! You know the cast, but you will be shocked and entertained by their exploits and what lead them to this bizarre Show. The big question is WHY this was ever allowed to happen? Definitely a sign of the times; a genre that was enjoying a run (the Variety Show), so why not populate it with everyones fun Family, the Bradys! Crazy decisions equal disastrous results. From the misplaced Humongous Swimming Pool to the cast members that were either drug-addled or called too fat, you won't want to miss a chapter here! Maybe the take-away is that when you try to make everyone happy, Nobody is happy -- remember the Edsel.......
Sing with me: Here's the Story of a Crazy Business....
Sing with me: Here's the Story of a Crazy Business....
September 28, 2025
Amazingly detailed look at the somewhat bizarre Brady Bunch Variety Hour. The show ran for about 6 months (8 episodes) from late 1976-1977. Anything you ever wanted to know about it is in this very colorful book. Lots of photos, printed on beautiful thick glossy paper, it does ample justice to a show often described as one of the worst ever.
November 3, 2019
A VERY important book (especially for those among us who care a lot about celebrity mysteries)!!! #FakeJan4Ever
February 6, 2026
Smart reading is smart leading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2014
What I liked about it: As a child growing up in the 80s and 90s, I watched The Brady Bunch pretty much every day between 3:30 and dinner time, as there was always an episode on at least one channel. I even took Barry Williams' book Growing Up Brady out of the library and made my dad photocopy the episode-by-episode trivia out of the back of it so I could note all the ridiculous moments as I was watching. I also watched the TV movies and the commercial films, but in the days before the internet, I never saw this show. I wasn't totally obsessed, but I was interested enough to buy this book and find all the episodes on YouTube.
What I didn't like about it: As I said, I'm not totally obsessed, so an entire chapter on the women who played the dancers/synchronised swimmers and where they are today wasn't exactly scintillating. I was much more interested in reading about Florence Henderson's hissy fits or the ways the producers would try to keep the underage actors working overtime without getting fined by the California Labor Board.
http://omnibrowbooks.blogspot.com
What I didn't like about it: As I said, I'm not totally obsessed, so an entire chapter on the women who played the dancers/synchronised swimmers and where they are today wasn't exactly scintillating. I was much more interested in reading about Florence Henderson's hissy fits or the ways the producers would try to keep the underage actors working overtime without getting fined by the California Labor Board.
http://omnibrowbooks.blogspot.com
January 14, 2010
This is a great story about the little known show that the Brady Bunch got themselves entangled into back in the late 70's. Packed full of scoop, pictures and information and quotes from all the cast members. Special memories and storylines are included by Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady).
On a side note, if you're planning on reading this, I suggest you avoid the e-version of it at all costs. I was given this version by the publisher, ECW Press for review and that version is totally awful. The pictures are grainy and sometimes impossible to decipher and towards the end letters in words were missing. Not to mention I noticed at least twice where entire sentences were cut off at the end of a page. This book was good, but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if it had been more readable.
On a side note, if you're planning on reading this, I suggest you avoid the e-version of it at all costs. I was given this version by the publisher, ECW Press for review and that version is totally awful. The pictures are grainy and sometimes impossible to decipher and towards the end letters in words were missing. Not to mention I noticed at least twice where entire sentences were cut off at the end of a page. This book was good, but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if it had been more readable.
Read
January 29, 2016I only have vague memories of this show (or maybe it's just the clips I've seen) - mostly just remembering seeing various members of the cast pushed into the pool. Anyway, this book was interesting in the same way that gossip is interesting. In fact, I learned more in this book about what each actor/actress is really like. Bob Reed can rest peacefully knowing this book paints him in a fairly positive light (more so than pretty much the rest of the cast). I would recommend this book to fans of the show, or those who just like good 70's celebrity gossip.
February 6, 2010
Great read with everything you ever wanted to know (or not know) about the debacle that was The Brady Bunch Variety Hour that aired for 9 episodes in 1976-1977. Tons of detail, behind-the-scenes info and dirt, private photos from cast members, info on the swimmers, blueprints of the on-set pool, etc. A treasure for anyone into 70s pop culture kitsch. Co-written by Susan Olsen.
February 6, 2014
Very entertaining behind-the-scenes look at the bizarre Brady Bunch Variety Hour I use to watch during its single season on the air in 1976-1977, created by the Krofft brothers who also made Saturday morning shows like H.R. PufnStuf!
January 5, 2010
More behind-the-scenes, how the biz works info than I expected. Good times!
Want to read
January 10, 2010Surprising number of five-star reviews for this one at Amazon. Am looking forward to reading someday!
January 6, 2011
This book made me wish I had been alive to see the show even more than I already did. I will personally spearhead a campaign to get all of these episodes released on DVD!
September 21, 2012
A fantastic historical record with great perspectives from Susan Olsen
July 22, 2016
An incredibly in-depth look at one of the biggest train wrecks in modern television history. Fascinating to see how it was put together, doomed from the start, with photos and interviews aplenty.
April 7, 2014
For Brady fans only.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews