The Brady Bunch never received good ratings, only ran for five years, and was panned by the critics. But somehow, America's first blended family became part of television history.
Producer Sherwood Schwartz explained the phenomenon by the point of view. He said the success of the show was based on the fact the story lines were told from the kid's point of view on issues and situations they cared about.
The Brady Bunch aired from September 26,1969 to March 8, 1974.
On June 2, 2014, Ann B. Davis, who played beloved housekeeper Alive, passed away.
In a 2004 story in USA TODAY related to a TV Land celebration of The Brady Bunch's 35th anniversary, the never-married Davis, 78, said she was happily retired and living in a Christian community in San Antonio, where she sang in her church's choir, watched baseball on TV, played computer games and took a lot of naps. She told USA TODAY that the only thing that disturbed her peaceful existence was Brady Bunch reunions. "This lady's trying to get retired," she said with a grumble, "and the phone keeps ringing with new things to do with The Brady Bunch."
Ann played a role in several of the later TV reunions and spin-offs: The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, The Brady Girls Get Married, A Very Brady Christmas, The Brady Bunch Movie, a Very Brady Sequel, and The Brady Bunch in the White House.
