Here's how Susan Olsen felt about her Brady brothers

We can't all get along.

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The scene that could have ended ’The Brady Bunch’
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People love the onset drama behind TV shows almost as much as they love the shows themselves. There's something intriguing about it all, even beyond celebrity fascination. Here are these people that we've gotten to know under false pretenses. We watch these folks on TV every week and we develop genuine emotional bonds. Then, sometimes, that "reality" is torn away, and we're forced to confront that people aren't the characters they play on television. It's jarring when we find out that friends we know onscreen are enemies behind the camera.

On the other hand, it's really pleasing to learn about onset friendships! Such was the case between Susan Olsen and her onscreen brother Mike Lookinland, who played Bobby Brady. The two actors, who played the youngest Bradys, were frequently paired up in Brady episodes, and the time they spent together developed a strong relationship. 

"The Brady Bunch was like a second family," Olsen told Peter Wilmoth of Melbourne, Australia publication The Age. "There was a lot of love from all around. My favorite was Mike Lookinland. I had 2000 various crushes on him. We never even French-kissed. We were only seven and we would hug in the dark and go, 'I love you.'"

However, that affection didn't extend to everybody in the cast. It seems as though the oldest Brady brother may have been most charming while in character, at least according to Olsen. She was not a fan of actor Barry Williams. 

"I had my difficulties with him, more as an adult," said Olsen. "He has a completely different mindset from me. He calls restaurants and says, "I'm Barry Williams, I used to be Greg Brady, can I have your best table?' I would never do that."  

She also took time to throw Williams under the bus further when discussing a much-publicized date the actor went on with his onscreen mother, Florence Henderson. In the quote, not even Henderson escapes Olsen's scorched earth remarks.

"Florence went out with Barry out of charity, because he was a nerd. She went out with him to make him feel special. I used to think it was kind of desperate of her to be so attentive to his attentions." 

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24 Comments

Runeshaper 15 months ago
Sounds like some love ❤️ and some something else lol 😆
tootsieg 15 months ago
The Brady Brunch is a fun show.
Coldnorth tootsieg 15 months ago
I didn’t watch it much when it first aired, but the thing that really made me laugh when I did see it was the grass they played on. That fake grass was soooo bad.
tootsieg Coldnorth 15 months ago
I did not watch the show at all when it first aired as well but now I get a kick out of it. The fake grass is funny and the kids are good actors. 😊
KMT6600 15 months ago
I still watch the show when ever its on Love it
dazeofwine 15 months ago
I remember hearing on the radio many years back that the crew had Barry on a few days earlier. They said they were shocked. At first they thought he was kidding but no, he was still acting like a big movie star decades later. They kind of teased about it on the show.
JeffPaul76 15 months ago
MeTV, You need to take off M*A*S*H COMPLETELY and put The A-TEAM back the schedule. PRONTO!!! And GOMER PYLE U.S.M.C.
JeffPaul76 15 months ago
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tootsieg JeffPaul76 15 months ago
I agree. Bring back the A-Team. The summer is almost over.
tootsieg 15 months ago
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MadMadMadWorld daDoctah 15 months ago
That's a winner! Miss good-written and acting shows like that with both comedy and drama, Sep. 1969-Jan. 1974.
BenSobeleone tootsieg 15 months ago
If you have H&I Heroes and Icons channel on your tv, you can watch the A-Team there. Just found it today.
tootsieg BenSobeleone 15 months ago
I do have Heroes and Icons. Yay! Thanks for the heads up!! 😊🙏
BenSobeleone tootsieg 15 months ago
You got it. Enjoy!
MikeInFla 15 months ago
I think I will disagree here and say they get along just fine. She just appeared on The Real Brady Bros podcast with Barry and Chris and she has been on more than one time. Sounded to me like they get along very well.
MikeInFla 15 months ago
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braycy 15 months ago
I grew up to the show, I rem the first episode, my kids grew up to it. It's good tv! Like most the shows on MeTV the dirt doesn't interest me, what DID interest me was the special about creating the actual design of Brady house from the Brady house shown on tv. 💕 the classics!
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Andybandit 15 months ago
I didn't realize she wasn't close with Barry Williams. She was closer with Bobby, probably because they were close in age.
LoveMETV22 15 months ago
In the video that plays along with the story:

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He also saved many others that were riding ahead of the Brady Cast.
AnnaRentzVandenhazel 15 months ago
Why is there no mention of Peter Brady/Christopher Knight? Did she love him or hate him, or somewhere in between?

PS Christopher Knight appeared in a final-season episode of The Bionic Woman involving the bionic dog Max(?). His character's name was Bobby, they gave him the name of the wrong Brady brother.
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ncadams27 daDoctah 15 months ago
You are correct- but I had to check. While it did run three seasons, it’s not well known today. Certainly not like the other shows you mention.
MadMadMadWorld daDoctah 15 months ago
The Patty Duke Show (Sep. 1963-Apr. 1966).
MadMadMadWorld daDoctah 15 months ago
Batman actually was filmed/aired only TWO seasons (years), Jan. 12, 1966-Mar. 14, 1968. 2 years and 2 months!
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