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The first time the world met The Brady Bunch kids was not on TV, but in court
Don't worry, Alice was there to make sure the kids impressed the judge!
The last time that Barry Williams appeared on TV before The Brady Bunch premiered, he was on an episode of Adam-12 called "A Dead Cop Can't Help Anyone."
In the episode, Williams plays a boy who is mistakenly believed to be kidnapped. Six months later, everybody in the world would know which TV family Barry Williams belonged in, but just before that happened, Williams found himself dealing with the law again, only this time in the real world.
On that day, Williams wasn't the subject of interest for a couple of confused cops, but for a smiling judge, who wasn't just considering a matter involving Williams, but all his soon-to-be TV siblings.
In August 1969, just one month before The Brady Bunch premiered, the Brady Kids introduced themselves to the world in court, where they all appeared on the same day to get their Paramount Studios contract approved to do the show.
"Are Maureen McCormick, Barry Williams, Eve Plumb, Christopher Knight, Susan Olsen, and Michael Lookinland here?" the judge asked, according to The San Antonio Express, which sent a photographer and report to cover the big event.
Each kid obediently raised their hand when their name was called.
"Everything seems to be in order with the exception of a savings plan," the judge said. "If 20 percent seems reasonable to go into U.S. Savings Bonds, I'll approve their contracts."
Everybody easily agreed, as is the nature of The Brady Bunch, and the judge surveyed the kids one more time before sending them on their way, saying, "You look like a good group."
Little Eve Plumb spoke up then to correct him.
"It's the Brady Bunch," the eleven-year-old future Jan Brady said.
The judge wished them luck with the show. When they left the courtroom, the first person to congratulate them was Ann B. Davis, the actor who played Alice.
"That's looking pretty sharp," Davis told them before ushering them back out into the real world where their images would soon become inseparable from their famous TV characters. "Now, let's keep looking neat."
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While she and Reed rehearsed a kiss for the pilot, “the director wanted something different," Henderson said. “I saw Bob get very antsy and protective of himself. All of a sudden, I realized, ‘My God, Bob’s gay!’”
Sigh.
