Brady Bunch (1969 – 1974): Robert Reed vs. Show Production Team
The Brady Bunch has been a staple sitcom classic since its debut in 1969. But among its detractors was the show’s star, Robert Reed, who played patriarch Mike Brady. He didn’t like the show. While the kids in the cast remember him fondly, Reed clashed with producer Sherwood Schwartz, directors, and writers. Reed was a classically trained, Shakespearean actor concerned that the Brady Bunch scripts were nothing but gags and one-liners. He would send notes to Schwartz, critiquing the episodes (which Schwartz often ignored), even battling over fact-checking he did on specific lines. He refused to take part in the series 1974 final episode because he felt the plot, about eldest son Greg accidentally turning his hair bright orange shortly before his high school graduation, was too absurd. Despite the conflicts, Reed would join later Brady spinoffs and specials until his death in 1992.