Apologies in advance dear readers, because I am having camera problems, and so you are going to have to wait another day to see my Mother's dog dressed up like a hot dog (I'm sure you're devastated - try to keep from crying yourself to sleep.) I have several Halloween pictures to share with you, but there is a curse on several members of my immediate family (myself included) in which we are unable to buy any kind of computer/DVD player/camera/TV that actually works the way it's supposed to. And so I spend about 90% of my time screaming at my electronics to, "DO YOUR DAMN JOB." Hopefully the camera will be back in working order tomorrow and then I can share some of my Halloween pictures.
And now, on to new business. I have been in a blogging funk for two weeks now, and so I have become to pull out all the stops (read: search for any gimmick I can find) to put an end to it. Today's attempt: reading a book about one of my all-time favorite TV shows.
Today's book, "Think you know everything about Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Mike, Carol, Alice, and the people who played them? Think again! From drunken golf-cart races across the Paramount lot through make-out sessions in Tiger's doghouse and Cindy's near-drowning in Hawaii, Barry Williams tells the real Brady story, previously hidden behind the carefully groomed facade of TV's favorite family. Growing Up Brady is packed with firsthand memories, never-before-published photos, and interviews with the show's cast, crew, and creator Sherwood Schwartz."
I'm sure this will come as no shock to you dear readers, but I loved today's book, not only because it's about one of my favorite shows, but because it gives a very vivid glimpse into life behind the scenes on the set of The Brady Bunch. Generally, when I read a book of this nature I end up walking away from the book feeling like the author didn't share enough of the really interesting details, but today's book was an exception to that. I learned all kinds of fun things about the show, which will no doubt enhance my viewing pleasure the next time I watch the show (which will most likely happen as soon as I am done writing this blog entry.)
Fun facts:
- Gene Hackman was originally considered for the part of Mike Brady. - Gene Hackman? Every feeling revolts (no offense intended to Gene, who I have no personal beef with) No one is Mike Brady but Robert Reed. Other actresses were originally considered for the parts of Carol Brady and Alice, but I wasn't as horrified by those people because I have no idea who those people are and so I couldn't sit around and think about how terribly wrong they would have been for the part.
- Barry Williams used to smoke on the set a lot. - Which I suppose is rather tame compared to what most of Hollywood's young stars do - but smoking at 14? Way to get started on that lung disease early Barry.
- Susan Olsen was nothing like the character she portrayed (Cindy.) - And the world breathes a collective sigh of relief that Cindy's special little brand of annoying is not real. The next time you watch an episode and are horrified by Cindy, just keep repeating the mantra you learned as a child after having a nightmare, It's just make believe. It's just make believe. It's just make believe. And by the way dear readers, is it weird that I love a show but hate most of the characters on it? I find this is true of several of my favorite shows and I'm beginning to think it makes me a TV freak.
Favorite line, "I should explain that we almost never behave this badly (we are not, after all, the cast of "Diff'rent Strokes.") - Oh Barry, you crazy cut up. I was amused enough by that line to almost forgive you for that horrible hair that you inflicted on the viewing public, (which I will never believe wasn't a perm no matter what you say in your book.) I am not, however, willing to forgive you for using the made up word "coupla" in place of "couple of", repeatedly throughout the book. That was just wrong and annoying.
I believe that I already asked about your favorite Brady Bunch episodes during the blog entry about Maureen McCormick's book, but if you are a new reader who would like to share your favorite episodes I would love to hear them (and even if you're not, I'm perfectly willing to hear the list again because I never tire of talking about Brady Bunch. But dear readers, if you are tired of discussing favorite episodes, you can tell me instead who your favorite character on the show was (I don't even need to ask who the least favorite is, because I think we can all agree that it was Cindy.) My favorite character is Bobby, although that's subject to change from day to day because I'm annoyed by most of them, so it's kind of a toss-up.
