BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – During the 1970s, the Bradys were a household name in America and are now said to be indelibly a part of American pop culture. While the iconic family is best known for The Brady Bunch, few associate them with The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, a Donny and Marie-like show that aired soon after the Bradys did their last taping and said goodbye to their split-level ranch.
“Up until now, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour was Hollywood’s best kept secret. People pretended like [it] never existed. But we brought this skeleton out of the closet and were shocked to find it was wearing sequins,” said Ted Nichelson, Illinois Wesleyan alumnus and co-author of the new book Love to Love You Bradys, The Bizarre Story of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour. The book was written with the help of former Brady star Susan Olsen, who played the youngest daughter Cindy on the show.
After working towards his doctorate degree at Ball State University, Nichelson met Olsen through mutual friends. The two stayed in touch and a friendship was formed. Both wanting to collaborate on a project, Nichelson approached Olsen with the idea of writing a book about The Brady Variety Hour. Despite the popularity of the Brady franchise, Nichelson realized that very little information was available about the show. He became curious and wanted to learn more. Olsen agreed the project was a great idea, and it evolved from there.