Original Cast Member Barry Williams --Whose Book Inspired Movie -- Stars as Himself; Cameos appearances Made by Original Cast Member Michael Lookinland and Original Series Producer Sherwood Schwartz Scott Lookinland, Son of Michael Lookinland, Portrays Own Father as a Child Actor

Michael Tucker (“L.A. Law,” “Chicken Soup for the Soul”) heads the “blended family” cast of “Growing Up Brady,” the NBC World Premiere movie chronicling the behind-the-scenes antics of America’s favorite family show and based on original cast member Barry Williams (Greg Brady) and Chris Kreski’s best-selling book, “Growing Up Brady…I Was a Teenage Greg.” The movie will be telecast Sunday, May 21 (9-11 p.m. ET) on NBC.

Tucker stars as producer Sherwood Schwartz, the often bemused and embattled creator of the classic comedy. Adam Brody (“The Silencing”) portrays the young Barry Williams, and Williams (who has a co-executive producer credit on the film) appears as his present-day self. In a novel casting twist, original cast member Michael Lookinland (Bobby Brady) makes a cameo appearance as a cameraman (his real-life profession) and his son, Scott Michael Lookinland, portray his own father, playing the elder Lookinland from the era when he starred on the series as Bobby Brady. Sherwood Schwartz (“Gilligan’s Island”), the original series’ producer, also has a cameo role.

The true story about the filming of “The Brady Bunch,” the beloved ‘70s “family-hour” comedy series, was often times as funny, and certainly more dramatic, than the actual series which ran from September 1969 to August 1974. The cast members included a widow with three daughters who married a widower with three sons, as well as the family’s housekeeper -- united nine different personalities, who grew, fought and forged life long friendships.

As the series grew in popularity, it spawned coloring books, toys, lunch boxes, record deals, an animated series and a personal appearance tour in which the naïve young actors found themselves pursued by zealous fans whose enthusiasm verged on maniacal. The series produced 117 original half-hour episodes and lives on in syndication, where it enjoys greater success than it achieved in its original run.

Rounding out the cast are Daniel Hugh Kelly (“Oh Baby”) as Robert Reed/Mike Brady, Rebeccah Bush (“In the Name of Love: A Texas Tragedy”) as Florence Henderson/Carol Brady, Kaley Cuoco (“Dean Koontz’s Mr. Murder”) as Maureen McCormick/Marcia Brady,

Kaitlin Cullum (“Grace Under Fire”) as Eve Plumb/Jan Brady, Carly Schroeder (“General Hospital,” “Babe: Pig in the City”) as Susan Olsen/Cindy Brady, Ricky Ullman (“The Boys of Sunset Ridge”) as Christopher Knight/Peter Brady and Suanne Spoke (“The Norm Show”) as Ann B. Davis/Alice.

Also starring are Michael Fetters as Lloyd Schwartz, Mark Kassen as Eddie Fontaine, Frances Whitfield, Alan Wolf as “Brady Bunch” Director No.1, Paul Greenberg as Davy Jones and Marianne McAndrew as Doris Williams.

Kimberly Rubin (“The Audrey Hepburn Story,” “The Secret Path”) is the executive producer, and Mark Ovitz (“Di Resta”) is the producer of the production from Zenna Tree Entertainment in association with Paramount Network Television. Richard A. Colla (“Blue Valley Songbird”) directs from a script by Matt Dorff (NBC’s “Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Alan Freed Story,” “Choices of the Heart”).

Bob Meyer
NBC-New York, 04/10/00