Brady Bunch Season One
The basics of the boxed set: This four-disc collection contains the twenty-five episodes from the first season of The Brady Bunch, which aired in the 1969-1970 television season. The episodes are uncut in the order they first appeared on television. An opening tag of the Bradys on the staircase with the words "In-Color" also appears just before the opening theme. This was very important at the time as most shows to this point had been airing in black/white (this clip had been lost through the years of editing). For fans that have only seen the show in reruns the uncut versions are truly a treat. Both TBS and Nickelodeon/TVLand cut the shows in different ways over the years, so fans can now truly see all of the story.
Additionally, there is a 20-minute documentary entitled "Coming Together Under One Roof" (included on the fourth disc) which for Brady fans contains nothing really new. It covers how the show came about, stories of how the cast was picked, etc. But, who knows, you might pick up something new, and its always fun to see cast members as they appear today. For new viewers this could be an interesting piece on the history of the show. (Sherwood Schwartz, Barry Williams, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, Susan Olsen and author/fan Lauren Johnson are interviewed for the piece.)
The coolest part of the package is the outer box itself. The still pictures you have seen on the internet do not do it justice. The 3x3 squares of the cast is actually a hologram type picture that when you move the box from side to side the cast moves and looks about the squares as they do in the opening credits. Then there are two inner disc jackets, one with a blue cover, the other yellow and the opposite color when you open them up (also within each case is a famous one-liner from the show and the cast seen on the staircase). Each case contains 5-pictures; most are scenes from first season episodes. Each jacket contains two discs, again with season one photos. The back of the disc cases contain episode descriptions and airdates for each episode. (See our episode guide for this information as well, though our episode guide lists the episodes in order of production, not airdate.)
Along with the documentary extra, three episodes within the collection are offered with overdubbed commentary. Each episode can be seen with or without the commentary. (Tip: To access the commentary you must specifically pick that episode and turn the commentary on first. If you are watching all of the episodes, the commentary feature is not available.) "The Honeymoon" features commentary by Sherwood Schwartz. He again talks about the concept of the show, his opinion of each cast member, both personally and professionally. He also talks, in great detail, about the troubles of shooting with animals, specifically cats. In the scene where Bobby and Mike talk about his mother, you hope Sherwood will reveal her identity, but he doesn't, she remains a mystery. This is a rather serious piece compared to the other two commentary features. "The Hero" and "A Camping We Will Go" are offered with commentary by Barry, Chris and Susan. First thing that came to mind when I saw this was "Mystery Science Theatre". All that was missing were little silhouettes of the cast at the bottom of the screen. The jokes, criticism and stories keep the viewers' interested and laughing. Barry, Chris and Susan make funny jokes about the show; tell us about what might have been going on behind the scenes at the time of filming, along with side notes about their own personal lives, etc.
Brady World would recommend this collection, and looks forward to Seasons 2-5. We would recommend for future Season Extras that the producers cover bloopers, inconsistencies within the shows and most of all tap into the large fan base and find out from them, why this show is loved by millions and has been for thirty-five years. Anyone who enjoys family shows and wants to remember a piece of their own childhood should buy this set and all future releases.
Disc 1
The Honeymoon
(2nd Version with Commentary by Sherwood Schwartz)
Dear Libby
Eenie, Meenie, Mommy, Daddy
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Katchoo
A Clubhouse Is Not A Home
Kitty Karry All is Missing
Disc 2
A Camping We Will Go
(2nd Version with Commentary by Barry, Chris & Susan)
Sorry Right Number
Every Boy Does It Once
Vote for Brady
The Voice of Christmas
Is There a Doctor in the House
Disc 3
Father of the Year
54-40 and Fight
Mike's Horrorscope
The Undergraduate
Tiger, Tiger
The Big Sprain
Disc 4
Brace Yourself
The Hero
(2nd Version with Commentary by Barry, Chris & Susan)
The Possible Dream
To Move or Not to Move
The Grass is Always Greener
Lost Locket, Found Locket