Barry Williams reminisces about "A Very Brady Christmas" and that Greg Brady mustache - The Greg Brady star chats about getting the family back together and that mustache.

[Ubiquitous]

After The Brady Bunch sitcom came to end, the Bradys did not just disappear.
The Brady Kids released records and toured as a musical act. In 1976, the
clan returned to television for The Brady Bunch Hour, a variety show that
delivered music, comedy, synchronized swimming and a substitute Jan. But in
the 1980s, the Bradys faded somewhat from the public consciousness.

That all changed in 1988 with the airing of A Very Brady Christmas. The
reunion TV movie brought back the whole family. [Well, character-wise. Cast-
wise, Susan Olsen opted out of the special for her honeymoon. Jennifer Runyon
replaced her in the role of Cindy.] The holiday movie was a ratings smash -
and it reignited a love for the Brady Bunch that continues to this day.

Recently, we talked with Barry Williams, the actor behind elder brother Greg
Brady. We discussed the upcoming Classic TV Stars Cruise he is hosting, and
took some time to chat about A Very Brady Christmas, the renovation of the
Brady house and more.

Let's talk about A Very Brady Christmas. What is the first thing that comes
to mind when you think of that Christmas special?

It was the first time we had gotten together in quite a while. We were all
grown up. I was wearing a mustache in that, wasn't I?

Yes, you were.

You won't see me wearing that anymore! [Laughs] I was going for that Tom
Selleck look.

What did you think about the movie itself?

Think of it this way. The Brady Bunch was like a family. I always appreciated
getting together, like a family reunion, regardless of what exactly the plot
points were. In some ways, it was more for our nostalgia than. than, you
know, saving dad by singing "O Come, All Ye Faithful."

Right, Mike was trapped in the collapsed construction site.

I'll tell you what was memorable to us in television terms - it was the
second-highest-rated TV movie of 1988 across all three networks. I think
Roots [ABC's holiday movie Roots: The Gift - ed.] was number one that year.
That edged us out. For a stand-alone special, A Very Brady Christmas was the
most-watched television show in America. So that was impressive. It gave us
some legs and legitimized us somewhat. That led to that short-lived
television series The Bradys - that, maybe, should not have been done. But
that almost directly led to the [1990s reboot] movies.

Susan Olsen was on her honeymoon and did not appear in A Very Brady
Christmas. But she joined up with you guys immediately after the filming. She
still took part in the reunion behind the scenes, after the wrap. Was it
weird to be without her?

All the girls bailed in one way or another, at some point. Maureen
[McCormick] was out of The Bradys; Eve [Plumb] was out of the variety show,
and Susan missed A Very Brady Christmas.

Have you been keeping up with the sale of the Brady house?

Absolutely.

Maureen was recently on a red carpet and mentioned that she considered buying
the house. Did any such thoughts ever cross your mind?

[Laughs] No. Although, you know, maybe if I was on a red carpet. I am very
pleased that HGTV has it. I talked to the production team over there. They
have a very reverent approach to what they're going to do. They're going to
remodel the house - for the first time ever, recreate it to how it actually
appeared on the series. I think that's very cool.

Speaking of the interior, did you have input into decorating the boys' room?

Not too much. They had a clown painting there. I never really understood
that. Although I did write that song, [sings] Clowns never laughed before,
starships never flew. As an actor, I was more involved with the scenes and
the believability. They gave me clothes to wear; I wore them. We had a set
designer who designed the set for us. I went in and acted. I didn't take in a
lot of ideas. But that groovy wardrobe? That vest with the fringe on it? That
was mine. The moccasins were mine. I contributed to that part. Because I led
a groovy life.

Do you ever have dreams of being on the Brady set?

It was a workplace. It didn't look or feel like a home. Everything's open.
Nothing is even functional or practical. Even the plumbing didn't work unless
they hooked up a five-gallon tank, or if they had a stove thing, they had to
bring in a propane tank. It never really felt like a home. Except for that
backyard. I often really believed that astroturf was real grass. At least as
an actor, I hope it came off, it appeared that I believed.

Were we supposed to believe that it was real grass?

Aww, man, you're killing me! Daaaah, you're killing me! [Laughs]

As a kid, I always thought it was a '70s thing - that's just what they did
back then. You know, some people had astroturf for backyards.

[Sighs] If you took that away from it, that's okay.

I believed that you believed it was grass. I'll say that.

Alright! Thanks!


--
"We need to impeach the President to find out what crime he committed."
- Nancy Pelosi