The Everett Collection

Robert Reed wasn't afraid to speak up about his Brady Bunch criticisms

By: Catchy Comedy Staff    Posted: April 17, 2024, 9:09AM

Robert Reed, as Mike Brady, was the iconic father of six during his time on The Brady Bunch. His character quickly became one of America's favorite TV dads. Mike Brady was able to instill many life lessons in not only the Brady kids but also the kids watching The Brady Bunch at home.

Although Reed was on The Brady Bunch for a total of five seasons, he wasn't always happy with the final product. 

According to a 1972 interview with Courier-Post, Reed had a lot to say about his series, primarily discussing how he wished certain aspects of the series could change. 

"The ineptitude of the scripts can be overpowering," Reed said. "You get a script that's ludicrous. Sometimes the pages don't even match. It could be a good show, but we're operating at 30 percent capacity, I think."

Although Reed said the writing and writing process had gotten better from season to season, he still wasn't happy with how it was going. But he also wasn't afraid to speak his mind about it either.

See Also

Harvey Korman had a ton of ideas but said no format fit his style

"They want ratings and money... Their attitude is not caviler," Reed said. "They think it's good. The others are not going to raise a fuss. I'm called a bad boy because I want to improve it."

According to the interview, Reed wanted The Brady Bunch to be renewed for a new season but was unsure if he could commit himself to another season. He had love for all of his Brady co-stars, and stated: "The role, apart from the ninny writers, is terrific."

"These are the finest kid actors I've ever worked with," Reed said. "There's never an argument or friction. The fact that they're good and pros is exciting to me. And Florence and Ann are the nicest people you can be with."

It's good to know that the Brady family off-screen was a lot like the Brady family on-screen, too. The series' primary audience was young adults and kids, but Reed thought the appeal to the youth wasn't intentional by the writers. 

"When they offered me this part, I asked them if the show was going to be Gilligan's Island with kids," Reed said. "They said 'Oh, no' it would be full of portent and meaning... They toss it all together like anagrams. There isn't the meticulous care that there was in Father Knows Best."