According to Ann B. Davis, there were talks of a seventh Brady kid

There would've been seven Brady children, but an organization protested the idea.

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The scene that could have ended ’The Brady Bunch’
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What happens when a lovely lady raising three girls meets a man named Brady, who is busy with three boys of his own? They unite to become The Brady Bunch. We hear the simple story in the theme song every time we watch an episode of the series.

Mike and Carol Brady, played by Robert Reed and Florence Henderson, created one of the most iconic fictional unions in the '70s with the show, although it debuted in 1969. Raising six kids can be a lot, but with the help of the housekeeper, Alice (Ann B. Davis), the bunch worked together.

What if there was an additional Brady baby added to the group? Would that have been too much?

We'll never know, but according to Ann B. Davis, the idea was mentioned before. In an interview with Copley News Service in 1972, the actress revealed that there were talks of adding a new kid, but one group didn't like it.

"Interestingly, there was a line once in the script that indicated the Bradys would be having another baby," Davis began. "Some group sent in a protest, maybe it was the Zero Population Growth people, and so there was no new baby on the show."

Suppose you aren't familiar with the group, which now is under the name Population Connection. In that case, they are a non-profit organization in the United States that raises awareness about population challenges. The group also advocates for improved global access to family planning and reproductive health care.

It's uncertain why the organization opposed the idea since the characters are fictional, but as a result, there was no new Brady kid.

With or without the plus one, The Brady Bunch was still popular and made almost everyone want a huge, blended and loving family.

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35 Comments

BenSobeleone 4 months ago
I would have liked to have seen an episode of The Brady Bunch where Jimi Hendrix makes a guest appearance. Bobby pretends he's very sick and sends a letter to Jimi, his musical idol. Jimi shows up at the Brady house, performs a few songs in the backyard then sets his Strat on fire and smashes it! Just think of the Nielsen ratings.
Bapa1 20 months ago
I wonder how that group felt about The Waltons.
bradyguy Bapa1 15 months ago
or the Bradfords...or the family from Just The Ten of Us...

Or The Duggars...yikes!
MrsPhilHarris 20 months ago
It seems to me when shows start adding a baby or babies after years without one, the show is on a downhill slide and it’s done to boost ratings.
Mblack MrsPhilHarris 20 months ago
Ricky Stevens, or Cousin Oliver?
MrsPhilHarris Mblack 20 months ago
Both. I should have said babies and kids like Dodie on My Three Sons. Other shows like Friends had a baby, and the show started the slide. All In The Family ended up with a kid too.
Susan Olson said in an interview that whenever they add a new cute kid, the show is in the toilet and all they have to do is flush. A few more examples are Married with Children and Who's the Boss.
What she said is pretty funny. 🤭
Mblack 20 months ago
But how would they do the opening screen with an uneven number of kids?
BenSobeleone Mblack 4 months ago
Maybe they could have put the 7th kid in the same square as Mike or Carol or Alice. It's crowded in here! Wondered if The Brady Bunch ever appeared on The Hollywood Squares. Anne B. Davis is in center square also known as the "Charlie Weaver Memorial Square."
justjeff 20 months ago
There's *always* some religious or political group trying to regulate, modify, change, erase or control **fictional** characters in film and on TV... I guess they can't control "real people" in that way, so they turn their anger and idiocy toward those that only exist in an imaginary world.

As I've often mused, "If it wasn't for people, this would be a *wonderful* world..."

The way I look at it is this: Clean up your own back yard, pray to whomever your believe in, love whom you choose to love, let no one invade *your* space... but since you don't pay my bills, don't tell me what to do...

I know some readers will take offense with this philosphy, but really... too many people spend too much time imposing their way on others... despite the fact that "their way" might not be the "right way" to another person. Life is too short. Live and let live...

As I've said before when I've "put in my two cents worth"... make your reply kind or don't reply at all... This is a forum of community and positivity... Haters and those looking to incite discord may feel free to use the exits...
justjeff justjeff 20 months ago
On a lighter note, I've been working ahead of schedule - and have most of my upcoming March font releases finished. As usual, I've removed my foundry's name from the banner images as to not cause any problems...
MrsPhilHarris justjeff 20 months ago
These are amazing!
Catman justjeff 20 months ago
Big Display Sans is so 1950s. I love it.
justjeff Catman 20 months ago
Thanks! It's actually from 1940 and is my take on the Ludlow metal type "Samson"..
justjeff MrsPhilHarris 20 months ago
Alwasy appreciative of your encouragement!
Coldnorth justjeff 20 months ago
It’s just too hard to choose. All of these are great. As I’ve said before, you are very talented
justjeff Coldnorth 20 months ago
...and as I've said before, thank you for your kind words!
Andybandit 20 months ago
That would of been too many kids. But it would of been cool if Mike and Carol had a child together.
Deleted 20 months ago
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bradyguy 20 months ago
Well...No. Most true BB fans know that's not true. Sherwood Schwartz wrote a pilot/treatment called "Yours and Mine" sometime in 1966, but could not find any interest from the networks. IN 1968, United Artists released the film "Yours, Mine and Ours", based on the Beardsley/North family and several articles that had appeared about them. With the success of the movie, Paramount and ABC now came calling back to Schwartz to develop his pilot as a series, which was eventually re-named The Brady Bunch, of course. After its debut, UA actually threatened to sue Schwartz for copying their idea - he suggested they check the dates on his filing of his pilot with the Writers' Guild...and told them they were lucky HE didn't sue THEM!! You can look it up...
cperrynaples 20 months ago
About YM&O: Lucy was 57 when the movie was made, so having a baby was highly unlikely!
cperrynaples 20 months ago
Really, wouldn't we all agree that Cousin Oliver was the seventh Brady kid...LOL! "Gosh, it was only a suggestion"...LOL again!
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cperrynaples Adanor 20 months ago
Well like Cousin Oliver said, it was just a suggestion! Had there been a sixth season, either Mike would die or the producers would pull a Dick Sargent!
Jon AnnaRentzVandenhazel 20 months ago
Ricky Segall had already joined & left the cast of THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY as Ricky Stevens. I found him more annoying than Cousin Oliver.
bradyguy Jon 15 months ago
But what was it with those bowl haircuts of the early/mid-70s...???
bradyguy Adanor 15 months ago
Greg. One g. Well....two. But just one at the end. 🙄
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