A Man Named Brady

July 9th, 2017 by

Mike Brady was a father who guided his family with Solomon like, sometimes corny wisdom. A widower with three growing boys, Greg, Peter, and Bobby, a housekeeper named Alice, and a dog named Tiger, he worked hard as an architect to provide. One day he met a lovely lady, Carol Ann Terrell Martin, and fell in love. Together the blended family known as the Brady Bunch hit the airwaves, and became engrained in pop culture.

On his wedding day, he saved the cake from utter disaster, only to end up becoming buried by the cake when he lost his balance. Then he realized, like his wife, while on their honeymoon, that they were a family and should be together. This gesture was the first of many where Mike put children before himself.

Ruling from his den/office, he would meet out punishment, pay allowances, and have his space constantly invaded. He taught his boys how to camp, fish, play baseball, drive and become men. Though he was a disaster helping the girls do their thing, he taught them how to be wise women, and independent. Mike Brady was the serious foil to the comic antics of his family. This was due to Robert Reed, who played the character feeling comedy and the situations were not real enough. The serious tone did actually enhance the show. It gave a distinct difference to the light hearted nature of the family comedy.

Robert Reed would become notorious on the set, though he loved the children. Eventually the plan was to have him replaced after he did not want to be in the final episode, because he felt it was just too outrageous. As it turned out, the show was cancelled. Though Robert Reed embraced the character in various spin offs.

Mike Brady took his family on various adventures due to his being an architect. Hawaii was the most famous. King’s Island in Cleveland Ohio was another. His final adventure was being buried under the rubble of a construction project when he went in to aid two workers during the Christmas Movie. Mike took his children camping, then to the Grand Canyon, where he became known as the man of many children.

Plots revolved around his willingness to sacrifice plans and notes when Greg got a job at his firm or Jan needed a tube to protect a poster, then inevitably the plans would be lost or switched. Mike Brady put up with clients whom were wealthy and difficult. Cindy saving his hide when her sisters played a prank on her and made her think she was going to be cast as the next Shirley Temple only to bring back childhood memories of a wealthy client, who then bought the plans Mike had.

Mike was so generous, he allowed Carol to bring Cousin Oliver into the family. I am guessing Robert Reed saw the writing on the wall when that happened, and seemed less happy to remain with the show. Though Lloyd Schwartz wrote that had the show gone another season, they would have recast the roll. That would in my humble opinion ruined the show entirely. A better option would be Mike having to go to South America for a big building project in order to gain promotion in the architectural firm, thus explaining his absence. Then the following season or midway bring in a different actor.

Mike Brady was such a good father to Carol’s daughters from the start, Marcia nominated him for father of the year, when telling Mike why would have saved her possible punishment, she knew what was happening was just. Eventually, Mike’s love for his children would lead to a career change.

Due to his son Bobby possibly temporarily losing the use of his legs due to a race car accident, Mike advocated for handicap access to buildings. It was still the 1990s and many buildings were not handicap accessible. This lead to Mike running for office. In the movie parody’s this was taken to the extreme, and Mike became president. Though he was more portrayed as a bumbling idiot who needed Carol as a guide in life.

Mike Brady, like his wife Carol, would become the parent most kids would love to have.

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