DVD Corner

The Brady Bunch- The Complete Series DVD Review

“The Brady Bunch” is a classic sitcom.

Since its debut in 1969, the Sherwood Schwartz created “The Brady Bunch” has gone on to become one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. Despite running 5 seasons (117 episodes total), the franchise endured with TV and theatrical movies, cartoons, and spin-offs. To say it was a big part of pop culture is an understatement. While the series can be a bit corny and dated by today’s standards, it was a big deal at the time of its release. Instead of centering around a wholesome family ala 50s sitcoms, the series opted to focus on a more modern, complex, and sometimes chaotic family dynamic (albeit one that is commonplace in this day and age). As you probably know from the iconic theme song (arguably one of the best ever created), “The Brady Bunch” revolves around the widowed Mike Brady who marries Carol Ann. Mike has 3 sons (Greg, Peter, and Bobby) from his previous marriage while Carol has 3 daughters (Marcia, Jan, and Cindy). The two households begin to live together alongside housekeeper Alice and a couple pets.

‘Brady’ is all about this big family going through a big new change. The series maintains its upbeat and often loud vibe and thrives on crafting a relatable TV show for its audience. Story wise, there’s nothing particularly new here that hasn’t been in sitcoms that came before, but there’s plenty of episodes about real life subjects like sibling rivalry (like in one of the best episodes “Her Sister’s Shadow”), gender, vacations (like the “Hawaii Bound” classic), responsibilities, hobbies, school activities, illnesses, adolescent troubles (like Marcia getting braces in “Brace Yourself”), personal achievements, dreams, dating (like Marcia’s dating life in one of the show’s best episodes “The Subject Was Noses”), fears (like Bobby fearing the treehouse in “What Goes Up…”), sports (and sports stars), celebrity encounters (most notably Davy Jones in the aptly named “Getting Davy Jones”), puberty (Peter’s voice changes in “Dough Re Mi”), pranks, jobs, music, driving, you get the idea.

At its heart, it’s a show about the everyday lives of parents and their children and you see everyone grow over the course of the five seasons. Like the best family sitcoms, you grow attached to the characters and want to see their misadventures each week. Would it have been nice to see the show be a little less cookie cutter? Yes. Sure, they tried some weird things like the cursed Tiki and the much maligned addition of Cousin Oliver in the show’s lowpoint that is season 5, but for the most part, the show always looked on the bright side of life. For a show about life, that seems like an odd take, but in these dark times, there’s something quaint about that.

In terms of the cast, everyone is perfectly cast. Robert Reed (Mike), Florence Henderson (Carol), Maureen McCormick (Marcia), Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter), Susan Olsen (Cindy), Mike Lookinland (Bobby), Eve Plumb (Jan) and Ann B. Davis (Alice) really felt like a family unit and that’s the highest compliment you can give.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.33:1. How does it look? This DVD re-release shows it is time for a Blu-ray remaster. The series is looking a bit rough with grain, blurry images, and print defects.

Audio Track: Dolby Digital Mono. How does it sound? Flat, but adequate.

Extras include Paramount DVD TV set ads, commentary by Sherwood Schwartz on “The Honeymoon,” commentary by Barry Williams, Christopher Knight and Susan Olsen on “A-Camping We Will Go” and “The Hero,” and “The Brady Bunch- Coming Together Under One Roof” featurette with interviews with cast and crew interviews, discussions about everything from the premise to casting, and more.

October 30, 2026 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Comedy, Family Sitcom, The Brady Bunch, The Brady Bunch- The Complete Series DVD Review