Television series

The Brady Bunch Hour

Name: The Brady Bunch Hour
Genre: Comedy, Music
Released: 1977
Cast: Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis, Maureen McCormick, Geri Reischl

Comedy
Light-hearted
Dip in and out

A variety show that transplanted the Brady family into the late-70s entertainment ecosystem, trading sitcom setups for musical numbers, celebrity guests, and skit comedy. It's camp comfort food: wholesome chaos, earnest song-and-dance, and the particular weirdness of beloved characters doing things they were never meant to do. For people who love the original show and don't mind it getting strange.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you have a soft spot for earnest 1970s variety TV, where cornball sketches, big hair and sincere song-and-dance numbers are part of the charm rather than a thing to apologize for.

Skip it if you want sharp writing or a tight, consistent comic voice, since the sketches are broad, the pacing is loose and the sitcom family quickly becomes a backdrop for the musical routines.

What it asks of you: Eight hour-long episodes that flip between skits, musical numbers and home-life bits, so you need patience for a format that rarely settles and jumps around.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour1971

The template that proved variety shows could work on TV with charismatic ensemble casts. Sonny and Cher balance sketch comedy, musical numbers, and easy-going domestic banter with genuine warmth and excellent timing.

But Sketch comedy from this era lands unevenly; pacing can drag between segments. Some material feels dated even by 1970s standards.

The Carol Burnett Show1967

The gold standard of variety television: inventive sketches, genuine character work from a brilliant ensemble, and musical numbers that feel earned rather than obligatory. Carol Burnett's warmth anchors everything.

But Nearly 300 episodes means uneven quality; you'll want to cherry-pick rather than binge. Some sketches run long and lose the thread.

Marie1980

Another variety show built around a beloved family personality (Marie Osmond), featuring similar sketches, musical performances, and behind-the-scenes family moments. A spiritual sibling that captures the same earnest charm.

But Lighter on satirical edge than Carol Burnett; relies heavily on Osmond family goodwill. Can feel slight if you're seeking sharper comedy.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Brady Bunch Hour

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Partridge Family1970

Both are sitcom-to-variety pipelines: sitcom casts repurposed into musical entertainment, wholesome chaos as the underlying formula.

This is where the DNA comes from—a sitcom built around a family band. Gentle humor, genuine music, and the odd-couple dynamic of bringing real talent into a domestic sitcom structure. It's the spiritual parent of Brady Bunch Hour.

But Laugh-track sitcom format feels dated; music numbers are period-appropriate but not particularly edgy. Some episodes can feel slight.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1967

The chaotic, joke-packed ancestor of variety shows. Fast-paced sketches, running gags, and musical guests create an anything-goes energy that influenced everything that followed, including The Brady Bunch Hour.

But The rapid-fire format and rapid-fire jokes can be exhausting. Politics-heavy material from the late 60s doesn't always translate clearly now.

Donny & Marie1976

A leaner, punchier variety show built on the Donny-Marie dynamic. Good sketches, celebrity chemistry, and musical production values that make each hour feel like an event.

But Depends heavily on Donny and Marie's star power; supporting cast feels less developed. Some songs go on too long.

The Muppet Show1976

Variety format with genuine comedic invention. Each episode feels like a mini-vaudeville show, and the running gags between Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and Statler & Waldorf have real wit behind them.

But Puppet humor, though clever, has a ceiling for some viewers. The backstage chaos can overwhelm the main act.

Hellzapoppin'1941

Both are celebrations of the variety show itself—the form as the content. Both treat chaos and family-friendly entertainment as compatible.

A pure vaudeville film that predates TV variety by decades but captures the exact same anarchic energy. Olsen and Johnson run a theater while chaos erupts everywhere; it's controlled nonsense performed by people who genuinely love the medium.

But 1940s comedy sensibility means a lot of groaners and slapstick that hasn't aged. No laugh track, so you're alone with silence when jokes don't land. Black and white and quite short on plot.