Brady Bunch Fans Love This Famous Line, But Here's Why Eve Plumb Wasn't A Fan

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"The Brady Bunch" still holds a place in the hearts of viewers of a certain age (and those who discovered the reruns on cable). Surprisingly, the sitcom wasn't a massive hit at first, never reaching top-10 Nielsen ratings in its five-year run. But for a generation rocked by Watergate, the Vietnam War, and several other social and political upheavals, watching the six stepsiblings track down a missing Kitty Karry-All doll, or dealing with braces and first crushes was a welcome escape. It also introduced American TV's first-ever blended family; without the Bradys, we wouldn't have "Full House," "Modern Family," or "This Is Us." 

The "Brady Bunch" kids have made public appearances and given tons of interviews about their experiences over the years, most notably Eve Plumb, who played middle daughter Jan Brady. She dropped a memoir, "Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond," in April 2026, which featured a foreword by her TV brother Christopher Knight (Peter Brady). Plumb appeared on "CBS Mornings" to promote the book, revealing a few surprises along the way. For instance, who knew that she doesn't like one of her most iconic lines?

In the Season 3 episode "Her Sister's Shadow," Jan decides she's had enough of being compared to her overachieving, glamorous older sister. "Well, all I hear all day long at school is how great Marcia is at this or how wonderful Marcia did that," she blurts out. "Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!" But the actor who played her winces at the clip today. "It, oddly enough, felt like a schoolyard taunt," Plumb explained (via YouTube). "It took me back to being that age, and it felt as if someone was making fun of my performance."

Eve Plumb wants to reassure her "Brady Bunch" fans that she thoroughly enjoyed the experience of portraying the often-underestimated Jan Brady. Rumors have persisted for years that the actor deliberately distanced herself from the beloved show after it went off the air in 1974. "It seems that somehow that [rumor] has become a thing," Plumb openly acknowledged on "CBS Mornings." "[T]he only 'Brady' reunion I didn't do was the [1976] variety show." The former child star has appeared in all of the other TV movies and spinoffs of the original — even "The Bradys," the 1990 sequel drama series that tackled serious issues such as disability and alcohol dependence. Alas, the show only ran for five episodes; fans couldn't handle seeing the sweet Brady kids in such a grim setting.

Plumb has worked steadily since beginning her career at the age of six, with post-"Brady" projects including appearances in "That '70s Show," "Law & Order: SVU," "Blue Bloods," and the 2022 Hallmark Christmas movie "A Holiday Spectacular." The prolific actor also reunited with her fellow TV siblings for HGTV's "A Very Brady Renovation." There, the stars of the show teamed up with some of the channel's hosts to redo the California home used for the exterior shots. It's not often you see people actually wanting to create a kitchen in avocado green and bright orange! 

Despite the many challenges of a showbusiness childhood, Plumb is proud of her signature character. "It's such an amazing thing [...] It's like such an honor to have people feel this way about Jan," the former child star enthused, adding, "And I feel it was great that they had these storylines that children have emotions. Children have hard times. And to have people like that is really wonderful."