Here's What The Brady Bunch Was Originally Supposed To Be Called
Premiering in 1969, "The Brady Bunch" was a refreshing and genial look at family life (via History). Focusing on a family made up of a previously widowed husband and wife, their combined six children, and the family's housekeeper, the show went on to inspire two parody movies in the 1990s, "The Brady Bunch Movie" and "A Very Brady Sequel." Though the Brady children have all grown up now, the show is still remembered nowadays. It ran until 1974, but the Brady family was seen again in various spin-offs, proving their enduring popularity. HGTV even aired a collaboration between the six Brady children and HGTV presenters for the aptly named "A Very Brady Renovation." The show reunited the previous child actors as they undertook the renovation of the iconic house used for exterior shots during the show.
Bright, colorful, and yes, sometimes, a little cheesy, the latest "The Brady Bunch" related production is a podcast started by Barry Williams and Christopher Knight, two of the Brady brothers. Named "The Real Brady Bros," the podcast dissects some of the most iconic episodes. However, "The Brady Bunch" and the iconic Brady family didn't start out with the Brady name at all, which is perhaps shocking considering how well-known the name is today.
The show's association with a movie almost caused a different name
According to MeTV, "The Brady Bunch" cycled through quite a few name changes before settling on its now-title. Amongst the early suggestions was "The Brady Brood," which made it all the way to the pilot episode. Sounds weird, right? Well, the reason for the name was due to a popular Western film named "The Wild Bunch" that came out in 1969. The movie made full use of the new "R" rating and featured many bloody scenes alongside gun fights. Because of this, Paramount, the studio that produced "The Brady Bunch," was hesitant over the association of the word "bunch." After all, "The Brady Bunch" was a sitcom geared towards families and definitely not a violent affair.
Another key change was the name of the Brady family themselves. Originally referred to as "The Bradley Bunch" or simply "The Bradleys," it wasn't until later in the draft process that it was decided the family should carry the surname Brady instead of Bradley. With the above changes, "The Brady Bunch" became the family-friendly sitcom with the Brady family at its helm we know and love today.
The Brady Bunch isn't the only show that almost had a different name
An article by Buzzfeed lists some TV shows that changed their name due to plot changes, draft titles, and character overhauls. Amongst one of the most surprising is cult TV hit "Friends." Originally referred to as "Six of One," the title wasn't changed for a while. In fact, the pilot had already been filmed when it was decided the title just wasn't working. An alternative title was "Insomniac Cafe" — not quite as catchy, but we think it still would have been a hit.
Additionally, "Seinfeld" could have ended up with a longer title. As mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter, the American sitcom was originally pitched as "The Seinfeld Chronicles." Moreover, "That 70s Show," starring Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, started out as "Teenage Wasteland." Though the title is undoubtedly cool, unfortunately Fox could not secure the rights to "The Who" song that the title took inspiration from.
We're glad that Paramount decided to go with "The Brady Bunch" as their final pick, as nothing else quite seems to have the same ring to it.