Copyright 1977, Ideal Publishing Corp.
Teen Beat Magazine: May, 1977, pg. 52
(Webmaster's note: Don't be an idiot! The information in this article is over 20 years old, and cannot be considered current.)
The Brady Bunch Variety Show can be seen every fifth Sunday night on ABC. The big difference now is the Brady Kids get a chance to sing and dance and entertain guest stars, something the "bunch" never really had a chance to do before.
TEEN BEAT went backstage at a recent taping and hung out while waiting to interview each "Brady Buncher", so we could bring you an up to date story on your individual fave!
The oldest Brady boy, BARRY WILLIAMS still looks great and very much the same. Taller, with curly hair and striking features, young Barry has been keeping busy to say the least. Besides filming numerous commercials, Barry held the starring role in the smash Broadway play, Pippin and was in a very successful run across the country when he heard the news of the reformation of the Bradys. "At first I was not really sure about it," stated Barry. "I thought just because the show was a big hit before, did not mean we could repeat the success all over again. But I soon found out that the new show would let us be who we really are, featuring us individually. On top of that, we get to do shows with dynamic guest stars and I would get a chance to sing my own songs."
MAUREEN McCORMICK 20, the oldest Brady lady, is still the pretty long-haired blond she has always been. "It was really exciting to hear the news we were getting back together again," she told TEEN BEAT. Maureen, however, was never far away from the TV screen for too long. Since the original split-up, she has done guest appearances on Happy Days, Joe Forrester, The Streets of San Francisco, Harry O and has starred in two movies, Shine and Pony Express Rider, plus numerous commercials. Having been in show business all of her life, the young star works on her tennis game and also enjoys writing music and poetry. We asked her if she had a steady boyfriend and she told us, "Yes, you would know his name if you heard it, but I'm not at liberty to say." Stay tuned on that one!
(Webmaster's Note: Chris Knight was not included in this article. Also, as seen below, Teen Beat badly misspelled the name of Geri Reischl)
JERI REISCHEL, the replacement for Eve Plumb, is an extremely talented and beautiful girl who was cast in the Brady family prior to the first taping. She recalled the excitement of hearing about her selection as the newest Brady member. "There were originally 300 girls competing for the part. They called me back three times for screen tests. I will never forget the day at school when I was called into the principal's office and was told I got it. I was so excited, I couldn't even believe my ears. I had to start work the very next day and you can imagine how nervous I was. I had already worked with SUSAN OLSEN in several TV commercials, I had also been on my interviews with Maureen McCormick before. It wasn't like I was working with total strangers. Anyway, I was immediately accepted and I felt right at home with the Brady family. They are fabulous."
Included in her extensive acting career was her first appearance at the age of six in a production of The Sound of Music at the Melodyland Theatre. There she was discovered by a talent agent who signed her on the spot. Besides countless commercials, Jeri guest-starred in Gunsmoke, The Interns, Apple's Way, and The Bold Ones to name a few.
MIKE LOOKINLND, of all the Bradys has changed the most. The freckle faced little boy is now a cute 16 year old with a driver's license. Probably the biggest regrets Mike has over his renewed stardom is giving up a chance to be on his high school swim team. Mike informed TEEN BEAT that he broke the 100 yard backstroke record. Fast moving Mike can be found skiing or skateboarding when he's not on the set. His physical dexterity makes him a natural in the dancing numbers on the show.
When we saw SUSAN OLSEN we found the girl in pig tails had changed into a beautiful teenager. "It seems like we have never been apart. Even when the show ended, we still kept in touch with one another and it was fantastic to hear we would all be back together again!", she told us. Susan is going to school and primarily concentrating on her studies. "I'm still very young and I know how important it is to have a high school education."