Very Brady Christmas, A (1988)

Fourteen years after The Brady Bunch ended its original run, America’s favourite TV family returned for a holiday reunion in the 1988 made-for-television movie, A Very Brady Christmas. Despite the passage of time, it was clear that Bradymania wasn’t over just yet.

The movie kicks off in classic Brady fashion, with both Carol (Florence Henderson) and Mike (Robert Reed) secretly planning surprise Christmas vacations for one another – Carol dreams of Greece, Mike has Japan in mind.

Realising they’ve both made plans, they choose to ditch the trips and instead use the money to bring all six Brady kids and their families home for the holidays so Christmas can be even Bradier.

Of course, in true Brady spirit, each family member is quietly facing personal struggles they’d rather not reveal:

• Greg’s wife has decided to spend the holiday with her own family.

• Marcia is dealing with her husband’s recent job loss.

• Peter is afraid of marrying his girlfriend because she also happens to be his boss.

• Jan is reeling after her husband moves out of their marital home.

• Bobby has dropped out of graduate school to pursue a career in racecar driving.

• Cindy, now a young adult, resents still being treated like the baby of the family.

Meanwhile, longtime housekeeper Alice (Ann B. Davis) returns to the Brady home heartbroken – her husband Sam the butcher has left her for another woman.

The film weaves together these mini-dramas, culminating in a classic holiday crisis: Mike is trapped in a collapsed construction site on Christmas Day.

The family rushes to his side, and in the movie’s most famously saccharine moment, Carol breaks into an impromptu a cappella rendition of O Come, All Ye Faithful, inspiring a miracle and cementing the moment as peak Brady melodrama.

When A Very Brady Christmas first aired on December 17, 1988, it drew a massive 39 share in ratings – an undeniable success, even if initial reviews were less than kind.

Critics and audiences largely dismissed it at the time, but over the years, the film has gained nostalgic affection, particularly as one of the last appearances of the original cast before the passing of Robert Reed and Ann B. Davis.

Jennifer Runyon stepped in to play Cindy, as Susan Olsen was away on her honeymoon in Jamaica during filming. The movie’s success led directly to the short-lived 1990 TV series The Bradys, a more serious, dramatic take on the family (nicknamed “Bradysomething” as a cheeky nod to Thirtysomething).

Today, A Very Brady Christmas has earned its place as a kitschy, sentimental holiday tradition.

It continues to air during the Christmas season and was finally given a proper DVD release by Paramount Home Entertainment in 2017.

Carol Brady
Florence Henderson
Mike Brady
Robert Reed
Alice Franklin
Ann B. Davis
Marcia Brady Logan
Maureen McCormick
Jan Brady Covington
Eve Plumb
Cindy Brady
Jennifer Runyon
Greg Brady
Barry Williams
Peter Brady
Christopher Knight
Bobby Brady
Mike Lookinland
Wally Logan
Jerry Houser
Phillip Covington III
Ron Kuhlman
Nora Brady
Caryn Richman
Valerie
Carol Huston
Jessica Logan
Jaclyn Bernstein
Mickey Logan
G.W. Lee
Kevin Brady
Zachary Bostrom
Mr Prescott
F.J. O’Neil
Mrs Powell
Barbara Mallory
Mr Powell
Nick Toth
Ms Crane
Selma Archerd
Belinda
Tonya Lee Williams
TV Announcer
Inez Pedroza
Sam Franklin
Lewis Arquette
Howie
Lenny Garner
Donald
Doug Carfrae
Nurse
Frances Louise Turner
Police Chief
Gerry Black
Receptionist
Patricia Mullins
Mechanic
Bart Braverman
Ted Roberts
Phillip R. Allen

Director
Peter Baldwin