The Greg Brady Project
Welcome to the official Barry Williams' blog
My friends call me Barry. From time to time I also hear the name Greg. Yeah, as in Greg Brady. The Brady Bunch represents a fun time in my life. But it’s only part of the story. There’s more to say and that’s what The Greg Brady Project is all about – a place to say it. So, I’ve invited some friends to join me and share their perspectives on the Brady’s, the 70’s and just about everything else. Now, I’m inviting you…
Make sure to check out Maureen McCormick’s new series “Outsiders Inn” premiering tonight at 9pm on CMT. She’ll be taking over a bed and breakfast with a little help from her “Gone Country” castmates Bobby Brown and Carnie Wilson. Eight episodes in all. Good luck Mo!
With all due respect to Robbie Rist, when people mention the new kid added to a sitcom, it’s usually in a joke or a trivia question. You just don’t usually hear people say things like: “Can you imagine ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ before Sam showed up?” It’s usually TV geeks like me trying to one up each other with references that most people don’t remember. Why? Because the shows usually get cancelled shortly after they join the cast.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not necessarily the actors’ fault. Some of them are perfectly talented. Hey, Leo DiCaprio couldn’t keep growing ”Growing Pains” on the air. And it’s not necessarily the sign of a bad show. In fact, it’s usually the opposite. New characters are often brought in because a show has been successful enough to stay on the air for several years and needs something new to keep it fresh. That’s just the nature of TV in the U.S. Unlike the BBC, we generally keep our shows going until people stop watching…which by the way, I completely understand. TV is a business and it’s hard to quit when you’re on top. I also understand the inclination of shows (or networks) to try to extend the life of a sitcom by adding a new character. The problem is, most shows don’t do it particularly well. That said, let’s give a little credit to a guy who got it right…twice.
From Gabe Kaplan to Bob Saget to Larry David, many a sitcom career has been launched in the comedy clubs…and many a sitcom star goes back to stand up when their show wraps. So if you can’t catch a plane to the West Coast for a TV taping, this might just be your chance to see one of your favorites up close on a stage near you. Here are ten classic and current sitcom stars with stand-up dates scheduled over the next few months:
Bill Cosby (”The Cosby Show”/”I Spy”)
Dave Coulier (”Full House”)
Mark Curry (”Hanging with Mr. Cooper”)
Judah Friedlander (”30 Rock”)
Kevin James (”The King of Queens”)
Bob Newhart (”The Bob Newhart Show”/”Newhart”)
Ray Romano (”Everybody Loves Raymond”)
Jerry Seinfeld (”Seinfeld”)
Sinbad (”A Different World”)
Jimmie Walker (”Good Times”)
Feel free to leave a comment with your stories/reviews of these or any other sitcom related stand up acts. If you know of any others currently on the road, feel free to pass that on as well.
Now Search and Win for Great Brady Prizes!
If you’re gonna get kicked out of the Ivy, do it for a good cause.
Barry and Susan aren’t the only old castmates hanging out. Potsie and Ralph Malph are back in action together too.
Barry was recently caught on camera at the premiere of the new film “Step Brothers.”
TMZ caught a recent glimpse of Dwayne from “What’s Happening!!”
And the AP has a gloomy report on the state of the family sitcom.
Send your Brady/Pop Culture links to eric.greenberg@thegregbradyproject.com.
Actor Paul Sorensen, who played the recurring role of oil cartel member Andy Bradley on “Dallas” has passed away at the age of 82. Sorensen made appearances in countless TV series including “Mary Tyler Moore,” “Gunsmoke,” and “Barnaby Jones.” Around here though, he’ll always be remembered as Buddy Hinton’s dad in the classic Brady episode “A Fistful of Reasons.”
As Barry recalled in “Growing Up Brady:” Rotten little Buddy Hinton makes Cindy cry by mocking her lisp. Peter tries talking with the little bully but only gets a black eye for his trouble. When Mike and Carol try talking to Buddy’s parents, they turn out to be big bullies, leaving Mike with only one option: teach Peter the fine art of beating the crap out of a guy.”
It may have been a brief appearance, but it was a memorable one, and Sorensen played it well. Condolences to his family from “The Greg Brady Project.”
Ceil Cabot, who played Mrs. Hinton, passed away in 2000.
What could possibly be more All-American than celebrating Independence Day with our very own Barry Williams and the Original Idols? Barry and the gang will take the Main Stage at A Taste of Minnesota in St. Paul starting at 7pm on July 4th. Ian Mitchell (Bay City Rollers), The Cowsills and Bo Donaldson will be there to join in as usual. Did I mention it’s a free show?
Fireworks start at 10:20pm! Be there!
In case you missed NBC’s tribute last night, Hulu has posted this and a few other clips of George Carlin hosting the very first “Saturday Night Live” on October 11, 1975.
TV1 (sort of the TV Land of Australia) has free Brady e-cards!
Here’s an online preview of People Magazine’s special Child Stars: Then & Now issue.
It’s a little hard to think about winter when it’s as hot as it is in the Northeast today, but Paramount has announced the October release of a special DVD compilation called “TV Sets: Holiday Treats,” which will include an episode of “The Brady Bunch.” (Thanks to Bob Hunt)
In other DVD news, “Mannix,” which shot at Paramount at the same time as the Bradys, finally hit stores earlier this month.
And finally, who knew Tiger was such a well respected actor?
Send your Brady/Pop Culture links to eric.greenberg@thegregbradyproject.com.
Make sure to catch the 6th Annual TV Land Awards tonight at 9pm/ET. The list of stars on board for this year’s show is bigger than ever. Robin Williams, Justin Timberlake and Steve Carell will all be there along with a ton of HUGE names from classic TV. Barry will be there, of course, but as you can see in this Access Hollywood red carpet preview, he’s keeping his cards close to the vest.
TV Land Awards, Celtics vs. Lakers, Tiger at the U.S. Open. If you need me, I’ll be on the couch.
Back on its regular day, here are the latest Greg Brady Project links:
I didn’t know it was that complicated, but someone posting on the instructions website eHow thought it was necessary to tell you how to be a Brady Bunch fan.
Former “View” co-host/Oprah correspondent Lisa Ling used to pretend to be Marsha Brady.
Bob Hunt recently blogged about the passing of “Andy Griffith Show” composer Earle Hagen. A few days later it was announced that Alexander Courage, composer of the “Star Trek” theme, has died as well.
CNN Money has done some math on the Brady family’s finances.
And Danny Bonaduce is stepping back in the ring. This time, it’s on Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling, coming to TV this fall.
Send your Brady/Pop Culture links to eric.greenberg@thegregbradyproject.com.
No, for real. Someone get the Hill Valley Preservation Society on the horn! Lightning may not strike twice, but apparently fire does. As you may have already read, one of the big casualties in this weekend’s Universal Studios blaze was Courthouse Square, a key location in the “Back to the Future” trilogy. First things first. Nobody was seriously injured, so I’m not being completely insensitive whining about losing a set from a movie. That being said, I would argue something like this could be considered, let’s say, a “pop culture tragedy.” Nowhere near as bad as a real tragedy, but still troublesome to anyone who’s a fan of the series or a supporter of time travel in general. The thing is though, if you dig a little deeper, you’ll actually find that within this ”tragedy,” is a “pop culture miracle.”
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Recent Comments
- Heidi on March 17, 2010 said:
Thanks for sharing those nice memories of him. He is a great actor. I’ve seen him... - annie o'malley on March 16, 2010 said:
Dear Barry – Hi Happy Saint Patricks day tomorrow March 17 th Luck o the... - Trevor Kimball on March 16, 2010 said:
Thanks for sharing your memories. Very enjoyable reading.
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