Author Archive

18 May

World Wide Web Surfing

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog | No comments

After a week off for Mother’s Day, it’s the big return of the Sunday evening links: 

The Angels couldn’t pull out a W over the White Sox in Anaheim Thursday, but everybody was a winner because it was 70s Flashback Night!  Our very own Barry Williams sang the national anthem and also did a little “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” which some fan managed to grab a few seconds of off the scoreboard. 

The Orange County Register caught up with Eve Plumb a few days ago to talk about her artwork. Don’t worry, they got a “Brady Bunch” question in there too.  

Australian classic television network TV1 has some free Brady e-cards on its website.

I was saving the week’s biggest gossip news for the links, but Brady reader Renee beat me to the punch in the comments. Yup, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are expecting twins. Jolie’s “Kung Fu Panda” co-star Jack Black actually confirmed it using a “Brady Bunch” reference on the ”Today Show.” See it for yourself. 

And finally, heading into the new week: Oprah is reuniting the cast of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” tomorrow (Monday, May 19). Here’s a preview. 

Send your Brady/Pop Culture links to eric.greenberg@thegregbradyproject.com

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16 May

There’s Still Something About Nothing

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog | 4 comments

It might just be the greatest sitcom in TV history, but I’m not quite ready to call “Seinfeld” classic TV. Not yet. Classic TV is talking horses and a bunch of people stuck on an island. “Seinfeld” just doesn’t seem old enough. That said, everyone’s favorite show about nothing ended it’s nine season run ten years ago this week. Kind of strange, huh?

As much as I don’t want to admit that a show which ended a few weeks after I graduated from college is starting to age, there are at least a few minor signs that a fair amount of time has passed. Paul O’Neill retired from baseball. George Steinbrenner pretty much has too. JFK Jr. passed away, as has Johnnie Cochran (though Jackie Chiles may well still be practicing law). Somebody finally beat the Wiz, which closed shop about five years ago and there’s not even a Kenny Rogers Roasters in New York anymore. Oh yeah, and that computer that sits by Jerry’s window just looks silly.

04 May

World Wide Web Surfing

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog | 1 comment

Here are your Greg Brady Project links for the first full week of May:

The honors keep rolling in for Sherwood Schwartz. On the heels of his Hollywood star, the Brady creator will now be inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

American Family Insurance is using a “Brady Bunch” theme in its new TV ad campaign.  

The people over at TiVo are celebrating Mother’s Day early with their new list of TV’s all-time greatest moms. Clair Huxtable may have grabbed the top slot, but Carol Brady held her own.  

Speaking of lists, Brady fans will be happy to see the show beat out classics like “Happy Days,” “Taxi,” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show” to land in the top half of AOL’s  Best TV Comedies. (Thanks to USA Today’s Pop Candy for the tip off.) 

Any “30 Rock” fans out there? The best sitcom on TV upped its game with a “Brady Bunch” reference two and a half minutes into last Thursday’s episode.  

Send your Brady/Pop Culture links to eric.greenberg@thegregbradyproject.com.

29 Apr

Brady Fans in High Places

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog, The Brady Bunch | 3 comments

Who knew there are so many powerful “Brady Bunch” fans out there? In Sunday’s ”World Wide Web Surfing” post, I linked to a story about Indiana gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger having become an architect because of Mike Brady. Well long before seeing that, I read a rumor that Louisiana’s new governor and former Congressman Bobby Jindal (born Piyush Jindal) took his first name from another Brady. Last night, he confirmed it on “The Tonight Show:”   

“You know, unfortunately the rumors are true…I watched a lot of TV growing up. And when I was four years old, my mom went to pick me up from school and the teacher said, he’s got a new name. She says ‘what do you mean he’s got a new name?’ And apparently I went to school one day and told my friends and my teachers to start calling me Bobby. It was off my favorite character of my favorite TV show. I was watching ‘The Brady Bunch’ and Bobby Brady…”

27 Apr

World Wide Web Surfing

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog | 1 comment

Just in time to goof off at work Monday morning, here’s your first set of Greg Brady Project links:

NBC announced the lineup for this summer’s ”Celebrity Circus” reality series. Check out which Brady is headed for the big top.

Despite the Oscar, there’s a lot more than Ray Charles coming out of Jamie Foxx’s piano.  I’m guessing you’ve never heard the “Brady Bunch” theme like this.

Someone’s unloading their Topps “Brady Bunch” trading cards one by one on eBay. If you don’t mind the $4.95 starting bid, here’s a cool one of Greg.  

Everybody has a MySpace page these days, even if you’re a nobody!

With the Indiana primary just over a week away, Jim Schellinger is in a tight race to become the democratic nominee for Governor. His opponent, Jill Long Thompson, is a former Congresswoman. He’s an architect. Guess why he got into that line of work?

Send your Brady/Pop Culture links to eric.greenberg@thegregbradyproject.com.

23 Apr

Hello Again, Hello

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog | 2 comments

It’s been way too long since my last post. Good to see you again. So I had one of those weird TV coincidences the other night. I was watching “The Hills” on DVR and tossing some blog ideas around, thinking I might write an entry about the unpredictable sustainability of Neil Diamond’s career. Pretty random considering Heidi and Spencer may not even know who he is, and most of you reading here probably don’t know who Heidi and Spencer are. How do I get myself hooked on these shows? Anyway, I finished watching and started scanning the channel guide and there was “The Jazz Singer.” It was either a sign that somebody’s mad at me for skipping Passover seder or that this post is meant to be. 

I had actually just seen “The Jazz Singer” for the first time on cable a few weeks ago and what was even more surprising to me is how much I liked it. Here’s some free advice: no matter how much you try to fight it, at some point in life, everyone becomes a Neil Diamond fan. The sooner you accept it, the better off you’ll be.

02 Apr

Born in the U.K.

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog | 2 comments

He’s a young up and coming chef, who just happens to live with two girls. Don’t get too excited though. It’s all ”strictly platonic.” Of course, that leaves him plenty of time for checking out the ladies at the local pub with his buddy Larry…as long as he keeps it on the DL, seeing that his landlord thinks he’s gay. You know him. You love him. He’s Robin Tripp. Huh?

I caught a headline not too long ago that said U.S. television is borrowing more and more of its ideas from England. Maybe. Or maybe we’re just more aware of it. I think by now, lots of people know that half of the reality shows you’ve seen in recent years originally started overseas. Lots of you probably even know that the hit sitcom “The Office” is adapted from the unbelievably good BBC series of the same name. While British programming hasn’t exactly reached mainstream status here in the States, recent airplay on BBC America along with the TV show DVD phenomenon have made the original versions of adapted shows like “The Office,” “Coupling” and ”Kitchen Nightmares” (all of which I prefer) start to sneak their way into American homes. Whether you knew it or not though, you’ve been watching Americanized versions of British shows for years.

28 Mar

Schwartzes Set Stage for A Brady Summer

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog | 3 comments

Apparently when Bob Hunt speaks, people listen. The latest Brady revival, “A Very Brady Musical” is officialy set to open at Theatre West in Los Angeles this summer. Don’t expect a strict adaption though. The show will be geared towards adults and will have some very un-Brady like fun with your favorite characters.

If anyone thought Sherwood Schwartz would just coast on his new Hollywood Walk of Fame star, they’d be sorely mistaken. He’s executive producing the show with his son/”Brady Bunch” producer Lloyd Schwartz directing. With music and lyrics from Sherwood’s daughter Hope and son-in-law Laurence Juber, it’s truly a family operation. But before anyone starts crying nepotism, you should know that Juber spent a few years playing guitar for Paul McCartney in Wings.  

21 Mar

Brady Sports Madness

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog | 4 comments

This is a great time of year for sports fans. The NBA and NHL are heading towards the home stretch. Opening Day and The Masters are right around the corner, and March Madness is officially underway. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll catch some of today’s action and by the time ”One Shining Moment” comes around, I’m bound to find a Cinderella story to latch on to. But with my school heading for the NIT and no major upsets on day one, my mind is left with a little time to wander. That said, I started thinking about some of the great athletes that have walked through the Brady Bunch set. 

It’s amazing that no matter how great a career a pro athlete has had, they can be so identified with a guest spot on a sitcom. Think about it. If someone says the name Keith Hernandez today, what do you think of first, the ‘86 World Series or “Seinfeld”? For me, while Kevin McHale will always remind me of those great Celtics teams I grew up watching, I can’t think about him too long without picturing him counting the bolts in the old Boston Garden floor on “Cheers.” Of course not every sports related guest spot ends up being so memorable, which makes it even more amazing that “The Brady Bunch” has racked up several that people can’t seem to forget. 

16 Mar

Video Killed the Blogging Star

written by Eric Greenberg in Blog | 3 comments

Someone out there’s trying to sabotage my busy blogging schedule. That can be the only reason that NBC Universal and News Corp. launched Hulu.com earlier this week. That and trying to turn a profit with internet video. But I’m pretty sure it’s the first reason. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s probably for the best. No good can come of you knowing that at this very moment there are hundreds of current and classic TV series available for viewing online…free.

I really think this is my family and friends’ worst nightmare. As if I don’t stay up too late watching TV already, they now have to worry about coming to my apartment and finding me keeled over my desk, half delusional, with “Doogie Howser” playing on my desktop. It’s a legitimate concern.