Was the Brady Bunch the first blended family on TV?

Was the Brady Bunch the first blended family on TV? - Frame with family photograph standing on wooden table among household items near bunch of flowers in daylight

The Brady Bunch first aired in the USA in 1969. It featured a widow and a widower merging their families after marrying each other.

Was this the first depiction of a blended family (parents and children) on television?


Roommate situations, like Three's Company or The Odd Couple, wouldn't be considered blended families since there aren't children involved.



Best Answer

No. Although Brady was widely known as the first example (even Florence Henderson called it that), The Danny Thomas Show (AKA Make Room For Daddy) already featured a blended family in 1957, and was probably the very first one to do it on American TV.

Originally a show about a married couple called Danny and Margaret (Danny Thomas & Jean Hagen) with 2 children, the storyline had to change when Hagen left the show in season 4. So her character was killed off and soon replaced with that of Kathy (Marjorie Lord), a young widow with a daughter; Danny eventually married Kathy and adopted her daughter in season 5, which aired on CBS in 1957.




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What family structure is The Brady Bunch?

The Brady Bunch is a situational comedy which began television production in the late 1960s and hit its prime in the 1970s. In it, a man, Mike Brady, marries a woman, Carol. Both are widowed and each of them has three children from a previous marriage \u2013 Carol has three girls and Mike has three boys.

Why did Brady Bunch get Cancelled?

The reason for the cancellation of 'The Brady Bunch' Actually, the reason for its demise was a lot simpler than that. As Schwartz revealed, it came down simply to contracts and money. \u201cAt the end of five years,\u201d Schwartz said, \u201cthat's all our initial contract called for. You then have to renegotiate with everybody.

Is The Brady Bunch based on Yours Mine and Ours?

Since it was based on a true story, Schwartz knew he could not allege that Yours Mine and Ours had copied his idea. Instead, the film's producer threatened Schwartz with a lawsuit after The Brady Bunch's 1969 premiere. Schwartz fired back with a letter that pointed to the initial name of his pilot\u2014Yours and Mine.

When did The Brady Bunch start?

On September 26, 1969, American television audiences hear the soon-to-be-famous opening lyrics \u201cHere's the story of a lovely lady. Who was bringing up three very lovely girls\u2026\u201d as The Brady Bunch, a sitcom that will become an icon of American pop culture, airs for the first time.



TV’s First Blended Family - Susan Olsen, Mike Lookinland, “Cindy” \u0026 “Bobby”, The Brady Bunch




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