A ‘Very Brady’ holiday special
Iconic house gets a Christmas makeover.
HGTV set network ratings records with September’s “A Very Brady Renovation.” Now, in a jolly seasonal spirit, it’s bringing back cast members from “The Brady Bunch” for a holiday special.
After rebuilding “The Brady Bunch” house with the actors who played the Brady kids, the cable network and its Discovery sibling, Food Network, present “A Very Brady Renovation: Holiday Edition” (HGTV, Monday, 10 EST/PST and Food Network, Dec. 22, 1 EST/PST).
In the special, the “Brady” stars – Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Mike Lookinland and Susan Olsen – join hosts from two Discovery networks, Ree Drummond of Food Network’s “The Pioneer Woman” and Jasmine Roth of HGTV’s “Hidden Potential,” to prepare ’70s holiday treats and decorations.
“There were retro items to decorate the house,” says Olsen. “I’m kind of a snob, because I think the older things are cuter and better, especially with holiday decorations. So all of these ornaments were to my taste.”
Olsen, 58, who played the youngest Brady child, Cindy, was impressed by plush Santa Claus dolls that were part of the decorations in the family room, along with a festively attired version of her character’s doll, Kitty Karry-All, and fan-made ornaments that represent iconic “Brady Bunch” moments.
The ’70s holiday vibe fits in the suburban Los Angeles home, which was the exterior shot for the sitcom, which ran from 1969 to 1974. In “A Very Brady Renovation,” the sitcom’s stars and HGTV hosts, and design team Dr. Christmas, transformed the inside of the house to match the sets from the original series.
The four-episode September series set ratings records for HGTV, which led to the addition of two “Behind the Build” episodes and an upcoming “refreshed” version of “Renovation” (Jan. 1, 7 a.m.
EST/PST). The holiday edition already had been planned.
“We consider ‘A Very Brady Renovation’ to be our most successful series of all time on HGTV,” says Loren Ruch, HGTV’s senior vice president of production and development.
HGTV has no further programming plans for the house, which is in a residential neighborhood. “For now, we’re keeping it and enjoying the fact it’s a national treasure that we have access to,” Ruch says.
In the special, Drummond prepares holiday staples: a turkey and ’70s-style treats, including a red-and-green gelatin mold and Santa canapes.
The host pairing and cross-network broadcasts work well, Ruch says.
“Ree Drummond is the biggest ‘Brady Bunch’ fan on the planet. She was brought to tears when she met them, so it was a no-brainer she would be part of the show,” he says.