The Brady Bunch is an iconic television sitcom that has remained loved by many for generations, and delivered one of the most memorable TV themes of all time. The blended family are a big piece of pop culture history, so it’s of little surprise the 2022 Emmy’s honored the sitcom and its original cast during its opening segment. What is a bit shocking, however, is that their involvement didn’t happen sooner, but stars Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter), and Mike Lookinland (Bobby) were still grateful to "finally" be part of television’s biggest night of honors.
I recently spoke Brady Bunch vets Williams, Knight and Lookinland following their elimination from The Masked Singer Season 8 — check out the full list of Season 8 eliminations — and took some time to talk about the Emmys. I asked the trio about what it meant to get a chance to shine within a musical segment that otherwise focused on more contemporary shows, and Lookinland made a point to note their invitation was a long time coming, saying:
It took them 50 years to invite us to the Emmys, but we finally got in there.
TV audiences of all ages are likely aware of The Brady Bunch in some capacity, whether you can namecheck the various spinoffs or only know the scene with Jan's broken nose from parody references. Surprisingly enough, however, the show never received any Emmy nominations for the entirety of its five-season run, as its popularity truly exploded through syndication, which is one of many surprising behind-the-scenes facts about the classic '70s sitcom.
Still, it's perhaps strange to think about the lack of Emmy love, considering The Brady Bunch is the epitome of what one might consider "the classic family sitcom," and one that is just as notable as any of the others in the Emmy intro performance such as Friends and Law & Order. Barry Williams made note of that when sharing his feelings on the night, saying:
You know, we were in pretty good company there with Game of Thrones, Law & Order, Stranger Things, and Friends. The whole way it was presented, the mashup of it and going into the beat [was great]. But, it’s an elegant room, and it is television’s biggest night and that’s been a huge part of our lives. To be there with peers and acknowledged was really special. Really grateful for the night.
Christopher Knight didn’t have much to add beyond what his television brothers already said, but still seemed just as grateful to get the recognition as his former co-stars. Knight kept it short and sweet and thanked the Emmys for thinking of him and his Brady Bunch bros, saying:
Very kind of them to present that opportunity to us.
The Brady Bunch actors recently took the stage on The Masked Singer, as mentioned above, and performed incognito as The Mummies. Their performance didn’t get them too far in the competition, but in fairness, they faced some stiff competition — not entirely a Mummy pun — from The Harp, and the new format change in Season 8, in which only one contestant advances each episode, has been sending stars home in droves. In the end, they still put on quite a show for the audience, who was obviously thrilled to see them perform on stage.
Anyone looking to catch the actors from The Brady Bunch on The Masked Singer can check out past Season 8 episodes with a Hulu subscription. Those looking to catch regular episodes can tune into Fox on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET.
