Four cast members from America's favorite fictional blended family, The Brady Bunch, recently reunited on the Today show to honor their late co-star Florence Henderson, and it was absolutely heartwarming. Watch Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) talk about one of America's most iconic TV moms and her influence on them, in the clip below:
In addition to excellent tales that included how they're still being referred to as children, how television is different now, and how they'll never escape their iconic TV roles, four of the six Brady children spoke highly to the personal character of Florence Henderson and her impact on their lives. Much like her character Carol Brady, Christopher Knight shared with Today that Henderson had a great capacity for humanity and an ability to make people feel better about themselves.
Barry Williams and Mike Lookinland added Henderson's professionalism and humor often decreased tension on set and taught the children how to deal with stardom at a young age. Essentially, the Brady actors made it sound as though Henderson was their on-set mother figure in addition to their on-screen mom.
Two kids from The Brady Bunch, Maureen McCormick (Marcia) and Eve Plumb (Jan), were missing from the interview, but don't mistake their absence for a lack of caring. Both McCormick and Plumb honored Florence Henderson earlier in the year both publicly and at her memorial ceremony in December. Echoing what The Brady actors said in the Today interview, both actresses reminisced then on Henderson's humor and warmth on set, and regarded her as a role model in each of their lives. I'm just imagining Henderson dressed as the wholesome Carol Brady telling some raunchy joke similar to The Aristocrats (don't look it up if you've never heard it and get offended easily) and I can see how such a thing might stick with someone for over 48 years!
Florence Henderson is the third member of the primary cast of The Brady Bunch to have died since the series' end, following TV husband Robert Reed and the unforgettable Ann B. Davis. Henderson passed away surrounded by family in late November of last year after suffering from heart failure. Henderson's last television appearance came on an episode of Dancing With The Stars, where she cheered on former co-star and then-DWTS competitor Maureen McCormick. While The Brady Bunch was never considered a big success when it first aired, the series took off in syndication and ran well beyond its original five seasons on television. (Let's not talk about the variety show.)
It's good to hear from The Brady Bunch kids that Florence Henderson was just as wonderful off screen as she was as Carol Brady. Are there any television moms today that match her level of wisdom and caring? There's a possibility that one of them could be showing up on TV this week, and our summer premiere guide holds all the dates for new and returning shows for the next couple months. If you're already watching a show with your favorite tv mom, be sure to visit our finale guide to see how much time you'll get to share with her before next season!
