Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg

by Barry Williams and Chris Kreski

Book Overview

Think you know everything about Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Mike, Carol, Alice and the people who played them? Think again From drunken golf-cart races across the Paramount lot to make-out... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060965886
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 1.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Refreshing

Authored by Barry Williams, (aka Greg Brady) this volume differs from fan-books of retro tv shows in that it is neither a hyper-romanticized trip down memory lane, nor bitter attacking screed from an individual wishing the spotlight back on themselves. In refreshingly honest prose, Williams recalls the thrill of growing up in the early 1970's (including celebrity perks). The balanced perspective on America's most famous sitcom on seccond marriages and mixed families draws in readers who liked the show, but were never tremendous fans. Openly candid, Williams shares hillarious backstage hijinks that attempt to explain why these former child stars have managed to avoid the negative publicity that caught up with so many of their contemporaries. True, the long-standing animosity between Robert Reed and Sherwood Schwartz is included, but this does not detract from the genuinely caring sentiment that cast members feel towards one another on and off cammera. The exact family composition may have been the work of a hollywood scriptwriter and casting director, but hollywood personnel could not have required these people to develop the strong personal bonds with eachother that only strengthened over time.In keeping with the desire for a book transcending the typical low expectations for former Child Star memoirs, a suprisingly small lack of space is devoted to an apparent fling with co-stars Maureen McCormick and Florence Henderson. Certainly mentioned, both incidents are not excessively doted on by the author. The overall focus of the text seems to be on how a shared sense of cooperation and commuinity among the cast helped a tv show about step-families become a favirote in the American pop psyche at a time when "stepfamily" still conotated various fairy-tale horror stories.

A Very Brady Tell All!!

If, like me, you are a Bradyphile, then you were probably shocked to read some of Mr. Williams' tales in this wonderful book. By now, these juicy secrets are common knowledge, but coming upon them for the first time was shocking. If you are not a fan of the show that ran from 1969 to 1974, this might not be for you. But you'd be surprised how many people who aren't big fans have read it and really liked it. It's a very entertaining book and very easy and fun to read. Mr. Williams writes with a great outlook on his Brady past. He doesn't take anything the least bit seriously here. Nor should he. The book begins with Barry's earlier beginnings. It's not page turning stuff folks, but it is interesting to read all of the old shows he guest starred on. Nothing gets good until we enter Bradyland. What fun it is. The most interesting stuff in this book to read are all of the fights and confrontations between Robert Reed(Mr. Brady), and the show's creator/producer/writer Sherwood Schwartz. It was constant, and it was bloody. It's real interesting to read how everyone's favorite dad acted behind the scenes. The stuff here is priceless. But, even if Mr. Reed comes off rather crass, you have to remember that he was just trying to help the show. Then again, if he really hated it, why did he always return for the reunions?. The hot stuff comes in the form of the Greg/Marcia romance. The two actors, Williams and Maureen McCormack, did get hot and heavy. Cindy and Bobby got serious, as did Jan and Peter too. Pretty soon, it would've been Carol and Tiger. The end of the book has the usual episode guide to all of the episodes. Some of them also have little sections to certain episodes with particular information on that episode. The book also covers "The Brady Girls Get Married", the huge TV hit "A Very Brady Christmas", and the 1990 'dramadey' show "The Bradys". The introduction is by Robert Reed himself, shortly before he passed away. What's great, and also heartbreaking, is how Mr. Reed passed away. The great part was him telling Florence Henderson to call and "tell the kids" as he said. It seemed very much like a father and his kids. That they were really like family. Mr. Reed passing away was heartbreaking. All in all, this is a great and fun read. The sex, the drugs, the dating, the fights. Who could ask for anything more?. I must warn you that there are a number of reviews below who rate this one star because they mixed up a character with an actor and so on. Can you believe that?. Take it easy people. I would also stay away from the review who claims that the episode guide is filled with mistake after mistake. Since it is coming from as solid a source as can be, and from someone who was there, I would believe what Mr. Williams says. That review just appears to be trying to destroy it for whatever reasons. I can't imagine there being anything else to say, but one wishes for book 2!. The Brady Bunch is a cultural phenomenon. No question about it. There once

An excellent but sometimes melancholy autobiography ....

I never thought I'd ever say this about anything "Brady", but this is a very multilayered book. Barry Williams is quite the storyteller, and Chris Kreski packaged "Growing Up Brady" very nicely. It remains the standard TV autobiography for the Gen X voyeur who wants to know the details of on-set romances, Hawaii wipeouts, guest star memories, etc. What I really enjoy about "Growing Up Brady" is the easy, affable way that Barry Williams publicly comes to terms with his Brady past. One can only imagine the inane questions, the ignorant comments, and the stares this man has had to endure. And, of course, no matter how good or bad his talents are, there will always be a Brady subtext to anything he does.Despite the superficial Hollywood tell-all there is a sad undercurrent to Williams' book. Robert Reed's unhappiness as Mike Brady was a surprise to me, although it wasn't unpredicatable. While his mannerisms and on-set antics seem trivial, the man seemed genuinely bothered by how insignificant he perceived his role to be. Watch anything non-Brady from the 1970s and you'll see Reed try to act as different from Mike as he can manage, to the point of extreme hamminess (catch "Pray For The Wildcats", co-starring the king of ham himself, William Shatner). Reed's limits were imposed by himself, and I find it very sad that despite trying very hard, he never seemed to come to terms with his most notable role. Reed's documented generosity and warmth towards his castmates seems to far outweigh any negative insight into his character.Almost as sad is the inevitable comparison of the actors' post-Brady lives with their former roles. Williams alludes to this many times in the book...fans addressing the cast by their "Brady" names, inane questions about fictional people, and surprised stares from the public when they demonstrate their natural personalities. From the anecdotes, the cast's self-consciousness sometimes manifested itself through refusal to be part of reunions, interview comments, etc. According to Williams, they all turned our remarkably well and very successful in their various pursuits, and hopefully they are all as well-adjusted as Williams seems to be. For now, I wish Barry well and hope that he and the entire cast can eat at a restaurant free of thoughtless idiots screaming out their "Brady" names. Hopefully we will see more from this talented man.

Great book; lots of delightful insights and wry humor

If it were up to me, Barry Williams would never have another door slammed in his face, Maureen McCormick would see her country album sell like hotcakes, Robert Reed would still be alive and getting roles worthy of his talents, and the world would be a lot more like The Brady Bunch than it is. But, alas, it's not up to me, so we have to deal with the bitter reality that our entertainment industry uses people - particularly children - then discards them. It's not fair, and I wish something could be done about it, but, for the life of me, I don't know what that would be. How painful it must be to be forever judged by what you did and how you looked as a teenager. How hard it must be as an actor to have doors slammed in your face because you accepted a role on a sitcom as a child, all the while receiving no residuals for your work. How difficult it must be to reflect on your entire adult life and see one professional embarrassment after another, all traced back to the good work you did as a kid. How disheartening it must be to look into your future and see nothing but cheap movies, TV guest appearances, and reading children's books at Target on the horizon. It isn't fair, and we should look deep down inside ourselves as a culture for both the blame and the solution.The world is sometimes a place of harsh realities. For Barry Williams and the other cast regulars, playing on the show brought with it the harsh reality that their careers as actors all but ended when the show ended. As the fate of the series went, so went the fate of its stars, particularly its child stars. Oh, sure, there have been numerous sequels, spin-offs, etc., but, in reality, the sausage machine that is Hollywood all but ended these kids' careers before they began. Forever typecast as their TV characters, they are caught in an entertainer's purgatory: they are inherently disadvantaged when seeking new roles, while, at the same time, receiving no compensation for the original role. All people are interested in are those five brief years when they were doing their best to grow up on a soundstage in between rehearsals and shooting a TV show. Their lives and work since the show are not terribly interesting to the masses. Indeed, if people had it their way, the kids would never grow up. Barry would always be Greg, and Maureen would always be Marcia.We make fun of the clothes, but they were normal for the time. We make fun of the lingo, but it, too, was commonplace. We make fun of the idealistic manner in which the show portrayed family situations, but we all know it's just a TV show. I mean, why watch TV if all you want is realism? Look around you, or look out your window if all you want is real life. Isn't there a place for the idyllic? Don't we sometimes tune into programs to get *away* from reality - for their inherent escapism? Why, then, should we take this show to task for portraying life optimistically? Are any of us

No other "Brady" book compares

There are many books about "The Brady Bunch," but I find all of them to be sorely lacking except for Barry Williams' memoir. His book offers insight and behind-the-scenes material that the other "Brady" authors could have provided but didn't. They would have had to have worked exceptionally hard and get meaningful interviews with the cast and crew of the show. They would have had to write their books with wit and flair. Instead, they were content simply to build glorified episode guides and trot out all sorts of meaningless trivia. That's why this book stands out. Barry Williams told a story that was rich with colors and personality. He showed how a lightweight sitcom could make such a huge impact on our pop culture. He made me laugh by showing the weird ways in which "Bradymania" affected his life. I never thought he was a particularly good actor on "The Brady Bunch." But he makes a mighty fine author.