The Summer of '69 packed a cultural punch that may never be equaled. The first men landed on the moon just weeks before a million hippies landed at Woodstock. The Stonewall riots rocked New York around the same time the Manson Family terrorized Los Angeles. News of the Vietnam War was still being served daily with our dinners, and the world was ready for a breath of fresh air. That breath — often thought of as a last gasp of TV innocence — came on Sept. 26, 1969 with debut of The Brady Bunch.

Although it was a sweet family sitcom, The Brady Bunch was actually a bold concept; two families coming together to become one. At the time it was happening in real life, but not on TV. It was never explained what happened to Carol’s first husband or Mike's first wife, but it didn’t really matter. The theme song explained the story well enough to convince millions to welcome the Bradys into their homes on a weekly basis for five years of prime-time viewing.

Always a favorite with families, the show never cracked the Top 30 in its original run. It did, however, become a staple in reruns as the perfect viewing for kids when they came home from school. As a result, since its original airdate each new generation has adopted the Brady family as their own, making it one of the most-watched sitcoms in TV history.

Many revivals and re-thinkings of the Bradys would come over the years: The Brady Kids Cartoon, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, The Brady Brides, A Very Brady Christmas and the dramatic The Bradys all had legions of fans tuning in to see what TV’s favorite family was up to.

The continuous exposure kept The Brady Bunch in our hearts and minds over the years, and it evolved into a full-fledged institution in the 1990s. A stage show called "The Real Live Brady Bunch" played in several cities to huge success. As a result, the Jan Brady of that show, Melanie Hutsell, ended up on Saturday Night Live and reintroduced the phrase “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” to the masses via a series of appearances as Jan Brady on the show's “Weekend Update.” A second Bradymania swept the country, resulting in two very successful Brady Bunch movies.

It’s hard to explain why The Brady Bunch remains so popular, but it has a magical combination of simple plotlines that everyone can relate to with a universal sentimentality based on family values. The groovy threads and retro dialogue doesn’t hurt, either.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the show's debut, Collectiblog will examine The Brady Bunch and its lasting mark on popular culture.

Lisa Sutton is co-author of Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour. She lives minutes from the real Brady House in Southern California and has an enviable collection of Brady memorabilia and knowledge, garnering her the official title of "Bradyologist."
Photos courtesy: Getty Images

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