The Brady Bunch Hour(1976 - 1977)

After the cancellation of "The Brady Bunch" and "The Brady Kids," it seemed that the Brady franchise was dead -- until several key cast members appeared in a memorable, high-rated episode of "The Donny and Marie Show." Soon there was a buzz, and the "Bunch" (minus Eve Plumb, who was replaced with "fake Jan" Geri Reischl) found themselves reuniting for this series, which was produced by Sid and Marty Krofft ("HR Pufnstuf"), who'd featured the Brady Kids in their 1973 TV special, "Sid and Marty Krofft at the Hollywood Bowl."

The show revolved around the premise that the family was asked to do a variety show for ABC, so they left their digs in California, moved into a house on the beach, and broadcast out of their new home. Unfortunately, there seemed to be little balance between painful musical performances, unfunny skits, and guest-star cameos galore. It's also notable that the events that transpired during these episodes never became part of the storyline of any subsequent Brady outing ("The Brady Brides," "A Very Brady Christmas," "The Bradys").

Following the successful broadcast of the pilot, "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour," in November, 1976, eight more episodes were rushed into production, which aired from January-May, 1977. These episodes received low ratings, and the series was soon canceled. In subsequent years, the series has become the butt of many jokes, and it's routinely cited in lists of the all-time worst TV series. Several episodes have found their way back to cable in recent years, and a few have been released on VHS and DVD, but half of the episodes remain unseen by modern audiences.