‘Brady Bunch’ Star Christopher Knight Believes the Show Inspired Families

THE BRADY BUNCH, Mike Lookinland, Christopher Knight, Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, Susan Olsen on-set, '54-40 & Fight', (Season 1, ep. 115, aired January 9, 1970), 1969-74
Courtesy Everett Collection

Decades later, people are still obsessed with The Brady Bunch. This has been proven over and over again when the home that served as the facade was renovated to look just like the heartwarming sitcom and when its stars appear on other shows like Dancing with the Stars. Now, Christopher Knight, who portrayed Peter Brady on the show, is opening up about why this particular sitcom has stood the test of time.

He shared, “Not all have it. Some escape with the Bradys to give them that feeling, others join us because it reminds them of a safer time in their childhood because they did have a family similar to the Bradys or aspired to be something, something that was reflective of the Bradys, and we need more of it. We need more of it in our adult lives. The kind of mutual respect and understanding and willingness to cooperate that is shown on the show is something that we could all use more of in our lives, and our lives would be better as a result. It’s all a matter of just the willingness.”

Christopher Knight then & Now

Everett Collection; Rachel Luna/Getty Images

Not only did the sitcom inspire other families, but Knight said that it kept him out of trouble. He admitted that had he not done the show, his childhood would have been likely very different. Unfortunately, while being on the show helped Knight escape some of the troubles of childhood and teenage years, it wasn’t always the same for the rest of the cast. Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady, suffered from drug addiction and an eating disorder following the show. Luckily, she is doing well now and the cast has remained close even after so many years.

THE BRADY BUNCH, (back): Christopher Knight, Barry Williams, Ann B. Davis, (center): Eve Plumb, Florence Henderson, Robert Reed, Maureen McCormick, (front): Susan Olsen, Mike Lookinland, (Season 5), 1969-74

Everett Collection

Knight believes he knows why the cast remained so tight. He said, “I think it’s become very obvious recently – in light of the times we’re living through, difficult times where people don’t want to understand or trust one another. And we are all friends because we all met on this simple, sweet, kids show about family. About a family that we can all aspire to be more like because they all showed cooperation and understanding.”

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JULY 25: (L-R) Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, Susan Olsen, Mike Lookinland, Christopher Knight and Barry Williams attend HGTV's 'A Very Brady Renovation' reception for Discovery, Inc.'s Summer 2019 TCA Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 25, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California

Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery

The Brady Bunch was on television between 1969 and 1974 and spawned several sequel films. Despite the show remaining a pop culture phenomenon, it was actually canceled due to average ratings at the time. Now tell us, are you still a huge Brady Bunch fan? Who was your favorite character?

Favorite TV Families
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Favorite TV Families

December 2020

Who was your favorite TV family? We cover the decades, from the Cleavers, Waltons and Brady Bunch, to the Ewings and much more!

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