Barry Williams had some strong feelings about The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. Produced by late TV legends Sid and Marty Krofft, the variety show aired from November 1976 to May 1977 on ABC, and it featured singing, dancing, water follies (!!!), and celebrity guests such as Milton Berle, Tina Turner, and Vincent Price.
The spinoff show was served up Brady style, with cast members Williams, Florence Henderson, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland, Susan Olsen, and Ann B. Davis, reprising their Brady Bunch characters under the far-fetched premise that they ditched their suburban home life to become variety show stars. (Newcomer Geri Reischl filled in for Eve Plumb, who opted to skip the TV reunion).
In 2002, TV Guide ranked The Brady Bunch hour as the fourth-worst show in television history, per Remind magazine.
RELATED: Robert Reed Loved 1976 ‘Brady Bunch’ Spinoff
In his book Growing up Brady, Williams wrote, "The Brady Bunch Hour was incredibly bad,” and he went on to call it “a mess” and a “turkey.” "The Brady Bunch Hour was perhaps the single worst television program in the history of the medium,” the actor wrote.
Pitched as a show that could follow in the footsteps of the Kroffs’ highly successful Donny and Marie show, Williams admitted he bought the idea “hook, line, and sinker.” Unfortunately, The Brady Bunch Hour was rushed into production and was a ratings flop.
Over time, Williams embraced the show for what it was: a showcase for the wacky magic of Sid and Mary Krofft, the masterminds behind the popular ‘70s Saturday morning shows H.R. Pufnstuf, The Bugaloos, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Land of the Lost, and more.
“I know our variety show gets criticized pretty heavily, but it’s a style of show from Sid and Marty Krofft,” Williams told Yahoo! Entertainment in 2022. “It was a circus — and I thought it was a great circus! I love it that it was kooky and crazy, and that the colors and the costumes were just so over-the-top. It's what Sid & Marty Krofft do. And I think in some ways they're even more popular now than they were. It's kind of ahead of its time.”
RELATED: Beloved Classic TV Star Honors Legendary Producer Sid Krofft
Barry Williams maintained a friendship with the Kroffts
Williams and the rest of The Brady Bunch child actors had a bit of a history with TV producing duo Sid and Marty Krofft. In 1972, the sitcom stars introduced the Kroffts’ Saturday morning TV lineup in the preview special The Brady Bunch Meets ABC’s Saturday Superstars. The following year, they made cameos in the TV special The World of Sid and Marty Krofft at the Super Bowl.
And while The Brady Bunch Hour only lasted nine episodes, Williams remained friendly with the famous brothers.
In March 2026, he paid a visit to see Sid Krofft just a few weeks before his death at age 96. In a photo posted to Instagram, Williams held an Easter bunny balloon as he posed alongside the television legend and fellow former child actor Mancow Muller after Krofft spent time in the hospital.
“Thank you for my first visit since getting out of prison!!” Krofft joked in the caption to the photo. “This morning I got to spend some VERY special time with my friends @thebarrywilliams and @mancowmuller. I just love absolutely every one of you! Thanks for sticking around with this crazy guy!”
Sid Krofft died on April 10, 2025, nearly two years after his brother passed away.
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