Sherwood Schwartz - TV series - 1969-74 - pp. 141, 169

Centering on a family of eight constituted by a widower (and architect) and his three sons who marries a woman with three daughters, ABC’s The Brady Bunch is an iconic sitcom that ran from 1969-74. Episode touched on a wide range of issues including sibling rivalry, adjustment to a blended family, puberty, school concerns, romances, gender, and moral development. Because ABC objected to the premise of the wife, Carol, being divorced, her initial marital status is never disclosed.

The show’s memorable title sequence features a split screen with each of the main characters while the theme song plays. Among the show’s most noted contributions to television history was its tendency to frame episodes and issues therein from the standpoint of the children, making them accessible and engaging to a youthful audience with less risk of pedantry or didacticism.

 Key elements: juvenile literature