The Brady Bunch’s fifth season run witnessed an apparent decline in ratings and viewership, which prompted producers to take action to revive the beloved American sitcom. In a last-ditch attempt to revitalize the show, they introduced a new character, Cousin Oliver. Sadly, the plan failed, and the show was terminated shortly after, bringing an end to its five-year existence. Over the years, both fans and critics have erroneously blamed Robbie Rist, who played Cousin Oliver, for the show’s discontinuation, accusing his character of disrupting the Brady family’s dynamic.
Several years after the cancellation of the beloved TV series, Robbie Rist, in a new interview, finally addressed the long-standing allegations, firmly denying any responsibility for the show’s cancellation.
Robbie Rist denies claims that he was responsible for ‘The Brady Bunch’s’ ending
During his appearance on a recent episode of The Patrick LabyorSheaux Podcast, he refuted the allegations that he was responsible for the eventual termination of The Brady Bunch. Rist expressed immense disbelief at how people found it justified to blame a 9-year-old for the show’s downfall, especially since the series was already struggling before his involvement.
He speculated that even though some of the show’s fans viewed him as an outsider who disrupted the dynamic of a show that had been running for over five years, he wondered how he, a child at the time, could wield such a huge influence. Rist also emphasized that throughout his time on the series, he gave his best performance, even though it was canceled shortly after his arrival.
Susan Olsen speaks on the failure of ‘The Brady Bunch’
In a previous interview, Susan Olsen, who played the character of Cindy Brady, revealed that while it was a standard practice for shows experiencing a decline in ratings to attempt to boost viewership by introducing a new character, the network’s decision was a desperate move to attract a broader audience as most of the cast were already tired of the series.
While all The Brady Bunch cast and crew members acknowledged that they had a genuine likeness for Rist, his abrupt introduction by the network automatically made him the scapegoat for the failure of the series.