The Brady Bunch ran from 1969 to 1974, becoming one of the most beloved TV shows of all time. For many Gen X viewers, reruns filled their childhoods through the ’70s and ’80s, with scenes like Jan’s “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!” outburst or Peter’s cracking voice etched in memory. Among the most iconic moments, however, was the cheerful Brady Bunch opening, featuring the cast smiling from inside nine blue boxes as the theme song played.
But while fans fondly remember the intro, the cast had a very different experience filming it. As shared in Upworthy, the Brady Bunch opening was actually one of the most uncomfortable and confusing parts of the show to shoot.
Cast Members Recall The Challenges Behind The Opening Sequence
Barry Williams, who played Greg Brady, and Christopher Knight, who played Peter, revealed on the TV show We Love that filming those sequences was far from simple. “Filming those credits was probably one of the most uncomfortable things of all that we had to do,” Williams said. “There’s really nothing to do but be on a chair and look around.” Knight added that it was “insidiously difficult” because no one truly knew where to look—directors would shout confusing directions like “Down! Bottom right!” or “Alice isn’t in yet!” The result was hours of awkward, repetitive takes just to get the illusion right.
Knight even admitted that during the first season’s Brady Bunch opening, he looked in the wrong direction, highlighting just how unclear the filming process was. For something that appeared so simple on-screen, it was a surprisingly complex task behind the scenes.
How The Iconic Blue Boxes Came To Be
The idea for the nine-square Brady Bunch opening came from the show’s creator, Sherwood Schwartz. He wanted to emphasize television’s love for close-ups, but with a large cast of parents, six kids, and a housekeeper, he needed a creative way to show everyone at once. According to Schwartz’s son, Lloyd, his father sketched a checkerboard pattern to fit all nine faces together—and television history was made.
Even small details, like why Alice appeared last, were intentional. Actress Anne B. Davis had it written into her contract that she’d receive a special introduction. Combined with the catchy theme song that explained how the blended Brady family came together, the Brady Bunch opening became an unforgettable piece of pop culture. Though it was tricky to film, it remains a comforting symbol of a simpler time—when nine smiling faces reminded viewers what it meant to be a family.