Changes

Robert Reed (1932-1992), originally in a traditional marriage and then a divorce, privately became a homosexual who never publicized that although his co-star Florence Henderson knew as early as the pilot for the show and over time all the cast members reportedly became aware of it.  Henderson noticed that Reed was uncomfortable with all the romance scenes, so the two would often practice. After Reed died, Henderson and Barry Williams talked about the matter, and speculated that the pressure of potential publicity then in the early 1970s about Reed's secret life may have contributed to his unhappiness during the tenure of the show.<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=132724&page=1</ref>  Reed opposed some of the silly scripts preferred by the show's writer Sherwood Schwartz, which became such a problem that Reed refused to do the last episode “The Hair-Brained Scheme” (which was the second episode Reed wasn’t in). In that episode Greg graduates from high school but, after buying Bobby’s hair tonic out of pity, it turns his hair orange. Reed, as an accomplished [[Shakespeare]]an actor, preferred more serious stuff, and it can be argued that he put up with the show because he loved the cast. Reed preferred ‘The Brady Bunch Variety Hour’ as he could be on the stage singing and dancing.

Robert Reed (1932-1992), originally in a traditional marriage and then a divorce, privately became a homosexual who never publicized that although his co-star Florence Henderson knew as early as the pilot for the show and over time all the cast members reportedly became aware of it.  Henderson noticed that Reed was uncomfortable with all the romance scenes, so the two would often practice. After Reed died, Henderson and Barry Williams talked about the matter, and speculated that the pressure of potential publicity then in the early 1970s about Reed's secret life may have contributed to his unhappiness during the tenure of the show.<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=132724&page=1</ref>  Reed opposed some of the silly scripts preferred by the show's writer Sherwood Schwartz, which became such a problem that Reed refused to do the last episode “The Hair-Brained Scheme” (which was the second episode Reed wasn’t in). In that episode Greg graduates from high school but, after buying Bobby’s hair tonic out of pity, it turns his hair orange. Reed, as an accomplished [[Shakespeare]]an actor, preferred more serious stuff, and it can be argued that he put up with the show because he loved the cast. Reed preferred ‘The Brady Bunch Variety Hour’ as he could be on the stage singing and dancing.

But other reports are that Robert Reed was a genuinely serious actor who had legitimate disagreements with some of the silliness and factual implausibilities in the show, such as hair tonic turning someone's hair green<ref>https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-brady-bunch-robert-reed-never-really-understood-his-own-sitcom-according-to-a-cast-member.html/</ref> or strawberries have an aroma when cooked.  All agreed that Robert Reed deeply cared for his on-air family, and the feeling was mutual.  Florence Henderson said that telling the "kids" that Reed was terminally ill was one of the hardest things she ever did.

But other reports are that Robert Reed was a genuinely serious actor who had legitimate disagreements with some of the silliness and factual implausibilities in the show, such as hair tonic turning someone's hair orange<ref>https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-brady-bunch-robert-reed-never-really-understood-his-own-sitcom-according-to-a-cast-member.html/</ref> or strawberries have an aroma when cooked.  All agreed that Robert Reed deeply cared for his on-air family, and the feeling was mutual.  Florence Henderson said that telling the "kids" that Reed was terminally ill was one of the hardest things she ever did.

Sherwood Schwartz in the early 1990s spoke about why he kept the show lighthearted rather than following the trends that worked with ''All In the Family''.

Sherwood Schwartz in the early 1990s spoke about why he kept the show lighthearted rather than following the trends that worked with ''All In the Family''.