Susan Olsen, Christopher Knight, Sherwood Schwartz and Florence Henderson by Alexandra Wyman/ WireImage.com
Sherwood Schwartz, the creator of
The Brady Bunch and
Gilligan's Island (he also wrote the catchy
Brady theme song), got his well-deserved Hollywood Walk of Fame star Friday. With Florence Henderson (who played Mrs. Carol Brady) and Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from
Gilligan's Island) at his side, Schwartz joked that the Oscars had gotten the title of this year's Best Picture winner wrong. "Who says this is
No Country For Old Men?" he joked. At 91, the kid's still got it!
In honor of Schwartz's achievements, here are my 15 all-time favorite
Brady Bunch episodes, in chronological order. (You're lucky I stopped at 15. I could probably rank 100 by memory.)
"The Honeymoon": This is the pilot, in which Mike and Carol get married and combine their families, including three boys, three girls, a cat and a dog (who basically ruin the wedding).
"Lost Locket, Found Locket": There was not a dry eye in the O'Connor household when we found out that Alice sent Jan the locket because she's a middle child too.
"Confessions Confessions": "Mom always said: Don't play ball in the house"
"Will the Real Jan Brady Please Stand Up?" In this episode, Jan (the Neurotic Brady) buys a hilarious black wig because she thinks her blond hair is a liability. Um, since when?
"Grand Canyon or Bust": In part 2 of this three-parter, the two youngest Bradys stupidly follow a random Native American kid and get lost, leading to what seems like 12 minutes of the rest of the family shrieking "Bobby!" and then "Cindy!".
"Personality Kid": Peter wants a new personality -- Humphrey Bogart's, as it turns out. This episode spawns the catchphrase "pork chops and applesauce," the popularity of which has yet to fade.
"Her Sister's Shadow": "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"
"The Not-So-Rose-Colored Glasses": This is the one when Jan is blind and vain. I could watch her crash into those garbage cans on a 24/7 loop and it would never stop being satisfying.
"Dough Re Mi": Peter voice cracks when the Brady kids sing a song called "Time to Change." Ironic!
"Pass the Tabu": This is the second part of another three-parter, where everything goes wrong for the Bradys because Greg starts wearing a ugly wooden necklace (the tiki) when he surfs. Obviously, it's cursed and needs to be buried or something.
"Love and the Older Man": Marcia falls in love with Dr. Vogel, her young, handsome dentist. In a series of fantasy sequences about their imaginary relationship, she pronounces herself "Mrs. Marcia Dentist."
"Everybody Can't Be George Washington": Without this episode, I would have no idea who Benedict Arnold was.
"The Subject Was Noses": "Hey, you guys... oh, my nose!"
"A Room at the Top": Marcia and Greg fight over who will get the converted attic bedroom. The best part of this episode is when Bobby and Cindy sit around the kitchen chalkboard figuring out how long it will be until they get their turn, and the answer is like 1980 or something.
"Adios, Johnny Bravo": The caricatures of the "Hollywood-type" record execs are hilarious -- as are the Greg-as-Bravo costumes.
Those are mine. What are yours?
