Oh! To Be Little with Too Much Time on Your Hands

I have vivid memories of being told that I had to get ready for bed early in order to be allowed to stay up and watch The Brady Bunch followed by The Partridge Family. To say I loved these shows would be an understatement. I was simply devoted to them. In fact, I spent a lot of non-viewing time thinking about the characters and making up scenarios for them. These scenarios would sometimes bleed characters from one show to the other -- which of course really did happen occasionally (i.e. Sonny and Cher on "Scooby Do") -- but as my overly-intense-emotional-self tended to lean, I made the characters far too involved in one another's lives.



I wondered how long it would take Keith to break Marcia's heart.


I wondered if Laurie was a little too sophisticated for Greg.


I worried Danny wouldn't get along with anyone.



I thought the littlest kids might have fun together -- although the tambourine girl always seemed a little ... aloof.



And what about the adults? Would Alice leave Sam the Butcher for Rubin Kincaid?


Or would Mr. Brady end up having an affair with Shirley Jones? Not to worry!




I also LOVED The Courtship of Eddie's Father and therefore imaged that maybe Carol Brady could jump over there and get married to that poor widower Bill Bixby.

And then maybe the adorable nanny Mrs. Livingston could retire...or take Mr. French's place on Family Affair when he keeled over from a heart attack. Because even at 7 years old, I could sense that Buffy and Jody's dad was simply not going to remarry. Alcoholism? Rage issues? I am not sure, but there was something wrong over there. Which is why I was not surprised when I overheard the grown-ups talking about how Buffy and/or Jody and/or the teen aged sister ended up flipping out on acid in real life. Meanwhile, Mrs. Livingston could have saved the day with her soothing Japanese ways.

If they had only listened to my recasting ideas...lives could have been spared.