AllMovie

The pilot episode of the ever-popular family show focuses on the wedding ceremony of widower architect Mike Brady (Robert Reed) and his bride, Carol Martin (Florence Henderson). At Carol's house, she is helped into her canary yellow wedding gown by her equally yellow daughters, Marcia (Maureen McCormick), Jan (Eve Plumb), and Cindy (Susan Olsen). Meanwhile, Mike -- fending off last-minute jitters -- helps his sons, Greg (Barry Williams), Peter (Christopher Knight), and Bobby (Michael Lookinland) slick down their hair (notice Bobby's is naturally red and not dyed black as in later episodes). Finally, the impending bunch is gathered for the ceremony. Ironically, it is the respective family pets -- the Martins' cat, Fluffy, and the Brady boys' dog, Tiger -- who reign chaos upon the proceedings. Just as Mike and Carol say "I do," Tiger, spying Fluffy from Mike's car -- the windows rolled up in the California heat no less -- fortuitously paws the electric window button and charges after the smug feline. A full-on Brady chase ensues with Tiger side-swiping the tiered wedding cake. Everyone takes a light-hearted attitude toward the animal's intrusion, and the newly anointed Bradys -- kids included -- depart on a honeymoon. Viewers may notice that all of the kids appear particularly young: This pilot episode was filmed a full year before the actual first episode of season one. Although Carol's previous marital status is never mentioned, she was intended by the series' creators to be a divorcée.