New family oriented shows have taken themes laid out by older programs, like “The Brady Bunch,” and added their own modern twists.
Shows centered on family all tell their own story, while often sharing similar values and lessons learned among characters.
“The Brady Bunch” ran from 1969 to 1974. The show displayed a blended family that resulted from the union of a widow and widower.
“The Brady Bunch” tells the story of two families combined when a widow and a widower marry. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
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Mike Brady, played by Robert Reed, married Carol Martin, played by Florence Henderson, in the show. Brady had three sons, while Carol had three daughters.
The five seasons of the series show the characters figuring out life within the walls of their home, and in the outside world.
This show continues to maintain its popularity with reruns and the availability of episodes on streaming services.
The original show led to various spinoffs, some starring the original cast, and others bringing new actors into the beloved roles.
The first spinoff was an animated series, where the original Brady kids voiced their characters.
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The whole cast came together for a TV movie called “The Brady Girls Get Married,” featuring the double wedding of Jan and Marcia and the TV show, “The Brady Brides.”
There were a couple of other projects with the cast that came after “The Brady Brides,” including “A Very Brady Christmas” in 1988.
The parents in “The Brady Bunch” were played by Mike Reed and Florence Henderson. (Archive Photos/Getty Images)
“Brady Bunch” projects that have involved a different group of actors include the 1995 movie “The Brady Bunch,” “A Very Brady Sequel” in 1996 and a TV movie titled “The Brady Bunch in the White House.”
“The Brady Bunch” is just one classic show about family. Read on to discover more modern shows with a similar premise.
- “Modern Family”
- “Full House”
- “The Fosters”
1. “Modern Family”
“Modern Family” is a recent family-focused show that ran from 2009 to 2020.
This show focuses on three different families that are all interconnected. The person that connects all the families is Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill).
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Jay is a wealthy man married to his second wife, Gloria Delgado-Pritchett (Sofia Vergara). Gloria is a much younger woman, and mother to Manny Delgado (Rico Rodriguez).
Jay has two children, Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) and Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), who each have families of their own.
“Modern Family” seamlessly switches between the stories of three families, showcasing the time they spent apart and together. (Peter “Hopper” Stone/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Claire married Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell). The couple have three children; Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter) and Luke (Nolan Gould).
Jay’s son, Mitchell, is a gay man who is with, and later marries Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet). The two have an adopted daughter named Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons).
This show focuses on the individual lives of these three families, but also highlights the moments when they are all brought together, which more often than not leads to comedic moments.
2. “Full House”
“Full House” centers on Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) and his family. The show opens with Danny, a widower who is raising three daughters; D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Michelle, a role shared between Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
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After the death of his wife Pam, who died in a drunken driving accident, Danny enlists some help.
Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos), Danny’s brother-in-law, and Joey (Dave Coulier), his best friend, move into the house and help raise the three girls.
“Full House” first premiered in 1987 and ran until 1995. It was followed up by a spinoff that was on from 2016 until 2020. (American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
The episodes famously end with a lesson learned by one or more members of the family.
The spinoff show “Fuller House” takes place about 20 years after the original series, and sees D.J. in a similar position to the one her father was in.
D.J., now a widow herself, is mom to three young boys. She moves back home, where her sister Stephanie and her best friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber), who has a daughter of her own, help D.J., just like Jesse and Joey helped Danny in the original series.
3. “The Fosters”
“The Fosters” is a show about a lesbian couple, Stef (Teri Polo) and Lena Adams Foster (Sherri Saum), whose family is a bit more unconventional than most.
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The family is made up of Brandon (David Lambert), Stef’s biological son from her first marriage, and adopted twins Jesus (Jake T. Austin in seasons 1-2 and Noah Centineo seasons 3-5) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez).
The show begins with two siblings in foster care, Callie (Maia Mitchell) and younger brother Jude (Hayden Byerly), joining the family. The children come from a troubled past, and have difficulty adjusting to their new lives.
“Good Trouble” came out after “The Fosters” ended, and focused on Callie and Mariana navigating adulthood.