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*Brady Bunch 'dad' Robert Reed was often drunk when the hit television show was
filmed and would have angry outbursts on set, a new book reveals

•Reed, who played Mike Brady in the show, took the role which made him a
household name for money and would demand his lines be rewritten

•The revelations come in a new book, 'The Way We All Became The Brady Bunch'

•It was only after Reed's death in 1992 that the public learned he was gay

Brady Bunch 'dad' Robert Reed was often drunk when the hit television show was
filmed and would have angry outbursts on set, a new book reveals.

Reed, who played Mike Brady in the show, perceived himself as a Shakespearean
actor and only took the role which made him a household name for money.

The actor was also difficult onset and would often demand that his lines be
rewritten if he didn't like them.

The revelations are contained in a new book called 'The Way We All Became the
Brady Bunch: How the Canceled Sitcom Became the Beloved Pop Culture Icon We Are
Still Talking About Today,' by author Kimberly Potts.

In one episode, Brady Bunch mom, Carol, and the family’s housekeeper, Alice,
have a competition to see who can make the tastiest strawberry jams.

In the script, Mike Brady was supposed to come home and say that the house
smelled like 'strawberry heaven.'

Reed had fact-checked every script and discovered that strawberries hvae no
smell as they're being cooked.

What developed was a stand off between him and Brady Bunch creator Sherwood
Schwartz. Reed refused to say the line and Schwartz had brought him to the set
where the strawberries were being cooked to prove that there was a scent.

Reed still refused and Schwartz told him he could say it 'looks like strawberry
heaven in here,' which he had agreed to.

He also objected to the quality of an ink that stained Alice’s uniform and wrote
a furious multi-page memo to the show’s executives.

He criticized the prop department for using the product and called the ink scene
so 'unfunny that even a laugh machine would balk' at it.

Despite the drama behind the scenes, The Brady Bunch went on to become one of
America's most successful and famous TV shows, and celebrated its 50th
anniversary in September.

Potts, the author of the new book, told the New York Post: 'I don’t feel like
anyone thinks it’s a great show.

'This is not the sitcom version of Breaking Bad. 'It’s more that it’s a sweet
show. Now so many generations have watched it, it’s a good memory and makes them
feel good.'

She added: 'Schwartz did a lot of smart things when he cast the show. He cast
kids and created the characters based on their personalities.

'That’s something that came through and helped people identify with them and
made the group of siblings resonate with people.'

Reed died at the age of 59 from health complications that included his status as
HIV positive.

It was only after the actor's death that the public learned he was gay, a secret
he had kept hidden throughout his long career.

According to the book, the actor would spend lunch breaks drinking and would
come back drunk which meant Schwartz would have to cancel filming on the day in
question.

The actors who starred as kids in the show would generally be finished and would
not see any of his questionable behavior.

Potts revealed that Reed had a very close relationship with the Brady children
as he was protective over them.

'He took his responsibility as the TV dad seriously. He famously took the kids
on a trip to England because he wanted to expose them to culture and
Shakespeare.

'He also famously gave them Super 8 cameras for Christmas. He wanted to help
them the same as a father would.'

However he famously fell out with show executives and did not appear in several
episodes including the 1974 series finale, because he objected to some of the
script.

Schwartz was going to write Mike Brady out of the show and write about how the
kids helping Carol find love for the second time.

However the show lasted for just five seasons and Schwartz even received mail
from children who said they wanted to leave their own families and live with the
Brady Bunch.

The show was so popular that in 1976, repeat shows of the Brady Bunch beat the
vice-presidential debate in ratings.

'These airings were chances for viewers of every changing age group to memorize
the show, identify with the characters and their problems and allow The Brady
Bunch’ to become a permanent part of their culture and childhood memories,'
Potts wrote.




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