History Recap / TheBradyBunchS5E17WelcomeAboard

* AccidentallyCorrectWriting: Oliver's (unwarranted desperation to ingratiate himself to his new caretakers is actually a realistic symptom of trauma that kids feel from being suddenly separated from their parent's demonstration of the trauma young kids feel when separated from their parents [[https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/litigation_committees/childrights/child-separation-memo/parent-child-separation-trauma-memo.pdf (no matter how much said parents love them and how good their intentions are, their little brains just aren't ready for that big of a shift)]].

And what does the 1-millionth customer (and those accompanying him) win? Bit parts in the studio's latest production – a comedy short based on a 1920s slapstick vaudeville short. First, two angry motorists driving crashed pie delivery trucks throw pies at each other. Then, a KeystoneCop tries to break up the fight, only to get a pie in his face. The Brady family, dressed in 1920s period attire, are all laughing at the silly situation. When the KeystoneCop tries to throw a pie at the motorists, they duck and the pie sails through the air and hits Alice in the face! Greg and Peter laugh at her, only to get a pie each in the face from Alice. Bobby is laughing at the two of them, so he gets pied in the face by Greg, and then Peter smashes a pie on top of Bobby's head. All three of the boys then run back to the pie trucks. Now Marcia, Jan, and Cindy are laughing at the boys, which means the three boys all pie the three girls all at the same time!! The girls squeal and laugh and decide to join in on the fun. Then, Carol gets hit with three flying pies, all in the face!! That just leaves Oliver, who has been laughing hysterically at everyone. Carol approaches him and says "[[CallBack Welcome to the family, Oliver.]] and proceeds to smash a pie right on top of Oliver's head. The whole Brady family then barrage Oliver with a huge dousing of cream pies.

In the meantime, the Bradys were telling Cousin Oliver ... "'''Welcome Aboard'''."

And what does the 1-millionth customer (and those accompanying him) win? Bit parts in the studio's latest production – a comedy short based on a 1920s vaudeville short, where two angry motorists throw pies at each other. The Bradys (and Oliver), as extras, get into the act and have loads of fun ... before dousing Oliver with cream pies.

* AccidentallyCorrectWriting: Oliver's (unwarranted desperation to ingratiate himself to his new caretakers is actually a realistic symptom of trauma that kids feel from being suddenly separated from their parent's demonstration f the trauma young kids feel when separated from their parents [[https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/litigation_committees/childrights/child-separation-memo/parent-child-separation-trauma-memo.pdf (no matter how much said parents love them and how good their intentions are, their little brains just aren't ready for that big of a shift)]]

* AccidentallyAccurateWriting: Oliver's (unwarranted desperation to ingratiate himself to his new caretakers is actually a realistic symptom of trauma that kids feel from being suddenly separated from their parent's demonstration f the trauma young kids feel when separated from their parents [[https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/litigation_committees/childrights/child-separation-memo/parent-child-separation-trauma-memo.pdf (no matter how much said parents love them and how good their intentions are, their little brains just aren't ready for that big of a shift)]]

While "'''Welcome Aboard'''" and subsequent episodes weren't necessarily as bad as some – Robert Reed among them – have suggested, the consensus has been that this episode and the five that followed would seal the show's fate. Although Barry Williams (in his previous books) and other authors have also pointed out that ''The Brady Bunch'' had been soundly beaten in the ratings by its direct competition, ''SanfordAndSon'', throughout the 1973-1974 season and that led to the show's ultimate cancellation in the summer of 1974, Cousin Oliver is often cited as the catalyst for the show's demise.

* AbsenteeActor: Robert Reed, in the studio tour/pie-throwing scenes.

On ''Series/TheBradyBunch'', the hapless character of Oliver Tyler was played by Robbie Rist, a 10-year-old Los Angeles native who had some previous roles, but his six-episode shot on ''TheBradyBunch'' would make him a household name, albeit not in a necessarily flattering way. In fact, the Cousin Oliver character wound up being the template of numerous younger actors/actresses were added to family sitcoms as original child and tween members of the cast matured into adolescence and adulthood, with those results rarely successful.

On ''TheBradyBunch'', the hapless character of Oliver Tyler was played by Robbie Rist, a 10-year-old Los Angeles native who had some previous roles, but his six-episode shot on ''TheBradyBunch'' would make him a household name, albeit not in a necessarily flattering way. In fact, the Cousin Oliver character wound up being the template of numerous younger actors/actresses were added to family sitcoms as original child and tween members of the cast matured into adolescence and adulthood, with those results rarely successful.

* FirstAppearance: Of Cousin Oliver.

On ''TheBradyBunch'', the hapless character of Oliver Tyler was played by Robbie Rist, a 10-year-old Los Angeles native who had some previous roles, but his six-episode shot on ''TheBradyBunch'' would make him a household name, albeit not in a necessarily flattering way. In fact, the Cousin Oliver character wound up being the template of numerous younger actors/actresses were added to family sitcoms as original juvenile members of the cast matured into adolescence and adulthood, with those results rarely successful.

The episode that gave birth to a term that's become part of television lexicon: The CousinOliver, a young child whose main intended purpose is to be cute and to draw younger viewers to the series, but instead, backfires by annoying and possibly alienating the current viewers because it upsets the original dynamic of the show (that is, the reason viewers tuned in in the first place).

The hapless character of Oliver Tyler was played by Robbie Rist, a 10-year-old Los Angeles native who had some previous roles, but his six-episode shot on ''TheBradyBunch'' would make him a household name, albeit not in a necessarily flattering way. In fact, the Cousin Oliver character wound up being the template of numerous younger actors/actresses were added to family sitcoms as original juvenile members of the cast matured into adolescence and adulthood, with those results rarely successful.

'''The plot''': Cousin Oliver, Carol's nephew, is left to live with the Bradys after his parents – Carol's brother, Jack, an archeologist, and his wife, Pauline, are traveling to a dig in South America. Because of his age and to allow him to continue at school, Mike and Carol agree to take Oliver in. (Of course, this is revealed to everyone only after Carol – perhaps still trying to finalize details about her and Mike being Oliver's temporary guardians – is at first vague to everyone about what's going on, leading the others to naturally conclude that Carol is pregnant.)

* PieInTheFace: The last five or so minutes is an extended pie fight, with everyone getting in on the act. (Except for Mike, since Robert Reed – as hinted by Barry Williams in "Growing Up Brady" – opted out of the scene because of what he saw as a ridiculous segment "tacked onto a weak script.")

While "'''Welcome Aboard'''" and subsequent episodes weren't necessarily as bad as some – Robert Reed among them – have suggested, the consensus has been that this episode and the five that followed would seal the show's fate. Although Barry Williams (in his previous books) and other authors have also pointed out that ''The Brady Bunch'' had been soundly beaten in the ratings by its direct competition, ''SanfordAndSon'', throughout the 1973-1974 season and that the show's inability to compete in the ratings against Redd Foxx's powerhouse sitcom – not just Cousin Oliver – was actually to blame for the show being cancelled in the summer of 1974.

While "'''Welcome Aboard'''" and subsequent episodes weren't necessarily as bad as some – Robert Reed among them – have suggested, the consensus has been that this episode and the five that followed would seal the show's fate. Although Barry Williams (in his previous books) and other authors have also pointed out that ''The Brady Bunch'' had been soundly beaten in the ratings by its direct competition, ''SanfordAndSon'', throughout the 1973-1974 season and that the show's inability to compete in the ratings against Redd Foxx's powerhouse sitcom – not Cousin Oliver – was actually to blame for the show being cancelled in the summer of 1974.

* TheJinx: Cousin Oliver. In the plot sense, because he's trying too hard to help out and gain acceptance from his cousins. From a series standpoint, the fact that the character was ultimately seen as not really needed and was the final catalyst in the series meeting its fate.

* TheJinx: Oliver, because he's trying too hard to help out and gain acceptance from his cousins.

At first, the Brady's children are eager to take him in and help him feel welcome. Rather than just sit back and relax, however, Oliver tries too hard to show off his skills or be helpful ... and he winds up doing more harm than good. (For instance, he breaks Marcia's pottery project and – while playing basketball with Peter and Bobby – breaks a window after an errant basketball throw.) Greg and Marcia plead with their younger siblings to be patient with Oliver, but the other four are convinced he's a jinx and say so ... not knowing that Oliver is listening in.

Oliver tells Mike what Peter, Jan, Bobby and Cindy have said about him, and Mike assures him they're wrong (both Oliver and then, more firmly, those four Brady kids). Later, to get Oliver to feel more welcome and to bond with the other kids, Carol arranges for everybody – except Mike, who had to work – to visit a movie studio. Oliver balks, but then everyone suggests that if he isn't going, the trip is off (Bobby tries to balk, but Carol immediately sets him straight). Oliver then agrees to go ... and lucky them, because he's the 1 millionth customer.

The episode that gave birth to a term that's become part of television lexicon: The CousinOliver, a young child whose main intended purpose is to be cute and to draw younger viewers to the series, but instead, backfires by annoying and possibly alienating the current viewers.

The hapless character of Oliver Tyler was played by Robbie Rist, a 10-year-old Los Angeles native who had some previous roles, but his six-episode shot on ''TheBradyBunch'' would make him a household name, albeit not in a necessarily flattering way, and the template of numerous younger actors/actresses were added to family sitcoms as original juvenile members of the cast matured into adolescence and adulthood.

Cousin Oliver, Carol's nephew, is left to live with the Bradys after his parents – Carol's brother, Jack, an archeologist, and his wife, Pauline, are traveling to a dig in South America. Because of his age and to allow him to continue at school, Mike and Carol agree to take Oliver in. (Of course, this is revealed to everyone only after Carol – perhaps still trying to finalize details about her and Mike being Oliver's temporary guardians – is at first vague to everyone about what's going on, leading the others to naturally conclude that Carol is pregnant.)

The hapless character of Oliver Tyler was played by Robbie Rist, a 10-year-old Los Angeles native who had some previous roles, but his six-episode shot on ''TheBradyBunch'' would make him a household name, albeit not in a necessarily flattering way. Cousin Oliver, Carol's nephew, is left to live with the Bradys after his parents – Carol's brother, Jack, an archeologist, and his wife, Pauline, are traveling to a dig in South America. Because of his age and to allow him to continue at school, Mike and Carol agree to take him in.

While "'''Welcome Aboard'''" and subsequent episodes weren't necessarily as bad as some – Robert Reed among them – have suggested, the consensus has been that this episode would seal the show's fate. Although Barry Williams (in his previous books) and other authors have also pointed out that ''The Brady Bunch'' had been soundly beaten in the ratings by its direct competition, ''SanfordAndSon'', throughout the 1973-1974 season and that the show's inability to compete in the ratings against Redd Foxx's powerhouse sitcom – not Cousin Oliver – was actually to blame for the show being cancelled in the summer of 1974.