In the 1950s and 1960s, family sitcoms were almost always about the traditional nuclear family unit — a man married to a woman raising their shared biological children. In the real world, the definition and makeup of the American family was evolving, and it was a brief, statistical mention of that in the Los Angeles Times that inspired Sherwood Schwartz to create the show that would become "The Brady Bunch." "It said that year, 1965, 31% of all marriages involved people who had a child or children from a previous marriage," Schwartz told Brady World in 1998. "It indicated a remarkable sociological change in our country. 31% is approximately one-third of all marriages. That's a huge statistic."
Sure, a show reflecting a progressive reality was an angle, but Schwartz, a veteran radio and TV sitcom writer, realized such a familial dynamic offered ample plot potential. "Not only could there be sibling rivalries, but there could be cross sibling rivals. And the problems each parent would have trying to convince the 'new' children that they loved them just as much as their own."
In hammering out an outline for this theoretical series, Schwartz also wrote out a theme song that would explain the somewhat complicated setup of the show. Not only did that turn into the universally known theme song from "The Brady Bunch," but it ensured that Schwartz wouldn't have to script much exposition.
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