It was March 8, 1974. Nobody knew it at the time, but a TV era was ending on a bizarre note involving rabbit tonic and a synthetic orange afro. The Brady Bunch "The Hair Brained Scheme" isn't just another episode of classic television; it is the accidental series finale that almost didn't happen because of a massive ego clash behind the scenes.
Most people remember the plot. Bobby, the youngest and arguably most ambitious Brady, gets a job selling "Neat & Natural" hair tonic. It’s a classic sitcom trope: a kid tries to get rich quick, things go sideways, and someone ends up with a colorful disaster on their head. That someone was Greg. With graduation just days away, Greg uses the tonic, and his hair turns a bright, sickly shade of orange. Not exactly the look he wanted for the yearbook.
But here’s the thing. While the episode is famous for its goofy premise, the real drama was happening off-camera. Robert Reed, the classically trained actor who played Mike Brady, hated the script. He hated it so much that he refused to appear in the episode. That’s why, if you watch it today, the patriarch of the family is nowhere to be found.
The Script That Broke Robert Reed
Robert Reed was a complicated guy. He was a Shakespearean actor who found himself stuck in a show about a "lovely lady" and a man named Brady. He constantly sent long, scathing memos to creator Sherwood Schwartz about the show’s lack of realism. He wanted The Brady Bunch to be more like All in the Family or The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
When he read the script for The Hair Brained Scheme, he hit his breaking point.
The logic of the "hair tonic" bothered him. He argued that if a product turned someone’s hair orange and made it fall out, it wouldn't be on the market. He claimed the premise was "un-researchable" and scientifically impossible. Schwartz, who just wanted to make people laugh, basically told him to deal with it. Reed didn't deal with it. He walked off the set.
Because of this, Mike Brady is written out of the episode with a throwaway line. Carol mentions he's at the office or away on business. It’s jarring. You have the final episode of one of the most iconic shows in history, and the father isn't even there to see his eldest son "graduate." Honestly, it’s kinda heartbreaking when you think about the chemistry that cast had.
Bobby’s Greed and Greg’s Orange Nightmare
Let’s talk about the actual plot for a second. Bobby buys a huge stock of hair tonic from a door-to-door salesman. It’s a total scam. He starts selling it to his siblings, and Greg, being the supportive (or perhaps vain) older brother, decides to try it.
The visual of Barry Williams with that orange hair is burned into the memory of every Gen X kid. It wasn't just a tint. It was a neon, frizzy mess. The makeup department used a combination of vegetable dyes and a specialized wig to get that specific, terrifying texture.
Why the tonic failed
The joke in the episode is that the tonic is actually meant for rabbits. Or at least, that’s what the "scientific" explanation was in the script. It was designed to help rabbits grow thicker fur, and when applied to human hair, the reaction was catastrophic.
Greg spends the majority of the episode panicking. He tries to wash it out. He tries to cover it up. Eventually, he has to face the music. It’s a standard "lesson learned" arc that the show did a hundred times before, but because it was the last one, it feels heavier.
The Cancellation Nobody Expected
The craziest part about The Hair Brained Scheme? The cast didn't know it was the finale.
ABC hadn't officially cancelled the show when they filmed it. There were talks of a sixth season. In fact, Robert Reed’s refusal to do this episode was part of a larger power struggle. Sherwood Schwartz was actually planning to write Reed out of the show entirely if it got renewed for Season 6. He was going to replace Mike Brady or simply have the character move away.
Imagine a world where The Brady Bunch continued without Mike. It sounds impossible, but that was the plan. However, the ratings had dipped just enough, and the costs were rising. ABC pulled the plug.
The show went into syndication almost immediately, which is where it became a juggernaut. Most fans who grew up in the 80s and 90s didn't even realize the show only ran for five seasons. It felt like it had been on forever because of the endless reruns.
The Legacy of the Orange Hair
Even though the show ended abruptly, this episode remains a fan favorite. Why? Because it leans into the absurdity. By 1974, the kids were getting older. Greg was a man. Marcia was a young woman. The "cutesy" plots of the early years didn't fit as well anymore.
Seeing Greg Brady—the cool, guitar-playing big brother—humbled by a bottle of cheap rabbit tonic was satisfying in a weird way. It brought the show back to its slapstick roots right before the curtain closed.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're a fan of the show or a pop culture historian, there are a few things you should look for when re-watching this specific episode:
💡 You might also like: Movie Age of Consent: What Most People Get Wrong About Hollywood’s Weird Legal Rules
- Spot the Missing Dad: Count how many times they mention Mike Brady to cover for Robert Reed’s absence. It’s more than you think.
- Check the Hair Texture: Notice how the "orange" hair changes slightly between scenes. This is due to the different wigs and touch-ups required during the multi-day shoot.
- The Final Scene: Look at the faces of the actors in the final scene of the episode. There is a sense of finality there, even if they didn't officially know the show was over.
For those interested in the behind-the-scenes drama, Barry Williams’ book Growing Up Brady provides a firsthand account of the tension on set during this week. He describes the atmosphere as "thick" and mentions that while they loved Reed, his constant battles with the writers made filming difficult.
How to Watch it Today
You can find The Brady Bunch "The Hair Brained Scheme" on several streaming platforms. It’s usually listed as Season 5, Episode 22.
- Paramount+: Since CBS/Paramount owns the rights, this is the best place for high-definition versions.
- Pluto TV: They often have a dedicated "Brady" channel that runs 24/7.
- Physical Media: The "Complete Series" DVD box sets are still the only way to see the unedited broadcast versions, as some streaming versions cut small bits for timing.
The episode serves as a time capsule. It captures the fashion, the hair, and the internal friction of a show that was trying to stay relevant in a changing cultural landscape. It wasn't the "perfect" ending with a wedding or a big move, but in its own weird way, a hair-brained scheme was the most "Brady" way to go out.
If you really want to dive deep into the lore, look up the original memos Robert Reed wrote about this episode. They are legendary in Hollywood circles for their sheer pedantry and passion. He wasn't just being a diva; he genuinely cared about the quality of the work, even if the work was about a kid with orange hair.
To truly appreciate the episode, watch it back-to-back with the pilot, "The Honeymoon." The contrast between the small, innocent children in 1969 and the teenagers facing "real-world" problems (like graduation and bad hair) in 1974 tells the real story of the Brady family better than any script ever could.
Next time you see a bottle of "miracle" hair growth serum, remember Bobby Brady. Some schemes are better left on the shelf.