Sherwood Schwartz was a writer and producer. He got his start writing for radio programs in the forties. However, he really rose to prominence in the sixties and seventies. He was the mind behind classic television shows like Gilligan’s Island and The Brady Bunch. Those two shows and their spinoffs made Schwartz both rich and famous. However, The Brady Bunch was the more popular of the two.
The Brady Bunch is still one of the best-loved classic TV shows of all time. Fans still tune in to see the wholesome family sitcom. At the same time, the movies and various spinoff series brought in audiences both young and old. To say that Sherwood Schwartz caught lightning in a bottle with this series would be an understatement.
However, not everything was as peachy-keen as it seemed to viewers. In fact, by the time The Brady Bunch ended, most of the cast was more than ready to call it quits. However, Sherwood Schwartz hoped that the show would continue. After all, it was his biggest success. It wasn’t just the ratings and the money that made Schwartz want the show to continue. It was the overwhelming response from the fans.
Before he passed in 2011. Schwartz took part in the documentary The Brady Bunch: Exposed. During the documentary, he discussed the public’s response to the franchise.
Sherwood Schwartz’s Fan Mail
Schwartz continued to work on Brady-related projects for decades. During the documentary, Sherwood Schwartz talks about why he wanted to make more Brady properties.
The veteran writer and producer said that he was only giving the people what they wanted.
“I get fan mail that is unbelievable,” Sherwood Schwartz told the documentary crew. “I mean, people love me. I hate to put it that way. But, they do. They love me not because of me but because of what I have given them.”
Sherwood Schwartz died in his sleep in 2011. He was 94 years old. However, he worked on new Brady Bunch properties almost until he died. His last writing credit was for developing the characters in the 2002 made-for-TV movie The Brady Bunch in the White House. Two years after that, he served as the executive producer on a TV documentary called The Brady Bunch 35th Anniversary Reunion Special: Still Brady After All These Years.
Many people hope to leave a lasting mark on the world before they pass. Sherwood Schwartz was able to do that. He left behind a legacy of laughter and wholesome family entertainment that is still loved by people of all ages to this day. With just two of his many contributions to TV, he put smiles on the faces of countless viewers. The television landscape would look much different if not for the influence and creations of Sherwood Schwartz.
