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We had to dig deep into the polyester-covered vaults for details on the other parents of TV's favorite blended family. While we couldn't find a definitive answer, here's the story of a lovely lady, a man named Brady, and the people they shacked up with before they and their six kids became the Brady Bunch. The series begins with the wedding of Carol Tyler Martin and Mike Brady. Before the ceremony, Mike's youngest son Bobby puts away a photo of his dead mother. Bobby and his dad talk about the first Mrs. Brady but don't say how she died. The father of Carol's girls is never mentioned. The show's creator, Sherwood
Schwartz, wanted Carol to be divorced. However, the network thought a divorced TV mom was too risqué for 1969. Schwartz compromised by not saying anything about Carol's first husband, other than to give both her maiden and married surnames. Mr. Martin disappeared without a trace...or did he? In A Very Brady Sequel, one of the Brady movies from the 1990s, Carol's first husband returns. Roy Martin shows up at the Brady house, claiming that he wasn't lost at sea as everyone believed. His appearance is changed, but the Bradys welcome him as a long-lost father. We won't ruin the surprise for you, but let's just say Carol is no bigamist. A dreamy cameo in the same movie suggests the identity of Mike's first spouse. But other than these big-screen exploits, the time before "the one day when the lady met this fellow" remains a mystery.
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