TVSquad

Each year, the Emmys honor the best in current TV. They also recognize the all-time greats. This year Bea Arthur, Larry Gelbart, Merv Griffin, Daniel Burke, Tom Murphy and Sherwood Schwartz will be entering the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame. Grand choices, in my opinion, with only a minor quibble which I'll mention later.

According to ATAS chairman and CEO John Shaffner , "The Hall of Fame is a special recognition for those who have made significant contributions and have left an indelible mark on the television business." As Maude in the 1970's and Dorothy on The Golden Girls in the 1980's (into the '90s) Beatrice Arthur, made her mark. She was more effective on TV than she was in the theater, and she was a dynamo on stage.

There are six human beings on this planet who will be forever linked by one experience: growing up on the set of The Brady Bunch. But, of the six actors who played the Brady kids during the show's 1969-74 run, none has embraced the role as consistently and enthusiastically as Barry Williams, who played Greg. Over the years, Williams has been involved in every reunion show (including the ill-fated "dramatic" show The Bradys in 1990) and has never shied away from discussing the show during interviews. He even wrote a book about the experience, 1992's Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg, where he recounted stories like his crush on co-star Maureen McCormick, his "date" with his TV mom, Florence Henderson, and Robert Reed's constant arguments with the producers. The book was made into a TV movie in 2000.

Now, at 53, Williams has a blog, called The Greg Brady Project, which debuted in December. There, Williams tells stories about his experiences as an actor over the last 40-plus years while a series of co-writers wax nostalgic about the past, and not necessarily about The Brady Bunch. I spoke to Williams by phone earlier this month. We talked about the blog, why he's embraced his Greg Brady past more than his co-stars, and what he thinks of some of those co-stars' new projects. The interview is after the jump.

As I was watching all my favorite holiday specials this season, it became clear to me that there's a desperate need for some new offerings. Then I started thinking that if weekly shows can spinoff characters then why can't specials? With that in mind, here are my ideas for spinoffs to make your holidays more festive.

Out of the Box
Nobody wants a Charlie in the Box...except Charlie. After years of being not being delivered by Santa Claus, Charlie from the island of misfit toys decides it's time to make a change. Determined to find himself and discover what he was really made for, Charlie travels the country living on the road and meeting adventures head on. After living the life of Kerouac, Charlie returns to share his wisdom with the jelly squirting gun, ostrich riding cowboy and the doll with the unnamed condition.

One day, while sitting around the palatial TV Squad offices, a notion came to mind. What would happen if you took all of today's technology and applied it to classic television shows of yesteryear? Would The Fugitive's Richard Kimble be acquitted of his crime after the DNA evidence proved that he didn't kill his wife? Or, would The Mary Tyler Moore Show's Ted Baxter be a better anchor if he had access to all of the day's news via the Internet?

Taking that notion one step further, here are five shows that would have been vastly different if modern technology were applied to them.

The Dick Van Dyke Show: No more schlepping into the city for Rob Petrie; not when he could write his scripts from his home desktop computer. And, if he got tired sitting at his desk, he could grab his WiFi laptop and continue to write from the local Starbucks. He would still need Buddy and Sally, of course, but he could pass ideas to them via Instant Messenger. When they were all done with that week's script they could have a video conference with Alan where changes could be made via NetMeeting.

In a post on his favorite five television housekeepers, Adam Finley listed some of the best household servants who served penthouse, futuristic home, or haunted mansion. However, someone very important was missing; someone who epitomized the uber-housekeeper. A person who not only took care of the house, but helped raise a practical brood of children.

I am, of course, talking about one Alice Nelson, who we affectionately know as simply Alice from The Brady Bunch. Sure, Florence Johnston had to deal with the rants of George Jefferson, and Rosie the Robot had to handle Elroy Jetson flying around the house in his jetpack, but Alice had to practically raise first the Brady boys and then the whole Brady clan by herself while Mr. Brady worked and Mrs. Brady drank a lot of coffee.

She was head cook and bottle washer, handyman, teacher, and scapegoat all wrapped up into one blue-uniformed, white-aproned whrilwind.  And what did she get for it? A small room beside the washing machine and a boyfriend who wouldn't commit to a serious relationship.

So, raise your brooms and mops in a salute to Alice; housekeeper, philosopher and stateswoman.

It's no surprise that the choice of celebrities on this show just get worse and worse each season... Unfortunately, I see no end to this series because the B-list just grows longer and longer with each washed-up film/band/show.

And what's the worst part? Sometimes, these seasons are so bad/bizarre that they have to be watched just so one can participate in the watercooler talk that comes with it (Flavor Flav/Brigitte Nielsen love affair; Verne Troyer naked, drunk, and urinating in the corner of the gym). As long as there are train wrecks, people will tune in. How big of a wreck will this season be? Make your predictions! Read on and check out the cast...