Why The Brady Bunch Creator Sherwood Schwartz Hated ABC's Step By Step

Once upon a time, a TV show about two newlyweds blending their families debuted on ABC — well, make that twice upon a time.

In 1969, "The Brady Bunch" debuted on ABC, with Robert Reed and Florence Henderson starring as a couple who get married and then move in together in one house with their six combined children. Then in 1991, "Step by Step" debuted on ABC, with Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers starring as a couple who get married and then move in together in one house with their six combined children.

If those two shows sound a little similar to you, they definitely did to "Brady Bunch" creator Sherwood Schwartz, who admitted he held a grudge against "Step by Step" when it premiered. "I think they stole my show," Schwartz said bluntly, according to the book "Gen X TV: The Brady Bunch to Melrose Place." "As a matter of fact," Schwartz added, "they advertised themselves as a 'Brady Bunch' for the '90s. I think that's intrusion or certainly riding on coattails, and I resented it."  

Schwartz even considered filing suit against the producers of "Step by Step" for ripping off his idea, "but we came to the conclusion it would not be a lawsuit we could win."

Despite Sherwood Schwartz's grievances, "Step by Step" premiered on ABC in the fall of 1991, led by TV veterans Patrick Duffy ("Dallas") and Suzanne Somers ("Three's Company") as newlyweds Frank and Carol. (See, the mom was even named Carol, just like "The Brady Bunch"!) The two of them had a whirlwind courtship and got married in Jamaica, only to return home to break the news to their six combined children. (The kids weren't thrilled, to say the least.) "My Two Dads" alum Staci Keanan and Brandon Call led the cast of kids, joined by Angela Watson, Christine Lakin, Christopher Castile, and Josh Byrne. Sasha Mitchell popped in as well as dopey cousin Cody.

"Step by Step" joined ABC's highly successful TGIF lineup, airing Fridays at 8:30 p.m. between "Family Matters" and "Perfect Strangers." The reviews were quick to point out the "Brady Bunch" comparisons, but the show became a reliable performer for ABC, airing for six seasons. ABC canceled the show in 1997, but it was picked up for a seventh season by CBS, along with "Family Matters," in an attempt to create the network's own TGIF-like family-friendly lineup. The move only lasted one season, though, with "Step by Step" airing its series finale in June 1998. 

Still, that seven-season run puts "Step by Step" ahead of "The Brady Bunch," which only ran for five seasons before wrapping up its ABC run in 1974. So even if "Step by Step" started out as a rip-off, as Schwartz alleges, it turned into a success story.