Celebrities Support Online Auction for Los Angeles Pet Rescue Organization
Annual online event for Precious Paws to feature lunches with actors, entertainment memorabilia

LOS ANGELES, CA (October 27, 2010) – Stargazers rejoice: the Celebrity Experience and Entertainment Memorabilia Auction will be held from October 28th – November 7th. The online auction supports Precious Paws, a non-profit animal rescue organization based in Encino, Calif. The auction, held exclusively on the Precious Paws eBay store, will include star-powered items for fans and Hollywood followers of all ages.

Among featured auction items are VIP tickets to a Bon Jovi concert in New York City with a backstage meet and greet with Richie Sambora. Another show-stopping item comes from Adrianne Curry, who has donated a custom designed midi chopper airbrushed with her first Playboy pictorial.

“I know the effort and heart that was poured into this bike, and if it can bring someone half the happiness it brought me in the name of charity, I’ll be a very happy woman,” said Curry. “I got both of my babies (Sgt. Pepper and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) from Precious Paws, and can think of no one else I would have given my bike to.”

The auction also features opportunities to have lunch with notable celebrities, including: Eric Roberts, an Academy Award nominee for his role in “Runaway Train”; Cherie Currie of the Runaways; Susan Olsen, known for her role as Cindy on “The Brady Bunch”; Erin Murphy, known for her role as Tabitha Stevens on “Bewitched”; Emmy Award winning soap star Drew Tyler Bell; and Rod Rodenberry.

“I have known Georgyne La Lone and Penny Juday for years and I know how dedicated they are to their cause. I am happy to help by offering a lunch with myself to support their organization, Precious Paws,” said Rod Rodenberry, the son of legendary “Star Trek” creator Gene Rodenberry.

For additional information about the Celebrity Experience and Entertainment Memorabilia Auction, please go to their official auction website or contact Georgyne LaLone, president and founder of Precious Paws, at GeorgyneLaLone@PreciousPaws.org.

About Precious Paws

Since 2003, Precious Paws has been rescuing unwanted companion cats and dogs in Southern California from both the streets and local shelters. A 501(c)3 registered non-profit organization, Precious Paws is dedicated to spaying or neutering, vaccinating, and testing each animal rescued before they are placed for adoption into permanent homes. For more information, please visit www.preciouspaws.org.

Auction Catalog

Two VIP tickets to a Bon Jovi concert in New York City in the spring of 2011, including a backstage meet and greet with Richie Sambora

Two VIP tickets to a Bon Jovi concert in Las Vegas in the spring of 2011, including a swag bag

Lunch with Susan Olsen and Erin Murphy

Lunch with Eric Roberts

Lunch with Rod Rodenberry

Lunch with Drew Tyler Bell

Two tickets to a Cherie Currie concert and a backstage meet and greet in 2010/2011

Adrianne Curry’s midi chopper

A phone call from Bobby Sherman

Entertainment memorabilia galore

 

Download Press Release Here

Also Krofft/Brady related, up for bid is Adrianne Curry’s (wife of Chris Knight/Peter Brady) midi chopper from Beverly Hills Choppers.

We are having an exclusive on-line Celebrity Experience and Entertainment Memorabilia auction starting November 5th at 7 PM PST on Ebay. It will be a ten day auction. Many of our friends have come on board to help us fundraiser for our rescues.

We are very excited to have Mark Hamill & others participating in our fundraiser. For our exclusive auction, we have lined up a handful of lunches for 2 with the celebrities listed below. We have also acquired many autographed items for this auction.

We have partnered with Auction Cause, a premier online auction company, who work hand in hand with Ebay and have held many successful celebrity based charity auctions.
This list is a work in progress, we are still working on receiving more items and celebrity experiences for our auction. Please Check Back Often!

There are other celebrities donating there time for the auction (include Star Wars‘ Mark Hamill). Go on over and support a good cause.

Here is a video from Susan Olsen discussing the event. Her foster cats want in on the act too.

Precious Paws is a non-profit pet rescue based in Los Angeles, California where Susan Olsen is on the board of directors. They provide fostering, education and assistance to pets and pet owners alike.

Sid and Marty Krofft are more known for their puppet creations than their variety shows, but they had many. From Pink Lady and Jeff to Donny and Marie and of course The Brady Bunch Hour

Variety shows were a staple of television since its inception but fizzled out in the early 80s. The Brady Hour was an example of that fizzle. Why would someone want to remind us of a show that even those who were involved like to pretend it didn’t exists? KROFFT.NET asked author Ted Nichelson about what brought him to write Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour

KROFFT.NET: What originally drew you to the BBVH.

TED NICHELSON: My involvement began innocently enough one evening in Ann Arbor, Michigan while reading through some news group postings on the internet. I was a student at the University of Michigan and probably had more important things to do. But I was curious about this “Brady Variety Hour” that was being rerun on an obscure cable network in Australia. People down under were having the most entertaining discussions about this supposedly terrible show. I became email friends with a few people lucky enough to see the Variety Hour and convinced one of them to record some episodes and send them to me on the other side of the globe. As a childhood fan of The Brady Bunch it was a thrill to see this cast of characters in a “new” series, much of which to this day has still not been broadcast to American audiences since its single and only broadcast in 1976-77.

KN: How did Susan and Lisa become involved in your project? Did you start it together?

TN: I began by starting a website devoted to The Brady Bunch Variety Hour which soon raised some eyebrows. Almost immediately I received an email from Maureen McCormick’s mother Irene who was so very entertained by what I had put together. In the next year this was followed by interviews with cast members such as Geri Reischl, whom I spent six month trying to locate, Chris Knight, and finally Susan Olsen. Susan was particularly awestruck by my website because she had suppressed her memories of the Variety Hour and was shocked to have them coming to the surface once again. Over several years of becoming friends and relocating to Los Angeles after graduation, I asked her if she would like to collaborate on a book about the series. Fans had been encouraging me to move forward on such a project for a long time and I knew that Susan would be the perfect compliment to such a publication.

Lisa joined the project in 2004 when we decided the format would be a coffee table book. Not only is Lisa Sutton the official ‘Bradyologist’ but she is a talented graphic designer which a lot of experience in that realm. She designed ‘Growing Up Brady‘ so she was the obvious choice for ‘Love to Love You Bradys.’

KN: There is so much information in the book, was it challenging locating the lesser known cast and crew?

TN: It was really quite difficult tracking down everyone, and was nothing less than being a private investigator. I had to call around and talk to people who knew the person I was looking for, and get enough information (such as the name of a spouse, child, or other relative) so that I could l search public records. The most difficult people to locate were Geri Reischl, Charkie Phillips, Madeline Graneto, and Robyn Blythe. I began looking for Geri about 10 years ago and at the time nobody had heard anything about her since about 1980. Now we all know her, but at the time she was completely anonymous and living a normal life.

Finding photographs of some of the deceased individuals was also extremely difficult and often took many months of hunting.

KN: What was the most difficult part of writing the book?

TN: The most challenging part of writing the book was taking all the disparate elements and great stories, then weaving them together so they began to tell a story and paint a picture of what the mid 70s was like in television. Susan and I wanted the book to have a distinct academic tone, which was part of the parody – that we took something seemingly unnewsworthy and made it interesting to read about. I think we succeeded in that goal and it turned out that the material was fun, entertaining, and historically significant. A lot of people are surprised by how interesting ‘Love to Love You Bradys’ really is.

KN: Any plans for a follow up?

TN: I think we’ve pretty much exhausted the topic of ‘The Brady Bunch Variety Hour,’ but perhaps we’ll collaborate again on something related. My next book is an autobiography with actress and comedian Geri Jewell, which should be out in 2011.

KN: Were the Krofft Brothers open to you doing the book?

TN: Sid and Marty have distinct personalities, so their individual approach in participating in the book was different. Sid likes to chat on the phone and remembers a lot of things. He invited me to come meet him a few times to discuss things further and was just the sweetest person. Marty, on the other hand, was much more business-like but also very warm and helpful. He invited Susan and I to his office where we discussed the book and then went to lunch. They were just the nicest people and I am grateful to them.

KN: Do you know if Sid and Marty have seen the book? Did they have any comment?

TN: None of us have heard from Sid and Marty so I do not know if they saw the book. If they called me I would be sure they were sent a book, so the offer is open. I think they are both so busy that they may not even be aware it is out yet.

KN: Are you a fan of any of the other Krofft works? If so, which ones?

TN: I am not very informed about their shows, but I can name them all and have watched clips on YouTube to get an idea for their creative style and to understand how it colored their involvement with ‘The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.’ I became good friends with Van Snowden, who played HR Pufnstuf, and I learned a lot of about the Kroffts and their shows by listening to him tell many great stories.

KN: After being immersed in the Krofft/Brady world for so long, how would you sum up the experience?

TN: The first thing that comes to mind is that ALL of these people on both sides are the NICEST individuals you could ever hope to meet in Hollywood. A lot of producers, directors, and actors are so very rude, egocentric, unapproachable and distracted. The Kroffts and Bradys couldn’t be farther from this stereotype. It was a true honor, privilege, and joy to meet all of them and to preserve some of their memories for the ages.

KROFFT.NET would like to thank Ted Nichelson for the interview, and urge you to get your copy of Love to Love You Bradys today.

Fans will also be able to follow Barry “Greg” Williams, Susan “Cindy” Olsen, Geri Reischl (“Fake Jan” of “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour”), Wendy Winans (BradyWorld.com) and author and Brady expert Lisa Sutton on Twitter as they “tweet” throughout the anniversary marathon week. Sutton will also contribute to blog entries during the week to discuss subjects such as “Where are they now?” and “Brady Collectibles.”

I know that this is the anniversary of the non-Krofft version of the Bradys, but the involvement of the Love to Love You Bradys book and “Fake Jan” make this a Krofft-related event. It could be quite interesting. I tend to think of this as the new version of the DVD commentary track.

I heard about this book (Love to Love You Bradys) two years ago when I was contacted by author Ted Nichelson. As a Krofft Fan, I was excited to hear a new book based on one of their properties was in the works, but at the same time wondered if was more a Brady book, than a Krofft book. The closer we got to the release, I started wondering if if my expectations were too high. I’m glad to say, they were too low.

I read this 300 page book in one sitting….I just couldn’t put it down. Nichelson’s over 7 years research and development pays off with a very engrossing, and well written book that pulls you in and won’t let you go. It’s a ‘coffee table book’, but structured well to tell a story from start to finish. What I found particularly interesting was the history of the show told from the writers’ point-of-view. Their insights provide us with a unique perspective of a Krofft production as well as 70s TV in general.

Being a coffee table book allows for lavish imagery throughout the book. Some pictures you’ve seen before, but more than not there is something new on every page. The show was such a visual experience that the photos are a must to experience the surreal-ality that was The Brady Hour. Also, the side notes by Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) really put it over the top.

If you have any interest in the Brady Bunch, Sid and Marty Krofft, or just TV show business in the 70s in general, this is the book to get. This is the story from start to finish on how the Brady Hour came to be, and how it faded away. I loved every minute of it…twice.

GET YOURS NOW

Your pre-order for Land of the Lost #1 (APR090647F), which was scheduled to be released on 2009-06-24, has been canceled. The release of this item has been canceled by our supplier, and we are unable to obtain it at this time. We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience.

So it appears that the comic is dead. I can only assume it was because of the lackluster performance of the movie at the box office. It is a shame as I believe it could have been a good way to continue the story of LOTL.

In better news….
The highly anticipated book from Ted Nichelson and Susan Olsen which was originally to arrive on September 1st, looks as if it may be coming sooner than expected. This morning, Amazon sent me the following:

Ted Nichelson, et al “Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour”
Previous estimated arrival date: September 03 2009
New estimated arrival date: August 19 2009

Do you have your order in yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

Led by Susan Olsen, several of the stars of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour were on hand to sign autographs and meet fans in support of the Precious Paws organization. At the event was Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady), Mike Lookinland (Bobby Brady), Chris Knight (Peter Brady), and Barry Williams (Greg Brady). Also there to support Precious Paws was Christopher’s wife Adrianne Curry and Robbie Rist (Cousin Oliver from The Brady Bunch). All of them were very pleasant to talk to and all had some interesting stories to tell. I brought my Brady Hour DVD for them to sign. As I handed it to each of them they each had some clever remarks to make about the show. The best was Chris Knight who remarked immediately, “They actually sell these?” (also, thanks to Chris for reminding me to take the cover out of the plastic).

Marty Krofft was there for most of Saturday. Incredibly, he was stuffed in the corner behind he mob of Happy Days fans where you wouldn’t have found him if you weren’t looking for him. This was the first time I’ve met Mr. Krofft, and he was very nice to meet. Because of the noise and crowd, I didn’t get to spend much time with him, but I did enjoy the few moments I was able to talk to him. When I went back later in the day, he had already left. I had him sign my Pufnstuf DVD.

Van Snowden was also there. When I first saw him, he was standing in the line with us fans waiting to get in (the show was very unorganized), and I didn’t even recognize him. He was very pleasant, but not very talkative. The noise in the room didn’t make it easy to have a conversation with the soft spoken Mr. Snowden. I had him sign my Pufnstuf DVD.

The wonderful Billie Hayes was at the show in support of her long-time organization Pet Hope. I’ve ben an admirer of hers for many many years, and finally meeting her was a treat. She is the sweetest person I’ve ever met, and was genuinely excited to meet each and every one of her fans. I could have spent the entire day sitting there with her…she is amazing. She graciously signed my Pufnstuf DVD and posed with me in a picture. And yes, she still sounds like Witchiepoo.

In all it was a great show. It was billed as an autograph and collectors show, but to me it was a meet and greet with show business legends. The show itself was poorly organized. Why wasn’t Marty Krofft, Billie Hayes and Van Snowden even close to one another? They told the celebrities that it started at 10am, and let us in at 9am. (and there were other, non-Krofft related anomalies) The show was great, and I hope to get another chance to spend some time with these Krofft-alumni.

Please post your experiences in the comments if you attended, or ask any questions you may have.

Also, for non-Krofft related coverage of the show, go to META-TAINMENT.COM.

Love to Love You Bradys


Ted Nichelson, Susan Olsen and Lisa Sutton have teamed up to bring you Love to Love you Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, an in-depth look at the most disastrous offering in television history. This is a must get book for any fan of The Bradys and/or Sid and Marty. The official site describes it:

In this colorful, glitter-filled retrospective Susan and her co-author Ted Nichelson investigate in very Brady detail how and why the rarely seen Variety Hour was conceived, produced, and ended up ranked in TV Guide’s top five “Worst Shows of All-Time.” Behind the scenes, this production was chock full of very serious human conflict: drug addiction, sexuality, weight issues, religion, and heated power struggles – all ultimately shattering the Bradys’ perfect image and forever scarring the legacy of TV’s favorite family.

Pufnstuf Movie Comes To iTunes and DVD

Throw away that old fuzzy VHS copy you got in the 90s from your friend on USENET. The original H.R. Pufnstuf Movie is now available on DVD and iTunes alike. Originally released after the cancellation of the TV Show, the movie has all the returning cast with the addition of Martha Raye as Boss Witch. At times it appears to be a prequel to the series, but I’ve always interpreted as a alternative to the series. And, I wasn’t kidding about that old-VHS tape. The copy I had (until the DVD) was a fuzzy-VHS I got from a guy in Australia about 12 years ago.

This is a must have for Pufnstuf fans!

Pufnstuf Complete Series on iTunes

After you get your movie DVD, head on over to iTunes to get the complete H.R. Pufnstuf Series! This is the show that we all know and love. Get the series at iTunes can be expensive, so if you look around you might find the DVD set still available.

Land of the Lost in Theaters Soon!!

It’s almost here. On June 5th, Will Ferrell brings Rick Marshall to the screen in Sid and Marty Krofft’s Land of the Lost. I’ve had many misgivings about this movie since it was announced. I like Ferrell in most cases, but was worried about LOTL turning into a “Will Ferrell movie”. The addition of Anna Friel got me excited as I feel she is an amazing actress, and can go toe-to-toe with Ferrell. The trailers at first made me worried again, but I’ve since decided to just sit back and enjoy. Enjoy the fact that Sid and Marty are back on the big screen, and see what they have to offer. Here is the latest trailer…

Let us know what you think!

ECW PRESS SIGNS ‘BRADY BUNCH’ STAR SUSAN OLSEN FOR NEW COFFEE TABLE BOOK

Hollywood, CA – (January 2, 2009) Brady Bunch star Susan Olsen and ECW Press announced today their joint collaboration for the coffee table book Love to Love You Bradys: the bizarre story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour which is scheduled to be released in September, 2009. Susan’s co-author is Los Angeles writer Ted Nichelson and pop-culture maven Lisa Sutton will serve as art director and designer.

This colorful, glitter-filled retrospective will take a look back at the most disastrous offering in television history and explain how and why the rarely seen Variety Hour was conceived, produced, and ended up ranked in TV Guide’s top five “Worst Shows of All-Time.” Behind the scenes, this production was chock full of very serious human conflict: drug addiction, sexuality, weight issues, religion, and heated power struggles – all ultimately shattering the Bradys’ perfect image and forever scarring the legacy of TV’s favorite family.

Originally airing as a 60-minute special, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour was produced by Sid and Marty Krofft and premiered on ABC on November 28, 1976 . It featured the actors from The Brady Bunch sitcom singing and dancing their way through the disco era on stage above an enormous swimming pool populated by the enchanting Krofftette Water Follies. Largely derivative of the hit series The Donny and Marie Show, from the same production team, the success of this special led to a semi-regular series of which eight additional 60 minute episodes were produced and aired as monthly specials from January to May 1977. None of the installments were ever repeated on network television. Now a confirmed cult classic, the Variety Hour has been successfully parodied on such recent hit television series as The Simpsons, That 70’s Show, The Family Guy, Tiny Toons, and The Gilmore Girls.

The book features hundreds of never-before-published photos and interviews with cast, crew, and production staff, including the Brady Bunch, Sherwood Schwartz, Sid and Marty Krofft, Bruce Vilanch, Paul Shaffer, and Rip Taylor.

Pre-Order the Book here