Sorry, Shirley
Shirley Jones was originally offered to play Carol. However she turned it down because she would only “take a pot roast out of the oven.” Ironically she played the mom on The Partridge Family, which actually came out right after The Brady Bunch.
Sponsors
Back during The Brady Bunch days, sponsors were crucial. Some of the shows major sponsors were Mattel Toys and Cheerios. Those are hard gigs to land. And keep.