Today, we see how Robert Reed and Florence Henderson reacted when seeing each other on The Love Boat.
In Meta-Messages, I explore the context behind (using reader danjack’s term) “meta-messages.” A meta-message is where a creator comments on/references the work of another creator (or sometimes even themselves) in their work. Each time around, I’ll give you the context behind one such “meta-message.”
Obviously, Robert Reed and Florence Henderson famously worked together on The Brady Bunch as the parents on the show, Mike and Carol Brady. The show lasted five seasons, but they also returned for a variety show together.
In 1983, the seventh season episode of The Love Boat, “Friend of the Family/Affair on Demand/Just Another Pretty Face,” featured Robert Reed and Florence Henderson on the show, but they appeared in different plots. Henderson was in a plot with Gordon Jump where he is trying to con her into allowing him to have an affair, while Reed is in a plot with Clint Walker where Reed and Walker are best friends, but Reed is dating Walker’s daughter.
So while their plots did not overlap, they DO have a cute scene where they meet each other at the breakfast buffet, and have a moment of recognition…
Very cute.
If anyone else has a suggestion for future Meta-Messages, drop me a line at my brand-new, much easier to type out, e-mail address of brian@poprefs.com!
