‘Brady Bunch Variety Hour’ Star, Known as Fake Jan, Gives Surprising Update originally appeared on Parade.
Brady Bunch Variety Hour star Geri Reischl, known by fans as Fake Jan, is sharing personal details about her life after she stepped away from Hollywood.
Reischl famously took over the role of Jan Brady from Eve Plumb for Sid and Marty Krofft’s 1976 critically panned variety series, which lasted one season. She also appeared in the 1970s television series, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, and the 1974 film, Poor Albert & Little Annie, per IMDb.
During an August 2025 interview with Remind Magazine, Reischl, who lives in New Jersey, shared that she worked in the Alzheimer’s and dementia field for nearly a decade.
“I worked with Alzheimer’s and dementia patients for eight years. That was the highlight of my life. I loved those people. They were like my family. You look at ’em, and they’re each their own individual and person, and you just go with the flow and you step into their life and you just love them to death. And the more you say ‘I love them,’ the more smiles they give you back,” said the former actress to the publication.
In addition, Reischl shared she enjoys going to Walt Disney World and different presidential libraries in her downtime.
“I grew up in Southern California, born and raised, so I had season passes to go to Disneyland and California Adventure. Now I have a pass to go to Walt Disney World. It’s just a happy place. It puts a smile on my face,” said Reischl with a laugh. “I even go by myself sometimes. And it doesn’t really matter, because you’re around people that enjoy everything that you love, and you see their smiles and they see my smile. And you may talk a little bit in line about the ride or something. I’m a happy-go-lucky person.”
In a 2011 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, one of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour writers Bruce Vilanch spoke about Reischl becoming Plumb’s replacement as Jan for the variety show, which starred the other members of the Brady Bunch cast, including Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, Maureen McCormick, Ann B. Davis, Susan Olsen, Barry Williams, Mike Lookinland, and Christopher Knight. According to Vilanch, Plumb opted to not star in The Brady Bunch Variety Hour because she was pivoting her career to become “a serious dramatic actress” after The Brady Bunch ended in 1975, following five seasons.
“So we had to find a new Jan,” said Vilanch during the interview.
The writer also said Brady Bunch fans weren’t happy with Plumb not reprising her role as Jan in the variety show.
“People who were Brady Bunch fanatics immediately dubbed [Reischl] Fake Jan because the real Jan, Eve Plumb, wasn’t on the show. So we had the stigma of Fake Jan hanging over our heads,” said Vilanch.
‘Brady Bunch Variety Hour’ Star, Known as Fake Jan, Gives Surprising Update first appeared on Parade on Aug 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
