Sept. 26: ‘The Brady Bunch’ debuted on this day in 1969

If you're a child of the 1970s, you know "The Brady Bunch." Heck, if you were ever a child, you probably know "The Brady Bunch." (Possible exception: if you're a child now. In which case, why are you reading this? You've got work to do -- go watch some "Brady Bunch"!)

The beloved show debuted on this day 44 years ago: September 26, 1969. We're taking a look at the nearly-as-beloved Brady house in commemoration.

The interiors were simply sets built on Paramount Studios' Stage 5, according to a fantastic Los Angeles Times story by David E. Brady (really) on the history of the house. (As a matter of fact, the story was published on this day 19 years ago, for the 25th anniversary of the show's debut.) But the exterior was a real house in the Los Angeles area.

David Brady reports that the interiors came first, and then the creators went scouting for an exterior. "We didn't want it to be too affluent, we didn't want it to be too blue-collar," series creator Sherwood Schwartz told Brady. "We wanted it to look like it would fit a place an architect would live." But the real house, a two-bedroom midcentury modern ranch, was considerably smaller than the roomy interiors being built on a soundstage for the big six-kid, two-parent, one-housekeeper Brady household.

No problem. Set designers appended a false window to the front of the house, giving it the appearance of a second story, and they let the audience's imagination (and suspension of disbelief) do the rest.

We've assembled a collection of clips that let you tour the house from top to bottom (in no particular order), starting with a loving tribute to the house. Do you have a favorite?

Mike's den:

The kitchen:

The yard:

The boys' and girls' bedrooms and a rare shot of their shared bathroom:

Living room, dining area, family room:

Mike and Carol's room: