Barry Williams is offering insight into the efforts made behind the scenes of The Brady Bunch to foster diversity, despite its reputation as "the whitest show on television."

During the January 28 episode of The Real Brady Bros, a podcast he co-hosts with Christopher Knight, Williams reflected on the show's Season 5 episode, "Miss Popularity."

In their discussion, he highlighted the inclusion of Black actress Jere Fields, credited as Jerelyn Fields at the time, who played the role of Shirley, a classmate of Jan Brady.

Williams pointed out the significance of Fields' casting, saying, "I thought this was nice because this is a young lady of color, and this didn't happen a lot." He went on to credit producer Lloyd Schwartz and series creator Sherwood Schwartz for their dedication to representation. "I know that we're the whitest show on television, but I do think that there were very deliberate attempts to try and integrate the show," he explained.

The actor noted that the effort to include diverse characters extended beyond just a few episodes.

He added: "There were a couple of episodes that specifically dealt with that, and we see this a lot, especially when there are crowds, and then maybe there are two or three friends, we'll see different ethnicities and etcetera. So, this is one of those cases, and she's adorable, and it was fun to see."

'Brady Bunch' With 100th Episode Cake.
Young cast members of the television series, 'The Brady Bunch' pose with a cake celebrating the show's 100th episode, circa 1973. (L-R): Maureen McCormick, Susan Olsen, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Barry Williams and Mike Lookinland Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In a November 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Williams shared that producing The Real Brady Bros podcast had given him and Knight a deeper understanding of Sherwood Schwartz's vision. "We've learned quite a bit about who Sherwood was, his intentions, and then how it was reflected in our show," he said.

Knight also emphasized Schwartz's broader philosophy, stating, "And in his other series [like Gilligan's Island]. He was about one thing, and that was about disparate people getting along."

Andy Cohen's Deep And Shallow Interview Special With The Cast
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 09: Barry Williams, Eve Plumb, Maureen McCormack, Christopher Knight, Susan Olsen and Mike Lookinland pose for a photo during Andy Cohen's Deep and Shallow interview special with the cast of The Brady Bunch on SiriusXM's Radio Andy Channel at the SiriusXM Studios on September 9, 2019 in New York City. Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

The push for diversity was evident in another Brady Bunch episode, "Kelly's Kids," which aired on January 4, 1974, immediately following "Miss Popularity." The storyline introduced a family who had adopted children of different ethnicities, played by Todd Lookinland, Carey Wong, and Billy "Pop" Atmore. Though intended to launch a spin-off centered around the Kelly family, the project never materialized.

The Brady Bunch remains a cultural touchstone and is currently available for streaming on Paramount+.