Mother and Child(ren) Reunion

Roseanne Barr Reunites With TV Kids on 'The Talk'  

THIS is probably the sweetest thing I've seen all year.

Real Love for Fake Jan

What is it about Fake Jan that makes her the greatest replacement character in television history? She certainly wasn't the first to fill in for an actor in a well-known role (Dick Sargent famously became Darrin Stephens back in '69 when Dick York could no longer fulfill his duties) and she certainly won't be the last (I'm still reeling over Fake Becky on "Roseanne" -- death to Sarah Chalke -- you will NEVER be Becky Connor to me!).

And Fake Jan wasn't even the only Fake Brady Girl. Jennifer Runyon, best known for playing Scott Baio's girlfriend Gwendolyn Pierce on "Charles in Charge" filled in for Susan Olsen's Cindy in 1988's "A Very Brady Christmas" and Leah Ayers stepped into Maureen McCormick's shoes to play Marcia on the short-lived series "The Bradys" back in 1990. But it was Geri Reischl as Jan for nine excruciating episodes of "The Brady Bunch (Variety) Hour" back in 1976-77 (complete with synchronized swimmers) that has forever set the standard by which other "fake" characters will be measured. There was just something so fitting about the cantankerous Jan -- "I wish I were an only child" -- refusing to take part in a family reunion that made it all so fun (you just know Eve Plumb was the exact same way). And the fact that it happened on a show that we didn't care about rather than on "The Brady Bunch" made it safe -- and so much easier to get over. "The Simpsons" even parodied the situation back in 1997 when the gang got its own variety show and Lisa refused to participate.

It seems Geri Reischl has gotten a decent amount of mileage out of being Fake Jan, too. (Can you blame her? How fun!!!) She never landed another role after that having been a fairly busy child actor beforehand so she might as well enjoy it. You can see what she's up to by visiting her official site FakeJan.com here and her Myspace here. We love you, Fake Jan!!!

Related: The Brady Bunch Hour