HGTV revealed as 'Brady Bunch' home buyer

The mystery buyer of the home used for the iconic exteriors of TV's "The Brady Bunch" was revealed Tuesday in a conference call with media: the home-improvement cable channel HGTV.

"One of our projects for HGTV will speak to those 'Brady Bunch' fans on the call," David Zaslav, chief executive of HGTV's parent company, Discovery Inc., told reporters on a call announcing the company's second-quarter earnings. "You may have heard that the house from the iconic series was recently on the market in California," he continued, according to a transcript by Deadline.com, the first trade outlet to report the call. "I'm excited to share that HGTV is the winning bidder and will restore the 'Brady Bunch' home to its 1970s glory as only HGTV can."

The three-bedroom, three-bath house at 11222 Dilling St. in North Hollywood, California, had hit the market in mid-July with an asking price of $1.885 million.  Zaslav did not reveal the final price.

Used for the exterior of the home belonging to Mike and Carol Brady and their blended family of six children — plus housekeeper Alice — in the widely syndicated 1969-1974 ABC sitcom, the house became an icon for baby-boomer culture and then for succeeding generations catching the heartfelt but eventually kitschy show in reruns.

"More detail to come over the next few months," Zaslav promised, "but we'll bring all the resources to bear to tell safe, fun stories about this beloved piece of American TV history." He joked that Discovery's chief financial officer, Gunnar Wiedenfels, would be sent to eldest son "Greg's bedroom in the attic" if financial projections were not met. "That was not a fun place to be," he added. "It didn't have a door. There were beads, if you remember," he said, referring to the then-groovy curtain of colorful strands.

Former 'NSYNC member Lance Bass had said Friday that his bid for the house had been accepted, but then Sunday announced he had been informed a corporate buyer had topped him "after the final deadline for all offers had passed."

He added he believed he "was used to drive up the price of the home knowing very well that this corporation intended on making their offer and it's not a good feeling. I feel used but most importantly I'm hurt and saddened by this highly questionable outcome. I just hope it is not demolished" for a new structure on the 0.29-acre lot that borders the Los Angeles River.

Designed and built by Luther B. Carson, the house was sold by his widow, Louise Weddington Carson, in 1973 to Violet and George McCallister for $61,000. Following the deaths of both McCallisters, it went to the couple's children.

The real-life house does not include the familiar second-floor window seen on TV — in actuality a prop hung on wires to give the illusion of a second story. As well, the interior does not resemble that of the TV show, which was shot at Paramount Studios' Stage 5 in Hollywood.