The Partridge Family - Season 2, Episode 20 (45)

Title: Hel-l-l-p!!!

First aired: February 11, 1972

Synopsis:

Chris and Tracy go to stay with their grandparents for the weekend. Shirley and Laurie decide to have the weekend to themselves to go camping and hiking in the wilderness. They have never been camping alone before which makes Danny and Keith worried for them. They try talking them out of it, but Shirley and Laurie are still determined to go.

Danny calls Reuben to tell him what is happening and hopes he can convince them to change their minds.

Next morning it takes Reuben a long time to arrive, so Keith and Danny try to stall Shirley and Laurie by taking photos of them in their camping clothes. Shirley knows what they are trying to do and tells Danny to take a photo of Keith, which allows Laurie and her to get on the bus so they can leave. When Reuben finally arrives, Shirley and Laurie have already got a 15-minute head start on them.

When Reuben, Keith and Danny arrive at the woods, they follow the girls at a distance staying off the main path so they won't be seen.

That night, Shirley and Laurie relax at their campsite and have dinner, while the guys watch. The guys find out they forgot to pack any food or blankets and that they have packed the same items of shirts, shorts, socks and handkerchiefs. Danny also packed a rubber mallard duck, Reuben has brought his toothbrush, an electric razor and hairdryer and out of habit Keith has brought his guitar. They decide to steal Shirley and Laurie's food. They manage to steal some baked beans, but then they find out they forgot to bring a can opener. They have to go to sleep, hungry, tired and cold. Reuben ends up falling down a bank.

When they wake up the next morning, Shirley and Laurie have already gone. The guys end up getting into trouble because they go round and around in circles, Reuben misjudges how deep the stream is and thinks to cross it as a short cut but ends up sinking, they also come face to face with a bear which they run away from. Danny comes up with an idea to leave a trail using his shorts as markers to follow so they won't get lost, but they still get lost anyway. Shirley and Laurie find Danny's trail of shorts and realise they are being followed by the guys. Reuben, Keith and Danny have now given up defeated, so they call for help. Shirley and Laurie hear their calls and come to their aid, and tell them there is a Girl Scout lodge 50 yards away that they could have gone to. Reuben then accidentally steps into poison oak.

Back at home Shirley and Laurie nurse the guys back to health and serve them baked beans. They are confused why they are being served baked beans, to which Shirley says "I found your can opener."
Synopsis written by April Dent

Song:
I'm On My Way Back Home

Cast:
Shirley Partridge - Shirley Jones
Keith Partridge - David Cassidy
Laurie Partridge - Susan Dey
Danny Partridge - Danny Bonaduce
Chris Partridge - Brian Forster
Tracy Partridge - Suzanne Crough
Reuben Kincaid - Dave Madden

Directed by: Paton Price

Written by: Dale McRaven

Guest Stars: Cindy Henderson as Girl Scout

Screen Shots: