The Partridge Family
The adventures of the Partridge Family, a singing group, was loosely based on the real-life story of the popular 1960s band the Cowsills. The Partridge Family starred Shirley Jones (David Cassidy's real-life stepmother) as the widowed Shirley Partridge, raising her family of five in San Pueblo, California. When 10-year-old Danny organises them into a singing group, they surprisingly score a sizeable hit with their first single, 'I Think I Love You' (also a hit in the real world), and then take to the road and the life of travelling pop stars. They are accompanied by their agent/manager, Reuben Kinkaid, who, ironically, dislikes children and has the task of corralling not just Shirley and Keith but Keith's younger siblings - Laurie (15, keyboards), Danny (10, guitar), Christopher (7, drums) and Tracy (5, tambourine).
The mix of pop, comedy and teenybopper sex symbols in the shape of Cassidy and Susan Dey (later to star in LA Law) proved irresistible, and the show enjoyed a major teen following all around the world. It also gave rise to an animated spin-off Partridge Family 2200 AD (CBS, 1974-75) which followed the adventures of a futuristic Partridge Family as they toured different planets with their songs. Some of the original cast members (Dey, Bonaduce, Forster, Crough, and Madden) provided the voices.
There was a flurry of nostalgia for The Partridge Family as the century ended. On 12 December 1998, BBC1 aired documentary David Cassidy - Teenage Dream, including Partridge Family clips and interviews with cast members. Two dramatised TV-movies were then shown in the USA inside two months: Come On Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story (ABC, 13 November 1999) was narrated by Danny Bonaduce and featured Eve Gordon as Shirley Jones, Rodney Scott as David Cassidy and Kathy Wagner as Susan Dey. The David Cassidy Story (NBC, 9 January 2000), which was also about The Partridge Family, had Andrew Davovit as Cassidy, Dee Young as Shirley Jones, Malcolm McDowell as Jack Cassidy and Katie Wright as Susan Dey.
Cast
Shirley Jones - Shirley Partridge
David Cassidy - Keith Partridge
Susan Dey - Laurie Partridge
Danny Bonaduce - Danny Partridge
Jeremy Gelbwaks - Christopher Partridge (1970-71); Brian Forster (1971-74)
Suzanne Crough - Tracy Partridge
Dave Madden - Reuben Kinkaid
Crew
Bernard Slade - Creator
Bernard Slade - Writer
Richard Deroy - Writer
Ron Friedman - Writer
Dale McRaven - Writer
William Bickley - Writer
Susan Harris - Writer
Steven Zacharias - Writer
Michael Leeson - Writer
Lloyd Turner - Writer
Gordon Mitchell - Writer
Dick Bensfield - Writer
Perry Grant - Writer (and others)
Jerry Paris - Director
Bob Claver - Director
Peter Baldwin - Director
Ralph Senesky - Director
Richard Kinon - Director
Lou Antonio - Director
Jerry London - Director
Bruce Bilson - Director
E W Swackhamer - Director
Bob Claver - Producer
Paul Junger Witt - Producer
Number of episodes: 96 Length: 30 mins
US dates: 25 Sep 1970-31 Aug 1974
The Partridge Family Episodes
The Partridge Family Picture Gallery
The Partridge Family satarists
Partridge Family 2200 A.D.
