Classic Television - Prime Time

The Partridge Family

Original channel

ABC

Original run

September 25, 1970 – March 23, 1974

Starring

Shirley Jones

David Cassidy

Danny Bonaduce

Susan Dey

Suzanne Crough

Jeremy Gelbwaks (1970–71)

Brian Forster (1971–74)

Dave Madden

Ricky Segall (1973–74)

The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom series about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. It ran from September 25, 1970, until March 23, 1974, on the ABC network as part of a Friday-night lineup, and had subsequent runs in syndication.

In the pilot episode, a group of musical siblings in the fictitious city of San Pueblo, California convinces their widowed mother and bank teller, Shirley Partridge (Shirley Jones), to help them out by singing as they record a pop song in their garage. Through the efforts of precocious 10-year-old Danny, they find a manager, Reuben Kincaid (Dave Madden), who helps make the song a Top 40 hit. After some more persuading, Shirley agrees that the family can go on tour. They acquire an old school bus, a 1957 Chevrolet Series 6800 Superior, for touring, paint it with Mondrian-inspired patterns, and depart to Las Vegas for their first live gig at Caesars Palace. The Partridge children were played by David Cassidy (Jones' real-life stepson) as her eldest son Keith, Susan Dey as Laurie, Danny Bonaduce as Danny, Jeremy Gelbwaks as Chris, and Suzanne Crough as Tracy.

Subsequent episodes usually feature the band performing in various venues or in their garage. The shows would often contrast suburban life with the adventures of a show business family on the road. After the first season, more of the show's action took place in their hometown rather than on tour.