Summary:
In 1970, the Partridge Family was among the top-selling recording acts, not to mention one of the top-rated TV shows of its time. Either way, it made David Cassidy a successful teen idol until the show's cancellation in 1974.The Partridge Family consisted of Shirley Partridge (keyboards, vocals) and her five kids: Keith (lead vocalist and guitar), Laurie (keyboards, vocals), Danny (bass guitar, vocals), Chris (drums), and Tracy (tambourine). Rounding out the cast was their manager, Reuben Kincaid.With the exception of Shirley Jones and David Cassidy, none of the actors on the show actually sang or played on the group's records. In fact this was done by professional studio musicians and singers, with the family lip-synching to the tracks on camera. In fact, David Cassidy was originally hired for his looks, but when the producers found out that he could sing they realized that they could use him in the real band. Many of the episode plots draw upon the comedic relationship between Reuben (Dave Madden) and Danny (Danny Bonaduce). These two were good friends both on and off the set. Other plot devices were Keith's good looks and popularity at school, Laurie's 70's style activism and some of the strange encounters that the family had when on the road in their bus.The Partridge Family was true wholesome family programming. At the time Shirley Partridge was one of the the first single mother's to be featured on a television show. Originally the scripts called for her to be divorced, but this was changed to describe her as a widow.Telecast: ABC September 25, 1970 - August 31, 1974 Broadcast History (all ET): Sept. 1970 - Jun. 1973, ABC Friday 8:30 - 9:00 P.M. Jun. 1973 - Aug. 1974, ABC Saturday 8:00 - 8:30 P.M. 96 Episodes In Color On Film.
