The Partridge Family stands out as a program that truly embodied the “utopian promise of entertainment” during its era. This half-hour show, a blend of backstage musical and family sitcom genres, loosely inspired by the real-life singing group The Cowsills, graced ABC’s Friday nights from 1970 to 1973 and Saturday nights from 1973 to 1974. In contrast to The Brady Bunch, which surprisingly never broke into the top 30 during its initial run, The Partridge Family soared into the top 20 and launched David Cassidy, a teen idol and singing sensation, into national stardom. While memories of the show often revolve around Cassidy and the ecstatic teenage fans, the release of the first season on DVD invites a broader appreciation of the program. Unlike the Bradys, who gained significant popularity in syndication, the Partridges were deeply rooted in their time. The Partridge Family skillfully balanced countercultural sentiments with traditional values, presenting a fantasy of community united through music that resonated across the cultural divides of the 1970s. The show attracted a diverse audience, with families tuning in together; viewership comprised 38% children, 15% teenagers, 28% women over 19, and 19% adult men. Revisiting the first season highlights how the Partridges utilized bubblegum pop music not just as a comforting sound but also as a source of inspiration for a society grappling with tension and division. It’s a testament to quality fantasy entertainment, as the program acknowledged the prevailing cultural tensions without ignoring them. Instead, The Partridge Family explicitly addressed social issues, grounding its characters in the historical context of the 1970s, while suggesting that music held the power, even if fleetingly, to improve situations and offer a sense of optimism.
As someone who grew up analyzing culture, the world of the Partridges held a stronger appeal than that of the Bradys. Primarily, the Partridges presented a viable alternative to the conventional nuclear family, where women were central figures of strength. Shirley Partridge, portrayed by the talented Shirley Jones (who famously declined the role of Carol Brady), is a resourceful single mother, whose husband’s passing conveniently occurs before the series begins. The absence of a father figure is never portrayed as a deficiency, and the deceased father is never mentioned or missed by any of the five children. Furthermore, the children exhibit no familial resemblance, leading to playful speculations, like one friend’s theory, that they might have different fathers. The eldest son, Keith (David Cassidy), is the dreamy lead singer, while the eldest daughter, Laurie (Susan Dey), embodies the serious-minded social activist, an early feminist role model for many and one of the first portrayals of a self-proclaimed feminist on television. Danny (Danny Bonaduce), the witty middle son, serves as the comic relief and resident skeptic, the conservative voice within a liberal household (the two youngest children are present but largely silent). Even their manager, Reuben Kincaid, lacks genuine authority, primarily functioning as comedic support. In the Partridge family dynamic, feminine values of cooperation are emphasized; decisions are made through democratic processes, and the children are granted considerable autonomy in managing their lives and learning from their mistakes.
The Partridges’ lack of nuclear family isolation also allowed them greater freedom to engage with social issues and community involvement. Unlike the Bradys, who resided in an ambiguous, predominantly white suburb of Los Angeles, the Partridges seemed genuinely integrated into San Pueblo, their fictional Northern California town (resembling Berkeley!). They were part of a larger community, not confined to an insular, Freudian family bubble. The Partridges frequently walked through downtown areas and interacted with various community members, including neighbors, school personnel, business owners, police officers, protestors, and audience members. The community’s demographics reflected a typical Northern California town, showcasing a mix of different classes, ethnicities, races, and religions. Bernard Slade, the program’s liberal producer, also created Bridget Loves Bernie, a sitcom that explored Catholic-Jewish relationships, and was known for highlighting social differences in his shows (sometimes controversially, though not in this instance).
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The Partridge family’s profession as touring musicians provided them with unusual mobility for a family sitcom, a genre traditionally centered on domestic settings. While the Bradys only ventured out for family vacations, the Partridges frequently toured across the country, interacting with diverse populations and encountering individuals in need. The first season focuses on the family’s initial cross-country tour, which takes them beyond San Pueblo to locations like Hollywood, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Detroit, and even a federal penitentiary (sometimes filmed on location, sometimes on Hollywood sets). As Laurie insightfully remarks in the pilot episode, traveling offers the family “a good way to find out exactly what’s wrong with this country!” On the road, they become involved in a hotel labor strike, assist a young female hitchhiker in resolving custody issues, and help African-American residents in inner-city Detroit (led by Richard Pryor and Lou Gossett, Jr.!) in saving their community nightclub, even attempting to adapt their musical style to better suit the local tastes (the result being more pop-“African” influenced than truly soul). This particular episode highlights both the strengths and limitations of the program. Shirley’s interactions with Gossett and Pryor can be seen as somewhat maternalistic, and the Partridges are clearly the central figures, arriving in this neighborhood to “save the day” in their characteristic family-oriented manner by organizing a block party. Nevertheless, the show’s sense of cross-cultural solidarity and empathy for the troubled communities they encounter is notable, perhaps best exemplified by Shirley Partridge’s statement at a prison benefit: “I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a convict, but I think in some real way, we’re all prisoners.”
The Partridge family’s challenges also mirrored their social context. While The Brady Bunch primarily focused on internal family issues of a personal and psychological nature (Jan’s jealousy of Marcia, Greg’s inflated ego), the Partridges’ problems often reflected broader social issues: addressing teenage runaways, dealing with conservative neighbors’ disapproval, navigating military bureaucracy, raising awareness about poor living conditions on reservations, contributing to solving the energy crisis, and handling intruders (without resorting to calling the police!). Extended family dynamics were also explored in episodes focusing on Shirley’s father’s anxieties about losing relevance in society (another example of an ineffectual patriarch). While The Partridge Family addressed typical teenage dilemmas like dating, braces, and sudden fame, it consistently linked the personal to the public, making children aware of how their issues were connected to their family and the larger community. The Partridges’ public persona facilitated this ongoing awareness of themselves as family members, community citizens, and individuals, fostering a sense of shared social responsibility. Laurie’s embarrassment about wearing braces is framed by the family’s need for her to perform; Keith’s relationship with a young feminist leads to the family’s commitment to perform at a feminist rally, sparking community controversy. Dating and school problems are consistently viewed through the lens of contemporary sexual politics, where equal rights prevail and male chauvinism is openly criticized.
While The Partridge Family offered well-intentioned, if simplistic, solutions to social conflicts, its primary source of comfort was musical – the ability of popular love songs to unite communities and provide a sense of, in Richard Dyer’s words, “what utopia would feel like rather than how it would be organized.” (Dyer, Entertainment and Utopia, 20). The sense of well-being conveyed by the family’s smiling faces and Keith’s enthusiastic singing is enhanced and given deeper meaning by the program’s explicit placement of its musical healing within a socially divided context. The episode “My Son, the Feminist” perfectly illustrates this point. In this episode, the Partridges agree to perform at a “POW” (Power of Women) rally. Following their agreement, Shirley faces backlash from a group of “Moral Watchdogs” (resembling a milder version of Phyllis Schlafly’s followers), who threaten her community standing, inciting her anger. At the rally, Keith performs the show’s hit song “I Think I Love You,” soothing his feminist girlfriend’s hurt feelings and winning over some of the Moral Watchdogs who had come to protest: “Believe Me/I Only Want to Make You Happy,” David/Keith croons. And he succeeds. In this context, seemingly apolitical and escapist music gains resonance because of its connection to social issues and its role as a mediator, easing narrative tensions and offering hope for community consensus. In these moments, the personal truly becomes political as the diverse audience, inspired by the Partridges, also unites and harmonizes together. The Partridge Family, through joyful music and genuine goodwill, makes such reconciliation seem attainable.
The Partridge Family cast in a promotional shot, showcasing David Cassidy and Shirley Jones.
Links
Partridge Family Unofficial Website
Laurie Partridge, Budding Feminist
