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| The Partridge Family
Original run September 25, 1970 – March 23, 1974 History:: Created by Bernard Slade, the series was inspired by and loosely based on The Cowsills, a real pop music family famous in the late Sixties. In fact, in its early development, the Cowsill children were actually considered by the producers to be featured on The Partridge Family, but because they were not trained actors, the producers decided to abandon that idea. Shirley Jones had already been signed as mother Shirley Partridge and star of the show. Series Summary:: In the pilot episode, a group of musical siblings convinces their mother to help them out by singing with them as they record a pop song in their garage. Through the efforts of the 10-year-old son Danny, they find a manager who helps make the song a Top-40 hit. After some more persuading, Mom finally agrees that the family can go on tour. They acquire an old school bus, paint it and depart to Las Vegas for their first live gig at Caesars Palace. At the end of the first season, Jeremy Gelbwaks' family moved out of the Los Angeles area, and the part was recast with a blond child actor, Brian Forster. A dog named "Simone" was featured in the first season, but was phased out of production early in the second season. Each subsequent episode features the band performing in various venues. The shows would often contrast suburban life with the adventures of a show-biz family "on the road." After the first season the show focused more on the "at home" themes and less on their touring. By the fourth season, in yet another parallel to the Brady Bunch an attempt was made to boost ratings by bringing a precocious 4-year-old neighbor named Ricky Stevens (Ricky Segall) to occasionally sing children's songs with the band. ABC moved the show from its 8:30 P.M. Friday night slot to Saturday at 8:00 P.M.. After 96 episodes and ten Partridge Family albums, the show was cancelled. Cast members David Cassidy as Keith Douglas Partridge: lead vocals, lead guitars, banjo Danny Bonaduce as Danny Partridge: vocals, bass, occasional guitar (acoustic, electric) Shirley Jones as Shirley Partridge: vocals, keyboards, tambourine, percussion Susan Dey as Laurie Partridge: vocals, piano, percussion Suzanne Crough as Tracy Partridge: vocals, tambourine, percussion Jeremy Gelbwaks as Chris Partridge (season 1): vocals, drums Brian Forster as Chris Partridge (seasons 2-4): vocals, drums Dave Madden as Reuben Kincaid: band manager Ricky Segall as Ricky Stevens (The Partridge Family's next door neighbor) : singer (1973–1974 | /tr>
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