Or as a stand alone series?

Actually, the Bradys copied the Partridges by forming their own singing group.

The inspiration for The Partridge Family was a real-life family band
called The Cowsills.

How is the Partride Family a copy cat of the Brady Bunch?????

These two shows have very little in common other than the fact that they were on the air at the same time and on the same network. So I don't see either as a copy of the other.

The Partridge Family actually premiered one day earlier than The Brady Bunch did. (Spetember 25,1970 vs Spetember 26, 1970)

Sooo..no..it's not a copy.

The Partridge Family actually premiered one day earlier than The Brady Bunch did. (Spetember 25,1970 vs Spetember 26, 1970)

Sooo..no..it's not a copy.


On THE BRADY BUNCH, IMDB it said it premiered September 26,1969 so it was a year earlier.

The sitcom was supposed to be a copy of the Musical act the COWSILLS where the mother sang along with the kids.
They were originally going to used the real COWSILLs until they found out they were too old and unattractive for TV.

The thinking was then was to fill this sitcom with cute young kids.

I don't think the Partridge Family copied from the Brady Bunch, but there will always be a connection between the two series. Both are family sitcoms. Both aired on the same network during the same time. Both ended in 1974, Brady Bunch starting a year earlier in 1969.

In my opinion, the Brady Bunch is the much better show. The majority of episodes are well written. On the other side, I've always thought Partridge Family was a rather poorly written show. The music is what kept the series afloat. I used to watch Partridge Family during it's 1st and 2nd seasons, mostly to see what song they would perform. Starting in the 3rd season the music wasn't that good anymore, and I stopped watching the show.

They were originally going to used the real COWSILLs until they found out they were too old and unattractive for TV.



Ouch! Jeez, they weren't THAT bad...

http://musicremedy.com/webfiles/artists/TheCowsills/TheCowsills-01-big.jpg

But I agree...the PF wasn't a BB ripoff. Personally, I thought the PF was a bit more sophisticated and knowing than the BB but they both definitely have their appeal.

What really happended was they wanted to use the Cowsills, but they already hired Shirley Jones for the role, and the Cowsills refused to work unless their own mother Barbara was given the role. Thats why the Cowsills were not used.

The Cowsills were pretty groovy. They sang 'Indian Lake' and 'The Rain, the Park, and Other Things'. They look a little bit like the Jonas Brothers in that picture. It's too bad they didn't get their own show, if not a sitcom, then a variety show simular to 'Sonny and Cher.'

I don't think the Partridge Family copied from the Brady Bunch, but there will always be a connection between the two series. Both are family sitcoms. Both aired on the same network during the same time. Both ended in 1974, Brady Bunch starting a year earlier in 1969.

In my opinion, the Brady Bunch is the much better show. The majority of episodes are well written. On the other side, I've always thought Partridge Family was a rather poorly written show. The music is what kept the series afloat. I used to watch Partridge Family during it's 1st and 2nd seasons, mostly to see what song they would perform. Starting in the 3rd season the music wasn't that good anymore, and I stopped watching the show.

Maybe the music was some of what kept it afloat but the biggest attraction to the show was David Cassidy. He was who kept it afloat the most. When David decided to leave the show to concentrate on his singing career, the producers saw no sense in keepping the series on and canceled it.

Maybe the music was some of what kept it afloat but the biggest attraction to the show was David Cassidy. He was who kept it afloat the most. When David decided to leave the show to concentrate on his singing career, the producers saw no sense in keepping the series on and canceled it.

The show was cancelled because of poor ratings. Despite what David says he never quit. It was on against ALL IN THE FAMILY.

The show was cancelled because of poor ratings. Despite what David says he never quit. It was on against ALL IN THE FAMILY.

David was touring and was not on the show nearly as much as he was in the beginning. That's why the ratings suffered.

His concerts sold out to record breaking audiences. He was at one point the highest paid solo performer in the world. doesn't seem like a guy that gets poor ratings. I think if David had been on the show as much as he was in the beginning, the ratings would not have suffered like they did and it may have went on longer.

TV changed during this time period.
The Partridge Family ran it's course.
The ratings dropped on the third season and even more the next.
David Cassidy never quit.
The show was over.

The show was cancelled because of poor ratings. Despite what David says he never quit.

What is your source for this information?

What is your source for this information?

There was an interview on CMONGETHAPPY.com with one of the Producers, Bob Claver.

GH: When did David officially give his “notice” that he was leaving the show after his new contract ran out?

BC: You know, I keep hearing that. I heard that on one of the specials that was just on. I don’t know what kind of notice there was, because to the best of my knowledge, he had a contract. He wasn’t going anywhere until that was up.

GH: It has been reported that ABC moved the show to Saturday Nights because they knew David wasn’t coming back for a 5th season, and it was a sacrificial lamb, trying to put a dent in the ratings of “All In The Family”.

BC: NO! That is so wrong! They all say that and it is wrong! Let me tell you what happened to the show, and I can prove it. They put us on Saturday, up against “All In The Family” and “Emergency”. You will notice in the fourth year, there is a little boy named Ricky Segall that was added to the show. I don’t like to say bad things about him, because it’s not his fault. But the show was obviously beginning to fail at the end of the preceding year. So, it was somebody’s idea at the network to put him into the show, and sing songs that his father wrote. I fought them tooth and nail on this, and asked that the show be allowed to go down with some kind of dignity. I couldn’t imagine why people would tune in to see this. I could barely get through dailies watching it. My point is – why would we have done that if the show was a big hit and David was going to quit?! We knew at the end of the third year that the show would not make it past the fourth year. It was over. We knew it, the actors knew it, and the record producers knew it. There was no way it was not going to be over. I don’t know why people keep thinking otherwise. We knew far in advance that there would be no more episodes and no more records. Actually, I was surprised it came back for a fourth year.

http://www.cmongethappy.com/interviews/bc/claver4.html

GH: Well, David has given interviews saying how badly he feels, in retrospect, that his departure put so many people out of work.

BC: Well, he’s wrong! There was not a chance. The show was third from the bottom in the Nielsen ratings. Doesn’t that tell you something? Why would he think the show would have been renewed for a 5th season had he stayed? Believe me, the show ran its course.

I love both the Partridge Family and the Brady Bunch and they are more alike than different. Many of the plots are very similar and there were other examples of being similar, for instance both adding young children the last season. However, the like mentioned the Partridge Family was based on the Cowsills and the Brady Bunch was based on a movie (can't remember if it was Yours, Mine and Ours or With 6 You Gte Eggroll).

I own all four seasons of the Partridge Family and the fourth season was definitely in decline. The music wasn't as good or memorable and the plots were starting to be absurd. I feel the show was starting to rebound the end of season 4 but by then it was too late.

I think it was just coincidence that both were very similar, but I agree that it's doubtful that they are copies of each other. I like both shows, but they both dealt with very different circumstances. In the Brady Bunch you have a blended family of 6 children from different parents who marry. The Partridge Family was about a family of musicians.

Well, I grew up watching the Brady Bunch in reruns since the late 90s on Nick at Nite, but I never saw the Partridge Family until it started on Antenna TV this January. I had always heard of it and knew the song Come on Get Happy many years before I ever saw it. And I think they are both good, although my favorite of the two would have to be the Brady Bunch. I really like the music on the Partridge Family, especially the songs in the first two seasons. Season 3 was ok, but Season 4 wasn't that good. I found Ricky Segall to be very annoying, worse than Cousin Oliver on the Brady Bunch. I don't see what he was needed for. His character doesn't even play a big part in any episodes except the first episode he appears in at the beginning of Season 4. He just has an annoying song to sing. I was glad when they got rid of him halfway through that season. If syndication has to edit anything, I would be just fine editing out the Ricky songs. However, I thought it was cool when Mr. Kincaid grew a mustache for the last season. But all the other characters are great. I honestly wish the Brady Bunch had lasted longer. It was a good show.

It stands to reason that Brady Bunch might have had some influence, or at least inspiration, on the show. They were both shows about a large family. Maybe the creators wanted to do a similiar show, but needed a different gimmick. Modelling it on the Cowsills was their gimmick. Also remember, PF started exactly one year later, so it would have been just the first season of BB which would have had any initial influence, if any.

I think PF may have had more influence the other way, especially in later seasons of Brady Bunch.

The similarities wouldn't seem to be coincidence when the PF was pitched as "the Brady Bunch with guitars."

TV changed during this time period.
The Partridge Family ran it's course.
The ratings dropped on the third season and even more the next.
David Cassidy never quit.
The show was over.
He was touring so much that he was rarely there for the tapings of the show. He made allot more in his concerts than what he made on the show. Yes, he quit.

He was touring so much that he was rarely there for the tapings of the show. He made allot more in his concerts than what he made on the show. Yes, he quit.
I have the interview with Bob Claver. He has worked on other shows before and I think he knows what he us talking about.
Bob said he was surprised the show came back for a fourth season.
Yes, David was on the full 3rd and 4th season.
Things like the record sales and memorabilia were slowing down.
He said the show ran it's course.
David never quit.

A show like this runs its course in 4 years but shows like Law and Order, Friends goes on for 10 years or more???? :rolleyes:

I have the interview with Bob Claver. He has worked on other shows before and I think he knows what he us talking about.
Bob said he was surprised the show came back for a fourth season.
Yes, David was on the full 3rd and 4th season.
Things like the record sales and memorabilia were slowing down.
He said the show ran it's course.
David never quit.

I've been watching the DVDs and noticed I really love the first two seasons and like very much the third season. The fourth though is hit and miss. Some shows are still good but others seem drawn out. Same with the music. I don't think most of the season 3 and season 4 is as good as the first two.

He was touring so much that he was rarely there for the tapings of the show. He made allot more in his concerts than what he made on the show. Yes, he quit.

Not sure where you got that idea in the first place, but you sure are determined to believe it, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.

I just perused some random 4th season clips you-know-where and David Cassidy is literally all over them. Never mind almost every scene--he seems to appear in almost every frame of 4th season material I looked at.

Not sure where you got that idea in the first place, but you sure are determined to believe it, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.

I just perused some random 4th season clips you-know-where and David Cassidy is literally all over them. Never mind almost every scene--he seems to appear in almost every frame of 4th season material I looked at.

When David signed for 'The Partridge Family' he was 19.
This is in line with what a teen idol was suppose to be.
David was also playing 16 and 17 in the 1st 2 seasons.
In the 4th season, David was 24 in real life and was getting long in the tooth for the teen idol market and the people that were initially attracted to the show moved on.
I remember shows being bled to death with spinoffs and such to keep them going in the '70's.
I think if there was a chance to keep it going, they would have done it.

I agree with the Bob Claver interview. By the fall of 1972, The Partridge Family popularity was in decline. Record sales and TV ratings were slowing down. The shows first two seasons were the peak popularity period, record sales for the first three albums and the Christmas album were fairly strong. Sales started declining with the Shopping Bag album, I've always thought there was a noticeable decline in the quality of the PF music beginning with that album. There were still a few good songs, but overall those last four Partridge LP's contain a lot of filler.

The massive success of All In The Family changed the TV landscape. By the fall of '72, innocent family shows like The Partridge Family and Brady Bunch were on the way out. Both shows were cancelled in 1974. While I think The Partridge Family had definitely run it's course, I believe The Brady Bunch ended prematurely and still had a few seasons of life left in it.

I agree with the Bob Claver interview. By the fall of 1972, The Partridge Family popularity was in decline. Record sales and TV ratings were slowing down. The shows first two seasons were the peak popularity period, record sales for the first three albums and the Christmas album were fairly strong. Sales started declining with the Shopping Bag album, I've always thought there was a noticeable decline in the quality of the PF music beginning with that album. There were still a few good songs, but overall those last four Partridge LP's contain a lot of filler.

The massive success of All In The Family changed the TV landscape. By the fall of '72, innocent family shows like The Partridge Family and Brady Bunch were on the way out. Both shows were cancelled in 1974. While I think The Partridge Family had definitely run it's course, I believe The Brady Bunch ended prematurely and still had a few seasons of life left in it.

I've watched recently the last season of both shows and I would have to agree. The Brady Bunch could have lasted maybe another year or two but the Partridge Family by then was getting drawn out. I think part of it is because while both shows were very much alike the Partridge Family had a music aspect the Brady Bunch didn't (though later on they would add music). Early Partridge Family songs like I Think I Love You pretty much still hold up (I still hear this one quite a bit on the oldies station)but most of season 3 and 4's songs really don't.

I've watched recently the last season of both shows and I would have to agree. The Brady Bunch could have lasted maybe another year or two but the Partridge Family by then was getting drawn out. I think part of it is because while both shows were very much alike the Partridge Family had a music aspect the Brady Bunch didn't (though later on they would add music). Early Partridge Family songs like I Think I Love You pretty much still hold up (I still hear this one quite a bit on the oldies station)but most of season 3 and 4's songs really don't.

The people responsible for coming up with music for The Partridge Family were under a lot of pressure to keep churning out the albums. So eventually the quality of the music began to suffer. The first three albums are classics, especially Sound Magazine. I was disappointed with the Christmas album when it came out, starting with that album is where signs of dents in the armor began to surface.

I think The Brady Bunch could have continued for an additional 2 or 3 seasons. There were problems with Robert Reed, he didn't approve of some scripts and he did not want to participate in what ended up as the last episode of the series where Greg dyes his hair orange by accident. The ongoing issues with Robert Reed might have been a factor which led to the shows cancellation. The Brady Bunch Variety Hour showed that there was still a demand for the Brady clan, but they should have just continued on with The Brady Bunch, the variety hour was terrible.

I have the interview with Bob Claver. He has worked on other shows before and I think he knows what he us talking about.
Bob said he was surprised the show came back for a fourth season.
Yes, David was on the full 3rd and 4th season.
Things like the record sales and memorabilia were slowing down.
He said the show ran it's course.
David never quit.

What if Claver's version is wrong? And I don't think Cassidy's popularity was "slowing down" in 1973; if anything, it was rising.

The show was up against All in the Family and TV was changing. I think that David at age 24 was too old to be a teen idol. That is what I don't get. Robin Williams, Alan Alda, Tom Hanks, and John Travolta were all sitcom stars. David and Shirley make believe that being on a sitcom ended a serious career. It didn't stop some people. Why not say I was in the right place at the right time and leave it at that?

I've only ever heard that The Partridge Family was inspired by the Cowsills family, and the show was loosely based on them. It makes no sense to me that they would be trying to copy The Brady Bunch because The Brady Bunch never got big ratings. Big hit shows get copied, not minor successes. And besides, I see no similarities between the two, other than that they were about fairly large families. But one was a blended family with two parents, and the other was a non-blended family with one parent. And the focus was on the fact that they were also musicians. The plots of The Partridge Family were also more issues oriented and topical. The Brady Bunch was just a rehash of storylines that had been done countless times before on other family sitcoms, and unfortunately with too much Sherwood Schwartz silliness and lame comedy lines.

The show was up against All in the Family and TV was changing. I think that David at age 24 was too old to be a teen idol.
You think HE was too old to be a teen-idol by then, how about (before the Family's debut), BOBBY SHERMAN!!! The oldest teen idol ("Little Woman","Easy Come, Easy Go"), then in 1969-1970, at 30 (born around 1940-1944)-David Cassidy back then was around 20, much younger (b.4/12/1950)! As a guy I loved Susan Dey..

I think even now people are pushing it. I was amazed when I found out the guy from Glee who died was over 30. I personally think that the more you hang on to this the worse it gets for your later career. Miley Cyrus at age 20 is starting to rebel against it.

Actually, the Bradys copied the Partridges by forming their own singing group.

That's what I was thinking! :lol:

I love both the Partridge Family and the Brady Bunch and they are more alike than different. Many of the plots are very similar and there were other examples of being similar, for instance both adding young children the last season. However, the like mentioned the Partridge Family was based on the Cowsills and the Brady Bunch was based on a movie (can't remember if it was Yours, Mine and Ours or With 6 You Gte Eggroll).

I own all four seasons of the Partridge Family and the fourth season was definitely in decline. The music wasn't as good or memorable and the plots were starting to be absurd. I feel the show was starting to rebound the end of season 4 but by then it was too late.

The Brady Bunch was Sherwood Schwartz' original creation, based on an LA Times article about blended families that he read back around 1965. He had already tried to sell his show to all 3 networks, and all 3 rejected him for different reasons, which are documented in most Brady Bunch books, including Sherwood & Lloyd Schwartz' "Brady Brady Brady".
Schwartz had come up with the title "Yours and Mine" and registered the title with the Writer's Guild long before the movie "Yours, Mine and Ours" was released in 1968.
When that movie's producers complained about the impending sitcom "Yours and Mine", Schwartz told Paramount & ABC's lawyers that he had chosen & registered his title long before the movie was made and told them to be grateful that he was not going to sue the movie's producers. However he did decide that the sitcom title had to change, so he tested both "The Brady Bunch" and "The Brady Brood", and "The Brady Bunch" tested better as a title, so it was chosen as the sitcom's new title.

Not at all. The Partridge Family is much better than The Brady Bunch.

Actually, the Bradys copied the Partridges by forming their own singing group.
And UNLIKE Greg Brady, Keith Partridge could actually sing!

And UNLIKE Greg Brady, Keith Partridge could actually sing!

Don't be dissing Johnny Bravo!

I love both shows but if I had to compare, I think of the two the Partridge Family was a more well written show. The writing on the Brady Bunch was more juvenile while the writing on the Partridge family had a more adult feel. I think that has to do with the fact that you had more tv veterans writing for the show. Some of the dialog that Reuben had and the by play between him and Danny or Danny and Keith well...they are more clever. The insults between Keith and Laurie are hysterical.

When the Brady Bunch started out, there were more dramatic elements to the show (again for what it was) in blending the two families and the issues that revolved around that. As the show progressed, it got to be a little less believable which is why one can understand how Robert Reed got so frustrated.

Again, I'm trying to keep this in perspective because we're not talking All in the Family or MASH here but I just think when you compare, the writing was a little more hip on the Partridge Family. David Cassidy plays Keith very much like John Ritter played Jack Tripper in that he was always played for a fool and he did such a good job in that role.

In the last season of both shows, you are bringing in younger kids (let's not forget cousin Oliver) so both shows ran their course by the time they ended.

I listened to the Partridge Christmas album again during the holidays, it's OK but I still think it could have been better. Shopping Bag and Notebook have a few good songs. Crossword Puzzle is the worst Partridge album. Bulletin Board comes back a little and has a few good songs. The first three albums are by far the best, they are classics.

I don't think Partridge Family copied from Brady Bunch, I compare Partridge Family to The Monkees more than The Brady Bunch. When comparing Partridge Family and Brady Bunch as TV shows, I've always liked Brady Bunch better, I think it's a funnier show. Partridge Family TV show just never really appealed to me. I like the first three Partridge record albums and that's about it.

The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch are both great shows- but I don't consider either to be a copy of each other. Yes, perhaps there are some similarities- they did air around the same time and centered around a family- and both families sung at times- but singing was the primary focus with The Partridge Family through the whole series. It was more of a side thing for fun with The Brady Bunch.
So, no- neither series is a copycat.

I think the Partridge Family was really an adult show by stealth. The main characters - Shirley, Reuben, Keith, Laurie, and Danny - all interacted on an adult level. Chris and Tracey are around if needed, the way a lot of shows do (like Richie Petrie). I'd say the Brady Bunch was written at a level somewhere between the ages of the two older kids and the two middle ones.
Precisely, that's why I could identify more with The Brady Bunch. The Partridge's singing was always a bore to me. Two different shows that don't copy one another.

The Cowsills were pretty groovy. They sang 'Indian Lake' and 'The Rain, the Park, and Other Things'. They look a little bit like the Jonas Brothers in that picture. It's too bad they didn't get their own show, if not a sitcom, then a variety show simular to 'Sonny and Cher.'


I thought the Cowsills were cool. I have "the rain, the park and other things" on a 60's CD! Good song. And Hair , that was an awesome song. ;)


Gimme head with hair
Long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming,
Streaming, flaxen, waxen


Give me down to there hair
Shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there mama
Everywhere daddy daddy


Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow it
My hair

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKjS6nkl321Uc5fD2lXnnfUNk-6RxV21ogk049c00OTJz3Q4uR

I don't think the Partridge Family copied the Brady Bunch other than the network executives saw a market for it with the success of the Brady Bunch, but I'd classify the Partridge Family as more of a Monkees clone with David Cassidy similar to Davy Jones. Barry Williams is not in their league.

When the hit songs tapered off, the show had to be ash-canned since the music was the main feature and poor nielsen ratings were sure to follow. Also, I agree that Partridge Family had more of an adult feel than the Brady Bunch. The two youngest Partridges were basically stage props.

TV changed during this time period.
The Partridge Family ran it's course.
The ratings dropped on the third season and even more the next.
David Cassidy never quit.
The show was over.

I think your very first sentence explains most or all of it.

I thought the Cowsills were cool. I have "the rain, the park and other things" on a 60's CD! Good song. And Hair , that was an awesome song. ;)


Gimme head with hair
Long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming,
Streaming, flaxen, waxen


Give me down to there hair
Shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there mama
Everywhere daddy daddy


Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow it
My hair

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKjS6nkl321Uc5fD2lXnnfUNk-6RxV21ogk049c00OTJz3Q4uR

Yeah I loved the Cowsills and still do. The Rain, The Park And Other Things made me flip; it was one of those sings when you first hear it and think:WHO IS SINGING THAT MARVELOUS SONG? It's my third favorite song ever.
Shame the Cowsills had rough financial times and tragedy in later years.

Even though I LOVE Shirley Jones(& IMO she still has it going on even at 80) it would have been cool to have seen the Cowsills do the show with their mom. Not sure how well they could act, but even if it bombed (and it might not have) it would have been a great nostalgic treasure and collector's item.

The show was up against All in the Family and TV was changing. I think that David at age 24 was too old to be a teen idol. That is what I don't get. Robin Williams, Alan Alda, Tom Hanks, and John Travolta were all sitcom stars. David and Shirley make believe that being on a sitcom ended a serious career. It didn't stop some people. Why not say I was in the right place at the right time and leave it at that?

Lol God would have had a hard time competing against AITF, which was WILDLY POPULAR; almost as much as I Love Lucy was in the mid 50s. AITF turned television on its head, and IMO, was a generation ahead of its time.

The show was up against All in the Family and TV was changing. I think that David at age 24 was too old to be a teen idol. That is what I don't get. Robin Williams, Alan Alda, Tom Hanks, and John Travolta were all sitcom stars. David and Shirley make believe that being on a sitcom ended a serious career. It didn't stop some people. Why not say I was in the right place at the right time and leave it at that?

Ron Howard went on to have a serious career as a director after being a child star. Jodie Foster too. How many more? Whats the ratio of former child stars who went on to serious show biz careers and those who just went on to do commercials, or appear at nostalgia events (like Gary Coleman, Dana Plato and Todd Bridges did at an auto show sometime before Dana's death and after their show went off the air) and that's if they are lucky enough to find some paying outlet for their diminished stardom. Butch Patrick ("Eddie Munster") went on to some minor acting roles when he became a teen. He played a teen in a saturday morning kid's show called Lidsville in the 70s . Otherwise he just went on to make some money only marketing himself as the man who played Eddie Munster.
Most former child stars could not do the same as Jodie Foster and Ron Howard.
It is a matter of luck and circumstances. Many former child stars (especially of TV, and especially if they became famous for playing a certain character) are unable to escape being typecast. Anissa Jones ("Buffy" of Family Affair) seemed to have a good chance to play a more dramatic role after Family Affair was cancelled (and she was 13 years old) when her mom had her audition for the part of Regan in "The Exorcist." It could have been the same career changing move as Taxi Driver was for Jodi Foster.
However it did not work out.
Maybe it was a bit of an edge for Jodie Foster that she never played one character in a popular TV series.
It is very much the same for adult actors. Bob Denver could never be thought of in a serious role after he played Gilligan for a few seasons.
Nevertheless, though in a certain sense you are right that being in a TV series or playing a certain character did not ruin other actors' serious careers, it probably cannot be said for everyone and it often has to do with afterward being offered only certain roles and/or agents or promoters advising to capitalize on the old image for best profit and public appeal.

Yeah I loved the Cowsills and still do. The Rain, The Park And Other Things made me flip; it was one of those sings when you first hear it and think:WHO IS SINGING THAT MARVELOUS SONG? It's my third favorite song ever.
Shame the Cowsills had rough financial times and tragedy in later years.

Even though I LOVE Shirley Jones(& IMO she still has it going on even at 80) it would have been cool to have seen the Cowsills do the show with their mom. Not sure how well they could act, but even if it bombed (and it might not have) it would have been a great nostalgic treasure and collector's item.




I have heard some of the Cowsills songs. I was not aware of them until after their heyday. And I only read a little about them. By the 70s the Cowsills were filing for bankruptcy as far as what I recall reading. I read it in one of those teen magazines (either Tiger Beat or 16). It was said that the Cowsills in their day were "almost" as big and popular as the Osmonds in the 1970s.
But I guess if things were more like the 70s during the 60s, the Cowsills might have had their own variety show like Donny and Marie Osmond did.
I think the Cowsills consisted of four brothers and one sister.
The Osmonds also almost filed for bankruptcy soon after the Donny and Marie show was cancelled.
But of course it by now is obvious that at least since the 60s there has been a certain pattern. These popular singing groups featuring young performers
reach a very high pinnacle and then when a new generation of heart-throbs take over, then the previous group often hits rock bottom.

sad

I don't think the Partridge Family copied from the Brady Bunch, but there will always be a connection between the two series. Both are family sitcoms. Both aired on the same network during the same time. Both ended in 1974, Brady Bunch starting a year earlier in 1969.

In my opinion, the Brady Bunch is the much better show. The majority of episodes are well written. On the other side, I've always thought Partridge Family was a rather poorly written show. The music is what kept the series afloat. I used to watch Partridge Family during it's 1st and 2nd seasons, mostly to see what song they would perform. Starting in the 3rd season the music wasn't that good anymore, and I stopped watching the show.



I liked watching both at least occasionally, but I think that both were campy and trendy shows and were for teens mostly and perhaps some grandmothers who may like the depiction of the family unit though not necessarily the pop music (regarding the Partridge Family).

Even some of my favorite episodes had story lines or dialogue or lines that made me cringe because they were embarrassingly dumb.

Ron Howard went on to have a serious career as a director after being a child star. Jodie Foster too. How many more? Whats the ratio of former child stars who went on to serious show biz careers and those who just went on to do commercials, or appear at nostalgia events (like Gary Coleman, Dana Plato and Todd Bridges did at an auto show sometime before Dana's death and after their show went off the air) and that's if they are lucky enough to find some paying outlet for their diminished stardom. Butch Patrick ("Eddie Munster") went on to some minor acting roles when he became a teen. He played a teen in a saturday morning kid's show called Lidsville in the 70s . Otherwise he just went on to make some money only marketing himself as the man who played Eddie Munster.
Most former child stars could not do the same as Jodie Foster and Ron Howard.
It is a matter of luck and circumstances. Many former child stars (especially of TV, and especially if they became famous for playing a certain character) are unable to escape being typecast. Anissa Jones ("Buffy" of Family Affair) seemed to have a good chance to play a more dramatic role after Family Affair was cancelled (and she was 13 years old) when her mom had her audition for the part of Regan in "The Exorcist." It could have been the same career changing move as Taxi Driver was for Jodi Foster.
However it did not work out.
Maybe it was a bit of an edge for Jodie Foster that she never played one character in a popular TV series.
It is very much the same for adult actors. Bob Denver could never be thought of in a serious role after he played Gilligan for a few seasons.
Nevertheless, though in a certain sense you are right that being in a TV series or playing a certain character did not ruin other actors' serious careers, it probably cannot be said for everyone and it often has to do with afterward being offered only certain roles and/or agents or promoters advising to capitalize on the old image for best profit and public appeal.


A lot of it has to do with the parents. I believe both Ron Howard and Jodie Foster had parents who kept them grounded, which is why they have stayed successful and out of trouble. Many of the actors you mentioned had greedy parents who pushed them and likely attacked them once their career ends. It's not just talent though that keeps some successful but also luck and of course the parents. Of course there have been parents who had kids that had troubles but a lot also has to do with talents and all of that. Both Ron Howard and Jodie Foster went into directing and producing.

To me, "The Partridge family" was more stand-alone. It was like mentioned, inspired by The Cowsills.

I enjoy "The Partridge Family"...I don't even like "The Brady Bunch!

The Partridge Family actually premiered one day earlier than The Brady Bunch did. (Spetember 25,1970 vs Spetember 26, 1970)

Sooo..no..it's not a copy.


Poor reasoning.
Just because PF aired earlier than BB doesn't mean it cannot be a "copy."
Concepts for TV shows have part of their beginnings in a board room with TV executives and directors (etc) or at least something to that effect , and one show could have been thought up and planned to be filmed and aired before the other and by the time a following show is thought up, perhaps with some of the same factors as the other, (for example, a large family , suburban home, big age range between siblings ,etc) it is possible that both pilots would be finished filming by a certain time and then the one that was thought of secondly in a board room would be aired before the one that was thought up a few days earlier.
I guess the scenario could be like this.

Lol God would have had a hard time competing against AITF, which was WILDLY POPULAR; almost as much as I Love Lucy was in the mid 50s. AITF turned television on its head, and IMO, was a generation ahead of its time.

Ironic. It was "ahead of its time" because Archie Bunker was so backward.
I think it was significant as far as TV history is concerned but on the other hand it was overrated.

As the post after the subject post pointed out, the Brady Bunch actually premiered in 1969.

OK but as I said or indicated in my post, it is still possible for one show to be "Thought up" and then another can be "Thought up" that has a similar concept and because of factors such as delays in filming or finding the right cast and such , the show that was the second to be Thought up may have its premiere broadcast first.

Actually I am inclined to think that the Partridge Family is not a copy of the Brady Bunch since I have read that the Brady Bunch was created because of the 1968 movie "Yours Mine And Ours" starring Lucy Ball and Henry Fonda as a widow and widower. The widow had 8 children the widower had 10. There are high school aged kids, grade school aged kids, and pre-school aged kids in each family and the widow and widower meet each other and decide to marry . Most of the older kids don't get along at first but come to accept each other. One of the widower's teen sons gets along particularly with the widow's grade-school aged son.
The Partridge Family was famously intended to portray the Cowsills a singing family of the 1960s

I've only ever heard that The Partridge Family was inspired by the Cowsills family, and the show was loosely based on them. It makes no sense to me that they would be trying to copy The Brady Bunch because The Brady Bunch never got big ratings. Big hit shows get copied, not minor successes. And besides, I see no similarities between the two, other than that they were about fairly large families. But one was a blended family with two parents, and the other was a non-blended family with one parent. And the focus was on the fact that they were also musicians. The plots of The Partridge Family were also more issues oriented and topical. The Brady Bunch was just a rehash of storylines that had been done countless times before on other family sitcoms, and unfortunately with too much Sherwood Schwartz silliness and lame comedy lines.

For that matter, it could be said that the Brady Bunch was a copy of "Please Don't Eat The Dasies"

Ironic. It was "ahead of its time" because Archie Bunker was so backward.
I think it was significant as far as TV history is concerned but on the other hand it was overrated.


indeed it was a bit ironic and maybe even paradoxical.

While I also agree that AITF was significant TV history, I respectfully disagree about it being overrated. IMO it was a masterpiece-a work of genius. But I know many found the vulgarity and liberal slant off-putting; but to me these added to its provocativeness-which I liked. Sorry to go so O/T, but I'm curious why you think it was overrated.

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Regarding other posters about the Partridge Family's demise- well four seasons is still a good run and the show holds up well in syndication even 40 years later.

I also don't understand the brouhaha about being typecast. I don't know why Shirley was so worried- she's a great actress capable of a wide range-just look at how great she was as Lulu in Elmer Gantry. And even if she were typecast, being remembered as a hot and wise mom who could sing,in a fondly regarded show, is not the worst thing in the world.

Well, I grew up watching the Brady Bunch in reruns since the late 90s on Nick at Nite, but I never saw the Partridge Family until it started on Antenna TV this January. I had always heard of it and knew the song Come on Get Happy many years before I ever saw it. And I think they are both good, although my favorite of the two would have to be the Brady Bunch. I really like the music on the Partridge Family, especially the songs in the first two seasons. Season 3 was ok, but Season 4 wasn't that good. I found Ricky Segall to be very annoying, worse than Cousin Oliver on the Brady Bunch. I don't see what he was needed for. His character doesn't even play a big part in any episodes except the first episode he appears in at the beginning of Season 4. He just has an annoying song to sing. I was glad when they got rid of him halfway through that season. If syndication has to edit anything, I would be just fine editing out the Ricky songs. However, I thought it was cool when Mr. Kincaid grew a mustache for the last season. But all the other characters are great. I honestly wish the Brady Bunch had lasted longer. It was a good show.


The Brady Bunch had Jumped-The-Shark also, big time. It would have been just-as-ridiculous to have it continue any further seasons .
There wasn't anywhere else to go with the plots .

All In The Family may have been much much much more popular than the Brady Bunch or The Partridge Family but it also had stayed on the air too long and should have taken a cue from The Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family.

All In The Family stayed on the air for some 10 years. The characters' situations had to change. Gloria and Mike could no longer just live in Gloria's parent's home after Mike had graduated and he and Gloria had had a child.
Also the actors just grew tired of being Archie, Edith, Mike and Gloria for all those years.

The Cowsills were pretty groovy. They sang 'Indian Lake' and 'The Rain, the Park, and Other Things'. They look a little bit like the Jonas Brothers in that picture. It's too bad they didn't get their own show, if not a sitcom, then a variety show simular to 'Sonny and Cher.'

A bit about variety shows:
There was also a variety show with Donny and Marie Osmond. Reportedly it had good ratings even though it was considered drek. Actually Sonny and Cher variety hour was a fairly good concept and show at first but it eventually Jumped The Shark. It is arguable whether the Sonny and Cher show was better or worse or no better than the Donny and Marie Show. After the Sonny and Cher variety hour it seemed to be that a few other variety shows tried to copy it including Donny and Marie. Most or all other variety shows had only one person hosting it. I can only think of the Carol Brunette show now.
The Brady Bunch variety hour tried to copy Donny and Marie but it was more "phony" in that a group of actors were pretending to be related to each other as a "Family act" and I think it was the only variety show that ever did that and in which there were so many people "hosting" a variety show.
Variety shows have been very few in TV history. There have not been any since the 1970s as far as I know. The kind in which the hosts also sing dance and perform along with guest stars. I think that The Carol Brunette show was probably the most respectable variety show ever. Others that came after it were comparatively watered-down copy cats. Anyone know of variety shows before or during Carol Brunette's?

As far as the Cowsills being put to host a variety show, I guess if it was done instead of the Partridge Family, I wonder if all the Cowsills would have been put to host the show which would have been odd back then, or only if one of the younger boys and the young girl of the family would have been at the front of the cameras most like Donny and Marie were put to host the show while the rest of the Osmond Brothers were mostly in the background. Reportedly the rest of the Osmond Brothers felt that their talents were overshadowed by their younger brother and sister and that is how the Osmond Brothers failed to make it as a respectable rock band which is what they really wanted to do rather than host a kiddie-like variety show.
Perhaps the same would have happened to the Cowsills.

I don't think they were a copy. They were both good family sitcoms, and had a lot in common. The Brady Bunch lasted 5 seasons and Partridge Family only 4.

Not at all. The Partridge Family is much better than The Brady Bunch.

This is probably only a matter of personal opinion, but why overall (https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-partridge-family.1170410/page-6#post-32217798), has The Brady Bunch seemingly resonated and stood the test of time in a way that The Partridge Family hasn't? Is it because the some of themes on The Brady Bunch are basically timeless (https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-partridge-family.1170410/page-7#post-32226349) and more universal -- sibling rivalry, various childhood insecurities, childhood crushes, etc.?

This is probably only a matter of personal opinion, but why overall, has The Brady Bunch seemingly resonated and stood the test of time in a way that The Partridge Family hasn't?

I think the Partridges have been very successful. Wherever I was, it was always in syndication, although usually on a weekend afternoon while the Brady's would be on daily after school.


I think the Bradys just very clearly are a kids show, so they get put into a kids time slot and kids seek it out. The Partridges have mostly kids, but most of the characters talk like adults, so it doesn't really belong in the evening, and it doesn't really belong after school.

For me, the best example of the difference between the two shows is the Partridges' "My Shadow and Me" episode, we're they're playing hide-and-seek with a mystery writers. I just can't imagine the Brady's performing with that script.

I think the Partridges have been very successful. Wherever I was, it was always in syndication, although usually on a weekend afternoon while the Brady's would be on daily after school.


I think the Bradys just very clearly are a kids show, so they get put into a kids time slot and kids seek it out. The Partridges have mostly kids, but most of the characters talk like adults, so it doesn't really belong in the evening, and it doesn't really belong after school.

For me, the best example of the difference between the two shows is the Partridges' "My Shadow and Me" episode, we're they're playing hide-and-seek with a mystery writers. I just can't imagine the Brady's performing with that script.


I mentioned it before but also the Bradys were about topics that reasonate with everyone, such as family. They rarely did episodes about current topics. The Partridge Family had episodes about what was happening then and some of it has faded.

I think the Partridges have been very successful. Wherever I was, it was always in syndication, although usually on a weekend afternoon while the Brady's would be on daily after school.


I think the Bradys just very clearly are a kids show, so they get put into a kids time slot and kids seek it out. The Partridges have mostly kids, but most of the characters talk like adults, so it doesn't really belong in the evening, and it doesn't really belong after school.

For me, the best example of the difference between the two shows is the Partridges' "My Shadow and Me" episode, we're they're playing hide-and-seek with a mystery writers. I just can't imagine the Brady's performing with that script.

Danny Partridge (https://the-partridge-family.fandom.com/wiki/Danny_Partridge) in particular (and maybe it's just my imagination), always seemed (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Danny+Partridge) to talk more like grown up than an actual kid.