Was any of this ever explained?

Haven't seen it in a long time, but seems like in the first episode Shirley said she had been a widow for several months. Don't remember ever hearing a cause of death. Don't know if the band was for fun, or eventual stardom. I remember Danny pushing a demo tape to Mr Kincade. Here is the pilot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KScVZ9j9vqY

Haven't seen it in a long time, but seems like in the first episode Shirley said she had been a widow for several months. Don't remember ever hearing a cause of death. Don't know if the band was for fun, or eventual stardom. I remember Danny pushing a demo tape to Mr Kincade. Here is the pilot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KScVZ9j9vqY


Thanks for the update:)

You're welcome.

They started a band to make money so the mom wouldn't have to work so many hours at her bank job. In the first season, the theme song explains this.

They started a band to make money so the mom wouldn't have to work so many hours at her bank job. In the first season, the theme song explains this.
In the pilot Shirley says that "My Husband had died suddenly six months previously" and it doesn't say anything more on it. They start the band so the mom can get enough money to send the kids to college.

In the pilot Shirley says that "My Husband had died suddenly six months previously" and it doesn't say anything more on it. They start the band so the mom can get enough money to send the kids to college.

They started a band to make money so the mom wouldn't have to work so many hours at her bank job. In the first season, the theme song explains this.

Precisely.

He was a school bus driver that accidentally ran himself over with his own bus. So as a consolation, the school district gave them the bus and told them to use it to make a living but not for driving kids to school, due to insurance regulations.

Meanwhile, to make ends meet, Danny began breaking into hippies houses and stealing and fencing stolen band instruments. He reasoned that because hippies all kept drugs in their houses, they were unlikely to call the police. Danny hid the instruments on the back of the bus, which would have been fine, except that Shirley had to drive Laurie to the hospital for an emergency abortion.

While all the kids piled into the bus to watch the proceedings, Shirley purposely ran over a praying mantis on the road and was pulled over by some cops that as luck would have it, just happened to be on the hippie stolen musical instruments patrol. Spying the instruments in the back of the bus, the cops were just about to run them all in when Tracy blurted out while spitting out her pacifier that they were a traveling family band. The cops said that later that evening there was a benefit concert for the policemen's bulletproof vest fund, and if they wanted to stay out of jail they better entertain that night. And the rest, as they say, is history.

He was a school bus driver that accidentally ran himself over with his own bus. So as a consolation, the school district gave them the bus and told them to use it to make a living but not for driving kids to school, due to insurance regulations.

Meanwhile, to make ends meet, Danny began breaking into hippies houses and stealing and fencing stolen band instruments. He reasoned that because hippies all kept drugs in their houses, they were unlikely to call the police. Danny hid the instruments on the back of the bus, which would have been fine, except that Shirley had to drive Laurie to the hospital for an emergency abortion.

While all the kids piled into the bus to watch the proceedings, Shirley purposely ran over a praying mantis on the road and was pulled over by some cops that as luck would have it, just happened to be on the hippie stolen musical instruments patrol. Spying the instruments in the back of the bus, the cops were just about to run them all in when Tracy blurted out while spitting out her pacifier that they were a traveling family band. The cops said that later that evening there was a benefit concert for the policemen's bulletproof vest fund, and if they wanted to stay out of jail they better entertain that night. And the rest, as they say, is history.


:lol: :lol: :lol:

The girl who was supposed to be the lead singer for the band (the daughter of a Rabbi) got the mumps and was unable to participate in the recording session so Shirley was recruited at the last minute to take her place.

They started a band to make money so the mom wouldn't have to work so many hours at her bank job. In the first season, the theme song explains this.
I tend to think she is working more hours with the singing.

Maybe so, but with the singing job, she gets to spend much more time with her family. And even keeping the touring in mind, likely also more time at home overall than if she'd stayed in banking.

Maybe so, but with the singing job, she gets to spend much more time with her family. And even keeping the touring in mind, likely also more time at home overall than if she'd stayed in banking.

Plus, the Partridges had the best one song concerts, so lots of free time there. :)

Keith and Laurie were so cool! I mean what teenagers wouldn't want to form a band with their Mom and much younger siblings?

I think The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin were SEETHING in jealousy!!! haha!!

Maybe so, but with the singing job, she gets to spend much more time with her family. And even keeping the touring in mind, likely also more time at home overall than if she'd stayed in banking.
Yeah she does have more quality time with the family. But driving all over the country with tours would be tiring. But this is a tv show.

They started a band to make money so the mom wouldn't have to work so many hours at her bank job. In the first season, the theme song explains this.

Were the Partridges overall, supposed to be a very popular recording group or a struggling family act who has to travel around in a breaking down school bus? They performed for maybe a hundred people at a time at the most and lived in a modest suburban home. Was it because very little money was coming in as a result of all of their hard work?

I thought it was interesting that the kids thought so highly of themselves and their musical ability, that they would be making money from their singing.

Like, everyone should try it.

Were the Partridges overall, supposed to be a very popular recording group or a struggling family act who has to travel around in a breaking down school bus? They performed for maybe a hundred people at a time at the most and lived in a modest suburban home. Was it because very little money was coming in as a result of all of their hard work?

They were on the Johnny Cash Show in the pilot episode, and he called them "America's Latest Success Story." In the first season, they have a European tour. So it seems they got pretty prominent pretty quick. I assumed they did quick trips around California when school was in, then toured when school was out.

In the pilot Shirley says that "My Husband had died suddenly six months previously" and it doesn't say anything more on it. They start the band so the mom can get enough money to send the kids to college.

Was Shirley's husband/the kids' father ever mentioned beyond that single line from the pilot? And what about Mr. Partidge’s parents and siblings (assuming of course, that he had any siblings and his parents were still alive)?

He was a school bus driver that accidentally ran himself over with his own bus. So as a consolation, the school district gave them the bus and told them to use it to make a living but not for driving kids to school, due to insurance regulations.

Meanwhile, to make ends meet, Danny began breaking into hippies houses and stealing and fencing stolen band instruments. He reasoned that because hippies all kept drugs in their houses, they were unlikely to call the police. Danny hid the instruments on the back of the bus, which would have been fine, except that Shirley had to drive Laurie to the hospital for an emergency abortion.

While all the kids piled into the bus to watch the proceedings, Shirley purposely ran over a praying mantis on the road and was pulled over by some cops that as luck would have it, just happened to be on the hippie stolen musical instruments patrol. Spying the instruments in the back of the bus, the cops were just about to run them all in when Tracy blurted out while spitting out her pacifier that they were a traveling family band. The cops said that later that evening there was a benefit concert for the policemen's bulletproof vest fund, and if they wanted to stay out of jail they better entertain that night. And the rest, as they say, is history.

:lol: :heart: