I hate the episodes with Shirley's parents on. They both are so annoying, especially the father. He is just way too goofy in a way that's not funny IMO. It's annoying.

Actually, the most annoying character came around in the fourth season. It was that obnoxious brat neighbor Ricky whose horrendous singing could peel the enamel off your teeth. Damn, that kid was super annoying. No wonder the series ended once that brat ruined a great show.

Hands down, Ricky! Rumor has it stocks rose in the earplug industry when he came on.

Whose idea was that? Who would bring in a kid who can't carry a tune and can hardly be understood?

They wisely tossed him after a few episodes, but the damage was done--he probably caused the series to be cancelled.

I think that Shirley's parents were annoying. They were always bickering with each other and you would want to slap them on the head and tell them to stop being so stubborn.

The Ricky character and how he was presented was out of place, especially in retrospect I would say.
However it surprises me how little is known by the so-called fans of the show. The two posts before mine ( the only ones on this topic so far) seems to indicate that you two are third generation fans and were not around when the show was originally on the air.
The show did not sink because Ricky was added. The show was already losing the popularity that it originally had and Danny was the main character who stirs things up and he was growing older. He was not a cute red-headed ten year old but was now in his teens and he was still being given the funny cute lines and roles in which he gets other people in trouble, or gets himself in a jam, or makes people older than him resent his money-wise antics etc, the show just Jumped - The - Shark, so the creators and producers attempted to bring in a new character and at the time there was such a TV culture in which children characters were popular and that was very evident with the popularity of The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch and even other shows that may have been recently or not -so-recently cancelled such as Family Affair, To Rome With Love, Andy of Maybury, etc, and the producers felt that they have to attract a younger audience so they brought in a new kid to sing on certain episodes rather than give Chris and Tracy more dialogue and make Chris replace "aging" Danny as the wise-mouthed kid of the family, but bringing Ricky in neither helped, nor actually ultimately-destroyed the show even though a lot of viewers thought the character and his singing was awful. The show was actually on its way to being eventually cancelled because it had run its course and the original audience of teenage females had grown up a few more years and were no longer into watching the show just to see David Cassidy, and the show had no where else to go plot wise since the plots were only re-hashes of what it had done before and furthermore the show was placed in the time slot that was and I think still is the proverbial "graveyard where TV shows go to die" which is the Friday nights time slot and for anyone who was alive at the time and paying enough attention, All In The Family was on on a different channel and there was no way that The Partridge Family could get more viewers than AITF and it was ironically an intentional move to have an ultimate excuse to end the show.

The Ricky character strangely seems to be in the same boat as Linda McCartney who is given the blame for breaking up the Beatles. The Ricky character seems to be blamed for destroying the Partridge Family as a TV show. (Ringo Starr himself once said that Linda McCartney nor Yoko Ono broke up the Beatles but it was time for the Beatles to break up).

there was a little fad for precocious kids then, including the Oliver kid from Brady Bunch


"Oliver" from The Brady Bunch was a gem compared to that awful brat "Ricky."

I was looking at the 73-74 saturday schedule and not only was PF up against AITF but also Emergency. I am surprised (but glad) it lasted a full season.

"Oliver" from The Brady Bunch was a gem compared to that awful brat "Ricky."

I really liked Um's analysis, also. I think Brady was done before Oliver was added, too. All those kids were growing fast, and Greg was graduating.

I didn't know PF was moved into the Saturday graveyard against AITF and Emergency. I remember that detailed analysis of ABCs Saturday troubles, which lasted for years.

One thing really noticeable in the fourth season was that horrible mid 70s kitchen redo.

Both The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family had the same kind of audience, teenage females . Of course some grandmothers might have liked the shows for their "clean" "Family oriented" styles, and of course the shows had a certain amount of unconventional fans such as males, especially from about 13 and up , but the two shows had practically simultaneously gotten popular and then came to the same point at the same time: Jumping the shark and no longer being the "fresh" new-age comedies for A generation of young Americans.
So both were slated to be taken off the air at the same point in time. It seemed that TV was moving on and the Bradys and Partridges were no longer what appealed to most of the TV-watching public. Of course I actually read that there were a lot of fans who were very displeased and who wrote to the TV stations and producers etc, but mostly these fan's tastes in TV programming was not taken seriously.

"Oliver" from The Brady Bunch was a gem compared to that awful brat "Ricky."

Ricky was not a brat (even though he may have been dislike-able to may viewers): Actually Danny was.

Ricky was not a brat (even though he may have been dislike-able to may viewers): Actually Danny was.

Danny was talented, Ricky was not.

Danny was talented, Ricky was not.

The character "Danny" ? (Of course the actor Danny Bonaduce who played Danny Partridge had no real musical talent and only pretended to play the guitar and sing like all the other cast members pretended to sing and play an instrument except for David Cassidy and Shirley Jones both of whom could really sing, and in David's case, could also play a guitar) .. The whole Partridge Family, the characters were supposed to be a talented musical family, but if we were supposed to pretend that Danny had talent , then we were supposed to also pretend that Ricky did too (and viewers have to make believe a lot with the show since the youngest son of the family transformed into a completely different looking kid after a season) . but even if "Danny had talent" he was still a brat. That is what was the basis and the essence of the character.
His rambunctious nature is what was supposed to get laughs.

I hate the episodes with Shirley's parents on. They both are so annoying, especially the father. He is just way too goofy in a way that's not funny IMO. It's annoying.
.

You're talking about the great Ray Bolger. He is one of the most beloved character actors of all time.

You're talking about the great Ray Bolger. He is one of the most beloved character actors of all time.

I'm talking about the character, not the actor.

Ricky was not a brat (even though he may have been dislike-able to may viewers): Actually Danny was.

I do not remember him being a brat or really having much to do with the the show or each episode plot. Didn't he just pretty much sing and be "cute" at the end of the show a handful of times?

I do not remember him being a brat or really having much to do with the the show or each episode plot. Didn't he just pretty much sing and be "cute" at the end of the show a handful of times?

Actually, yes. He was just there to be really cute. It did not help the show but some people take it much more personal than that.

I do not remember him being a brat or really having much to do with the the show or each episode plot. Didn't he just pretty much sing and be "cute" at the end of the show a handful of times?

Yeah I think outside of his first appearance he had nothing to do with the plot. He would somehow get into a scene and start singing while the rest of the cast put on forced smiles and pretended they weren't in pain.

I'm talking about the character, not the actor.

That is right too. Just because some famous, talented, actor plays a certain role it does not mean that the character s/he plays is likable or appealing or someone you find interesting.
I think that Shirley Partridge's parents were annoying and boring. They had predictable squabbles with each other and then just kissed and made up at the end and accepted each other for their faults and it sort-of made the plot useless.
Why all the dramatic disagreements only to eventually say it does not matter and "we will put up with each other because we love each other"?
Sort of pointless.

You're talking about the great Ray Bolger. He is one of the most beloved character actors of all time.

I haven't seen the episodes for quite awhile, but I recall a last season episode where DeCamp's role was paired with Jackie Coogan this time. Maybe she had remarried???

Jackie Coogan played Shirley’s father in the final season. He was renamed Walter (Ray Bolger’s character was named Fred) and was even more annoying, because he was so grumpy. At least Fred was happy.

Ricky was horrific, what with his bowl haircut and terrible singing. He was forced into the end of every show, where he’d say to the featured character, “You look like you need cheering up!” and then launch into one of his crappy little ditties. Fortunately, they fired him midseason and he disappeared. It would have been preferable if he had been killed off in some sort of awful accident, but at least he was gone, so I couldn’t complain.

Jackie Coogan played Shirley’s father in the final season. He was renamed Walter (Ray Bolger’s character was named Fred) and was even more annoying, because he was so grumpy. At least Fred was happy.

.

So the Partridge Family has a particular history of changing the actors who play the characters. But the same with Batman ( two completely different Cat Womans), and "Bewitched" ( two different actors who played her husband), I think there were other shows that did the same thing. I think in "All In The Family" Louise Jefferson's husband was played by two different actors.
Sometimes it is because a kid actor begins to look too mature such as Maude's grandson, who was played by two different actors.

In PF, Danny really began to look different after about the first 2 seasons. He just began to put on weight too fast and lose his little boy looks. It is surprising they did not get a younger actor to replace him.

.

Ricky was horrific, what with his bowl haircut and terrible singing. He was forced into the end of every show, where he’d say to the featured character, “You look like you need cheering up!” and then launch into one of his crappy little ditties. Fortunately, they fired him midseason and he disappeared. It would have been preferable if he had been killed off in some sort of awful accident, but at least he was gone, so I couldn’t complain.

TV Guy

I think in "All In The Family" Louise Jefferson's husband was played by two different actors.


No, just Sherman Hemsley.

Before George J. appeared on AITF, there was another guy as a thorn in Archie's side...I think his name was Henry. Maybe he was Louise's brother??? This is probably who um is thinking of.

Sherman Hemsley was appearing on Broadway, so could not take on the role of George until his play closed. They filled in by casting Mel Stewart as Gerorge's brother Henry, who lived with George and Louise, until Hemsley was free to take over as George. Stewart was then written out of the show.

It always seemed as if "Henry" was Louise's husband. I don't recall that it was ever specified or clarified that he was her brother -in-law. The two interacted so much like husband and wife. Anyone recall that episode in which Edith won some kind of lottery but she actually bought the ticket for Louise and it was Louise's ticket and Archie wanted to keep it? Henry interacted with Louise just like George does.

The episode in which George first appeared was Henry’s last. They gave Henry a going away party and they explicitly said he was George’s brother. But if you didn’t watch that episode, or Henry’s first episode (where they also said he was the brother), then yes, you could have mistaken Henry for Louise’s husband.

I was looking at the 73-74 saturday schedule and not only was PF up against AITF but also Emergency. I am surprised (but glad) it lasted a full season.

I say ABC put The Partridge Family on Saturdays at 8 to die. The David Cassidy craze was starting to fade. Like all teen idols do.

I say ABC put The Partridge Family on Saturdays at 8 to die. The David Cassidy craze was starting to fade. Like all teen idols do.

Absolutely.
Anyone who read the teen magazines at that time as well as other magazines such as TV Guide (etc) knew it, and it was stated outright, essentially.
Anyone who just "guesses" that was the case or "thinks" that it was the case must not have been a teenager at the time, or at least was not someone who watched the most popular shows and substantially kept up with what was said on the TV-critic sections in newspapers .

Saturday nights was dominated by All In The Family (I might have previously mis-identified the day of the "TV-show Graveyard"). Any show put at the same day and same time in a different channel had to compete with it.
A while back I heard a "entertainment critic" on radio say that as of recent times, Friday nights is where certain TV shows are scheduled so as to "die" because the show is no longer popular or perhaps never die get to be popular and was just quickly put in a time slot for doomed TV shows.

I'm talking about the character, not the actor.I agree, Ray Bolger is an icon but his character unfortunately on the show was silly and sort of a buffoon.

Ricky was horrific, what with his bowl haircut and terrible singing. He was forced into the end of every show, where he’d say to the featured character, “You look like you need cheering up!” and then launch into one of his crappy little ditties. Fortunately, they fired him midseason and he disappeared. It would have been preferable if he had been killed off in some sort of awful accident, but at least he was gone, so I couldn’t complain.

LOL! That would have been fun. Hated Ricky.

I agree, Ray Bolger is an icon but his character unfortunately on the show was silly and sort of a buffoon.

FWIW,

Shirley Jones said in her autobio that Mr. Bolger was one of the annoying performers they had on the show who seemed to act as though HE was the show's star when he'd appear. Whether it was the producers alone or Miss Jones herself who insisted on recasting Mr. Renfrew, I have no idea but she didn't seem to have any issues with Mr. Coogan (a legend from an even earlier time than Mr. Bolger).

The show airs where live so i have been watching it a lot lately and the only parts of the show i dont like are Shirley's parents and Ricky. Ray Bolger was over the top bad. And even though they were on only once the twin boys who sang were awful. Really bad. The rest of the show i dont have a problem with. And it's cool seeing Jodie Foster when she was little.

I love the Partridge Family and the songs and cute, fluffy humor. I agree the show was losing steam in season 3 but season 4 put the nail in the coffin. There didn't seem the same vibe from the cast. Ricky surely should have been cut out of the reruns. I watched him once than fast forward all his appearances. Her parents were awful. They weren't funny but annoying. She deserved better. I do like Rosemary De Camp from other roles so she is the least annoying of the 3. I feel bad she has a husband like that.

Agreed that the show had low energy in season 4. I would have sent the Partridges back out on the road for a multi-episode tour, to recapture some of the fun of season 1. The show was at its best when it was about a regular family dealing with the trappings of being a musical act, as opposed to being a run-of-the-mill domestic sitcom (which it transitioned to beginning with season 2).