The TV show was a post-hippie pop sensation. On Friday nights Americans flocked to ABC. Day in and day out, Partridge Family hit songs played on the radio. People were wild about the happy TV family. Merchandise like lunchboxes, toys, and bubblegum trading cars pictured the cast members’ likeness.
There was a comic book series based on the TV show. There was a futuristic Saturday morning cartoon called Partridge Family 2020 A.D. So, it’s probably no surprise, there was a Partridge Family board game too. The object of the game was to be the first player to get back to the bus. Milton Bradley released the game in 1971. A collector’s item today, no doubt!
How Many Hollywood Celebrities Guest Starred on ‘The Partridge Family?’
A lot. We already know two Wizard of Oz stars had small roles, and we know the legendary Johnny Cash played a gig with the family. But, did you know that two of the three Charlie’s Angels, one of the decade’s most popular shows celebrating sexy supermodels playing secret agents, made an appearance? Angels Cheryl Ladd and Farrah Fawcett stopped by.
Mark Hamill, the beloved Luke Skywalker, also guest-starred. There’s a long list of famous visitors including Jodie Foster, Howard Cosell, Rob Reiner, Louis Gossett Jr., Maureen Reagan (Ronald Reagan’s daughter), and Dick Clark (king of the charts).
The Mystery of the Partridge Family Tour Bus
Each week, alongside songful, cheerful pleas, entreating us all to “get happy,” was that bus—that wonderful, colorful, iconic Partridge Family bus. It was the happiest thing on TV. At the C’mon Get Happy fansite, extensive research found that the bus was parked behind Lucy’s Tacos near USC for years, that is, until 1987 when the restaurant resurfaced their parking lot. There are several "copy-cats", so don’t be fooled. The original bus was a 1955 Chevrolet 6500 Superior.
The studio bought it from an Orange County, California school district for $500. The only problem is, a credible rumor says the Partridge Family bus was never parked behind Lucy’s Tacos. That one, a Chevy enthusiast claims, was a look-a-like replication. The bus behind Lucy’s was a 1957 Chevrolet tribute bus. This means that the fate of the original bus is an absolute mystery.
Shirley Jones Was Scripted to be the Partridge Family Lead Singer
Shirley Jones was chosen to play the widowed mom of five musical kids as well as the lead singer of the family group. But the way it turned out, David Cassidy did so well at auditions he was set up as a singer in the band. Shirley and David were the only musicians officially in the Partridge Family group.
The other children lip-synched and pretended to play instruments. None of the other players made the cut to play on Partridge Family albums. But Cassidy and his guitar featured prominently on the TV program and on albums.
The Irreplaceable David Cassidy
By the end of season four, Cassidy had had enough and was packing his bags. Network execs scrambled to find a replacement. But even the very pretty face of Rick Springfield, the future superstar rock star with the pop hit “Jessie’s Girl,” could not appease audiences.
Who knows how many more seasons we would’ve had if Cassidy stayed with the cast!