On this day in 1970, American television got a little more musical, a little more groovy, and a whole lot more colorful. ABC premiered The Partridge Family, a sitcom that blended pop music, family antics, and teen idol frenzy. Airing in the prized 8:30 p.m. slot after The Brady Bunch, the show was poised for success. 

And it delivered.

A Fictional Family with Real Pop Power

• The show followed a widowed mother and her five kids who formed a band and hit the road in a psychedelically painted bus.
• Shirley Jones played Mom Shirley Partridge. Her real-life stepson, David Cassidy, starred as teen heartthrob Keith.
• The rest of the “Partridges”, Laurie, Danny, Chris, and Tracy, were played by actors with no musical background.

The idea wasn’t entirely original. Screen Gems, the production company behind The Monkees, took inspiration from a real-life band: the Cowsills. When the Cowsill family declined to participate, the producers cast actors and hired studio musicians to handle the tunes.

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Art Imitates Life (Sort Of)

In the pilot, the Partridge kids convince their mom to sing with them. They record a demo in the garage. A slick manager hears it. Boom, a hit single is born.

Then life imitated art. The show’s debut single, “I Think I Love You,” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1970. It outsold Let It Be by The Beatles and moved over five million copies. Not bad for a made-up band.

• Session legends like Hal Blaine and members of the Wrecking Crew provided the real music.
• David Cassidy, however, sang for real—and launched a chart-topping solo career.
• Shirley Jones, a seasoned singer, lent backing vocals.

Not Just a Hit—A Phenomenon

The show’s success was about more than ratings.

• Teen magazines exploded with Cassidy’s face.
• Fans camped outside Shirley Jones’ house, hoping to join the Partridge clan.
• Merchandise flooded the market—lunchboxes, posters, even board games.

For four seasons, The Partridge Family offered a sunny escape filled with songs, sibling squabbles, and Reuben Kincaid’s management mayhem. But by 1974, the show had run out of steam. A shift to a tougher Saturday night slot—up against All in the Family—proved fatal. Still, the legacy lived on.

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The Legacy Rolls On

Even today, the Partridges remain a symbol of 1970s pop culture. Reruns, reunions, and nostalgia specials have kept their rainbow-colored bus rolling through the decades.

• It inspired spin-offs, tributes, and even a cartoon (Partridge Family 2200 A.D.).
• It helped define the formula for the “family band” trope in television.

C’mon, get happy—it’s a day worth remembering.