THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
Sony, $29.95
Among Seventies kid sitcom aficionados, “Bradys vs. Partridges” is the eternal “Beatles vs. Stones” argument. While The Partridge Family is better written and better acted than The Brady Bunch, it didn’t have the syndicated afterlife that made the Bradys into a cultural institution. That’s because the Bradys existed in a saccharine alternate universe, while the Partridges attempted to be true to their times. Ostensibly a kids show, the series’ first season included jokes about draft evasion, strip clubs, and divorce. However, ABC wouldn’t allow Shirley Partridge (Shirley Jones) to be divorced. Instead, she became an impossibly well-adjusted widow who quits her job to sing in her kids’ rock band. Jones’ real-life stepson David Cassidy was key to bubblegum hits like “I Think I Love You,” but Danny Bonaduce is the comedic fulcrum of the series. The “Soul Club” episode with Richard Pryor and Lou Gossett Jr. finds Danny leading a group of black militants through the streets of Detroit, while “See Here, Private Partridge” satirizes military bureaucracy by having Danny get drafted. In addition to the 25-episode first season, this set includes two making-of featurettes, commentary from Jones and Bonaduce, and a four-song CD sampler. It all resonates like a breath of perfectly preserved 1971 air.This article appears in May 27 • 2005.
