1What? and Get Out of Show Business?
Recently widowed Shirley Partridge struggles to support her five children as a bank teller. Her son Keith composes music. Nineteen year old Keith, ten year old Danny and sixteen year old Lorrie think they are good enough to record music and perform publicly. So one day, the children ask their mother for both her participation and permission. Since Shirley would like to spend more time with her five children, she agrees relunctantly to sing and to give it a try. They will make a go of it as a professional singing group. But they will need an agent. They will also need an agent to represent them. For this, Danny Partridge has an idea: he will submit a tape of the group singing to an agent. The agent happens to be Ruben Kincaid, and after hearing the group sing, decides he will represent them. Now there is only one missing element to the group: a large vehicle is needed in order to transport them and their instruments. The group decides on a bus, which they paint in multi-colors so that people will notice them. This whole story is narrated by mother Partridge Shirley as she drives the group to their first singing engagement in public. Thus begins the four year saga of the Partridge Family, which is based on the real life family "The Cowsills".
3Whatever Happened to the Old Songs?
4See Here, Private Partridge
Danny receives a letter from the Draft Board that he's been drafted into the United States Army. Shirley contacts he Draft Board and tries to convince them that Danny is 12, but they won't believe her; On top of that, they say the Draft Board doesn't make mistakes and he is to report. Now the family has to try once again to convince the Army that Danny is too young to serve and he reports as ordered.
5When Mother Gets Married
7Danny and the Mob
Danny gives stock advice to a very attractive cocktail waitress during the family's engagement in Las Vegas. However, the girl's very jealous boyfriend sends a couple of his goons to rough Danny because he thinks Danny is a much older man trying to steal his girl. A frightened Danny then runs away in terror thinking that he is about to be rubbed out by the mob.
8But the Memory Lingers On
While the family is on a picnic, a skunk sneaks on board the bus and winds up spraying them. They try the best they can to get rid of the odor without much success; even bathing in tomato juice. However, things go from bad to worse when Reuben informs them that they have been requested to play at a local hospital to entertain some of the children that are patients there.
9Did You Hear the One About Danny Partridge?
10Go Directly to Jail
When the Partridges are invited by to play a show at a prison, one of the inmates fakes an epidemic just to try to sell them some songs he claims to have written. However, a complication arises when an inmate who claims to be the true author confronts Shirley. She then comes up with a novel concept to try to prove who the real author is.
11This Is My Song
When Keith is worried that he may not be able to write songs anymore because he's "written out", Danny decides that it's time for him to become the group's songwriter.
12My Son, the Feminist
Keith's latest girlfriend is a member of a junior women's lib organization and he volunteers the group to play at one of their rallies without their knowledge. Unfortunately, they soon run afoul of a right wing conservative group that is bent on preventing the rally from taking place. However, Keith soon finds out that taking up a liberal cause is not all that its cracked up to be when his girlfriend threatens to break up with him if the family doesn't sing from a set list she has prepared rather than their first number-one hit, "I Think I Love You".
13Star Quality
The family gets a good review from a famous columnist after one of their recent performances. However, she was seemingly impressed with Danny and declares him a future star. Unfortunately, Danny lets the review go to his head and is seriously contemplating leaving the band, even to the point where he holds auditions for his replacement. Now it is up to Shirley to convince her middle son that going solo is not such a hot idea.
15Mom Drops Out
The Partridges are booked for a huge European tour. However, the booking agent in charge of the tour thinks that Shirley is too old and won't book them if she is part of the group. This then causes Shirley to doubt her continuing role in the band and contemplate retirement. However, the kids conspire to keep their mom from becoming a retired rock and roll star even to the point of intentionally giving a bad performance.
16Old Scrapmouth
Laurie gets the bad news that she needs braces just as she thinks Jerry, the boy across the street, might finally get up the nerve to ask her to go steady. However, if that wasn't bad enough, Reuben informs the Partridges that they have been booked to appear on a high profile talk show. Things then go from bad to worse when Laurie's braces somehow pick up radio signals during rehearsals and causes her to play a different tune than what the band is. Who knew braces could be so complicated?
17Why Did the Music Stop?
19To Play or Not to Play?
20They Shoot Managers, Don't They?
21Partridge Up a Pair Tree
23Not with My Sister, You Don't!
Lester is a new transfer to San Pueblo High and he already is beginning to develop a reputation as quite the ladies man. However, Keith panics when he hears that Laurie has accepted a date with the Lothario. After Danny plants the seed in his head that he might try something with Laurie, Keith goes after them with Danny in tow to make sure his sister's reputation remains intact, even though he promised Shirley he would butt out. Unfortunately, Keith's efforts meet with disastrous results as he winds up humiliating his sister. Now he must find a way to make it up to her and not be so overprotective.
24A Partridge by Any Other Name
When Danny is unable to find his birth certificate or pictures of himself as a baby, he is convinced that he is adopted and sets out to find his birth family.
25A Knight in Shining Armor
The Partridges meet Bobby Conway, a composer who plays beautiful music and who is looking for a lyricist. They introduce him to Lionel Poindexter, whose poetry could provide excellent lyrics for Bobby's music. But Lionel's many eccentricities may drive Bobby away instead.