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For four years, The Partridge Family delighted TV audiences with its stories of a close-knit family band led by their mom, Shirley (played by Shirley Jones). The series turned young cast members Susan Dey and David Cassidy into teen idols, produced multiple chart-topping albums, and became a lasting pop culture presence thanks to re-runs and syndication. 

So, why was The Partridge Family unceremoniously canceled in 1974? There were several reasons, but a big one had to do with the hugely popular sitcom, All In The Family. 

‘The Partridge Family’ couldn’t compete against ‘All In The Family,’ Shirley Jones said 

Archie Bunker reading an issue of Harper's with Gloria looking over his shoulder and Mike sitting next to him in 'All In The Family'
Rob Reiner as Michael Stivic, Sally Struthers as Gloria Bunker-Stivic, and Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker in ‘All in the Family’ | CBS via Getty Images

For its first three seasons, The Partridge Family aired on Friday nights on ABC. But for its fourth season, the network moved the show to Saturday nights, where it aired opposite CBS’ edgier sitcom All In the Family. That was the kiss of death for The Partridge Family, Jones said in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation.  

“It was the beginning of a new kind of television,” she said. “They had the show with Archie Bunker, and we were going to be opposite All In The Family … that was a very different kind of family.”

“They just felt that we couldn’t compete,” she added. “Our show was out of style and we wouldn’t be able to compete with a show like All In The Family. So they decided we better go while the going’s good.”

Unlike the squeaky-clean stories onThe Partridge Family, All In The Family tackled serious and sometimes controversial topics such as racism, gender roles, and politics. Blue-collar family man Archie Bunker (Caroll O’Connor) was an unapologetic bigot who was resentful about a changing America and often clashed with his liberal son-in-law Mike (Rob Reiner). The ground-breaking show, which premiered in 1971, topped the Nielsen ratings for years and won multiple Emmys.

David Cassidy was ready to be done with ‘The Partridge Family’ 

Members of the Partridge Family sitting and standing around a kitchen table
Suzanne Crough, Danny Bonaduce, David Cassidy, Susan Dey, Brian Forster, and Shirley Jones in ‘The Partridge Family’ | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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David Cassidy Rejected His ‘Partridge Family’ Co-Star Susan Dey Because She Wasn’t ‘Slutty’ Enough

Competition from All In The Family wasn’t the only reason ABC made The Partridge Family’s fourth season its last. Cassidy, the show’s breakout star (and Jones’ stepson), was ready to move on from playing Keith Patridge. 

During his time on The Partridge Family, Cassidy also became a successful solo artist. He recorded multiple hit albums and toured the world, playing to crowds of tens of thousands. But the relentless schedule became too much. 

“[I was] completely emotionally, physically, mentally burned out,” Cassidy said in a 1982 interview with the CBC (via YouTube). Being a mega-star was no longer satisfying, he added.  

“I felt like that experience, I had taken it as far as you can take it,” Cassidy said. “It was becoming anti-climactic.” He later called the experience of being on the show “artistically frustrating on a lot of levels … And I wanted to do more serious work.” 

“I think David, at this point in time, had had it on the show,” Jones said. “I think David wanted to go out and do his own thing. You know, he was now a big, big teen idol. He wanted to go out and do more concerts. He wanted to do a different kind of music than just The Partridge Family kind of music. And I think they made the decision [to cancel the show] with those two things in mind.”

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