''There is no rivalry between 'The Brady Bunch' and 'The Partridge Family,''' says Barry Williams

The inside scoop is different from public perception.

CBS Television Distribution

"Comparison" may be the thief of joy, but it's also the fuel for a lot of speculative media writing. Whenever there are two properties, or stars, with a lot in common, we naturally want to contrast them. It's so easy to put The Addams Family and The Munsters side by side and figure out what's the same and different. Or, when we read about James Arness and his brother, Peter Graves, we want to know everything there is about their shared upbringing and how it may have set them on the course to stardom.

But, sometimes, all this interest creates a false narrative, pitting two amicable parties in opposition. For instance, the Gabor sisters had to go on record to dispel rumors of a supposed rivalry. Or, perhaps more fiercely, there was the alleged competition between The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family.

The two shows were easy to compare. Both were sitcoms on ABC, and they aired concurrently for four years. Both shows were family-based, with a cast of child stars and their grownup guardians. In the case of The Brady Bunch, there were six kids and two parents. The Partridge Family had Keith, Laurie, Danny, Chris, and Tracy, all under the watchful eye of mom, Shirley, and band manager Reuben. There was even the commonality that both shows featured a family dog who mostly disappeared as each series progressed. 

But, take it from a guy who was there: Barry Williams went on the record stating that there was decisively not a rivalry between the two family sitcoms. At least, that's the way he told it in a 2000 interview with the Asbury Park Press.

At the time, Williams was riding high on a wave of nostalgia that made what was once popular a viable commodity once again. His memoir, Growing Up Brady was successful enough to justify a TV movie.

Unfortunately for Williams, two earlier TV movies beat him to the punch, as similarly-themed Partridge Family projects debuted that same year. Both Come On Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story and The David Cassidy Story aired before The Brady Bunch alum had the chance to set his record straight.

However, Williams said he saw both of the earlier Partridge movies and claimed his approach was different.

"The thing that I invested a lot of my time, effort, and energy in was in not making Growing Up Brady a cartoonish, one-dimensional look at what went on," said Williams. 

"There were different scenes in the other (Partridge-themed) movies that I think were uncalled for. There is no rivalry between The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family, for instance. The Bradys have been goofed on so much through the movies and through cultural references. This is not that story. This is about the real people. It's about what really happened. It's what happens in the world of child stardom."

Barry Williams would trade blows with supposed not-rival Danny Bonaduce just two years later on FOX's Celebrity Boxing


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8 Comments

cinamac 1 month ago
After 50 years, a clear winner has emerged: I can catch the Brady Bunch on numerous channels, all day, everyday, but I’m hard pressed to find the Partridge Family in syndication!
SalIanni 1 month ago
"The Partridge Family" should be on MeTV so that the station can better promote and play up the rivalry between them. I was a big fan of both series then and now and I think they would look great being seen together again, just like back in the 70s. MeTV could have a "Groovy 70s" block with 2 episodes each of both shows in a 2 hour period. I would watch it for sure!
Bapa1 1 month ago
If I remember, they were both on the same night at one point, with the PF following the BB. Disliked both shows, but my sister was a fan. SNL did a funny sketch with both families having a sing-off. Susan Dey was the guest-host, and Chris Farley played Reuben Kincaid.
WordsmithWorks Bapa1 1 month ago
Fridays at 8-9 PM on ABC.
SalIanni WordsmithWorks 1 month ago
Brady Bunch at 8, Partridge Family at 8:30, followed by Room 222, The Odd Couple, and Love, American Style, THE BEST Friday night lineup ever!!
WordsmithWorks 1 month ago
Other than some superficialities, the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family were very different shows.
McGillahooala 1 month ago
I remember that match. Danny beat the crap out of him. Not really a good fight since I think Danny trained in martial arts for years and Barry just showed up to put on a show.
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