The Partridge Family Bulletin Board

[Punky]

Yes Scott, you are certainly correct about their being inconsistencies in the scripts.

But as far as I can see this isn't one of them. In searching for comments about the location, I have only found references to San Pueblo being in Northern California. Outside of the unused Pilot, no comments that would indicate otherwise.

Now I have not gone through all of Season 3 or 4 however, so maybe there are some lines that state another location? If so I would love to know what they are. So far I've found no specific contradictions to the Northern Cali location.

And Marjorie, I'm not completely following your logic about the beaches. 40 miles in any direction from the town of Napa (not Napa county) is still the Bay Area.

[Scott]

[Punky]

Thankyou Scott, I stand corrected, that does expand the circumference by a few miles but it's still very much North.

[Scott]

Like I said: I'm not familiar with Northen California -- and either way this particular episode is (now) obviously NOT written as Southern California. But, since you differentiated between Napa and Napa County in your previous post to Marjorie, I was just wondering -- that's all. :roll:

I would be curious to see what references (if any) are made in any of the scripts written by Bernard Slade. That -- to ME -- would be the definitive location.

Isn't it funny what stuff fans will dissect?? I wonder if the Brady Boards do this.

[Marjorie63]

Punky, I knew I didn't explain the beach thing very well but what I was trying to say is that 40 miles from Napa County could or could not be the Bay Area but since they seemed to live within relative close proximity to a beach, it seemed more likely than not that it was in fact in the Bay Area.

I don't know what the exact geographic boundaries of the Bay Area are. I was looking at a map and just thought that 40 miles north from the northern most point of Napa County (not Napa) just seemed a little far to be in the Bay Area. But you certainly could be right and probably are. I think we all agree now that San Pueblo was closer to San Francisco that LA.

Speaking of the Brady Bunch. When I was little and lived in Southern CA, I swore I knew exactly where the Brady's house was. There was an area near a freeway (not sure which one and even if I knew, freeways in So Cal went by names not numbers in those days) that looked to me to look very much like some of the exteriors shots of the house - a hilly residental area. Everytime we drove by, I would think to myself "that's where the Brady house is."
But I'm sure it wasn't.

[Punky]

Since I was a kid I always understood San Pueblo to be in Northern Cali. There are other episodes that reference Northern California as their address, 'See Here Private Partridge' is another. I've never noticed any episodes that indicate any other location, have you? Especially with such specificity. That's why I was a little confused by this discussion. Of course I used to think it was a real town too, but I would be really curious to see any lines from episodes that actually contradict the Northern Cali location. Are there any?

[Scott]

[Punky]

oK now I am even more confused. The Walter/Fred Renfrew example refers to times when two distinct names were used and a clear contradiction was made in the scripts.

So if there are no examples in any of the 96 episodes where Southern Cali, or any other specific location is stated, then there were no contradictions made in this case. And the idea that they lived anywhere other than Northern California would simply be mistaken, no?

Unless I've missed something, wouldn't this answer the question "Where the heck is San Pueblo?" pretty much definitively?

[Scott]

Probably. I can't recall an actual episode where Southern California was verbally referenced. I always thought it was implied -- although not very strongly, which is why I think most people don't really know.

It's funny -- I asked a bunch of people at a party last night where they thought San Pueblo was, and they all answered Southern California, too. Maybe it's because they filmed the exterior shots along Pacific Coast Highway, Burbank, etc., that it just seemed a natural assumption. I dunno. Also, depending on the writer there were so many inconsistencies in the scripts at times (like Walter/Fred Renfrew, where Reuben actually lived, etc.), it wouldn't surprise me if their location was inconsistant too. I honestly don't have the time to scour 96 episodes for an example. I was really surprised to see an episode actually mention Northern California. So, since it was actually mentioned, I guess "40 miles from Napa County" seems plausible.

[PJ]

To me it seemed like it started out in Northern California, but over time the writers thought it would make more sense for them to be in Southern CA, where the music business is focused and where climate is the same as the location where it's filmed. So they just started implying Southern CA. That's how I've always thought if it, but I'm probably full of baloney as usual.

It always cracks me up when I look at exterior scenes in shows like The Waltons or Little House on the Prairie--they were supposed to be set in Virginia and MN respectively, yet looked absolutely nothing like either of those very green places.

[Scott]

[TVGord]

No, your not blathering, Scott. As we all know, TV shows have a long history of being in Everytown so everyone could relate. We associate the practice with olde timee shows such as The Partridge Family and Leave It To Beaver, but even shows with more "realism", such as Hill Street Blues and The Wonder Years never mentioned a locale, either. I think any references to The Partridge Family being in a specific region of California aren't meant to be taken as gospel.

I'm going to watch A Partridge By Any Other Name this afternoon, though. That's a cool "catch".

[Scott]

And I'm sure someone will be quick to point out (so I'll do it first) that for every series that doesn't specify a locale, there are many that do (Bewitched, Jeannie, King of QUEENS, etc.)

[TVGord]

Boston Public, Boston Legal, Boston Common, LA Law, Chicago Hope, Chicago Story, WKRP In Cincinnati, Mayberry RFD...

[Scott]

There ya go!