Getting Together is an American sitcom spun off from the
Partridge Family episode "
A Knight in Shining Armor" that ran for
fourteen episodes on
ABC in 1971 and early 1972. Composer/singer Bobby Conway (
Bobby Sherman) and tone-deaf poet Lionel Poindexter (Wes Stern) are a songwriting duo trying to make it in
Los Angeles. They live in an antique shop with Bobby's twelve-year-old sister Jennifer (Susan Neher). Other characters include their landlady Rita Simon (Pat Carroll) and her boyfriend, Officer Rudy Colcheck (Jack Burns).
Getting Together contains examples of:
- And Starring: Pat Carroll as Rita Simon.
- Billed Above the Title: The tie-in media and promotional material often did this.
- Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: In "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," the protagonists get a rejection letter that praises the music but criticizes the lyrics. Lionel decides Bobby would be better off without him and ends their partnership.
- Christmas Episode: In "Blue Christmas," the characters go on vacation in a mountain cabin so Jenny can have a white Christmas.
- Eat Dirt, Cheap: Dr. Ridlehuber from "Memories Are Made of This" believes in eating dirt. As he sees it, normally people eat plants, which eat dirt, so he's just cutting out the middleman.
- Fell Asleep Standing Up: In "Memories Are Made of This," Lionel participates in a Sleep Deprivation experiment that requires him to go 48 hours with only 80 minutes of sleep. By the end, he's so exhausted that he falls asleep as soon as he leans against a wall.
- The Grinch: Rudy hates Christmas because of the increase in crime.
- Hurt Foot Hop: While trying to sneak through the cabin without waking the others in "Blue Christmas," Bobby steps on something sharp and hops the rest of the way across the room.
- I Need to Go Iron My Dog: When Rita and Rudy question whether Lionel's new partner actually exists in "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," Lionel says, "I'm supposed to meet him right now. I gotta run. Bye," and takes off.
- Laughing at Your Own Jokes: In "Memories Are Made of This," Bobby questions the idea that eating dirt is healthy. Dr. Ridlehuber says, "I realize that it's difficult to swallow-" and then pauses to laugh.
- Mall Santa: Lionel works as one in "Blue Christmas."
- Mr. Smith: In "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," Lionel claims to have a new partner named Smith. He can't remember if Smith's first name is Joe, Bill, or Jim.
- Music Video Syndrome: Done almost Once per Episode, in contrast with The Partridge Family's use of performance videos. This is because the creators of Getting Together wanted to focus on Bobby Sherman's acting rather than his singing; there were plans for a Bobby Sherman Variety Show that would be more music-focused, but they didn't pan out.
- Photo Op with the Dog: In "Memories Are Made of This," Rudy invites Bobby and Lionel to a policeman's ball because he's being awarded for youth relations, so he needs to bring some youths.
- Practically Different Generations: Jenny is twelve. Bobby's age isn't given in the show, but he's stated in one of the tie-in novels to be 23. (Bobby Sherman was in his late twenties at the time.)
- The Prima Donna: In "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," Bobby is excited to work with famed songwriter Jackie Michel, but he quickly realizes that Michel is an egomaniac who expects everyone to do exactly as he says and has zero interest in anyone other than himself.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: In "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," Lionel introduces two headbutting goats as Manny and his wife Irma. He says, "They have a tempestuous marriage."
- The Teaser: At least two episodes, and most likely all the others, opened with one.
- Tie-In Novel: Two were published, as well as some comic books.
- Titled After the Song: Every episode is titled after a classic pop song, like "All Shook Up" and "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do."
