This week, Mary Lucia has another music documentary you may have missed: Family Band: The Cowsills Story. Directed by Louise Palanker, this 2011 release looks at Rhode Island's Cowsill family, who released a number of hits in the 1960s and were a staple of TV variety shows popular during the era.

With their mother included in the lineup of the sibling-based band, the Cowsills would inspire the 1970s sitcom, The Partridge Family, about an itinerant family band whose mother also features in the lineup.

For the Cowsills, however, it wasn't all happy bus trips, witty comebacks and canned laughter. In addition to a toxic father figure, "there's tragedy upon tragedy upon tragedy," Mary says.

"But they seem really cool," Mary continues, "like they got through a lot of this with humor. ... It is so good. You should watch it."

Family Band: The Cowsills Story is available for viewing on Showtime and on Amazon Prime Video.

External Link

Family Band: The Cowsills Story - Amazon Prime

The Cowsills - official site

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