In the early 1970s, as Kings Island was still a brand-new name on the national map, two of television’s biggest family sitcoms helped turn the Mason, Ohio amusement park into a primetime backdrop.

The Partridge Family arrived first, filming during Kings Island’s inaugural 1972 season. A year later, The Brady Bunch followed during the park’s second season.

Today, both episodes play like nostalgic time capsules — not just of the shows, but of Kings Island itself — capturing International Street energy, classic attractions, and the unmistakable look and feel of early-’70s amusement park America.

The Partridge Family: “I Left My Heart in Cincinnati”

“I Left My Heart in Cincinnati” originally aired on January 26, 1973, and was filmed August 7–11, 1972, right in the middle of Kings Island’s first season. The premise is simple and very on-brand for the series: the Partridges are hired to perform for a week at the park, placing them naturally in the middle of Kings Island’s resort setting. 

While they’re there, Keith (David Cassidy) meets the park’s public relations host, Audrey Parson (played by Mary Ann Mobley, Miss America 1959), and soon Keith, Danny, and manager Reuben Kincaid are all orbiting around the same crush.

Where the episode really shines is in what it preserves. Unlike The Brady Bunchinstallment that came later, The Partridge Family actually mentions Kings Island by name, and it showcases early footage of park icons like the Eiffel Tower, The Racer, the Grand Carousel, the Log Flume, and the Skyride. 

It also leans into what the show did best: musical integration. The family performs “Girl, You Make My Day” and “Together We’re Better,” and one sequence even places them dancing on International Street alongside characters from The Banana Splits. 

There’s also a fun Cincinnati cherry on top: Johnny Bench appears in a brief cameo as a poolside waiter at the Kings Island Inn, taking drink orders from Reuben and Audrey.

From a plot standpoint, the strengths are clear. The Partridges have an organic reason to be there (they’re a touring band), the music fits seamlessly, and the episode feels like a polished handshake between a hit TV series and a new destination eager for exposure.

 But the weaknesses are just as obvious if you’re judging it strictly as storytelling. The conflict stays light, the stakes remain low, and the episode feels more situational than character-driven — entertaining, yes, but episodic in a way that can play like a promotional showcase wrapped inside a sitcom format.

Still, for a nostalgic look at Kings Island’s first year — including the family riding The Racer — it may be the best representation of footage from the park’s inaugural season. The episode has popped up from time to time on platforms like Tubi or via Antenna TV, and it can also be purchased individually through services like Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video.

The Brady Bunch: “The Cincinnati Kids”

Then there’s The Brady Bunch episode, “The Cincinnati Kids,” which aired on November 23, 1973, and was filmed August 20–24, 1973, during Kings Island’s second season. 

The setup is classic Brady simplicity with a built-in ticking clock: Mike Brady is sent to Kings Island to present architectural plans for a park expansion, but a mix-up causes the blueprints to go missing. 

The mistake is wonderfully specific and very “Jan Brady” — she buys a Yogi Bear poster and places it in a tube identical to the one holding Mike’s plans, and the tubes are accidentally swapped.

That one small mix-up turns into an episode with a defined objective and rising tension. When Mike realizes the mistake at his meeting, the family has only minutes to find the missing blueprints and deliver them. What follows is one of the most memorable Kings Island sequences ever filmed for television: a relay-style race across the park, with family members actively involved in solving the problem rather than simply wandering through scenic locations. Kings Island becomes more than a backdrop — it becomes the narrative engine, shaping the action and giving purpose to the setting.

The episode also delivers plenty of park visuals, with The Racer, the Eiffel Tower, and Les Taxis among the most recognizable attractions featured. Behind the scenes, there’s a legendary moment that adds to the episode’s lore: Robert Reed reportedly noticed that a camera mounted on the front of The Racer for a POV shot was set too high, insisted on a test run with no actors, and the camera struck something on the course — a detail often shared as a potential safety save. The park remained open during filming as well, and the cast eventually dubbed it “the fishbowl” because they were constantly surrounded by fans watching them work.

Even the final cut has its own quirks. Reed and Susan Olsen (Cindy) did not ride The Racer in the version that aired. A stand-in was used for Cindy, while Eve Plumb (Jan) took what would normally be Cindy’s front-row seat.

If you’re comparing storytelling, this is where The Brady Bunch wins for me. The conflict is clear and immediate, the urgency builds, and the entire family participates in a shared mission. Yes, like many Brady plots, it resolves quickly and neatly — but it still delivers a defined objective, rising tension, and payoff. 

You can currently stream “The Cincinnati Kids” on Paramount+.

So which one was better?

Both episodes are still worth watching, and both continue to captivate audiences through syndication and on DVD. The Partridge Family may be the more significant historical document for Kings Island fans, because it captures the park in 1972 — its inaugural season — and names Kings Island directly, preserving early visual snapshots of what guests experienced in year one.

But when it comes strictly to plot construction and storytelling strength, in my opinion, The Brady Bunch delivered the better episode.

The difference is simple: The Partridge Family uses Kings Island primarily as a vibrant setting for performances and light romantic competition, while The Brady Bunch makes the park part of the problem-solving structure. Kings Island isn’t just where the story happens — it’s how the story works. And that’s why, even with its tidy ending, “The Cincinnati Kids” edges out “I Left My Heart in Cincinnati” as the stronger sitcom episode filmed at Kings Island.

And now I’m curious — if you could only watch one Kings Island sitcom visit tonight, are you picking the Partridges or the Bradys? Leave a comment. 

Find and follow me on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube for more coverage of theme parks, travel, and roadside attractions. Subscribe to Theme Parks By Don – It’s free!