The Monkees (TV series)

:"For the musical group, see The Monkees."

Infobox Television
show_name = The Monkees


caption =
format = Situation comedy
runtime = approx. 30 minutes
rating =
creator = Bob Rafelson
Bert Schneider
writer = Dee Caruso (22 episodes)
Gerald Gardner (22 episodes)
and others
starring = Micky Dolenz
Davy Jones
Michael Nesmith
Peter Tork
director = James Frawley and others
country = USA
network = NBC
picture_format = NTSC, color
first_aired = September 12, 1966
last_aired = March 25, 1968
theme_music_composer = Boyce and Hart
opentheme = "(Theme From) The Monkees"
endtheme = (second season only) "For Pete's Sake" (composed by Peter Tork)
composer = Stu Phillips (54 episodes)
Allyn Ferguson (3 episodes)
language = English
num_seasons = 2
num_episodes = 58
list_episodes = List of The Monkees episodes
producer = Ward Sylvester (associate)
Gerald Shepard (associate, 24 episodes)
exec_producer = Bob Rafelson
Bert Schneider
cinematography = Irving Lippman (56 episodes)
Richard H. Kline (1 episode)
related = "33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee", "New Monkees"
website = http://www.monkees.net
imdb_id = 0060010
tv_com_id = 1678|

"The Monkees" is an American situation comedy that followed the adventures of the then-fictional pop-rock quartet of the same name. The stars were hired to play fictionalized versions of themselves and put a face on the records released to tie-in with the show. The musical content of the series was initially created by experienced producers and session musicians with only some contributions from the stars. The show introduced a number of innovative new-wave film techniques to series televisionfact|date= September 2008 and won two Emmy Awards in 1967. Behind the scenes, the actors eventually gained creative control over the music and some input into the content of the show. The program ended in 1968 at the finish of its second season and has enjoyed a long afterlife in Saturday morning repeats and syndication.

Conception and Casting

In the early 1960s, aspiring filmmakers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider had formed Raybert Productions and were trying to get a foot in the door in Hollywood. Inspired by the Beatles' film "A Hard Day's Night", the duo decided to develop a television series about a fictional rock 'n' roll group. Lefcowitz (1985), pp.6–7] In April, 1965, Raybert sold the series idea to Screen Gems, Sandoval (2005), p.23] and by August, a pilot script titled "The Monkeys" was completed by Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker.Sandoval (2005), p.25] Rafelson has said that he had the idea for a TV series about a music group as early as 1960, but had a hard time interesting anyone in it until 1965, by which time rock & roll music was firmly entrenched in pop culture.

On September 8th, 1965, trade publications "Daily Variety" and "The Hollywood Reporter" ran an ad seeking "Folk & Roll Musicians-Singers for acting roles in new TV series." As many as 400 hopefuls showed up to be considered as one of "4 insane boys."Sandoval (2005), p.26] Fourteen actors from the audition pool were brought back for screen testsDocuments reproduced in booklet of VHS box set, Rhino Records, 1995] , and after audience research, Raybert chose their final four.

Micky Dolenz, son of screen actor George M. Dolenz Sr., had prior screen experience (under the name "Micky Braddock") as the 10-year-old star of the Circus Boy series in the 1950s. He was actively auditioning for pilots at the time and was told about the Raybert project by his agent.

Englishman Davy Jones was a former jockey who had achieved some initial success on the musical stage (appearing with the cast of "Oliver!" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" the night of the Beatles' live American debut). Already appearing in Columbia Pictures productions and recording for the Colpix record label, he had been identified in advance as a potential star for the series.

Texan Michael Nesmith had served a brief stint in the U.S. Air Force and had also recorded for Colpix under the name "Michael Blessing." Nesmith was the only one of The Monkees who had come in based on seeing the trade magazine ad. He showed up to the audition with his laundry and impressed Rafelson and Schneider with his laid-back style and droll sense of humor. Nesmith also wore a woolen hat to keep his hair out of his eyes when he rode his motorcycle , leading to early promotional materials which nicknamed him "Wool Hat." The hat remained part of Nesmith's wardrobe, but the name was dropped after the pilot.

Peter Tork was recommended to Rafelson and Schneider by friend Stephen Stills at his own audition. Tork, a skilled multi-instrumentalist, had performed at various Greenwich Village folk clubs before moving west, where he was a dishwasher before becoming a Monkee.

Development

Rafelson and Schneider wanted the style of the series to reflect avant garde film techniques -- such as improvisation, quick cuts, jump cuts, breaking the fourth wall, and free-flowing, loose narratives -- then being pioneered by European film directors. Each episode would contain at least one musical "romp" which might have nothing to do with the storyline. In retrospect, these vignettes now look very much like music videos: short, self-contained films of songs in ways that echoed Beatles' recent ventures into promotional films for their singles. They also believed strongly in the program's ability to appeal to young people, intentionally framing the kids as heroes and the adults as heavies. Lefcowitz (1985), p.3]

Rafelson and Schneider also conceived of heavy cross-promotion and product placement, such as has become common today, with prominent promotion of sponsors such as Gretsch (for musical instruments), Kellogg's breakfast cereals, and Yardley's shaving supplies. Television programs are normally produced under the loss-leader model, with heavy investment in initial production paying off only years later when shows are syndicated in reruns. Rafelson and Schneider hoped that their cross-promotion and cost-cutting measures would represent a model through which a television show could profit sooner.Fact|date=July 2008

Rafelson and Schneider hired novice director James Frawley to teach the four actors improvisational comedy. Each of the four was given a different personality to portray: Dolenz the funny one, Nesmith the smart and serious one, Tork the naive one, and Jones the cute one. Their characters were loosely based on their real selves, with the exception of Tork, who was actually a quiet intellectual.

A pilot episode was shot in San Diego and Los Angeles on a shoestring budget -- in many scenes the Monkees wore their own clothes. However, initial audience tests (which were just then being pioneered) resulted in very low responses.

Given just two days to try again, Rafelson decided that before screening the pilot, he would show the audience clips from Nesmith and Jones's screen tests. These successfully conveyed the actors' likable personalities and prepared the viewers to be sympathetic to the characters they would be seeing in the disjointed presentation to come. The second round of tests resulted in spectacular responses.

Music

During the casting process, Screen Gems head of music, Don Kirshner was contacted to secure music for "The Monkees" pilot. Kirshner assigned Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to the project. Sandoval (2005), p.27] The duo contributed four demo recordings to the pilot, featuring their own voices. Sandoval (2005), p.40]

When The Monkees was picked up as a series, development of the musical side of the project accelerated. Columbia-Screen Gems and RCA Records entered into a joint venture called Colgems Records primarily to distribute Monkees records. Sandoval (2005), p.36] Raybert set up a rehearsal space and rented instruments for the group to practice playing, but it quickly became apparent they would not be in shape in time for the series debut. By June 1966, Don Kirshner was called upon to recruit an experienced producer to generate musical material for the show. Sandoval (2005), p.37]

Kirshner initially allowed Nesmith to produce sessions, provided he did not play on any tracks he produced. Sandoval (2005), p.39] Nesmith did, however, start using the other Monkees on these sessions. Kirshner came back to the enthusiastic Boyce and Hart as regular producers, but he brought in one of his top east coast men, Jack Keller, to lend some experience to the sessions. Within one month, Boyce and Hart had recorded what was to become the first Monkees single, "Last Train to Clarksville," which was released on August 16th.

Production

"The Monkees" debuted September 12, 1966, on the NBC television network. The series was sponsored by Kellogg's Cereals and Yardley of London.

The series was filmed by Columbia Pictures, and many of the same sets and props from The Three Stooges short films made by the studio were used on "The Monkees." A pair of pajamas with a bunny design on the front that had been worn in several shorts by Curly Howard appear to be the same ones worn by Peter Tork in various episodes.Fact|date=July 2008

To keep noise on the set down during filming, any of the four Monkees who was not needed in front of the cameras was locked into a converted meat locker. In DVD commentary, Tork noted that this had the added benefit of concealing any marijuana use that might be going on, although he admitted that he was the sole "serious 'head' " of the four of them. (In the early 1980s, Tork gave up alcohol and marijuana use and has volunteered time to help people recovering from alcoholism.) In a studio outtake included in the 1990s re-release of "Headquarters", Nesmith quips, before launching into "Nine Times Blue": "Only difference between me and Peter is I'm just "stone" legal." Due to the loosely scripted nature of the series, some episodes would come in too short for air. The producers decided to fill time with various "extras" including the Monkees' original screen tests and candid interviews with the group. During one such interview, Davy reported that a fan had actually mailed herself to him. Another exchange between Mike and "Bob" (one assumes it was Bob Rafelson), Bob asks Mike why he feels it is so important to own a house. In his own classic style, Mike replies "To keep the wind off of me!...when it rains you get wet if you live in a parking lot."

Dolenz said in a 2007 interview on the Roe Conn radio program that, while inspiration did come from the Beatles, the band's image was not meant to be a ripoff of them. He said that the Beatles were always depicted as superstars with legions of fans, whereas the Monkees were always depicted as unsigned and struggling to make a buck.

Legacy

"The Monkees" won two Emmy Awards in 1967: Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy (James Frawley). Frawley was nominated for the same award the following season.

The final new episode of the series aired on March 25, 1968, with the final primetime airing on September 9, 1968 (see List of the Monkees episodes).

"The Monkees" enjoyed a resurgence on Saturday afternoon television on CBS from September 1969 to September 1972, and on ABC from September 1972 to August 1973. To coincide with the releases of the "The Monkees Present" and "Changes" albums during this time period, many episodes replaced the older songs with tracks from these recent releases. The 58 episodes were then sold to local markets for syndication in September 1975, where they typically appeared on independent television stations on weekday afternoons.

Notes

References

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External links

;Official websites
* [http://www.monkees.net/ The Monkees Home Page]
* [http://www.monkees.com/ Micky Dolenz Official Website]
* [http://blackleatherrose.stonerocket.co.uk/ Official Davy Jones Forever]
* [http://www.davyjones.net/ Official Davy Jones Website]
* [http://www.petertork.com/ Peter Tork Official Website]
* [http://www.videoranch.com/ Michael Nesmith Official Website] ;IMDb
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*;Resource sites
* [http://members.aol.com/joealterio/mrzero.html Online Monkees Discography & Price Guide]
* [http://members.tripod.com/~ahiii/monkeesfilmTV.html The Monkees Film & TV Vault]
* [http://sinatraguide.com/Monkees The Monkees: The Complete Internet Guide]
* [http://www.monkees.net/docs/setlist.htm Monkees Concert Tour Set Lists & History]
* [http://blackleatherrose.stonerocket.co.uk/ Official Davy Jones Forever]
* [http://www.rhino.com/monkees Rhino Records Monkees CDs and DVDs]
* [http://www.monkees101.com/ Monkees 101: An Introductory Guide to The Monkees]
* [http://www.themonkees.com/ The Monkees Collector's Home Page]
* [http://www.monkeesrule43.com/ Monkeesrule43 Online: Your Monkees News and Information Source] ;Misc sites
* [http://www.monkeekorneronline.com/ Monkee Korner Online!]
* [http://www.loveisonlysleeping.com/Monkees/ The Ultimate Monkees Love Page]
* [http://www.monkeestribute.com/ The Missing Links - A Monkees Tribute Band]
* [http://www.shoesuedeblues.com/ Peter Tork and Shoe Suede Blues (Band)]
* [http://www.oddballcomics.com/article.php?story=archive2003-06-19 Oddball Comics article: "The Monkees" no. 14]