Hey Hey, It's The Monkees! A Look Back At The Monkees TV Show
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On Monday, September 12th, 1966, at 7:30 pm Eastern/6:30 pm Central, a little show featuring a struggling rock band premiered on NBC. This show was The Monkees, and it quickly became a phenomenon nearly as big as The Beatles, extending beyond just the small screen. Their music is timeless, but does the show hold up after 60 years? Let’s find out!
The premise of The Monkees is fairly simple. It follows the fictional rock band of the same name, consisting of Davy, Mike, Micky, and Peter, as they struggle to make a name for themselves in the music world. Each of the four has a distinct role to fill, clearly inspired by how The Beatles were portrayed in the media. Davy is the cute, lovable one who often got the attention of the “girl of the week.” Mike is the smart, more serious one who is often the “voice of reason.” Micky is the madcap, wisecracking one. Peter is the lovable goofball who, despite his real-life counterpart being the oldest of the group, is often treated like the youngest.
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Each episode follows a similar formula. The whole band or one of its members encounters a problem or has some sort of goal they want to achieve, and the hijinks ensue as they try to resolve the issue. However, the plots of each episode often go beyond your standard sitcom fare. Sure, you have your typical stories about Davy falling in love with a girl, but that girl may be the daughter of the owner of the country club where they are trying to get booked, or the princess of some mystical land. Another plot involves Peter applying for a job at a toy company, only to be rejected by a computer (predicting the rise of AI in a way). As the series goes on, particularly in season 2, the formula is played with or even somewhat abandoned.
The show is also very loosely scripted and relies heavily on improvisation, which often leads to it being “a minute short.” This extra time is filled with candid interviews with the group, their screen tests, or, in season two, the group interviewing musicians they are fond of, such as Frank Zappa. These segments help connect the characters in the show with their real-life counterparts as well as add a more human touch to the series.
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The Monkees is full of campy fun akin to something like the 1966 Batman series, but the silliness is often accompanied by surreal psychedelia. This is seen not only in the main plot of each episode but also in the musical “romps” that are featured. These sequences are considered the precursor to the music video, as they were put in each episode to push the band's records. They are often a highlight of each episode and either act as vehicles to show a song off, accompany a montage or chase scene, or occasionally even weave their way into the plot itself.
However, as the series premiered 60 years ago, there are parts of it that haven't aged the best. This is mostly seen in the show's depictions of Eastern European nationals and Asians. Despite this, the show is also progressive for the time, as it focuses on a group of young people without the presence of an adult mentor or caregiver, giving a voice to the younger generation. Overall, the plot and writing of The Monkees is off the wall, zany, surreal, and hilarious.
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The acting matches the madcap and sometimes surreal nature of the show quite well. Obviously, the standout performances come from The Monkees themselves, despite only two of them having any real acting background. Davy Jones portrays the cute pint-sized Manchester cowboy with a real heart, often acting as one of the straight men to the madness (when he isn't causing it himself, that is). Michael Nesmith has a wide range in this series, ranging from his usual “serious” character to whatever zany character is needed for the several cutaway gags used to explain scenarios or work through plans.
However, a huge highlight has to be Nesmith as Princess Gwen in “Fairy Tale,” playing up the fact that it's a guy playing a woman quite well, but also convincingly embodying it as well. Micky Dolenz is full of madcap energy in the series, often portraying a whole cavalcade of characters. His most famous impression is James Cagney. Dolenz's explosive energy is a huge highlight of the series. Peter Tork portrays his dimwitted “Peter” character quite well, even though he was a rather intelligent and thoughtful person in reality. His inexperience as an actor is occasionally evident in the first season, but he makes up for it with his own zany nature as well.
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Though The Monkees are naturally the main highlight, the guest stars also shine in their own right. Several well-established character actors of the time appeared on the show, including Seinfeld's Uncle Leo, Len Lesser, and The Sound of Music actor Ben Wright. Though the way the show was made was foreign to many of them, they still turned in fantastic performances, particularly Ben Wright as Davy's grandfather in “Success Story” and Monte Landis as Mr. Zero in “The Devil and Peter Tork.” Overall, the acting in the show is campy, silly fun with genuine heart.
Lastly, let’s discuss the show's primary focus: the music. Firstly, the music featured in the “romps” is the timeless Monkees tracks penned by legendary songwriters such as Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Neil Diamond, Carole King, David Gates, and several others, in addition to The Monkees themselves (particularly Michael Nesmith).
Though their first hit, “Last Train to Clarksville,” does get used often, there is still plenty of variety throughout, and the show even features early versions of songs that would later be reworked for “proper” release. However, the “insert songs,” if you will, aren’t the only musical highlight. Stu Phillips’ score has the same fun, bouncy, chaotic energy of the show, and it fills these moments with even more madcap energy. Overall, the music, both the actual Monkees tunes and the score, is a huge highlight.
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Though the show has aged, it is still a fun, psychedelic romp. It’s rather innovative for the time in its editing style, its use of music, and its focus on young people figuring out life on their own without a “guardian.” The Monkees laid the groundwork for not only the music video but also later music-focused shows such as The Archies, The Partridge Family, Big Time Rush, and, arguably, even Glee. The series was just put on both Tubi and Prime Video for free (though it is cropped from 4:3 to 16:9), so now is the perfect time to jump in and see what all the “Monkee business” is about! Though only one Monkee remains, their legacy lives on, and both the show and their music still feel fresh and relevant 60 years later.
Rating: 9.5/10
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