Ken Foote's Radio/TV Files: Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees

A little over 46 years ago, NBC and Screen Gems, the television division of Columbia Pictures, announced that they were commissioning a TV show for the fall of 1966 with four guys having a rock and roll band and getting to all kinds of funny situations. I was barely 12 years old then and was totally into Beatlemania! And when I first saw these guys, they look a lot like the Fab Four!

On Monday, September 12, 1966, The Monkees premiered at 7:30pm ET/6:30pm CT on the NBC Television Network and locally on WBAP-TV Channel 5 (now known as KXAS NBC5). The 6:30pm time slot had been scheduled by the networks for a number of years until the early 1970's when the FCC enacted PTAR: the prime time access rule, which returned the 6:30pm time period from the networks to local stations. The series was inspired by the Beatles' feature film A Hard Days Night, with the Monkees playing themselves as a band that got themselves involved in all sorts of strange situations: rescuing maidens, running afoul of villians, and playing pranks on the world!

All four were selected at a casting call from nearly 500 applicants. Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones were actors by training, while Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith had previous musical experience. Jones was the lead singer, Nesmith on lead guitar, Tork on keyboards and bass, and Dolenz on the drums.

Screen Gems filmed 58 half hours, 1 feature film and 2 specials with The Monkees. On the recording side, the boys had three #1 hits on the charts: Last Train To Clarksville, I'm A Believer (later recorded and performed by Smashmouth in the 90's), and Daydream Believer. Dolenz was the lead singer on the first two #1 hits, but it was Davy Jones who was the lead on Daydream Believer. He also was lead vocal on the song Valleri which rose to #3 in 1968. All told, the group charted 11 hits on the Billboard Top 40 from 1966 to 1968 and one hit in 1986.

This show was also a forerunnner of the creation of the music video. Ricky Nelson had started it in the late 50's/early 60's on The Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet. But The Monkees took it to the next level.

Yesterday's news of the passing of Davy Jones at age 66 really hit home with me again about how precious life is and that we should live each day to the fullest. Davy, THANK YOU for the music and great times.

See you next time.