‘The Monkees’ Turns 60: How a TV Show Created a Hit Band

Lauren Novak September 12, 8:00 am

Monkees Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith, 1966-68 — Everett Collection

Can you believe it’s been 60 years since The Monkees first aired on television? The series premiered on NBC on September 12, 1966, introducing Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork as four young musicians trying to get their big break.

The show lasted just two seasons, but the records, reruns, and reunion tours kept the Monkees around for decades. Whether you remember watching them when the series first aired or discovered them later, there’s quite a story behind how those four performers became a band.

How Were the Monkees Chosen?

Producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider brought the group together in 1965 for a comedy about a struggling rock band. The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night helped inspire the project, which combined the musicians’ misadventures with musical performances.

A casting ad appeared in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter in September 1965, seeking musicians and singers for acting roles. It famously called for “4 insane boys.” Jones was already being considered for the project, while Dolenz, Nesmith and Tork were selected from hundreds of applicants.

Getting the job also involved plenty of acting. Dolenz recalled that the auditions included improvisation, scene work and music, and director James Frawley later worked with the four to help them develop their characters and get comfortable together.

What happened to the pilot?

The Monkees (from left): Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, 1966-68.

Everett Collection

The pilot, “Here Come the Monkees,” was made in 1965, and its first audience test went badly. Rafelson told the Television Academy in 2016 that he persuaded the studio to try again, adding footage from the cast’s screen tests before the next showing. That version received a much better response.

So, while an earlier version didn’t air, the pilot itself wasn’t fully abandoned. A revised version aired as the tenth episode on November 14, 1966. In it, the group hopes to play a girl’s birthday party, but her crush on Davy distracts her from her schoolwork. The Monkees help her study so they won’t lose the job. The episode that actually introduced viewers to the group was “Royal Flush,” which aired on September 12. It begins with Davy rescuing a princess from drowning, then getting caught up in a plot against her.

Did the Monkees Play Their Own Instruments?

They played their own instruments, although their involvement in the early recordings was limited. Music supervisor Don Kirshner relied heavily on outside songwriters and musicians, with the Monkees adding their vocals to backing tracks. The group wanted more say in the music and the chance to write and perform more of it themselves.

After Kirshner was dismissed in 1967, the Monkees took control and recorded Headquarters with producer Chip Douglas. Released that May, it became their third consecutive No. 1 album. Dolenz still had fond memories of making it when he looked back on the sessions in 2022.

“And I particularly remember lying on the floor behind my drum kit between takes eating sunflower seeds,” he recalled to Rhino.

Did the Monkees really outsell the Beatles?

THE MONKEES, from left: Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, 1966-1968

Everett Collection

You’ve probably heard the claim that the Monkees sold more records than the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined in 1967. That story is disputed, including by Nesmith himself.

In passages from his memoir Infinite Tuesday reproduced by Flashbak, Nesmith described inventing a sales figure of more than 35 million records during a 1977 interview in Australia. He told the reporter that the total exceeded the Beatles and Stones combined, then saw the claim appear in print as fact.

The group did have four No. 1 albums in a row: The Monkees, More of the Monkees, Headquarters, and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Three of those albums came out in 1967 alone.

What Happened After the TV Show?

The Monkees won two Emmys in 1967: Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy for Frawley. Its original run ended on March 25, 1968, but the group continued recording and starred in the film Head, which Jack Nicholson helped write.

MTV brought the series to another generation with a 1986 marathon. That year, Dolenz, Jones and Tork reunited for a 20th anniversary tour, with Nesmith joining them onstage in Los Angeles.

Where Can You Watch The Monkees Today?

If the anniversary has you wanting to watch the show again, both seasons are now available for free on Tubi. Philo subscribers can also watch the show through Catchy Comedy and record upcoming broadcasts. If you’re looking for the original pilot on Tubi, you’ll find it under the title “The Monkees” as Season 1, Episode 10. You can also stream it on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, and Howdy.