Forty-nine years ago today, on Sept. 12, 1966, The Monkees comedy series debuted on NBC-TV. The series starred actors Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz, and musicians Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork. The show was the creation of film director and producer Bob Rafelson, and film and TV producer Bert Schneider, whose production company Raybert Productions also produced the films Easy Rider and The Last Picture Show. The Monkees television show incorporated an element that (I believe) is lacking in today’s situation comedies, which is music (sorry, but Glee doesn’t count).

The Monkees lasted only two seasons and the band has toured subsequently since 1966. The Monkees became a band despite critics (I’m looking at you Jann Wenner, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, who Monkees fans believe is ‘holding the key’ so they aren’t inducted into the RRHOF) stating they weren’t a band. I’m pretty that if they’ve sold more than 75 million records worldwide and out-sold The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined during their peak (not to mention that the show won two Emmy Awards), then they ARE a real band!

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