Rewind Back in Time

For the love and appreciation of the Classic TV shows, music, movies, pop culture, history, etc. of the past few decades (mainly the 50's, 60's, 70's & 80's).

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Did You Know... about The Monkees?



...The Monkees TV show debuted 39 years ago.

...The 4 Monkees were put together by producers and didn't know each other before becoming a "pre-fab" band.

...Micky Dolenz, billed as "Mickey Braddock", played Corky in the 1956-1958 TV-Series "Circus Boy".

...Both of Micky's parents, George Dolenz and Janelle Johnson Dolenz, were actors.

...Davy Jones was once an apprentice jockey.

...Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones have the same birthday (Dec. 30th), 3 years apart.

...Mike Nesmith's mother, Bette Nesmith Graham, invented Liquid Paper.

...Micky Dolenz is right handed but plays the drums left handed. (The opposite is true for Ringo Starr... left handed, plays right handed).

...Davy Jones is the sole British lad in the otherwise American band.

...Jimi Hendrix briefly opened for them, but he quit after being frustrated by the "we want the Monkees" chants from the young audience.

...They met their idols, The Beatles. Also, John Lennon was a fan of the show.

...After Peter Tork quit the band in 1968 the remaining three released a couple of albums as a trio. When Nesmith left in 1969 and the remaining two continued as duo and released one more album (1970).

...In 1986 there was a serious re-surge of Monkeemania when MTV re-broadcast most of the original Monkees episodes over a weekend. [I remember it well and still have the videotapes.]

...In 1987 there was a band and TV show of "new" Monkees, aptly named "New Monkees". They didn't last long.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

TV Land Confidential

TV Land Confidential is an interesting 30 minute show airing on TV Land Wednesday nights at 10 PM (ET/PT). Some of the original actors and crew from classic TV shows comment on behind the scenes stuff that we may have not heard before. How did Bewitched end up with two Darrins and how did they make the switch? Why wasn't Fonzie allowed to wear a leather jacket in the early days of Happy Days? Why did Michael Landon like to put live frogs into his mouth on the set of on Little House on the Prairie? Questions like these are answered on the show. Check it out.

Also, check out the TV Land website for bonus footage.