Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop Culture

Rosanne Welch

Jul 2016 · McFarland

About this ebook

A hit television show about a fictitious rock band, The Monkees (1966-1968) earned two Emmys--Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy.

Capitalizing on the show's success, the actual band formed by the actors, at their peak, sold more albums than The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined, and set the stage for other musical TV characters from The Partridge Family to Hannah Montana. In the late 1980s, the Monkees began a series of reunion tours that continued into their 50th anniversary.

This book tells the story of The Monkees and how the show changed television, introducing a new generation to the fourth-wall-breaking slapstick created by Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers.

Its creators contributed to the innovative film and television of 1970s with projects like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laugh-In and Welcome Back, Kotter. Immense profits from the show, its music and its merchandising funded the producers' move into films such as Head, Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces.

About the author

Rosanne Welch teaches the history of screenwriting and one-hour drama for the Stephens College MFA in screenwriting. As a television writer/producer, her credits include Beverly Hills 90210, Picket Fences and Touched by an Angel. She serves as Book Reviews editor for Journal of Screenwriting and on the editorial board for Written By magazine. She lives in Van Nuys, California.