New Monkees

The only thing about this project that worked was the buzz machine about the cattle call auditions, etc. There was not one aspect of this show or the cast that functioned. The non-actors were fish out of water with no rapport and like total strangers to each other, the writing was bad, the direction was bad, etc. I can only imagine what it was like on the set - knowing that nothing worked. And check out the audition reel. Not one of these guys had any wit or talent - truly boring people.

The problem is that, despite his negatives, there was no Don Kirshner behind this show - no one to make the right decisions about anything. Kirshner knew how to prefab a fake band, how to find and cast funny people, how to groom them, and how to find truly excellent songs.

The New Monkees was horrible. Hair band made up of nothing but hair.

Dusting off some old albums, I came across the one and only LP from "The New Monkees." The New Monkees was intended to cash in on the original Monkees popularity that was going on in the mid-80's. Unfortunately, the original Monkees was one of those extremely original and unique shows in TV history. New Monkees was a pretty lame attempt and I was disappointed in the output. C'mon, are they ever going to come up with a "New M*A*S*H" or a "New Cheers?" I don't think so. I will admit, the album actually had some good music on it. Not any better or worse than what had come out circa 1987. The concept for putting a whacky band in a show might have worked...had they had a different name and marketing scheme.

Without question, this is probably the worst show in the history of television. Whoever had the bright idea to do a remake of one of the most influential shows on television without the innovation and the good music. The four guys they picked to play the New Monkees have no talent and they don't have the chemistry that Mike, Davey, Mickey and Peter had. Thank God that this show is not being rerun and that the lame songs weren't hits.

If you haven't found this, go to YouTube.com and look for new monkees or monkees. Sometime earlier this year, March 2006, someone has uploaded lots of New Monkees material, such as videos and unaired pilot episodes. Rare stuff. I had a few episodes myself on aging VHS tapes, but they are not in good as shape as these. Too bad this show really never had a chance. While I much prefer the Monkees, I did enjoy this show in its brief run. I probably saw about half the episodes as during its original run, it would broadcast at late ours like 2:00 AM. I doubt Warner Brothers will ever release it on DVD, so webcasts are the only way to go. The New Monkees CD goes for a mint on Ebay, too. (over $30)

No, they weren't the originals. Unfortunately, the producers tried to make them like the original group. They could have had the same plot, but a different name. These guys could play and sing. I have their only album and I still like their music. Larry Saltis, I heard, is in a group named Tower City and has produced records for other performers. Dino Kovas was the joker of the group, as I recall. I don't know what has happened to the rest of these guys. It would be cool if they decided to release the show on DVD. The show was on early Saturday morning out here and the channel moved it around to a different time, so I missed a lot of it. I would like to see the show again, even it if was a little goofy.