New Monkees

New Monkees
'
IMDb ref	tt0092413
Creators	R.B. Armstrong Jeremy Bate
Starring	Jared Chandler Dino Kovas Marty Ross Larry Saltis Gordon Oas-Heim Lynnie Godfrey Bess Motta
Production	Columbia Pictures Television Straybert Productions
Distribution	Colex Enterprises (1987) LBS Communications Columbia TriStar Television Sony Pictures Television
Seasons	1
Episodes	13
First Airdate	1987
Last Airdate	1987

New Monkees was the name of both a U.S. pop rock music group, and a 1987 syndicated television show featuring the group.

Overview

Background

The 20th anniversary of The Monkees in 1986 generated enough interest that New Monkees was conceived later that year, and launched the following year. The show, a remake of "The Monkees", was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and distributed by Coca-Cola Telecommunications (both are now Sony Pictures Television). Straybert Productions, headed by Steve Blauner (a former partner of original Monkees producers Robert Rafelson and Bert Schneider), served as the project's producers.

The group's members were Jared Chandler (guitar and vocals), Dino Kovas (drums and vocals), Marty Ross (bass and vocals), and Larry Saltis (lead guitar and vocals). As it had been with the original Monkees, each had to pass a grueling set of auditions. Unlike the previous series, however, musical ability was a key factor in the selection process. Ross, a multi-instrumentalist, had earlier been signed to CBS Records, with his former band The Wigs.

Album and TV series

The band released one self-titled album, distributed by Warner Bros. Records. The synthpop sound of the New Monkees was largely the work of producers Carol Carmichael Parks and Dean Parks, and was similar to that of contemporaries Mr. Mister and Glass Tiger. Other New Monkees producers were Steve Barri and Tony Peluso, Matt Wallace, Joe Curiale, and Mike Slamer, who co-wrote a song for the album with Larry Saltis.

New Monkees had one particular contrast with the show that inspired it: the four New Monkees lived a far wealthier life than their previous counterparts. On the show, the band lived in a large mansion that had numerous unexplored rooms, and was the main source of their adventures. Instead of a normal kitchen and dining room, the house featured a diner with a waitress named Rita, played by Bess Motta. A butler named Manford (Gordon Oas-Heim) was also present, as was a talking computer called Helen (voiced by Lynnie Godfrey); Helen was a decommissioned Defense Department supercomputer that spoke in a pronounced black accent and developed a taste for rock music instead of world destruction. Helen was almost always portrayed solely by a pair of talking lips set on a black, static background.

Notable guest performers were few; however, they included boxer Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, Archie Hahn, Russell Johnson (reprising his role as "The Professor" from Gilligan's Island), and Billy Beck, whose appearances made him the only actor to have appeared in episodes of both the original Monkees as well as New Monkees (but playing different characters). The Del Rubio Triplets appeared on the episode "New Monkee Mail," which initiated a wave of TV appearances by the trio.

Failure and subsequent revived interest

Originally slated for a 22-episode season, the show earned ratings lower than expected and New Monkees left the air after 13 episodes. The album also did not catch on, and failed to yield a Wikipedia:Hit recordhit record single. The producers hoped that the TV show would serve as promotion for their record, and vice versa, but this did not occur. A lawsuit was filed by the original Monkees for use of the name. However, the case was settled out of court.

Interest in the band has continued on Internet news groups. In 2007, all four New Monkees reunited for a meet-and-greet with fans in Los Angeles, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the band's formation. The gathering featured an acoustic performance; their first since the dissolution of the show, and their first-ever live appearance. This performance was filmed and portions of the show have been released in late 2009 on YouTube. Among those in attendance that night were producers Steve Blauner, Victor Fresco and Matt Fassberg and comedian Tim Powers.

In 2014 the Monkees podcast "Zilch" aired an interview with Marty Ross of the New Monkees which discussed the making of the show and its reception.

On November 11, 2017 The New Monkees had a 30 Year Reunion where all four original members attended. They were interviewed for the podcast “Deep Dish Radio with Tim Powers” and performed a short concert.

Episodes

1. "Weather the Storm"
2. "All My Martys"
3. "Test Tube Tube"
4. "Minister Bob"
5. "Ruff Day"
6. "Don't Touch That Dial"
7. "Monkee Mail"
8. "Larry Leaves"
9. "King of Space and Time"
10. "Meet the Pope"
11. "Helen Goes Shopping"
12. "The Game of Games Show"
13. "My Three Sons"

Single (45 RPM)

Warner Bros. Records (Released 1987)

Track listing:

1. "What I Want" (Side A)
2. "Turn It Up" (Side B)

Album

New Monkees album

Warner Bros. Records (Released 1987)

Track listing: Side 1:

1. "What I Want" (Eddie Schwartz/David Tyson)
2. "Do It Again" (Julia Downs/John Parr)
3. "I Don't Know" (Michael Cruz)
4. "The Way She Moves" (Denis Keldie)
5. "Boy Inside the Man" (Tom Cochrane)

Side 2:

1. "Burnin' Desire" (Rob Elvis)
2. "Whatever It Takes" (Alan Roy Scott/Arnie Roman)
3. "Affection" (Ken Brown)
4. "Carlene" (Greg Barnhill/Gene Houston/Johnny Hozey/Derrell Brown)
5. "Corner of My Eye" (Larry Saltis/Mike Slamer/Charlie Mitchell)
6. "Turn It Up" (Joe Curiale/Jimmy Haddox)

Other songs

In addition to the songs featured on the album, the New Monkees recorded several songs for the TV series that ultimately did not see an official release:

• "Clone of My Own"
• "One of the Boys"
• "Affection" (acoustic version)
• "Late Night"
• "I Can't Forget"
• "Follow Your Heart"
• "Maybe Tonight"
• "Won't Let You Lose Me"
• "Catch 22"
• "Someday Someway"
• "Crazy"
• "Searchin'"
• "Squeeze Play"
• "If I Needed Someone"
• "You Say You Will (And You Mean You Won't)"
• "If You Don't Go Away"
• "I'm Gonna Miss You This Summer"

Despite not being officially released, most of these songs can be found on YouTube.

Additionally, "What I Want (For Christmas)", a version of "What I Want" featuring Christmas-themed lyrics, was included on the 1987 Warner Bros. Christmas compilation album Yulesville.

External links

• New Monkees at IMDb
• New Monkees at TV.com
• The Monkees, The Old New Monkees, and New Monkees: How to Destroy A Beloved Franchise