The Monkees Biggest Lie Fools Fans During Season 2 Episode
Fans of The Monkees television show were more than used to the improbable situations its stars regularly encountered. Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork acted out many of the ridiculous storylines they were handed with grace and dignity. However, during season 2, one of the series’ biggest lies fooled its fans and shocked its stars during an episode filmed in Paris.
Being in ‘The Monkees’ changed the lives of its stars
When Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, Davy Jones, and Micky Dolenz auditioned for The Monkees TV show, little did they know the experience would ultimately change their lives.
Most of the final lineup of The Monkees audition came via a Hollywood Reporter ad. The small ad famously read, “Madness!! Auditions. Folk & Roll Musicians-Singers for acting roles in new TV series. Running Parts for four insane boys aged 17-21. Want spirited Ben Frank’s types. Have courage to work. Must come down for interview.”
Although the four young men selected to star on The Monkees all had performing and musical experience, they’d never played together ahead of the show.
The Monkees pioneered a television style for American audiences. The series embraced improvisation and jump cuts, and the self-referential nature of the show was a hit with viewers, who loved the wacky escapades of its four stars.
‘The Monkees’ biggest lie fooled fans during a season 2 Paris episode
While filming season 2 of the series in June 1967, The Monkees filmed in Paris, reported IMDb. There, they were mobbed by french fans. The producers borrowed the premise from The Beatles’ movie A Hard Days Night. In the 1964 film, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison were regularly chased by their admirers.
However, while the interaction between The Monkees and their fans might have looked real, the screaming fans that followed the faux four were entirely staged. Therefore the premise of the band being very popular in Paris was a lie gobbled up by their devoted viewers.
The website Cool Cherry Cream shared details of the trip. The Monkees members were shocked at how little attention they received. Therefore, Jones enjoyed Paris nightlife, Nesmith window shopped, and Tork sat at a cafe with a book, drinking wine and coffee. All went unrecognized by french fans.
In fact, the band only attracted crowds when they rode up and down the Champs Elysees in an old jeep. This caused a traffic jam because sightseers wanted to know what the fuss was about.
The Paris episode was not the first time The Monkees’ producers fooled fans
While other syndicated series remained unchanged, The Monkees continued to evolve after its finale episode. Two significant changes occurred when The Monkees moved into syndication, duping fans.
The Monkees aired in reruns beginning in the fall of 1969 through Sept. 1972 on a new network, CBS. After that, the show moved to ABC, which aired the series until the summer of 1973. In 1975, The Monkees television series was sold to local markets for syndication.
At that time, a new generation of The Monkees viewers were duped, beginning with how they saw the series. For example, all season 1 episodes of The Monkees started with the season 2 opener.
A second sneaky switch included music featured on The Monkees.
Over the summer of 1967, NBC reran multiple episodes of The Monkees with revised soundtracks to promote the band’s album Headquarters and its subsequent singles. Between 1969 and 1973, both CBS and ABC revised the soundtracks again to promote the band’s later albums, The Monkees Present and Changes.
