The Monkees: Season 1 (1966)

Available for the first time on DVD! All episodes are in chronological order by airdate.

The Monkees scored four consecutive #1 albums and a half-dozen Top 10 singles. The Monkees Anthem "Daydream Believer" voted #3 teen idol song of all time by VH1 viewers. Original Monkees episodes are still being shown on VH1 and a new Monkees show is being developed for the fall 2003 network schedule. "I'm A Believer" was recently popularized in the feature film, Shrek. The Monkees have a dedicated fan base that continues to collect all things Peter, Davy, Micky and Mike.

5.1 audio. Play song romps feature. Commentary on Episode 1 by director James Frawley and Davy Jones. Separate commentaries on Episode 3 by Peter Tork and Monkees creator and director Robert Rafelson. Separate commentaries on Episode 10 by Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork. Commentary on Episode 12 by Michael Nesmith. Commentary on Episode 14 by director James Frawley. Commentary on Episode 15 by Davy Jones. Monkees Pilot (16 mm version). Monkees Discography. Vintage Monkees Kelloggs commercials. Separate commentaries on Episode 32 by Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and songwriter Bobby Hart. Interview with songwriter, Bobby Hart. Monkees Memorabilia Gallery.

nice

this was a definte surprise for my father on christmas day! he was shocked and loves them for a trip down memory lane! October 8, 2008

Great for kids!

Like other little girls in the 1960s, I was a huge fan of the Monkees. I thought it would be fun to share them with my niece (9), and nephews (8 and 3). They LOVE them. It's great to have something to watch with them that appeals to the range of ages. I'm no prude, but when it comes to watching with the little ones, I do like having something that is truly clean-cut and age-appropriate. August 20, 2008

Monkees 'a La Mode - 32 classic episodes and great songs

This is a very cute box - exactly as the Amazon photo. Downside is that it is a big cute box, 7cm x 15cm x 15cm, and mine got damaged a little in the post and required re-gluing. The actual DVD's are all in their own little cardboard miniature `Record' sleeves, great little facsimiles of the Monkees LP covers, fitted into a removable little `record deck' outer cardboard case that slots into the portable `record player' box. So a lot of the DVD box is air and the odd spring. All the episodes 1 to 32 from the first series are here, first aired from Sept 1996 to April 1967, and they are spread over 6 DVDs. The final DVD also has a few extras, like the Kellogs commercials, discography, play songs only, Monkees commentaries, interview with songwriter Bobby Hart, and a Monkees memorabilia gallery. The set also has little booklet of the chapter indexes and a short `behind the scenes' written piece that's quite interesting (I didn't realise Mickey and Davy were only 20 when picked or that the Monkees concept wasn't nicked from the Beatles film `Hard Days Night' - one of the creators, Bob Rafelson, had toured with a struggling young band in 1962 and got the idea then). See tvtome for the actual episode list. We find the picture/sound fine, particularly on our small bedroom TVs. There is also a similar `record player' DVD set for season two.

This first season DVD set is great fun, if a little repetitive naturally being nearly 16h of episodes. My daughter (12) likes the Monkees and has watched most of the episodes - but not as much as her original 4 episode DVD `The Monkees our favourite episodes' - NTSC as well - so perhaps she has suffered from Monkees overload fatigue (and she has since fallen under the spell of the Charmed ones). She also has the CD set `The definitive Monkees - limited edition' which she really likes. She became a fan after singing 'I'm a believer' in the school Choir. She really likes the Monkees humour (and also the similarly zany British series 'The Goodies at last' and '2nd helping' DVD sets - if you can find them in the US). My son (10) also loves this Monkees set, although he tends to watch The Goodies a bit more. So a pretty good value DVD set in a fun package - we got it particularly cheaply via Amazon resellers. January 8, 2007

Five for material, three for DVDs

Yep, this is exactly what you thought it would be: All the first season Monkees episodes on six DVDs (in a very cool package), with commentary on several episodes by various group members (but only Davy seems to give a tiny hoot), as well as by director James Frawley, producer Robert Rafelson and singer/songwriter Bobby Hart. It's got more material than the VHS box released in a limited edition several years ago, but since that release this material is in dire need of restoration. Most of the episode masters are still fairly sharp and colorful (although scratchy in spots) but the title sequence and other materials are getting down to the reds (case in point: the vintage Kellogg's commercials on Disc Six).

Other reviewers are right on the money on the sound: mushy and bassy, and the 2.0 is sometimes actually better than the 5.1! Since the Monkees renaissance of the late Eighties is now long past, proper restoration is not likely to happen, so my advice is to grab this set while it's available. Kudos to Rhino for putting it all together (and to Harold Bronson and Richard Foos for keeping the lights burning) but since they now own all the Monkees material outright, please take a lot better care of the Monkees' legacy. July 24, 2006

Great Flashback !!

I used to watch these shows after school at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, back in...yes, 1979. So they were . duh, in syndication reruns, but for my generation, my first chance to see "The Monkees."
I looked forward to it everyday.
This box set, as well as season 2 are great. Sure, the audio is sub par, but it's the way it aired, then. Cleaned up some, and in it's original form. No edits and all the BS 60's promo's. How cool is that??
Stop the bitchin' and be thankful we can accually get these shows on a full DVD set.
Original packaging, very cool idea, not easy to fit into my DVD set up, but, that's what makes in unique.
Thanks Rhino !! July 21, 2006

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