The Monkees - Our Favorite Episodes (1966)

Whether you're indulging nostalgia or experiencing the Monkees for the first time, Our Favorite Episodes--chosen by Davey Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith--is a curious time capsule. Even for veteran Monkeephiles, it's obvious that the TV series, totaling 58 episodes from 1966 to 1968, hasn't aged very gracefully. It's fun as a pop-cultural artifact, and original fans will fondly recall the eagerness with which each week's episode was anticipated. Looking back, however, the shows are marginally amusing, and their improvisational, low-budget strategy tends to limit their lasting appeal. For die-hard fans it won't matter a bit; any chance to own and archive the Monkee phenomenon (with brief latter-day interviews included) is going to be welcomed and thoroughly enjoyed.

Because Jones's favorite episode was actually the Emmy-winning "Royal Flush," the inclusion of "Hitting the High Seas" is a conspicuous blunder, but it's compensated by Peter's "Monkee vs. Machine." Directed by series producer (and then-budding filmmaker) Bob Rafelson, and featuring comedian Stan Freberg as a stodgy toy-company executive, this early episode was a first-season highlight. Mickey selected (and directed) the series finale, "Mijacogeo (The Frodis Caper)," which is noteworthy for a filmed performance of Tim Buckley singing a rare acoustic version of "Siren Song" (further proof that the Monkees were hipper than their TV personas). Mike's favorite "Fairy Tale" is a wild romp indeed, with Nesmith in drag (as a fairy princess), sounding shockingly like Cher from her later TV variety show. They're semi-inspired at best, but these vintage episodes still capture the lunacy that accompanied the meteoric success of the "Pre-Fab Four." --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

monkee's dvd

i ordered this dvd so my visiting grandaughters could have a good laugh. they did. they enjoyed it so much they took it home with them. August 9, 2008

The Monkees Our Favorite Episodes

I am a big fan of The Monkees and this dvd was great. I highly recommend it. August 8, 2008

Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees!!

I enjoyed the Monkees when I was a kid, and having them on DVD now is fantastic! I love the slapstick humor and irreverance they exhibit, and to have their take on their favorite episodes thrown in there on top of it all was a very nice touch! October 11, 2007

Save your Money for chewing gum.

I just got this DVD and I have to say that I'm sorry I bought it. I figured a Monkees DVD for under $10 was a good deal. I guess it wasn't.
Now, don't get me wrong. I've always been and will always be a Monkees fan! I think the Monkees are great and I love their music. My bands always play some Monkees tunes because they're great songs and so much fun to play. But as far as this DVD is concerned, it's like they just packaged 4 of the worst Monkees shows ever. I used to watch The Monkees on TV all the time. I grew up watching them, even in to re-runs and when MTV re-ran all the episodes back in the 80's.... I watched them all. But for the life of me, I just don't remember any of the shows from this disc. Even on the very first episode (Hitting the High Seas), Mike is in the first few minutes, and then he gets "sea sickness" and then we don't see him for the rest of the episode. I would have rather seen classic episodes where all 4 of the Monkees are all present and accounted for.
I was very disappointed in this DVD Monkees Collection. These episodes were not even funny. Some times the personal interview segments the guys used to do were really funny, but in this DVD, the interviews are not funny at all.
Save your money. Buy some OTHER Monkees DVD, CD, or whatever. This DVD isn't worth the $10. I'll probably never watch it ever again. September 30, 2007

Micky's got some good Frodis, man.

The main reason I bought this DVD was "The Frodis Caper", in which Dolenz mocks the show itself while thumbing his nose at the censors with marijuana references(I imagine Micky and Jon Anderson engaged in a lotta Maryjane kissing while writing the story).

It looks pretty much like a forerunner to their film "Head" and was clearly an indication on what the show would be like had it not been cancelled.

The second reason was Mike's fave "Fairy Tale", which I haven't seen in 40 years. For some reason, it was never syndicated with the rest of the series. It wasn't as good as "Frodis", but it was a nice change from the usual Monkee tale.

The other two, Davy's "Hitting the High Seas"(a waterlogged Pirate Movie parody) and Peter's "Monkees vs. Machine"(an sudtle attack on dehumanization.) were funny the first time, but after the next thousand times they get a little stale. You want these, buy the complete set.




September 11, 2007

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