C. Stewart
TV reboots are everywhere these days—think The Conners, Fuller House, Girl Meets World, and not one, but a couple of attempts at Saved by the Bell.
But back in the 1980s, television also dipped into reboot territory, reviving classics from the ’50s and ’60s with shows like The New Dragnet, The New Leave It to Beaver, and The New Gidget. While most of these have faded into obscurity, there’s one reboot that has completely vanished from the conversation. It’s so forgotten, it doesn’t even make the cut on those “worst TV reboots in history” lists.
The New Monkees may just rank as one of the most baffling reboots ever attempted. Not only was it wildly out of place, but it made little sense considering the original Monkees were still riding high in popularity at the time.
The Monkees began as a fictional band created for the 1960s television series The Monkees, featuring Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith. Over time, the group transitioned into a real-life musical act bearing the same name.
In the 1980s, they experienced a resurgence in popularity when MTV aired reruns of the original 1966–1968 show. Capitalizing on this renewed attention, the band launched a successful 20th anniversary tour in 1986. So why mess with a good thing?
In a bizarre WTF moment from 1986, Columbia Pictures Television and Straybert Productions decided to reboot The Monkees—but swapped out the original band for a whole new crew. A casting call went out and 3000 individuals showed up with hopes of becoming one of the new band members. I remember watching snippets of this on MTV, back when “Music Television” actually meant music. Ultimately, the rebooted Monkees lineup featured Jared Chandler, VJ Dino Kovas, Marty Ross, and Larry Saltis—each stepping into some very iconic shoes.
Note: The rebooted group couldn’t use the name The Monkees because the original name and brand were still owned by the creators and producers of the 1960s series. Instead, the 1987 version was branded as “New Monkees” to legally and creatively distinguish it from the original.
🎸 No Original Members: The 1987 reboot featured an entirely new cast with no involvement from Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, or Peter Tork. Using the same name without any original members could have led to confusion or legal
🎬 Ownership & Rights: The name The Monkees was tied to the original TV show and band, which were created by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider under Screen Gems and Columbia Pictures. The intellectual property—including the name—remained under their control.
📺 Brand Differentiation: By calling the reboot New Monkees, the producers acknowledged the legacy of the original while signaling a fresh start with a new cast and updated format
In other word, they couldn’t use “The Monkees” because the original band still owned the name—so they went with “New Monkees” and hoped no one would notice the difference.
The New Monkees hit the airwaves in 1987 and tanked almost instantly. Two Monkees in the same universe? Come on. In a 2016 Yahoo Entertainment interview, Micky Dolenz revealed that the original band was asked to hand things off to the newcomers. His reaction? “Screw you! I’m selling a 10,000-seater here! I’m not givin’ the baton to nobody!” Classic Dolenz. And really—who does that?
The show felt like a chaotic mashup of 1980s excess—loud, flashy, and relentlessly over-the-top. The New Monkees were stuck in a surreal, neon-drenched mansion that looked like something out of a cartoon fever dream, complete with a quirky butler, a chatty AI computer named Helen (think WarGames meets Electric Dreams), and a chipper waitress serving up burgers in the mansion’s built-in diner. Guest appearances ranged from boxing champ Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini to Russell Johnson (aka the Professor from Gilligan’s Island), and even the kitschy musical act the Del Rubio Triplets. One episode had the band casually meeting the pope—naturally, in the diner. The whole thing was a head-scratcher, and while a few sketches might’ve found a second life in the age of viral videos, most of it just didn’t land.
Legend has it that The New Monkees was slated for 22 episodes—but the show was such a flop, only 13 ever saw the light of day.
Source:
My own damn memory, but also these guys below.
