The Monkees Mind Their Manor - Directed by Peter, this episode has its quirky qualities and a generous quality of fourth wall breaking moments. Bernard Fox is appropriately stuffy and pompous and Jack Good is having a good time playing the sot. Highlights include Davy’s performance of Greensleeves and property man Jack Williams star turn as the customs man. Peter showed some talent as a director and this episode is a fun one to watch. 4/5.
It came on Monday, so I have had it almost a week. My plan is to read through the text and just look at the photo's, then go back when finished and check out the captions for all the photos, since they are detailed in the back in a separate section anyway. I have been neglecting my rewatching of the Monkees episodes for that thread. Have to make those tough choices!
Monkees Mind Their Manor - 3/5 Bumping up to a 3 because of Davy briefly singing Greensleeves and Star Collector. Another overused plot, but at least the guys are "somewhat" into this as compared to some of the other later episodes. The guest stars are OK and the even has the feel of England on the set, though we know where some of this was filmed! Peter's directing is a nice touch.
Mixed feelings on this one. There are a lot of scenes of wide shots where people are just standing and talking with little action. It almost feels like Peter chose to shoot this as a play. I can’t say I dislike it, but it does have a different feel. It’s a silly plot so the irreverence to the script doesn’t bother me. They actually played it pretty straight most of the time. Davy breaks the fourth wall in the first 30 seconds… I like that. I find his version of Greensleeves a little grating. But then we get star collector. 3.5/5 Interesting that actor Jack good would be directing the monkees himself a year later
The Monkees Mind Their Manor There are few nice in-jokes, but I find this a bit forced. The guest actors try and be quirky and excellent as in many previous actors, but I don't think it really works. The repeated fainting seems intended to be a running gag, but not one I find all that funny. There are some funny visual jokes that I presume Peter was behind. The episode suddenly resolves incredibly conveniently and out of character. Davy's 'Greensleeves' should be a standout, but for some reason it ... just isn't. Star Collector is great of course, but we've seen the same clip before. This is just OK. I agree that it's an indication that everyone was losing interest. 2.6/5
The Monkees Mind Their Manor -- 2.5/5 Not a top shelf Monkees episode, but far from the worst. Many scenes seem to be shot with allowance for the laugh track that they stopped using by this point, so there's a bit of a weird tone to it. Maybe it's just the fact that it was directed by an amateur director, Mr. Thorkelson, but it doesn't flow as well as many earlier episodes did. The scene with Jack Williams -- the prop man -- as the customs agent still cracks me up to this day. He will go on to make another notable appearance in "The Frodis Caper".
Monkees Mind Their Manor suffers from three major weaknesses. First, it has a woefully complicated premise—a legal tangle so snarled that it has to be restated several times over the course of the episode, for fear the audience would be left behind. Second, it is almost as strongly a Davy solo story as Alias Micky Dolenz is a Micky solo story. The other three Monkees are present, sort of, but are pretty much non-participatory. They lurk around the edges of the action, occasionally providing a suggestion or a pithy comment, but they don’t actually do anything. Third, it has strong signs of being done on the cheap: the airport doesn’t look anything like an airport, and the odd wintertime Medieval Faire appears to have been shot in front of a dozen extras on the same little postage-stamp park where the Monkees frolicked with puppies in I’ve Got a Little Song Here, and with senior citizens in Success Story. They couldn’t even be bothered to come up with a proper venue for the competitions that make up the Grand Championship—Davy and Sir Twiggly just fight it out on a random patch of grass, with background music baldly borrowed from Fairy Tale. I often despair over Monkees episodes that have too much frantic action and not enough sensible plot. Here we have the opposite problem; the plot makes sense but is too conventional, too conformist, too reasonable. The Monkees never romp, never rebel, never work their trademark magic. Heck, there’s an entire scene where all they do is sit and talk about how bored they are! The wildest conceit in the entire episode, the shipping of three live Monkees disguised as three dead Egyptians, doesn’t raise an eyebrow from anybody. I am torn about the story’s climax. On the one hand, Mary’s disdainful diatribe is one of the best speeches of the series, and I’m pleased that it was given to such a unique character. On the other hand, it essentially takes the resolution to the plot out of the Monkees’ hands, making their presence in the story seem useless and pointless. Worse, Lance’s sudden declaration of love, and Mary’s reciprocation, come across as sleazy rather than romantic. (The same basic scene, performed in 1983 by Ted Danson and Shelley Long on the show Cheers, was a comedy masterpiece built on thoroughly and patiently developed chemistry between the characters.) Second Runner-Up Nitpick The will’s crucial clause says, “Do hereby bequeath Kibbee Estate to one Davy Jones, provided that he remains permanently at the manor for a period of no less than five years.” I guess this is a new definition of the word “permanently.” Runner-Up Nitpick Why does the British Customs agent have an American accent? Nitpick Davy fenced (badly) in Royal Flush and (well) in The Prince and the Paupers. But there’s no rational explanation for dressing him up for a fencing match in his satin boxing duds from Monkees in the Ring when the future of Kibbee Manor is on the line. Absolutely Not a Nitpick Although it was to be broadcast in February 1968, the episode was shot in early December, 1967—so Peter’s Christmas message is actually rather timely. Grading The Party of the First Part: Davy Jones, heir apparent. B The Party of the Second Part: Lance Kibbee (the Sot). C The Party of the Third Part: Sir Twiggly Toppen Middle-Bottom. 10% Commission The Party of the Fourth Part: Mary Friar. A+ for elocution, D for taste in men Overall grade 1 out of 5
The first half of the episode does nothing at all for me - it's just awful. Totally blah and tired and strangely depressing. Then around the village fair it just takes off and gets weird in the best ways. Love the Mike & Peter tag and the "Star Collector" clip, too. And Peter's directing definitely gives Manor a unique stamp - it doesn't feel like any other episode. Taken all together, a very solid 3/5.
I think part of it was probably to throw him a bone so they could say "See, you *are* being used in the creative process" or something like that...
Today's episode is Some Like it Lukewarm: Songs used: Last Train to Clarksville, The Door Into Summer and She Hangs Out A return to a musical theme which is no bad thing. I think this is more interesting than most recent episodes, with some good tunes and one or two funny ideas. Most kids watching were probably bemused by the Charlie Smalls section at the end. 3/5.
This one is actually pretty good. My only complaint is did we really need to hear "Last Train to Clarksville" in it's entirety at 78rpm speed? 30 seconds would have been more than enough
Some Like It Lukewarm - 3/5 This one is amusing in parts. The guys seem to be enjoying this one a bit more than some of the later episodes. Jerry Blavat who played the band contest judge is still an active DJ in the Philadelphia area. I know there was an interview about Jerry appearing on the Monkees somewhere online. I found this article from 2017.
Some Like it Lukewarm -- 3/5 I shouldn't like this episode as much as I do. It has so many problems -- such as the aforementioned complete sped-up "Clarksville" performance by the Westminster Abbeys. I also find Jerry Blavat to be massively annoying as the creepy contest emcee. Deanna Martin (daughter of Dean) is very likable as Daphne, but even at '60s sitcom-level suspension of disbelief, there isn't a person on the planet who wouldn't have immediately recognize that "William the Conqueror" was a female. Now, Davy, on the other hand...he's somehow almost believable at times. But man, the way Jerry goes after "Miss Jones" shows it really was a different time. There are enough funny moments scattered throughout to make this one enjoyable overall, though. Always great to hear "The Door Into Summer".
Some Like It Lukewarm - A very cute episode with a lovely performance by Deana Martin, the daughter of Dean Martin, and a wild one by Philadelphia DJ Jerry Blavat, plus Valerie Kairsy Venet as one of the members of Deana’s band. The Charlie Smalls segment with Davy on the shows coda is wonderful, as Smalls is the writer of the songs in the Broadway show The Wiz, nice to see him interacting with Davy. Love how Davy and Mike try to break each other up during She Hangs Out. A fun episode. 4/5.
God, I love this episode. The tunes, the Geator, the editing, the guys' performances, some top-level Davy, Charlie Smalls, the girls playing "Last Train" on 78 rpm - this is not only peak post-tour but peak Monkees, period. It's cool, it's hilarious, and it pokes so much fun at pretty much everything that it feels pretty singular in the whole 2 season arc. In my top 3, for sure. 5/5
Not great sound and the video is missing, but here are on the Monkees appearance on Jerry Blavat’s TV show promoting their movie Head.
Some Like It Lukewarm I seem to know this episode better than I should. I think it auto-played for me a couple of time and Nice performance by most of the band at the beginning as semi-barbershop. Is that Davy singing bass. I remember reading somewhere that Davy is naturally a baritone but sings in a higher range. Overall I think this is a good episode. Perhaps a season 1 episode, but it stands up. Good to see the return of the twinkling eyes. I didn't mind the Westminster Abbey's 'version' of Last Train going on for the whole length. Even if it's playing at 78rpm, I like hearing the songs varied a bit. I'm not sure why they cut to the Monkees half way through. Given that the other songs for the episode were those that Monkees actually played on, I wonder if that is meant to be a comment. Though, on what I'm not sure. One minor thing. When the bands merge, it seems a bit ... 'old fashioned' that the female band members get demoted to being dancers, while The Monkees play theirs. I've checked out the IMDB profiles of many of the guest actors to see what else they did. (And I notice that I am frequently much less knowledgeable about the actors than others.) Many have sadly passed on by now. It's great to see that Blavat is still around and active. The tag with Charlie Smalls is great. It's a pity that 'Girl Named Love' never had a proper recording/release. 3.8/5
This was the second-to-last episode filmed, and as in a few other late Season Two episodes, the guys behave as though they don’t like each other very much. Even though it’s a character-driven story, there’s no sign of the warmth and depth of such early character-driven episodes as I’ve Got a Little Song Here or Success Story. Notably absent are the band’s usual decision-making techniques; Davy is pressured into taking on the “chick” role without choosing fingers, drawing straws or consulting any other manifestation of the Fickle Finger of Fate. Money is the band’s paramount motivation—more than success, integrity or friendship—and nobody gives a flying fig about Davy’s feelings in the matter. Jones gamely carries all the episode’s emotional load and most of the comic relief. The closest thing the episode has to a conflict is Davy’s reluctance to play slap and tickle with the contest emcee—who is himself the closest thing the episode has to a villain. The underlying moral quandary is resolved on the spur of the moment by Davy alone; heaven forefend the four friends might actually discuss the matter, much less work together toward a resolution. The episode ends abruptly, as contest, girl, and romance all disappear at the end of She Hangs Out. There isn’t a romp in sight, but the two musical numbers are much livelier than the usual stand-in-front-of-yellow-curtain performance. The guys are relaxed enough to abandon the pretense that they are actually playing the instruments; they just use the opportunity to goof off and be silly. In contrast to these happy interludes, the Westminster Abbeys’ earsplitting “performance” of Last Train to Clarksville is annoying and unnecessary. What a contrast to the summer of ’66, when guest star Bobby Sherman spent an evening in the studio recording a cover of New Girl In School to be used in the episode The Monkees at the Movies. Runner-Up Nitpick If Mike, Micky and Peter took the Monkeemobile to the restaurant, how does Davy get there? More to the point, how does he get there first? Nitpick As Davy runs away from the secluded booth at Some Little Out of the Way Place That Nobody Goes (Southside Branch), his right high heeled boot spills out of his paper bag onto the table. When he gets home, his left boot is on his left foot and his right foot is clad only in a sock. At what point between the restaurant and the pad did Davy take off the two shoes he wore to the restaurant and put on the one boot? Not Really a Nitpick Jerry Blavat lists the names of the Westminster Abbeys as Melody, Harmony, Cacophony and William the Conqueror. According to the credits, William is really named Daphne, so the band has a full lineup of rhyming names. (Or it would, if Jerry knew how to pronounce “cacophony.” He pronounces it “KAK-a-phone.” It should be “ka-KOFF-a-nee.”) Sadly, the word “cacophony” refers to an unpleasantly discordant sound. Grading Victor/Victoria. B+ Cinderella. B- Malibu’s Got Talent. C White Men Can’t Clap on 2 and 4. C+ Overall Grade 2 out of 5
Only two episodes left. I'm getting a little melancholy. (It's a mood with my name on it.) Are we going to do Head, 33 and 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee, and A Lizard Sunning Itself on a Rock?
