The Monkees was a Sixties sitcom about a struggling rock group.
Despite what sounds like a rather ordinary premise, The Monkees
differed from most sitcoms airing at the time. First, it focused on four
men below the age of thirty who were not teenagers or children--this at
a time when most adults in sitcoms were at least thirty something. Second,
music was an integral part of the show. In fact, The Monkees' most
lasting impact may be the influence it had on rock video. Third, The
Monkees moved at a pace which made most sitcoms of the time seem slow
in comparison. It utilized non sequiturs, sight gags, slow motion,
and other techniques which were unseen in many other sitcoms of the day.
To this day The Monkees remains unique in the annals of television--the
only successful blending of rock music with a sitcom format.
