The Monkees canceled several dates on their 45th anniversary tour last week, but not before Al Roker got to sit down with them and become the fourth Monkee for a segment on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC). Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones often tour as the Monkees without Mike Nesmith, who sticks to his own solo work. So there was an opening for Roker to join the band (at least for one show).

The three members goofed around for the cameras, as they've done since their TV show propelled them to stardom almost a half century ago. With all of the members now in their 60s, Jones joked about going from a heartthrob to a coronary. He then asked Roker to join them onstage that night, and the always-game Roker found a paisley shirt, a wig, and a knitted tuke (one of Nesmith's trademarks) and, he said, "Just like that, my childhood dreams became a reality."

This post is for my brother and fellow Squadder Rich more than anyone else, since he seems to be one of the few people on the planet who is interested in anything and everything having to do with The Monkees:

Out of the four guys who appeared on the Beatles-inspired CBS NBC show (and played in the band the show created) , the one that seems to have managed to stay in the spotlight the most has been Micky Dolenz. Think about it: Peter Tork is nowhere to be found, Mike Nesmith is busy counting his Liquid Paper money, and Davy Jones can only seem to get infomercials for Time-Life oldies collections.

On September 12th, 1966 a debate ignited that continues even to this day. It wasn't on whether or not we should stay in Vietnam, or if there was a second shooter on the grassy knoll, or who was the cutest Beatle. No, the age old debate begun on this date was: did the Monkees actually play their own instruments?

Well, they did, but that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that the debate was initiated this particular evening because it was the night that The Monkees television show premiered on the NBC fall schedule. For the next two seasons, fifty-eight episodes, nine albums, one television special, and one major motion picture, Monkeemania swept America and the world.