1966 – They Were Coming to Your Town

Being a fan of summer and more importantly as a kid, summer vacation, the end of August was not my favorite time of the year. My birthday is toward the end of the month, which was awesome, but after that, the realization that school was about to start, was depressing.

There was one thing I did look forward to, and that was the fall issue of TV Guide. I couldn't wait for the guide to arrive in the mail and read what new, exciting TV sitcoms would debut for the new season. One of those TV shows debuting in 1966 was The Monkees.

It was a TV show unlike any other. I was sure my parents would never understand the format of the show, although my mom admitted years later that she had a crush on Micky Dolenz. My sisters of course, were in love with Davy Jones.

The TV series only lasted two seasons, but the repeats ended up on Saturday mornings and became part of my routine every weekend, even though I'd seen each episode several times. And the Monkeemobile was so cool. Every kid wanted one.

They never did come to my town, but they helped make my childhood a bit more fun.