‘The Monkees’ Turns 60: How a TV Show Created a Hit Band

Can you believe it’s been 60 years since The Monkees first aired on television? The series premiered on NBC on September 12, 1966, introducing Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork as four young musicians trying to get their big break.

The show lasted just two seasons, but the records, reruns, and reunion tours kept the Monkees around for decades. Whether you remember watching them when the series first aired or discovered them later, there’s quite a story behind how those four performers became a band.