Hey kids (of all ages), it’s Saturday Morning Cartoon time again! Christmas-style, even!

Okay… The MONKEES aren’t technically a cartoon, but they’re about as close as live action can be, and they were rerun in the network Saturday Morning block way back when. And since we just lost Michael Nesmith, I thought we’d slip them in as a Christmas entry.

Y’see children, back in the ’60s, the most successful band of all time, the BEATLES, exploded onto popular culture, dominating the music charts, filling stadiums at concerts, and making some weird movies… So naturally, TV producers got the idea of creating a knock-off group to be featured in a sitcom. Hired four actors to play the band members on screen, planned to have them ape performances over music recorded by professional musicians. But the boys actually gelled as a group, had substantially more talent than expected, and released a bunch of hit songs in the real world. Many of which are still popular today.

The sitcom… If you can call it that… Was a glorious mess. Full of 4th Wall breaking utter nonsense and plain goofing-off. This particular episode features none other than Butch Patrick (Eddie from the MUNSTERS) as a joyless rich kid the band has to get into the holiday spirit.

Instead of their usual pop-rock video segments, the episode finishes with an impressive, uncut performance of a very old, archaic Spanish carol “Ríu Chíu”. Then the whole production crew comes onscreen in lieu of the usual closing credit screens.

Now somebody check on CIRCUS BOY… He’s the only Monkee we’ve got left!!! From 1967. More from the OldHorseman.