The CliqueClack writers tend to be pretty passionate about our entertainers, and we often find ourselves having long conversations with each other after one of our favorites passes away. That’s what it was like today when we learned that Davy Jones died of a heart attack. Deb and An were both very passionate about their respect for The Monkees as television stars and as a band — Deb was adamant that I mention (and I quote) “They were NOT a boy band!” — while I found myself fondly remembering a few memories from my childhood. One was of course the show, which ran on Nick at Nite when I was growing up (yes, I am young. I can’t help that). I distinctly remember an episode when Davy’s rich uncle was coming to visit and the gang had to pretend Davy was actually a big star like he said he was in all of his letters. That didn’t really make too much sense to me as a kid since he WAS a big star in the real world, but you kind of just rolled with it. The show itself was really funny, and current Nick show-featuring-a-goofy-band-of-handsome-teens Big Time Rush owes a lot to The Monkees.
The other strong memory I have of Jones is from the semi-reunion during the ABC Friday night hit Boy Meets World in 1995. While it was a show about teens and written for pre-teens, you can really tell how family-oriented Boy Meets World was by getting the Monkees on their show — that was obviously for the nostalgic parents watching at home with their kids.
I wasn’t able to find the full episode online, but I did catch a few clips from the episode to refresh my memory. Cory’s parents are celebrating their 20th anniversary, but Cory and brother Eric forgot and are hosting a rave on the same night … because kids in the ’90s threw raves in their favorite food joint, I guess (I don’t know, I was 10 when this episode premiered). So, they fake that it’s their parents’ anniversary party, of course! But what will they do when the band they got was turned away by bouncer Frankee (played by a young Ethan Suplee)? Lucky for them, Cory and Eric get three volunteers for a makeshift band in the form of Topanga’s dad, their dad’s best man and their parent’s mooching British friend from college … who happen to be played by Peter Tork, Mickey Dolenz and Jones respectively (the absent Michael Nesmith had cut professional ties with the band back in 1970 and would only reunite with them during their ’96-’97 tour).
It would have been very easy for the Boy Meets World writers to just have the band play as themselves, but making them fictional characters and throwing them together like that was far cleverer. I don’t think enough people give Mickey Dolenz credit for being able to play the straight man against the others’ wackiness, and you really see his talent for that here. Researching this episode, I discovered that Tork was featured as Topanga’s dad in an earlier episode in the same season … so that explains the inspiration for this reunion.
More than anything, Jones is really hilarious as “Reg, Reginald Fairfield!” At the time, I remember thinking it was maybe a little overdone, but Jones seemed to be having such a good time with the character and that can go a long way. And despite the rocky relationship of the band through the years, the trio of guest stars have huge comedic chemistry in the few scenes they’re all together. I also love the cameo of Dave Madden as someone suspiciously similar to his Reuben Kincaid (“I used to manage a band a few years ago. It was a family group … still got the bus we toured in!”). Easily my favorite part of the episode is when Madden mentions they could be bigger than the Beatles, only to have the three musicians look meaningfully at each other … and say, “Nah!” Fade to black.
I have to chuckle at the audience’s insane reaction to the trio agreeing to go up on stage. Honestly middle aged ladies reliving your childhood crushes, did you expect them to all guest star on the same show and not perform together? I’ve seen some comments about the episode complaining that the band didn’t perform their own songs, but it’s a small complaint, especially when you realize the trickiness of playing a song by a band whose members look just like the makeshift band … people will start to ask questions. Also, true story: as I re-watched these clips, my boyfriend saw the video and remembered the episode from when it first aired… but had no idea the band was played by the Monkees. When I asked if he had wondered as a kid why the audience flipped their shit for these three guys going on stage, my boyfriend answered with a shrug and an “I dunno.” He also didn’t know they had a TV show … I guess Nick at Nite wasn’t as popular in his house as it was in mine growing up.
Going back to Jones, his one-episode character of “Reg, Reginald Fairfield” sums up a lot about his talents as an actor in particular. The man was charming and funny and knew how to balance cheesy with that charming British attitude — he wasn’t afraid to be silly, which is probably why even the Beatles themselves were fans of the program. He might have had a tumultuous relationship with his band mates and the band itself over the years, but Davy Jones was a talented entertainer and a key part of why The Monkees as a band and a show was so enjoyable.
Clacked by Katie Schenkel 
on Mar 01, 2012 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
