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The Best Episodes of The Monkees Season 1

Every episode of The Monkees Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Monkees Season 1!

Micky, Mike, Peter, and Davy are four young men in mid-1960s LA, members of a struggling country-folk-rock band looking for their big break amid madcap encounters with a variety of people straight out of TV and movie central casting, with full knowledge that their existence is part of a weekly television series

Genres:ComedyFamily
Network:NBC

Season 1 Ratings Summary

The best episode of "The Monkees" season 1 is "The Royal Flush", rated 7.4/10 from 223 user votes. It was directed by James Frawley and written by Peter Meyerson, Robert Schlitt. "The Royal Flush" aired on 9/12/1966 and is rated 0.3 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Monkee See, Monkee Die".

  • The Royal Flush
    7.4/10 223 votes

    #1 - The Royal Flush

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/12/1966

    The Monkees rescue Princess Bettina, Duchess of Harmonica (Katherine Walsh) from her evil uncle Archduke Otto (Theodore Marcuse).

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Peter Meyerson, Robert Schlitt

  • Monkee See, Monkee Die
    7.7/10 186 votes

    #2 - Monkee See, Monkee Die

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/19/1966

    The Monkees spend the night in a haunted house to collect an inheritance.

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Treva Silverman, Dee Caruso, David Panich

  • Monkee vs. Machine
    8.1/10 186 votes

    #3 - Monkee vs. Machine

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 9/26/1966

    In a computerized toy factory, the Monkees foil an efficiency expert (Stan Freberg) who wants to replace an old toymaker (Walter Janovitz) with automation.

    Director: Bob Rafelson

    Writer: Treva Silverman, David Panich

  • Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers
    8.0/10 161 votes

    #4 - Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/3/1966

    A shady PR man (Andre Philippe) kidnaps the Monkees to prevent them from winning a talent contest in order for his clients (rival band the Four Swines) to win.

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Dave Evans

  • The Spy Who Came in From the Cool
    7.8/10 159 votes

    #5 - The Spy Who Came in From the Cool

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/10/1966

    The Monkees get mixed up in a spy ring (Jacques Aubuchon, Arlene Martel) after Davy accidentally purchases a set of red maracas containing secret microfilm. Can the Monkees outwit two professional spies ?

    Director: Bob Rafelson

    Writer: Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • Success Story
    7.5/10 139 votes

    #6 - Success Story

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/17/1966

    Davy's grandfather (Ben Wright) visits, and the Monkees try to convince him that his grandson is wealthy and successful.

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Dee Caruso, Bernie Orenstein, Gerald Gardner

  • The Monkees in a Ghost Town
    7.9/10 166 votes

    #7 - The Monkees in a Ghost Town

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 10/24/1966

    Stranded in a ghost town after their car runs out of gas, the Monkees are held prisoner by bank robbers (Len Lesser, Lon Chaney Jr.) and their boss, "The Big Man" (Rose Marie).

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Peter Meyerson, Robert Schlitt

  • Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth (a.k.a. Gift Horse)
    7.1/10 128 votes

    #8 - Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth (a.k.a. Gift Horse)

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 10/31/1966

    Davy is given a horse, which the Monkees have to hide from their landlord, Mr. Babbitt (Henry Corden). It is returned to a heart-broken child (Kerry MacLane) and father (Jim Boles) after Davy rides it to victory over the horse of the father's neighbor. Famed character actor, and frequent Bob Hope sideman, Jerry Colonna plays veterinarian Doctor Mann.

    Director: Bob Rafelson

    Writer: Dave Evans

  • The Chaperone
    7.8/10 138 votes

    #9 - The Chaperone

    Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/7/1966

    Davy's feelings for retired General Harley Vandenberg's (Arch Johnson) daughter Leslie (Sherry Alberoni) leads Micky to pose as a female chaperone at a party after the real chaperone (Diana Chesney) gets drunk.

    Director: Bruce Kessler

    Writer: Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • Here Come the Monkees
    7.2/10 152 votes

    #10 - Here Come the Monkees

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/14/1966

    The Monkees play a sweet sixteen party and help the birthday girl (Robyn Millan) with her studies after she falls for Davy.

    Director: Mike Elliot

    Writer: Larry Tucker, Paul Mazursky

  • Monkees à la Carte
    7.4/10 125 votes

    #11 - Monkees à la Carte

    Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 11/21/1966

    The Monkees pose as the Purple Flower Gang to save their favourite Italian restaurant from a gangster (Harvey Lembeck).

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Bernie Orenstein, Gerald Gardner

  • I've Got a Little Song Here
    8.0/10 151 votes

    #12 - I've Got a Little Song Here

    Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 11/28/1966

    Mike is fleeced by a fraudulent music publisher (Phil Leeds), but Micky dons the guise of a flashy Hollywood producer to get Mike's money back.

    Director: Bruce Kessler

    Writer: Treva Silverman

  • One Man Shy
    7.8/10 134 votes

    #13 - One Man Shy

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 12/5/1966

    Bashful Peter tries to win the heart of lovely debutante Valerie Cartwright (Lisa James) while dealing with her haughty boyfriend Ronnie Farnsworth (George Furth).

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Treva Silverman, Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • Dance, Monkee, Dance
    7.8/10 132 votes

    #14 - Dance, Monkee, Dance

    Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 12/12/1966

    The Monkees sign up for lessons at Renaldo's Dance Au Go Go (Hal March), and then find out that their contracts are for life.

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Bernie Orenstein

  • Too Many Girls (a.k.a. Davy and Fern)
    8.2/10 120 votes

    #15 - Too Many Girls (a.k.a. Davy and Fern)

    Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 12/19/1966

    A domineering stage mother (Reta Shaw) tries to use Davy to further her daughter Fern's (Kelly Jean Peters) career.

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Dave Evans, Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • Son of a Gypsy
    7.1/10 119 votes

    #16 - Son of a Gypsy

    Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 12/26/1966

    A band of gypsies, headed by the powerful Maria (Jeanne Arnold), force the Monkees to steal a priceless statuette called the "Maltese Vulture."

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Treva Silverman, Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • The Case of the Missing Monkee
    7.5/10 126 votes

    #17 - The Case of the Missing Monkee

    Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 1/9/1967

    Peter becomes involved with the disappearance of the respected Professor Milo Schnitzler (Norbert Schiller) and then disappears himself.

    Director: Bob Rafelson

    Writer: Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • I Was a Teenage Monster
    8.1/10 140 votes

    #18 - I Was a Teenage Monster

    Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 1/16/1967

    A mad scientist (John Hoyt) hires the Monkees to teach his monster (Richard Kiel) music—and then transplants their musical talent into the monster. Can the Monkees get their talent back? Byron Foulger appears as Groot, Dr. Mendoza's assistant.

    Director: Sidney Miller

    Writer: Dave Evans, Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • Find the Monkees
    7.9/10 130 votes

    #19 - Find the Monkees

    Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 1/23/1967

    When television producer Hubbell Bensen (Carl Ballantine) hears a tape of the Monkees, he frantically stages auditions in the hope of finding them for his new television show, unaware they are desperately trying to audition for him.

    Director: Richard Nunis

    Writer: Dave Evans, Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • Monkees in the Ring
    7.7/10 118 votes

    #20 - Monkees in the Ring

    Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 1/30/1967

    A crooked fight promoter (Ned Glass) prepares to cash in on a big bet by making Davy a stooge in a bout with the champ.

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • The Prince and the Paupers
    7.6/10 109 votes

    #21 - The Prince and the Paupers

    Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 2/6/1967

    Davy doubles for a lookalike Peruvian prince in order to win the heart of Wendy Forsythe (Heather North) or forfeit his throne to evil Count Myron (Oscar Beregi Jr.).

    Director: James Komack

    Writer: Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner, Peter Meyerson

  • Monkees at the Circus
    7.5/10 126 votes

    #22 - Monkees at the Circus

    Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 2/13/1967

    To save a bankrupt circus, the Monkees pose as a troupe of dazzling, supreme high-wire artists from France known as the Mozzarelli Brothers, but get in trouble when their guise requires them to actually perform.

    Director: Bruce Kessler

    Writer: David Panich

  • Captain Crocodile
    8.0/10 135 votes

    #23 - Captain Crocodile

    Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 2/20/1967

    The Monkees' appearance on popular children's show The Captain Crocodile Show is sabotaged by its host (Joey Forman), who fears that his guest's popularity is diminishing his own.

    Director: James Frawley

    Writer: Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner, Peter Meyerson, Robert Schlitt

  • Monkees à la Mode
    7.5/10 132 votes

    #24 - Monkees à la Mode

    Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 2/27/1967

    The Monkees are chosen as "Typical Young Americans of the Year," by Chic magazine, a haughty publication that runs a bogus article on the group moulding them into a false image of clean cut young men.

    Director: Alexander Singer

    Writer: Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner

  • Alias Micky Dolenz
    7.6/10 127 votes

    #25 - Alias Micky Dolenz

    Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 3/6/1967

    The police cash in on Micky's striking resemblance to imprisoned crime kingpin Baby Face Morales in an attempt to locate robbery loot.

    Director: Bruce Kessler

    Writer: Dave Evans, Dee Caruso, Gerald Gardner