TV Show: The Monkees

Monkeyshines

During the first season of the show, each Monkee was paid $450 per episode, which was increased to $750 in the second (final) season.

While they all received standard royalties for their songs where applicable, no one negotiated returns on merchandising, so they received nothing. A later lawsuit against Columbia Pictures netted them a measly $10,000.

Easy Pickings

Only 437 young men answered the ad in “Variety” inviting “insane boys, age 17-21 to appear in a TV series.” All were interviewed individually.

Michael Nesmith was the only one in that group to get hired for the Monkees show. The three others landed their parts through different avenues.