Monkees In Paris (aka The Paris Show)

Written & Directed by Robert Rafelson

Produced by Ward Sylvester

Songs: “Love Is Only Sleepy” by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, “Don’t Call On Me” by Michael Nesmith & John London, “Star Collector” by Gerry Goffin & Carole King, “Goin’ Down” by Diane Hilderbrand, Michael Nesmith, David Jones, Micky Dolenz & Peter Tork

Premiered on February 19, 1968

Summary

The Monkees are playing checkers in their pad when Peter storms in with a letter warning them to give them the secret microfilm and get off the ranch or they will kill them just as Artie, the guest villain arrives demanding the microfilm.  But the unimpressed Monkees begin arguing with series director James Frawley about their frustrations over the script complaining that it’s the same old thing and no longer funny.  Then they all decide to take a vacation in Paris while James works on the script.   After they leave the set, the director orders a close-up of the Monkees as the scene shifts to them getting off the plane upon their arrival in Paris.

The Monkees ride around the streets of Paris on motorcycles when they are spotted by four beautiful French Women and soon there's a mad chase to the song “Love Is Only Sleepy” through the meat and vegetable markets and all over the street as the quartet try to dodge the pursuing beauties while confused onlookers watch on.  They finally managed to lose them by jumping on the back of a bus.  Meanwhile back on the set, James is explaining to the series co-creator/executive producer Bob Rafelson on the phone that the Monkees just walked off the set and suggest that they put on another episode but Bob isn’t pleased.  The Monkees are continued being pursued by the four girls as they chase them near River Sein where they nearly catch the guys until they jump onto the canal barge and as the waterfall flows Peter shows off with his hand gestures to the classical tune of Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyrides”.  Then the four beauties also leap onto the barge but the guys managed to get away by jumping back on the mainland leaving them stranded.  Soon, the Monkees are at the amusement park where they are engaged in toy cars and tricycles but the four girls start pursuing them once more and then each Monkee is enjoying the rides with each girl next to them. 

Later, each Monkee pairs off with each girl as they stroll romantically through a beautiful garden to the song “Don’t Call Me”.  At the Les Halles Flea Market to the song “Star Collector”, the Monkees are back on motorcycles strolling through a crowd when once again they are being pursued by the four women.  Now on their feet, a chase continues through the crowd as they try to dodge the women with hilarious results but are later bent down typing letters to each girl and  when they them the notes, they reply with a slap then the type another letter and the girls embrace them.  Next to the song “Goin’ Down”, the Monkees are fleeing from a mob of female fans led by the four girls and three gendarmes as try every way possible to avoid them from climbing a flagpole, hiding under a bench, inside an old brownstone and climbing onto a balcony but they can't seem to escape the crazy mob.  At one point, Micky is mobbed by the fans leaving him half shirtless.  When Davy and Micky enter  the cemetery, the tune is quickly changed to Johahn Sebastian Bach’s “Toccatta Fugue in D Minor” as the stroll through the site but returns to “Goin’ Down” when they are back on the street.  They continue to try to escape on bicycles, motorcycles and then a small truck as the mob surrounds them but then backs off when the guys take off their shirts and jackets.  They are finally able to escape but not before pulling the four girls in the truck with as it  takes off. 

Next, shows the Monkees being chased once again by the girls onto a tour boat where Micky fools around with lifesavers and the wheel wearing the captain’s hat.  Then the next scene has Peter and Davy are being pursued by two of the girls all dressed in old fashioned bathing suits at a swimming pool where they wind up falling into the pool.  Next, to the reprise of “Don’t Call Me”, the group are all riding in a broken down station with the women through the city admiring the scenery when one of the dune buggy breaks down causing a traffic jam.  Back at the Monkees set, director James Frawley tells Artie the guest villain about the script changes insisting that the fake moustache and foreign accent is out and instead of the secret microfilm, it's the secret apple but Artie doesn’t see the difference in the script.  Meanwhile, the Monkees are now riding the elevator at the Eiffel Tower and once again are plagued by the pursuing women as they are chased around the tower and continue to try to hide from them.  During the pursuit, a solo Davy pulls one of the girls in with him in a booth and soon all eight of them flee from the booth.  While monkeying around, they climb up the tower and all wind up in on sprawled on the ground.

Back at the pad, Davy, Micky and Mike are once again playing checkers as Peter enters with a note this time warning them to give them the secret apple and get off the base or they will be killed as Artie enters demanding the secret apple.  The frustrated guys complain to their director that is just the same old thing and then apologize to the audience promising to think of something else by next week as they leave the set.  Frawley again orders a close up of the Monkees and to the tune of the classical “War of 1812 Overture”, footages of the Monkees in Paris are shown.

Trivia Notes

This episode filmed in Paris is the only one to be filmed

abroad.

This was also the only episode of the second season to

be directed by Robert Rafelson and the sixth and last one too.

The four women chasing the guys around where actually French models.

Bill Chadwich, David Price, Richard Klein and Charlie Rockett play

the gendarmes.

In France, the Monkees were unheard of since the series doesn’t

air there however, they would embrace their feature film “Head”.

Ironically, the Monkees complaining about the scripts being the

same old thing during the beginning and end of this episode in fact

actually occurred which  partially led to the series ending.