The Monkees Mind Their Manor

Written by Coslough Johnson

Directed by Peter H. Thorkelson

Produced by Ward Sylvester

Song: “Star Collector” by Gerry Goffin & Carole King

Guest Appearances

                         Mr. Friar                                                         Laurie Main

Lance Kibee The Sot                                       Jack Good

                         Twiggly                                                         Bernard Fox

                         Mary Friar                                                   Myra DeGroot

                         The Butler                                            Reginald Gardiner

                         Customs Man/Real Prop Man                  Jack H. Williams

                         Old Man                                                 William Benedict

Premiered on February 26, 1968

Summary

The Monkees are rehearsing a new tune as someone knocks on the door.  Davy answers it and is greeted by Mr. Friar, an Innkeeper of the Kibee estate back an England where Davy was a stable boy.  He informs Davy that he has to go back to England with for the reading of the will of the recently deceased Young Lord Malcolm Kibee since Davy may have been left the Kibee estate.  When Davy keeps refusing, Mr. Friar repeatedly faints until Davy gives in. 

Soon Davy prepares for his trip and since the others can't afford to go along, Davy sneaks them aboard in mummy cases.  At English customs, Davy shows the customs man the three mummy cases with the guys disguised as mummies and recognizes the customs man as Jack Williams, the TV show’s property man who addresses the audience as he gives a Dean Martin impression singing “Everybody Needs Somebody Sometimes” which has him mobbed by a screaming Micky.  Davy and Mr. Friar head for the estate, leaving behind the mummy cases where they're greeted by a near-sighted old butler who mistakenly shakes hands with a twig and mistakes Mr. Friar as Davy’s dog.  Once inside, Davy and Mr. Friar are greeted by Lord Kibee’s drunken nephew, Lance Kibee the Sot who indulges in liquor and Sir Twiggly Toppin Middle Bottom, the executor of the will.  The will states that Davy will inherit the estate on the condition he remains there for five years and if he refuses the villagers, who's homes are on the estate, may purchase it for 50,000 pounds.  If neither happens, the estate will go to his nephew Lance Kibee, who plans to sell it to a land developer.  Then Davy’s luggage, the three mummy cases arrive after letting the guys out they all meet Mr. Friar’s bespectled daughter Mary.  In the car, Twiggly encourages the drunken Lance to sell the estate since he’ll receive a huge commission on the sale as the young aristocrat continues serving himself liquor hidden in unusual places in the car including inside the wheel and in the radio.  Meanwhile, the near-sighted butler mistakenly grabs the arm of armor and tells everyone to follow him and soon they all do literally in a three stooges-style. 

Up in their room, the Monkees engage in complete boredom and when they question Mary what the young people do in town, she tells them they move into the city  for excitement where they found a mole on a lawn(a dragon!)  Then Twiggly shows them the will and tries to persuade Davy to leave the estate to the villagers if he’s bored  there but Mary reminds him that the villagers don’t have the amount of money to buy the estate and they will lose their homes to which Mr. Friar faints once again at the doorway.  Later, The guys try to come up with plan or be stuck there for five years but want to leave with a clear conscience. Since they can't talk Lance Kibee out of selling the estate, they decide to hold a medieval fair to raise 50,000 pounds for the villagers.  At the fair, they only come with 200 pounds but Mr. Friar tells Davy that they’ll make more betting on the winner on two of the three grand championships: jousting, dueling and mace& chain.  Since Davy is the lord of the manor, he’ll be one of the contestants and this time it’s Davy that faints. 

Mr. Friar confronts Twiggly about making a wager on the championship and he agrees claiming to be an expert in jousting to which Mr. Friar once again faints while the near-sighted butler mistakes one of Twiggly female companions as Twiggly.  At the first contest, Twiggly who is the opponent grabs two lances and gives Davy, who is dressed in a knight’s suit a choice of weapons for the jousting match to which Davy chooses the drunken Lance Kibee.  As Twiggy starts poking Lance with  the weapons, he puts a stop to it insisting there will be no commission if he’s killed so Davy is declared the winner.  At the next contest which is a duel, Davy wearing a boxer's outfit and boxing gloves looses the match causing booing and hissing to the angry crowd.  As they are about to prepare for the final match mace and chain, a very old man, who is the butler’s father interrupts insisting that choice of the contest at a fair is up to the people and the crowd choose a singing contest.  At the singing contest, Twiggly sings very off key to the old ballad “Greensleeves” to a booing crowd.  Next it’s Davy’s turn who sings it beautifully to the pleased crowd and Davy is the winner.  Later, they learn that they are 40,000 pounds short only having made 10,000 pounds but Mr. Friar and the Butler insists that Davy return to America aware that he doesn’t want to remain there for five years .  Leaving Lance Kibee the new lord of the manor, an angry Mary gives Lance Kibee a piece of her mind as she insults  and degrades him but Lance Kibee declares his love for her and vice versa and soon the two embrace in a passionate kiss.  Then Lance decides not to sell the estate after all but remain there with Mary as his bride-to-be and everyone rejoices.

This episode ends with Mike addressing the audience and is interrupted by Peter who gives an early Christmas message and next the Monkees give a rendition of “Star Collector”.

Trivia Notes

This was the only episode directed by Peter Tork.

Although, the Monkees visited England numerous times, this episode

was filmed on the Columbia Pictures studio.

Actor Bernard Fox (Twiggly) is best remembered as Dr. Bombay in the

classic sitcom “Bewitched” in which the late actress Myra De Groot (Mary)

also as guest starred.

Actor Laurie Main (Mr. Friar) replaced the late Sebastian Cabot as narrator

for the “Winnie the Pooh” cartoons and even hosted “Welcome To Pooh

Corner” on the Disney Channel.

Actor Jack Good(Lance Kibee) teamed up with the Monkees again when he

co-wrote and directed their 1969 TV special "33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee".

Once again, stand-ins Richard Klein, David Price and David Pearl cameo along

with Mike’s brother-in-law Bruce Barbour who replaced Mike’s friend John

London.

The song Davy and Peter were rehearsing in the beginning of the episode is

called “Iranian Tango” and this tune along with “Greensleeves” were released

on numerous bootleg LPs including 1979’s “Monkeeshines”.

The original storyline ended with everybody celebrating in a musical romp and

the Monkees returning to America in rowboats.  Other unused ideas had the

villagers having to purchase the estate from Lance Kibee for 180,000 pounds and

the villagers choosing a “Hey, Nonny Nonny” as the third contest.

On March 2, 1968, “Valleri” is releases as the Monkees’ sixth single in the weekend

following the airing of this episode.