The Monkees: Made for TV - Favorite Episodes and Biggest Hits From Season 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Monkees: Made for TV - Favorite Episodes and Biggest Hits From Season 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 24, 2026

It's been over a decade now since Rhino released The Monkees: The Complete Series, and the label is now revisiting the well remembered series' first season with this combo pack that features the original episode (mono) song mixes on an LP (you know, vinyl), along with two CDs offering the complete soundtrack to the first season, and the Blu-ray disc that is the focus of this review.

My thoughts on the show can be found in my original The Monkees: The Complete Series Blu-ray review. The Blu-ray disc included with this release offers the following Season One episodes (with featured songs listed underneath episode titles):

Episode 1 - Royal Flush

This Just Doesn’t Seem To Be My Day
Take a Giant Step

Episode 3 - Monkee Vs Machine

Saturday’s Child
Last Train to Clarksville

Episode 6 - Success Story

I Wanna Be Free
Sweet Young Thing

Episode 9 - The Chaperone

This Just Doesn’t Seem To Be My Day
Take a Giant Step
You Just May Be The One

Episode 12 - I've Got a Little Song Here

Gonna Buy Me A Dog
Mary, Mary

Episode 14 - Dance, Monkee, Dance

I’ll be Back Up On My Feet
I’m A Believer

Episode 24 - Monkees a la Mode

Laugh
You Just May Be The One

Episode 27 - Monkee Mother

Sometime In The Morning
Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)

Episode 28 - Monkees On the Line

Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)

Episode 32 - Monkees On Tour

The Girl I Knew Somewhere
Last Train to Clarksville
Sweet Young Thing
Mary, Mary
Cripple Creek
You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover
I Wanna Be Free
I’ve Got a Woman
(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
I’m a Believer

The Monkees: Made for TV - Favorite Episodes and Biggest Hits From Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Monkees: Made for TV - Favorite Episodes and Biggest Hits From Season 1 is (are?) presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Rhino Music with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.34:1. The video element here is duplicative of the original release, down to and including the just slightly wider aspect ratio as well as any number of age related nicks and blemishes that can be spotted throughout some of the episodes and which were also apparent in the older release. My general comments in my original The Monkees: The Complete Series Blu-ray review pertain to the episodes seen in this collection. While the main menu of this disc (see screenshot 10) offers separate episode links, the disc has all of the episodes authored together under one timecode, so choosing any individual episode is basically like clicking a Play All button, with the disc authored to proceed onward from that point.

The Monkees: Made for TV - Favorite Episodes and Biggest Hits From Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the video side of things, this disc's LPCM 2.0 Mono tracks duplicate the audio offerings on the original release from Rhino of the entire series. These are seemingly thankfully sourced from the first run episodes (the big multi disc set from years ago also offered some rerun versions, with considerably less effective audio), and my comments about the audio in my original The Monkees: The Complete Series Blu-ray review are salient for this release as well. Unlike the original multi disc release, this Blu-ray has no subtitle options.

The Monkees: Made for TV - Favorite Episodes and Biggest Hits From Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While there are no supplements on the Blu-ray disc itself, Rhino has packaged this set rather nicely in what amounts to a very heavy stock gatefold LP cover. The left interior panel has a fullsized sleeve which encloses both the LP (in its own interior sleeve) and an enjoyable four page foldout (almost as large as the sleeve it's in) which has a fun essay by Andrew Sandoval on page 1, episode information (with photos) on the interior pages, and Sandoval's informational listings of the TV versions of the tracks offered on the LP. The right side of the interior gatefold has three indented pockets holding the CDs and Blu-ray disc.

The Monkees: Made for TV - Favorite Episodes and Biggest Hits From Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While the original mono TV mixes aren't really revelatory in any meaningful way, they're fun to have, especially on a "quaint" technology like a vinyl record, and the CDs and Blu-ray disc offer their own pleasures as well. Those who already picked up Rhino's original full series release from years ago may admittedly not be overly excited about this release, but since that doesn't seem to be widely available anymore, fans of the series may find this an appealing substitute. Technical merits mirror the original release, and the entire package is nicely designed. Recommended.