Day: December 11, 2021

Nesmith was a Monkee and much more

Mike Nesmith, who died Friday at 78, was many things, some of them mismatched.
He was heir to a “Liquid Paper” fortune …. And a songwriter whose “Different Drum” reached the top-20 with Linda Ronstadt … And a producer of distinctive movies – “Repo Man,” “Tapeheads” and “Timerider” … And a pioneer of music videos and comedy videos.
Mostly, though, he’ll be remembered for one thing: He was a Monkee.
Nesmith (second from left) was the guy with the wool cap and the slight Texas drawl. He was also considered the main musician – a skilled guitarist and songwriter – of the quartet that was assembled for a TV show. Read more…

Best-bets for Dec. 13: NBC scores with “Voice” and comedy

1) “American Auto” (shown here) debut, 10 and 10:30 p.m, NBC. Trying to survive against auto giants, Payne Motors pins its hopes on two changes – a new CEO (Ana Gasteyer) and a self-driving car. Alas, the CEO doesn’t know (or care) much about cars. And the self-driver … well, there’s a funny surprise we won’t spoil. This show – which gets a weekly spot Jan. 4 – is another delight for producer Justin Spitzer (“Superstore”) and for Gasteyer, whose recent “Clusterfunke Christmas” is a delight. Read more…