‘NEW MONKEES’ TO BE PRODUCED

Nearly a generation after the success of the original “The Monkees” series on primetime TV, Columbia Pictures Television has announced it will produce “The New Monkees,” an all-new half-hour series made for syndication. Production will begin after a talent hunt for four actors to play the leads, to take place in July and August.

Columbia executives said Thursday that the new series will retain the flavor of the original, which starred David Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz as the members of a Beatles-like band. The series, which aired on NBC for two seasons beginning in 1966, has been called a forerunner of music videos. The series now airs on MTV.

“The New Monkees” will be distributed to independent stations and network affiliates by COLEX Enterprises, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures Television and LBS Communications.