Was the Episode With "The Mosquitoes" A Homage to 'The Monkees'? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 06-20-2010, 01:18 AM

A popular American singing group, the Mosquitoes (Bingo, Bango, Bongo, and Irving), land on the island hoping for some quiet and relaxation on a deserted island.

Marvo301 · 06-20-2010, 02:16 AM

I think it was an homage to another band with an insect name, the Beatles!

TV_on_the_Porch · 06-20-2010, 05:04 AM

It was an homage to The Beatles. This episode was one of the first filmed for the 1965-66 season, more than a year before there was any such thing as The Monkees. They would have been very unlikely to do that (later) anyway since The Monkees was on directly opposite Gilligan's Island in the 1966-67 season.

old grouch · 06-20-2010, 08:21 PM

I like the Honeybees better.

Steve Carras · 06-22-2010, 12:49 AM

The Monkees had not yet arrived. Even though the castawsays were on an island with a jungle.

And the Beatles homage in the name is CLEAR. [The Beatles' own name owes to the Crickets.]

Sparkina · 09-21-2010, 12:35 AM

Actually, it was a sendup of those four mop-topped gents from Liverpool :-) The Mosquitoes even sang "He's A Loser," a takeoff on The Beatles tunes "I'm a Loser" and, to a lesser extent, "Nowhere Man."

TV Knowledge Fan · 09-21-2010, 01:51 AM

...."Don't Bug the Mosquitoes", originally aired on December 9, 1965 (right after the first telecast of "A Charlie Brown Christmas", which pre-empted "THE MUNSTERS" that evening), and was definitely intended to be a satiric swipe at 'The Beatles'. At the time, though, Screen Gems/Columbia was producing the original pilot episode of "THE MONKEES", which was bought by NBC in February 1966, and was scheduled opposite "GILLIGAN'S ISLAND" on Monday nights in the fall of '66.

sixfingers · 09-26-2010, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

A popular American singing group, the Mosquitoes (Bingo, Bango, Bongo, and Irving), land on the island hoping for some quiet and relaxation on a deserted island.

... and I'm sure they got a warm welcome from Ginger!

callensensei · 09-26-2010, 11:36 AM

Even the other two bands on the island, the Gnats and the Honeybees, took their name from insects as a nod to the beatles. Gilligan quotes the refrain of "She Loves You" (yeah, yeah, yeah) and Kirby Johnson in his tinted, round-framed glasses is defintely modeled after John Lennon.

Three of the band members, Bingo, Bango and Bongo, have names that sound like "Ringo." And finally, the fanfatical fans the Mosquitoes are trying so desperately to get away from are an echo of the Beatlemania phenomenon that was rocking England and the USA.

Steve Carras · 09-26-2010, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

...."Don't Bug the Mosquitoes", originally aired on December 9, 1965 .

Right after my 5th.birthday. I would have acted like a teenage groupie at a Honeybees shpw.

PartyOfOne · 10-03-2010, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

A popular American singing group, the Mosquitoes (Bingo, Bango, Bongo, and Irving), land on the island hoping for some quiet and relaxation on a deserted island.

This was definitely supposed to be a spoof of the Beatles. The Monkees hadn't arrived yet. That would be another season. I think that show was even worse! LOL

It seems that they resemble the Raiders as well, and doesn't one of them look like Mark Lindsay?

Rezny@gmail.com · 10-03-2010, 10:59 PM

And ,if I'm not mistaken,(and correct me if I'm wrong.),The Mosquitoes were played by "The Wellingtons",the group who did the first season black and white theme,which is nice and tropical sounding,and FAR better than the military-march sounding theme used in all the color episodes.

KurtfromPitts · 11-03-2010, 11:44 AM

Sorry, but I prefer the seasons 2-3 theme better.

LUNCH · 11-03-2010, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrezny@usnetizen

And ,if I'm not mistaken,(and correct me if I'm wrong.),The Mosquitoes were played by "The Wellingtons",the group who did the first season black and white theme,which is nice and tropical sounding,and FAR better than the military-march sounding theme used in all the color episodes.

Yeah the Wellingtons did do a fantastic job on the theme song for Gilligans Island first season.And I agree it was much better than the theme for the color episodes.The Mosquitoes were played by Les Brown Junior and the Wellingtons.Les Brown Jr. had most of the speaking lines on that episode.

Rich3 · 02-01-2011, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

A popular American singing group...

Along with the Beatles, they were also inspired by the Byrds, down to Roger McGuinn's glasses. The song "Don't Bug Me" was especially similar to the Byrds' sound.

http://ring.cdandlp.com/kroun2/photo.../114372425.jpg

06-20-2010, 01:18 AM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Was the Episode With "The Mosquitoes" A Homage to 'The Monkees'? A popular American singing group, the Mosquitoes (Bingo, Bango, Bongo, and Irving), land on the island hoping for some quiet and relaxation on a deserted island. Attached Images
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06-20-2010, 02:16 AM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,456	I think it was an homage to another band with an insect name, the Beatles!
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06-22-2010, 12:49 AM	#5
Steve Carras Sandra Bullock RULES! Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 30, 2002 Location: Riverside County, CA Posts: 807	The Monkees had not yet arrived. Even though the castawsays were on an island with a jungle. And the Beatles homage in the name is CLEAR. [The Beatles' own name owes to the Crickets.]
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09-21-2010, 01:51 AM	#7
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	The episode in question... ...."Don't Bug the Mosquitoes", originally aired on December 9, 1965 (right after the first telecast of "A Charlie Brown Christmas", which pre-empted "THE MUNSTERS" that evening), and was definitely intended to be a satiric swipe at 'The Beatles'. At the time, though, Screen Gems/Columbia was producing the original pilot episode of "THE MONKEES", which was bought by NBC in February 1966, and was scheduled opposite "GILLIGAN'S ISLAND" on Monday nights in the fall of '66.

06-20-2010, 05:04 AM	#3
TV_on_the_Porch anything good on? Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Posts: 879	It was an homage to The Beatles. This episode was one of the first filmed for the 1965-66 season, more than a year before there was any such thing as The Monkees. They would have been very unlikely to do that (later) anyway since The Monkees was on directly opposite Gilligan's Island in the 1966-67 season.

06-20-2010, 08:21 PM	#4
old grouch Member Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2010 Location: montana Posts: 1,877	I like the Honeybees better.

09-21-2010, 12:35 AM	#6
Sparkina Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 15, 2008 Posts: 31	Actually, it was a sendup of those four mop-topped gents from Liverpool :-) The Mosquitoes even sang "He's A Loser," a takeoff on The Beatles tunes "I'm a Loser" and, to a lesser extent, "Nowhere Man."

09-26-2010, 11:36 AM	#9
callensensei Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 31, 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 233	Even the other two bands on the island, the Gnats and the Honeybees, took their name from insects as a nod to the beatles. Gilligan quotes the refrain of "She Loves You" (yeah, yeah, yeah) and Kirby Johnson in his tinted, round-framed glasses is defintely modeled after John Lennon. Three of the band members, Bingo, Bango and Bongo, have names that sound like "Ringo." And finally, the fanfatical fans the Mosquitoes are trying so desperately to get away from are an echo of the Beatlemania phenomenon that was rocking England and the USA.

10-03-2010, 10:59 PM	#12
Rezny@gmail.com Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 20, 2007 Location: Nebraska Posts: 2,675	And ,if I'm not mistaken,(and correct me if I'm wrong.),The Mosquitoes were played by "The Wellingtons",the group who did the first season black and white theme,which is nice and tropical sounding,and FAR better than the military-march sounding theme used in all the color episodes.

11-03-2010, 11:44 AM	#13
KurtfromPitts Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 10, 2006 Location: Carnegie PA Posts: 1,535	Sorry, but I prefer the seasons 2-3 theme better.