1966: NBC debuts a new sitcom, one that also includes musical numbers. The Monkees is broadcast for the first time. The idea of a show built around rock & roll music is off-putting to the management of several NBC affiliates who pass on carrying the broadcast.
Just one week later, “Last Train to Clarksville” hits the top of the American charts and the show does very well in the markets that carry it. Most of the affiliates who passed on the show, now decide they will air it after all.