The Monkees
Rafelson had already wanted to produce something involving musicians, and their life. When the Beatles appeared in the movies A Hard Day's Night and Help!, people enjoyed watching them onscreen, both playing out their lives and performing  comedy, along with playing music. Rafelson and Schneider adapted what they saw in the Beatles movies, and also in American movies and television. While the Beatles were always shown as a popular, well-known band, their show would be about an unknown band, looking for the chance to become famous.