Monk (2002–2009)

Adrian Monk is a brilliant San Francisco detective, whose obsessive compulsive disorder just happens to get in the way.

Creator:

Andy Breckman

Stars:

Tony Shalhoub, Jason Gray-Stanford, Ted Levine

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 16 wins & 38 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Tony Shalhoub	...	Adrian Monk (125 episodes, 2002-2009)
Jason Gray-Stanford	...	Lt. Randall Disher (125 episodes, 2002-2009)
Ted Levine	...	Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (125 episodes, 2002-2009)
Traylor Howard	...	Natalie Teeger (87 episodes, 2005-2009)

Storyline

Former police detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) has suffered from intensified obsessive- compulsive disorder and a variety of phobias since the murder of his wife, Trudy, in 1997. Despite his photographic memory and his amazing ability to piece tiny clues together, he is now on psychiatric leave from the San Francisco Police Department. Aided by his friend and practical nurse, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram), Monk works as a freelance detective/consultant, hoping to convince his former boss, Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), to allow him to return to the force. Stottlemeyer wavers between admiration for Monk and annoyance at his eccentricities. Moreover, he harbors serious doubts about the wisdom of allowing Monk to carry a gun. Stottlemeyer's second-in-command, Lieutenant Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford), also has his doubts about Monk but seems to be developing a reluctant admiration for the "defective detective."

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Plot Keywords:

detective | obsessive compulsive disorder | murder | multiple actors for one character | san francisco california | 

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Taglines:

The Defective Detective.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Crime

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

USA Network

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 July 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Detective Monk

Filming Locations:

Ren-Mar Studios - 846 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandeville Films, ABC Studios, Get It Straight Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

47 min 60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The show was originally to be made for ABC (the American one) with Michael Richards starring. When he pulled out, so did ABC. However, when the show was successful on the USA network, ABC agreed to carry second-run episodes (much in the same way that USA carries second-run episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit). This only lasted for a year.

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Goofs

The newspaper clippings in Monk's scrapbook (seen throughout the series,) which have headlines about Trudy's murder, are in fact articles describing the state of the economy.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Adrian Monk: Here's the thing...

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Connections

Referenced in 500 Days of Summer (2009)

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Soundtracks

"It's a Jungle Out There"
Written and Performed by Randy Newman
(all season 2-? episodes)

User Reviews

Best and Funniest Show in Years

Seriously, what shows have been that great in the past few years, that could appeal to just about any person? Monk delivers laughs and mysteries to a wide range of audiences. Experts on O.C.D. (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) say that the show does a credit to all patients in this field, instead of insulting and making fun of them, as many shows and movies do.

I'm so glad I discovered this show for my whole family. Now we refer to Friday night as "Monk Night", just because we love this show so much. Everyone should give this show a chance because it deserves at least that much. I almost felt sorry for it, seeing how ABC canceled it and all. But then, luckily, USA saw the promise in it and picked it straight up. Now most people feel sorry for ABC! Of course, if they weren't so quick to, as I say, "Judge and Cancel" all new shows, maybe they could have some decent programs on. 2 episodes just isn't enough.

This isn't one of those shows where I'll say "Well, if you have some extra time one Friday night and you're feeling bored..." No, trust me, this is a show you want to MAKE time for. Let me include a brief overview:

Adrien Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is a Detective with O.C.D. (see above), whose wife died 6 years ago when a car bomb killed her. Monk believed that the bomb was meant for him, and blames himself for her death. For the main part, Monk is going around solving crimes of all shapes and sizes (although they are all homicide), although every once in a while Monk, on one of his cases, will uncover something about the murder of his wife, which is a top goal for him. He is accompanied by his nurse/assistant Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram), and just about every episode has the police captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Lt. Randal Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford), who is an absolute riot at times, because he has a heroic sense. In other words, he's watched too many episodes of "Cops" and likes to imitate major police films. He also seems to have a "thing" for Sharona, even though they act like they hate each other. One last character that finishes off a great cast is Doctor Charles Kroger, Monk's Psychiatrist.

Overall, this is a must see for all, and if you miss this show, you're missing out on a great entertainment opportunity.