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Monk (TV series)
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This SourceMonk is a U.S. television show about the private detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). Monk is afflicted by obsessive-compulsive disorder and multiple phobias.
The show premiered on July 12, 2002, on the USA Network, and began its sixth season on July 13, 2007. Monk was created by Andy Breckman and is produced by the USA Network. The show also has a dramedy theme. USA Network has confirmed that Monk will be returning for its 7th season.
Plot
Monk is a brilliant detective who worked for the San Francisco Police Department until his wife Trudy died in a car bomb attack, a plot Monk believed was intended for him. Trudy's death led Monk to suffer a nervous breakdown. He was discharged from the force and became a shut-in, refusing to leave his house for over three years. With the help of Registered Nurse Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram), he was finally able to leave the house, allowing him to perform consulting work for the police, despite having to deal with his obsessive-compulsive disorder.His compulsive habits are numerous, and compounding this situation is an unknown number of phobias. The OCD and plethora of phobias inevitably lead to very awkward situations and cause problems for Monk and anyone around him as he goes about investigating the cases. Interestingly, these same personal struggles, particularly the OCD, are what aid him to solve cases, resulting in his catchphrase, “It’s a gift, and a curse.”
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Lieutenant Randall "Randy" Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) call on Monk when they have trouble with an investigation. Stottlemeyer is often irritated by Monk's disorder, but respects his friend and former colleague's amazing observational abilities, as does Disher. Ever since childhood, Monk's obsessive attention to detail allowed him to spot tiny discrepancies, find patterns, and make connections that others fail to make. Monk continues to search for information about his wife's death, the one case he has been unable to solve.
In the third season, Sharona decides to re-marry her ex-husband and moves to New Jersey. Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard), a single mother with an eleven-year-old daughter, is hired as Monk's new assistant. Monk has a brother, Ambrose, and a half-brother, Jack, Jr.
Characters
Main characters
| Name | Occupation | Portrayed by |
|---|---|---|
| Adrian Monk | Former SFPD detective and current crime consultant | Tony Shalhoub |
| Natalie Jane Davenport/Teeger | Assistant to Adrian Monk | Traylor Howard |
| Captain Leland Stottlemeyer | SFPD Police captain: Robbery Homicide | Ted Levine |
| Lieutenant Randy Disher | SFPD Police lieutenant: Robbery Homicide | Jason Gray-Stanford |
| Julie Teeger | Young daughter of Natalie Teeger | Emmy Clarke |
| Dr. Charles Kroger | Adrian Monk's psychiatrist | Stanley Kamel |
Former main characters
- Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram): Natalie's predecessor. Last appeared in Season 3.
- Benjamin "Benjy" Fleming (Kane Ritchotte during pilot episode and second and third seasons, Max Morrow during first season) Sharona's son.
Minor characters
- Ambrose Monk (John Turturro) : Monk's brother. He hasn't left the house in over 32 years due to his agoraphobia and still believes his father is coming home after leaving over 30 years ago. Ambrose also blames himself for Trudy's death because he asked her to pick him up some cough medicine the day she was murdered.
- Kevin Dorfman (Jarrad Paul): Monk's talkative upstairs neighbor. He is often seen cooking (with Monk). He won a fortune in the lottery, then lost it all through gambling and relationships.
- Harold J. Krenshaw (Tim Bagley): Another patient of Dr. Kroger's. Harold and Adrian Monk have an ongoing feud, mostly about who they feel is liked the most by Dr. Kroger.
- Trudy Anne Ellison Monk (Stellina Rusich / Melora Hardin) : Monk's deceased wife. She was murdered in a car bombing. The murderer was Warrick Tennyson, who built and planted the bomb that killed her, but he was hired by a six-fingered man. Monk was later framed for this man's murder, shortly afterwards learning that the six-fingered man was hired by someone else, referred to only as "The Judge". Monk Thinks that somehow "The Judge" is connected to Dale the Whale.
Guest stars
The show has featured many guest stars over its six seasons, including Brooke Adams (who is Tony Shalhoub's wife), Jason Alexander, Sean Astin, Diedrich Bader, Danny Bonaduce, James Brolin, Brooke Burke, Dan Butler, Emma Caulfield, Rosalind Chao, Enrico Colantoni, Gary Cole, Alice Cooper, Brett Cullen, Tim Curry, Tim Daly, Polly Draper, Charles Durning, Carmen Electra, Jim Gaffigan, Greg Grunberg, Fred Ewanuick, Jon Favreau, Willie Garson, Joy Giovanni, Bob Gunton, Dan Hedaya, David Koechner, Korn, Brooke Langton, Howie Mandel, Chi McBride, Andrew McCarthy, Malcolm McDowell, Laurie Metcalf, Larry Miller, Glenn Morshower, Alfred Molina, Charles Napier, Niecy Nash, Kevin Nealon, Willie Nelson, Judge Reinhold, Andy Richter, Amy Sedaris, Michael Shalhoub, Sarah Silverman, Snoop Dogg, Nicole Sullivan, Holland Taylor, Danny Trejo, Stanley Tucci, Steven Weber, Mykelti Williamson, Rainn Wilson, and Janet Wright.
Episodes
USA Network planned an unusual re-broadcast of the episode "Mr. Monk and the Leper," first broadcast on December 22, 2006, in black and white and then rebroadcast immediately afterward in full color. Tony Shalhoub introduced the episode as having "all the elements of a timeless film noir movie" and thought it would be interesting to present it in that way.
The episode "Mr. Monk and the Rapper", which aired July 20, 2007, featured a special version of the theme song performed by Snoop Dogg, who also guest starred in the episode. Snoop Dogg's version was also used in commercials promoting the sixth season.
While murder is the theme in most episodes, in "Mr. Monk Gets Drunk" there was no murder but an elaborate attempt to cover up a heart attack victim in order for the people to divide up some ill-gotten loot. There are some crimes of passion or attempted blackmail but the main factor even in the aforementioned episode is greed. The perpetrators plan things carefully and like in Columbo they leave enough evidence to steer the police down the wrong path. Unfortunately they don't count on Monk who like the title character in Columbo sees what most people don't.
Production
According to an interview with executive producer David Hoberman, ABC first conceived the series as a police show with an Inspector Clouseau-like character suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. According to Hoberman, ABC wanted Michael Richards for the show, but Richards turned it down (Hoberman doesn't mention whether these events took place before or after the failure of The Michael Richards Show, which also featured Richards as a detective). Hoberman brought in Andy Breckman as creator, and Breckman, inspired by Sherlock Holmes, introduced a Doctor Watson-like character as Monk's nurse and an Inspector Lestrade-like character which eventually became Captain Stottlemeyer.Although ABC originated the show, the network eventually handed it off to the USA Network. USA is now owned by NBC (NBC Universal). Monk is the first ABC Studios-produced show (formerly Touchstone Television) aired on USA Network instead of ABC. Psych was the second ABC Studios show to air on USA, four years after Monk's debut. On January 12, 2006, USA Network announced that Monk had been picked up through at least season six as one of the "highest-rated series in cable history. Season 5 premiered Friday, July 7, 2006, at 9 p.m. Eastern time. This marked the first official time change for the program, which aired at 10 p.m. during its first four seasons. The change is due to its popularity and to work as a lead-in to the new USA Network series Psych, another offbeat detective program. Monk has followed a consistent format of airing half of its 16 episodes in the summer and the second half in the winter.
Location
Although set in San Francisco and its area, Monk is for the most part shot elsewhere except for occasional exteriors featuring city landmarks. The pilot episode was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the subsequent Season 1 episodes were shot in the Toronto, Ontario, area. Most of the episodes in Seasons 2-5 were filmed in the Los Angeles, California, area, including on-stage at Ren-Mar Studios (these include Adrian’s apartment, Sharona's house, Stottlemeyer's precinct house, Dr. Kroger’s office and Natalie’s house).Theme music
During the first season of Monk, the series used a jazzy instrumental intro to the show by songwriter Jeff Beal, performed by guitarist Grant Geissman. The theme won the 2003 Emmy Award for Best Main Title Music. When the second season began, the series had new theme music, a song entitled "It's a Jungle out There", by Randy Newman. Reaction to the new theme was mixed. A review of the second season of Monk in the New York Daily News included a wish that producers would revert to the original theme. Shalhoub expressed his support for the new theme in USA Today, saying its "dark and mournful sound,...[its] tongue-in-cheek, darkly humorous side.... completely fits the tone of the show. Newman was awarded the 2004 Emmy for Best Main Title Music for "It's a Jungle Out There. This debate was referenced in the episode Mr. Monk and the TV Star, which features an actor who plays a detective in a TV show, and several characters mention an in-story controversy over the change of that show's theme music, including obsessed fan Marci Maven, played by Sarah Silverman. In the epilogue of the story, she implores Monk to promise her that he will never change the theme music if he ever gets his own show. When Monk agrees to the promise (only so he can go back to bed), the original music is heard as the scene fades to credits.For the season 6 episode, "Mr. Monk and the Rapper," guest star Snoop Dogg performed a hip-hop version of "It's a Jungle Out There" as well as accompanied Monk with "here's what happened" in rap form.
Sharona vs. Natalie
During Season 3—after appearing in her 37th episode—Bitty Schram left the show, possibly as a result of a contract dispute. Schram's replacement was Traylor Howard (as Natalie Teeger). Some fans were unhappy with the change, while others in debates appear to prefer Natalie. As of the episode first aired on February 23, 2007, Natalie has appeared in more episodes than Sharona. One notable difference between the two assistants is that Sharona calls Monk by his first name, Adrian, while Natalie calls him Mr. Monk.The 2007 novel Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants had Sharona returning to get her job back after her husband was arrested for murder, thus clashing with Natalie. When both are framed for murder, they share a talk in their jail cell and bond over their feelings about working with Monk. Eventually, Monk clears both of them, and Sharona goes back to New Jersey with her husband, knowing Monk was in good hands with Natalie.
Other media
Soundtrack
The show's soundtrack features its original music score.Novels
Lee Goldberg has written several novels based on the show. The novels are written through the eyes of Natalie, Mr. Monk's assistant. The first novel, Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse, was the basis for the fifth season episode "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing."| Title | Author | ISBN | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse | Lee Goldberg | ISBN 0-451-21729-2 | January, 2006 |
| Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii | Lee Goldberg | ISBN 0-451-21900-7 | 30 June, 2006 |
| Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu | Lee Goldberg | ISBN 0-451-22013-7 | January, 2007 |
| Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants | Lee Goldberg | ISBN 0-451-22097-8 | 3 July, 2007 |
| Mr. Monk in Outer Space | Lee Goldberg | ISBN 0-451-22098-6 | 30 October, 2007 |
| Mr. Monk Goes to Germany | Lee Goldberg | ISBN 0-451-22099-4 | 1 July, 2008 |
DVD releases
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released the first five seasons of Monk on DVD in Region 1 & 2 for the very first time.
| Title | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season One | June 15 2004 | December 27 2004 | January 20 2005 |
| Season Two | January 11 2005 | July 18 2005 | September 19 2005 |
| Season Three | June 5 2005 | February 27 2006 | March 7 2006 |
| Season Four | June 27 2006 | September 18 2006 | TBA |
| Season Five | June 26 2007 | September 17 2007 | TBA |
| Season Six | June 10 2008 | N/A | N/A |
| Seasons 1-4 (The Obsessive Compulsive Collection) | June 27 2006 | November 20 2006 (R2 has different cover art) | |
| Seasons 1-5 | N/A | October 22 2007 (Only available in R2) |
Awards and nominations
Awards won
Emmy Awards:- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003, 2005, 2006)
- Outstanding Main Title Theme Music Jeff Beal (2003)
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series John Turturro (2004)
- Outstanding Main Title Theme Music Randy Newman (2004)
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Stanley Tucci (2007)
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy Tony Shalhoub (2003)
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2004, 2005)
Award nominations
Emmy Awards:- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003-2007) 5 nominations
- Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine" Randall Zisk (2005)
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Laurie Metcalf (2006)
- Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series Anya Colloff, Amy McIntyre Britt, Meg Liberman, Camille H. Patton, Sandi Logan, Lonnie Hamerman (2004)
- Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy (2004)
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy Tony Shalhoub (2003-2005, 2007) 4 nominations
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy Bitty Schram (2004)
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003-2005, 2007-2008) 5 nominations
Broadcasters
| Country | Alternate title/Translation | TV Network(s) | Series Premiere | Weekly Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Network (original airing) and Universal HD (syndication) | July 12 2002 | Fridays 9:00 p.m. | ||
| Network Ten (first run) and TV1 (re-runs) | ||||
| Austria | ORF 1 | - | ||
| Arab World | MBC 4 | Wednesdays 7:00 p.m. GMT | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | FTV | Tuesdays 1:10 p.m. | ||
| Brazil | Monk, um detetive diferente (Monk, a different detective) | Universal Channel and Rede Record | Sundays (Universal) and Fridays at midnight (Record). | |
| Bulgaria | Монк (Monk) | bTV | January 3 2007 | Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. (seasons 1 and 2) Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. (seasons 3 and 4) Sundays at 12:30 a.m. (repeats of season 1 and 2) Sundays at 3:00 p.m. (repeats of seasons 3 and 4) |
| Canada | A-Channel, Citytv, TVA (French) | |||
| Colombia | Monk | Universal Channel | Sundays (Universal) and Fridays at midnight (Record). | |
| Croatia | Monk | HRT 2 | Thursdays 10:00 p.m. | |
| Cyprus | Ντετέκτιβ Μόνκ("Detective Monk") | CyBC | October 8 2006 | Fridays 11:00 p.m. |
| Czech Republic | Můj přítel Monk ("My friend Monk") | TV NOVA | Sundays 5:00 p.m. | |
| Denmark | Monk (Canal+)/ Detektiv Monk (TV 2 Charlie/TV 2) | Canal+ (first run), TV 2 Charlie (re-runs), TV 2 (first run on national television) | Fridays around 10:00 p.m. (TV 2) | |
| Estonia | TV 3 | September 6 2003 | Sundays 8.30 p.m. | |
| Finland | YLE | September 11 2004 | Saturdays 7:45 p.m. | |
| France | Monk | TF1 | March 22 2003 | Sundays 3:05 p.m. |
| Germany | Monk | RTL | June 29 2004 | Tuesdays 10:15 p.m. |
| Greece | Ντετέκτιβ Μονκ ("Detective Monk") | Star Channel | Sundays 6:45 p.m. | |
| Hong Kong | 神探阿蒙 ("Detective Monk") | TVB (Season 5) | September 18 2003 | Thursdays 10:35 p.m. (seasons 1 & 2) Mondays 10:35 p.m. (seasons 3 & 4) Wednesdays 10:35 p.m. (season 5) |
| Hungary | Monk, a flúgos nyomozó ("Monk, the nutter detective") | TV2 | Friday 20:00 p.m. | |
| India | STAR World | |||
| Indonesia | Indosiar | |||
| Ireland | RTÉ (Finished showing Season 5) | Monday to Friday 3:00 p.m. | ||
| Israel | Israel 10 and Hallmark | |||
| Italy | Detective Monk | Rete 4 | June 9, 2005 | Thursday, 9:10 p.m. (two episodes) |
| Japan | 名探偵モンク [Meitantei Monk] ("Great detective Monk") | NHK BS-2 | ||
| Korea | 탐정 몽크 [Tam Jeong Monk] ("Detective Monk") | KBS2 | ||
| Latin America | Universal Channel | |||
| Mexico | Universal Channel | Sundays 7:00 p.m. | ||
| Netherlands | Monk | SBS6 | December 6 2007 | Monday to Friday 5:30 p.m. |
| New Zealand | Channel 3 and SKY 1 | |||
| Norway | Monk | TV2 Zebra | February 19 2008 | Tuesdays 9:30 p.m. |
| Philippines | StarWorld | Tuesdays 10:00 p.m. | ||
| Poland | Detektyw Monk ("Detective Monk") | TVN (free-tv-premiere), TVN Siedem (re-runs) Canal+ (first run), Canal+ Film (re-runs) | April 11 2003 | TVN: Tuesdays 8:55 p.m.; TVN Siedem: Sundays 10:00 p.m. Canal+: Thursdays 9:30 p.m., Canal+ Film: different |
| Portugal | TVI and FX | |||
| Romania | Pro Cinema Universal Channel | Pro Cinema: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8:30 p.m. Universal Channel: Wednesdays 9:00 p.m. | ||
| Republic of Macedonia | Kanal 5 | Wednesdays 8:00 p.m. | ||
| Serbia | Monk | RTS | Sundays 11:00 p.m. | |
| Slovakia | Markíza | |||
| Slovenia | Monk | POP TV | September 8 2004 | Wednesdays 9:40 p.m. |
| South Africa | Monk | SABC 2 | ||
| Spain | Calle 13 cable/satellite Canal 9 (Valencian Community) ETB2 (Basque Country) 8tv (Catalonia) TVG (Galicia) | Basque Country: From Monday to Sunday, except Fridays, 8:10 p.m. | ||
| Sweden | Canal+ Film 1 (first run) and Kanal 9 (re-runs) | April 8 2003 | Mondays 10:00 p.m. (Canal+ Film 1) Tuesdays 8:00 p.m. (Kanal 9) | |
| Thailand | Star World | Mondays 9:00 p.m. (THAI/WIB) | ||
| Turkey | Dizimax | |||
| United Kingdom | BBC (on rotation with Murder, She Wrote and Diagnosis Murder) and Hallmark Channel | Sundays 7:00pm on Hallmark | ||
| Switzerland | 3+/ TSI 1/ TSR 1 | |||
| Дефективный детектив ("Defective detective") | Channel One (Russia) | |||
| Asia | Star World | Mondays 10:00 p.m. |
References
External links
- USA Network official website
- Monk Fan Blog
- Monk on USA from the TV Guide website
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Last updated on Thursday March 13, 2008 at 16:46:25 PDT (GMT -0700)
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