monk (thing)

Tony Shalhoub is Adrian Monk, the former police detective turned independant private investigator in the USA Network series Monk. The show premiered in summer 2002 and follows Monk as he tries to overcome his obsessive compulsive disorder and solve crimes on a per case basis for his former boss at the police department, Leland Stottlemeyer. Working with his caretaker, Sharona Fleming, Monk always cracks the case. The "catch" is that because of Monk's disorder he notices even the smallest piece of evidence. The first two seasons aired to critical acclaim and record ratings for the USA Network, prompting an order for a third season to air in 2004-05. The show is extremely entertaining and I recommend it to everyone.

Monk Episode Guide

• Season One (2002)
  • Mr. Monk and the Candidate (1)
  • Mr. Monk and the Candidate (2)
  • Mr. Monk and the Psychic
  • Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale
  • Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival
  • Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum
  • Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger
  • Mr. Monk and the Other Woman
  • Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man
  • Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation
  • Mr. Monk and the Earthquake
  • Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger
  • Mr. Monk and the Airplane
• Season Two (2003-2004)
  • Mr. Monk Goes Back to School
  • Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico
  • Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame
  • Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man
  • Mr. Monk Goes to the Theater
  • Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect
  • Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy
  • Mr. Monk and the Twelfth Victim
  • Mr. Monk and the Paperboy
  • Mr. Monk and the Three Pies
  • Mr. Monk and the TV Star
  • Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny
  • Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife
  • Mr. Monk Gets Married
  • Mr. Monk Goes to Jail
• Season Three (2004)
  • Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan
  • Mr. Monk and the Panic Room
  • Mr. Monk and the Blackout
  • Mr. Monk Gets Fired
  • Mr. Monk Meets the Godfather
  • Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf
  • Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month
  • Mr. Monk and the Game Show
  • Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine

Historical footnote: Monk had been in development hell since 1998 when ABC turned down the first incarnation of the series. Intially a post-Seinfeld Michael Richards was sought to play Adrian Monk. After he turned down the role to do The Michael Richards Show, Monk went back into development and by 2001 Tony Shalhoub had been cast as the detective. ABC turned down the series again and the USA Network picked it up for the summer of 2002. Ironically, ABC has bought the rights to air the reruns after the series earned high ratings. The series has been picked up for a second series, and ABC is seriously pursuing the first-air rights. So far USA refuses to let the show go.

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References:
http://epguides.com/Monk
A series of interviews linked from http://www.tvtattle.com in September 2002