Monk (season 3)

Monk season 3
DVD Cover of Monk Season Three
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	16
Broadcast
Original channel	USA Network (USA)
Original run	June 18, 2004 – March 4, 2005
Home video release
DVD release date	July 5, 2005 (Region 1)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 2 Next → Season 4

The third season of Monk originally aired in the United States on USA Network from June 18, 2004 to March 4, 2005. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters, and Traylor Howard joined the cast. Bitty Schram left the show due to a contract dispute during the Winter hiatus. A DVD of the season was released on July 5, 2005.

Crew

Andy Breckman continued his tenure as show runner. Executive producers for the season included Breckman and David Hoberman. NBC Universal Television Studio was the primary production company backing the show. Randy Newman's theme (It's a Jungle out There) was continued to be used, while Jeff Beal's original instrumental theme could be heard in some episodes. Directors for the season included Randall Zisk, Jerry Levine, Michael Zinberg, and Andrei Belgrader. Zisk received an Emmy award-nomination for his work on "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine". Writers for the season included Andy Breckman, David Breckman, Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin, Joe Toplyn, Daniel Dratch, Hy Conrad, and Tom Scharpling.

Cast

Main article: List of Monk characters

See also: List of Monk cast members

Emmy Clarke had a recurring role as Julie Teeger in various episodes throughout the series, beginning in the third season.

Tony Shalhoub returned as the titular character and OCD detective, Adrian Monk. Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Randall "Randy" Disher, respectively. Bitty Schram portrayed Monk's nurse, Sharona Fleming, for the first half of the season, but left due to a contract dispute. Traylor Howard was then cast as Natalie Teeger in a main role as Monk's new assistant. Andy Breckman, the show's creator, stated, "I will always be grateful to Traylor because she came in when the show was in crisis and saved our baby [....] We had to make a hurried replacement, and not every show survives that. I was scared to death."^[1]

Guest stars for the third season were in even more abundance than the previous two. Stanley Kamel reprised his role as Monk's psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Kroger, in nine episodes, while Kane Ritchotte continued to play Benjy Fleming, Sharona's son. Emmy Clarke entered the series as Julie Teeger (Natalie's daughter), and Melora Hardin returned as Monk's beloved deceased wife, Trudy Monk. Tim Bagley made his first two appearances as Harold Krenshaw, Monk's main rival. Jarrad Paul portrayed Kevin Dorfman, Monk's annoying upstairs neighbor, while Glenne Headly continued to portray Karen Stottlemeyer, the captain's wife. Other guest stars for the season included Brooke Adams, Scott Adsit, Kelly Albanese, Amy Aquino, Moon Bloodgood, James Brolin, Emma Caulfield, Jonathan Chase, Maree Cheatham, Enrico Colantoni, Frank Collison, Alicia Coppola, Carmen Electra, Patrick Fischler, Sean Foley, Rosemary Forsyth, Neil Giuntoli, Michael A. Goorjian, Parker Goris, Harry Groener, Eileen Grubba, Saverio Guerra, Bob Gunton, Philip Baker Hall, John Michael Higgins, Rick Hoffman, James Intveld, Sung Kang, Chris Kennedy, Edward Kerr, Lance Krall, Olek Krupa, Mako, Ken Marino, John Maynard, Larry Miller, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Glenn Morshower, Lochlyn Munro, Niecy Nash, Arthel Neville, Patrick Thomas O'Brien, Raymond O'Connor, Nick Offerman, Faith Prince, David Purdham, Judge Reinhold, Mark Sheppard, Nick Spano, Josh Stamberg, Nicole Sullivan, Alanna Ubach, Jill Wagner, Michael Weston, Mykelti Williamson, Adam Wylie, and Rachel Zeskind. The band Korn also made an appearance.

Episodes

See also: List of Monk episodes

Series #	Season #	Title	Written by	Directed by	Original air date
30	1	"Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan"	Andy Breckman	Randall Zisk	June 18, 2004 (2004-06-18)
Monk takes on The City That Never Sleeps, or rather, washes its hands, as he investigates Warrick Tennyson's (Frank Collison) role in Trudy's murder.
31	2	"Mr. Monk and the Panic Room"	David Breckman and Joe Toplyn	Jerry Levine	June 25, 2004 (2004-06-25)
When a music producer is found dead in his own panic room, Monk finds himself in the monkey business when the man's pet chimpanzee is the primary suspect–even surpassing the producer's wife (Carmen Electra).
32	3	"Mr. Monk and the Blackout"	Daniel Dratch and Hy Conrad	Michael Zinberg	July 9, 2004 (2004-07-09)
Sparks fly when a power company spokeswoman (Alicia Coppola) is attracted to Monk as he investigates three deaths that are the results of a city wide power failure. Only, the primary suspect in the blackouts is a man who has been dead for years.
33	4	"Mr. Monk Gets Fired"	Peter Wolk	Andrei Belgrader	July 16, 2004 (2004-07-16)
Even after his private practice license is pulled, Monk is determined to solve the cases of an arson murder.... and the new commissioner's (Saverio Guerra) stolen hat.
34	5	"Mr. Monk Meets the Godfather"	Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin	Michael Zinberg	July 23, 2004 (2004-07-23)
Monk is coerced by an FBI agent (Rick Hoffman) infiltrate an organized crime family (including Philip Baker Hall) and attempt to get to the bottom of an apparent mob hit.
35	6	"Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf"	Hy Conrad	Jerry Levine	July 30, 2004 (2004-07-30)
The shoe is on the other foot when inexplicable happenings put Sharona's own sanity to the test. Has Sharona gone insane, or is someone trying to cover up a murder? Meanwhile, Monk hires a temporary replacement (Niecy Nash) and meets a fellow patient (Tim Bagley) of Dr. Kroger.
36	7	"Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month"	Ross Abrash	Scott Foley	August 6, 2004 (2004-08-06)
Monk takes a job at a Mega-Mart department store to solve the murder of the former Employee of the Month.
37	8	"Mr. Monk and the Game Show"	Daniel Dratch	Randall Zisk	August 13, 2004 (2004-08-13)
Monk and Kevin (Jarrad Paul) head to Los Angeles to help Monk's father-in-law (Bob Gunton) prove that the host (John Michael Higgins) of Treasure Chest, the game show that he produces, is cheating.
38	9	"Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine"	Tom Scharpling and Chuck Sklar	Randall Zisk	August 20, 2004 (2004-08-20)
Monk takes a new medication that alleviates the symptoms of his obsessive-compulsive disorder but impairs his ability to solve crime. Can he determine who shot Stottlemeyer and is planning to rob an armored car on this medication?
39	10	"Mr. Monk and the Red Herring"	Andy Breckman	Randall Zisk	January 21, 2005 (2005-01-21)
Why would someone want to steal an ordinary pet fish? Monk finds out, and meets a new assistant (Traylor Howard) in the process.
40	11	"Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra"	Joe Toplyn	Anthony R. Palmieri	January 28, 2005 (2005-01-28)
When all signs in the investigation behind a murder point to a deceased Kung Fu movie star, Monk must find the real culprit.
41	12	"Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever"	Hy Conrad	Jerry Levine	February 4, 2005 (2005-02-04)
When Monk witnesses a Chinese mob killing, he is put under the United States Federal Witness Protection Program and brought by Agent Grooms (Josh Stamberg) to a remote cabin in the woods, where he uncovers another murder. Meanwhile, Randy begins seeing a woman (Moon Bloodgood) who may not be who she says.
42	13	"Mr. Monk Gets Stuck in Traffic"	Tom Scharpling and Joe Toplyn	Jerry Levine	February 11, 2005 (2005-02-11)
Monk gets stuck in a traffic jam and finds that the cause of the standstill is murder. Along the way, he meets a personal injury lawyer (Larry Miller) and the band Korn.
43	14	"Mr. Monk Goes to Vegas"	Tom Scharpling, David Breckman, Daniel Dratch, and Joe Toplyn	Randall Zisk	February 18, 2005 (2005-02-18)
When a millionaire Las Vegas casino owner's (James Brolin) wife is strangled to death in an elevator by her own scarf, Captain Stottlemeyer suspects foul play and brings Monk out to investigate.
44	15	"Mr. Monk and the Election"	Nell Scovell	Allison Liddi	February 25, 2005 (2005-02-25)
When Natalie runs for school board against Harold Krenshaw (Tim Bagley), Monk must figure out who's behind an attempt on her life. Is Harold behind the attempt, or is it one of the volunteers (including Nick Offerman) at the campaign?
45	16	"Mr. Monk and the Kid"	Tom Scharpling	Andrei Belgrader	March 4, 2005 (2005-03-04)
Monk unravels a baffling mystery after a toddler finds a severed finger in a park. The investigation leads him to a woman (Brooke Adams) who claims her son has been kidnapped.

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Monk (TV series)

Emmy Awards

• Outstanding Actor - Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub, won)
• Outstanding Directing - Comedy Series (Randall Zisk for "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine", nominated)

Golden Globe Awards

• Best Actor - Musical or Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub, nominated)

Screen Actors Guild

• Outstanding Actor - Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub, won)

References

1. ^ Kaufman, Joanne (January 9, 2009). "Here's What Happened: How Natalie Rescued Monk". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123136846299462337.html. Retrieved June 1, 2010.