Monk (TV series)

Monk
Monk logo
Format	Mystery Comedy-drama Police procedural
Created by	Andy Breckman
Starring	Tony Shalhoub Bitty Schram Jason Gray-Stanford Ted Levine Traylor Howard
Opening theme	Instrumental theme by Jeff Beal (season 1) "It's a Jungle out There" by Randy Newman (seasons 2–8)
Ending theme	Instrumental theme by Jeff Beal (season 1) "It's a Jungle out There" (instrumental) (seasons 2–8)
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	125 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Andy Breckman David Hoberman (entire run) Tony Shalhoub (seasons 4–8) Tom Scharpling (seasons 5–8) Rob Thompson (seasons 6–8)
Camera setup	Film; Single-camera
Running time	40–45 minutes without commercials, (approx.) 1 hour with commercials
Production company(s)	Touchstone Television Mandeville Films Universal Cable Productions Universal Network Television (seasons 1–2) NBC Universal Television Studio (seasons 3–6) Universal Media Studios (seasons 7–8)
Broadcast
Original channel	USA Network
Picture format	480i (SDTV), 1080i (HDTV)
Original run	July 12, 2002 – December 4, 2009

Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.

The series debuted on July 12, 2002, on USA Network. It was well received and continued for eight seasons, with the final season concluding on December 4, 2009. The series currently holds the record for the most watched scripted drama episode in cable television history, a record previously held by The Closer. Monk set the record with "Mr. Monk and the End – Part II", its series finale, with 9.4 million viewers; 3.2 million of them in the 18–49 demographic.^[1]

Plot

Adrian Monk was a brilliant detective for the San Francisco Police Department until his wife, Trudy, was killed by a car bomb in a parking garage, which Monk then believed was intended for him. He later believes that Trudy's death was part of a larger conspiracy that she had uncovered during her time as a journalist. Trudy's death led Monk to suffer a nervous breakdown. He was discharged from the force and became a recluse, refusing to leave his house for over three years.

He is finally able to leave the house with the help of his nurse, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram). The breakthrough allows him to work as a private detective and a consultant for the homicide unit despite limitations rooted in his obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), which had grown significantly worse after the tragedy.

Monk's compulsive habits are numerous, and a number of phobias compound his situation, such as his fear of germs. Monk has 312 fears, some of which are milk, ladybugs, harmonicas, heights, imperfection, and risk. He however had a breakthrough from claustrophobia later in the series. The OCD and plethora of phobias inevitably lead to very awkward situations and cause problems for Monk and anyone around him as he investigates cases. These same personal struggles, particularly the OCD, are what aid him in solving cases, such as his sharp memory, specific mindset, and attention to detail. In one episode entitled "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan", Marci Maven (Sarah Silverman) has compiled a list of all of Adrian's fears. On another episode, he tries to conquer his fears by doing various activities which involved his phobias. For example, he tries drinking milk, climbing a ladder, and putting a ladybug on his hand, but when things are scattered unorganized across a table, he cannot resist the compulsion to arrange them neatly.

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 behavior but respects his friend and former colleague's amazing insight and 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 often missed. Monk continues to search for information about his wife's death, the one case that he has been unable to solve, and eventually succeeds in the series finale.

In the middle of season 3, Sharona decides to re-marry her ex-husband and move back to New Jersey, prompting Mr. Monk to hire Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard) as his new assistant. Natalie is a widow and mother of an eleven-year-old daughter.

Monk has a brother Ambrose (John Turturro) and a half-brother, Jack, Jr. (Steve Zahn), whom Monk never knew about until the fifth season.^[2] He later meets Jack, Jr., in season seven in the episode "Mr. Monk's Other Brother".

Characters

Main article: List of Monk characters

See also: List of Monk cast members

Main characters

Jason Gray-Stanford, Traylor Howard and Tony Shalhoub sign autographs at Edwards Air Force Base after the filming of the season 4 episode "Mr. Monk and the Astronaut".

• Adrian Monk, portrayed by Tony Shalhoub, is a former homicide detective and a current consultant for the San Francisco Police Department. He has an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder and is well-known for his various fears and phobias, including, but certainly not limited to, heights, snakes, crowds, and milk. His wife, Trudy, was murdered in 1997, and he is haunted by her death (and the fact that it was unsolved) until he finally solves it in the series finale. He is the only character to appear in every single episode of the series.
• Sharona Fleming, portrayed by Bitty Schram (seasons 1–3), is Monk's nurse and later becomes his first assistant. She refuses to baby him, often forcing him to do things that are unpleasant to him, even going so far as to refer to her boss by his first name. Then, she suddenly re-marries her ex-husband and moves to New Jersey midway through the third season, leaving only a note. Her final appearance as a regular character was in "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine" (3.09), because Bitty Schram quit the show (allegedly over contract disputes). However, she returned as a special guest star in the final season in "Mr. Monk and Sharona" (8.10) in order to give closure to her character. Sharona claims that she and her now-twice ex-husband have separated for good. In this episode, she becomes romantically involved with Randy. By "Mr. Monk and the End (Part Two)" (8.16), it was revealed that she and Randy have moved to New Jersey together.
• Natalie Teeger, portrayed by Traylor Howard (seasons 3–8), is Monk's second and final assistant. She is significantly less forceful than Sharona and always refers to Monk as "Mr. Monk." She and her daughter Julie live alone. Unlike Sharona, she dresses more primly and is less inclined to assume a nonchalant attitude. Mitch, her late husband, was shot down over Kosovo in 1998. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Red Herring" (3.10).^[3][4] She is also the narrator of a series of novels based on Monk and written by Lee Goldberg.
• Lieutenant Randy Disher, portrayed by Jason Gray-Stanford, is a lieutenant in the Homicide Division of the SFPD. He is very naive, is often portrayed as unintelligent, and is known for his outrageous theories. The other characters are often irritated by him, but they also obviously care about him. In season 8, he is seen kissing Sharona. In the series finale, he becomes chief of the Summit, New Jersey Police Department, where he lives with Sharona.
• Captain Leland Francis Stottlemeyer, portrayed by Ted Levine, is the head of the Homicide Division of the San Francisco Police Department. He and Monk have been good friends since Monk was on the police force, and he continues to be Monk's friend throughout the series. He does his best to help Monk but is occasionally annoyed by Monk's phobias and the damage they can cause.

Secondary characters

• Julie Teeger, portrayed by Emmy Clarke, is Natalie's teenage daughter. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Red Herring" (3.10) and last appeared in "Mr. Monk and the End - Part I" (8.15).
• Dr. Charles Kroger, portrayed by Stanley Kamel, is Monk's psychiatrist during the first six seasons of the show. On April 8, 2008, Stanley Kamel died of a heart attack in between production of seasons six and seven.^[5] His character was said to have died of a heart attack as well when Monk restarted in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk Buys a House". The episode was dedicated to his memory. His last appearance was in "Mr. Monk Paints His Masterpiece" (6.14), although he was mentioned several times in "Mr. Monk Is On The Run".
• Dr. Neven Bell, portrayed by Héctor Elizondo, is Monk's second psychiatrist. He first appeared in "Mr. Monk Buys a House" (7.01).^[6][7][8] Dr. Bell was introduced in 2008 to replace Dr. Kroger after the death of actor Stanley Kamel.
• Trudy Anne Monk, portrayed by Stellina Rusich in the first and second seasons and by Melora Hardin starting in the third season, is Monk's deceased wife. Her husband's attempt to solve her murder is the show's longest-running plot arc. Lindy Newton portrays Trudy in a college flashback in the season 5 episode "Mr. Monk and the Class Reunion" (5.06). Her murder was solved in "Mr. Monk and the End - Part II" (8.16).
• Kevin Dorfman, portrayed by Jarrad Paul, was an accountant and Monk's talkative upstairs neighbor. He first appeared in the season 2 episode "Mr. Monk and the Paperboy" (2.10). He was murdered by fellow magician Karl Torini in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk and the Magician" (7.15).
• Harold J. Krenshaw, portrayed by Tim Bagley, is Adrian's rival for much of the series and another patient of Dr. Kroger. He and Monk have constant disputes, due to their incompatible obsessions. Harold first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf" (3.06) when he and Monk bickered about the arrangement of magazines in Dr. Kroger's waiting room. After Dr. Kroger dies, Harold constantly tries to discover the identity of Monk's new therapist. He finally does uncover Dr. Bell's name in "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall" (7.16). In the episode "Mr. Monk Goes to Group Therapy" (8.08), Harold and Monk finally become friends by conquering claustrophobia together. Harold generously leaves the group at the end of the episode so that Monk can share private therapy with Dr. Bell.
• Benjamin "Benjy" Fleming, portrayed by Kane Ritchotte during the pilot episode and second and third seasons and Max Morrow during the first season, is Sharona's son. His last appearance was in the season three episode "Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month" (3.07), though he was mentioned several times in the eighth season episode "Mr. Monk and Sharona" (8.10) and also appeared in the novel Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants by Lee Goldberg.
• Ambrose Monk, portrayed by John Turturro, is Adrian's agoraphobic brother. He is based on Mycroft Holmes. He first appeared in the season 2 episode "Mr. Monk and the Three Pies", (2.11) for which John Turturro won an Emmy for his performance.
• Jack Monk, portrayed by Dan Hedaya, is the father of Adrian and Ambrose. He abandoned the family when Adrian and Ambrose were young (having left for Chinese food and never came back) and started another family. He appeared only in the season 5 episode "Mr. Monk Meets His Dad" (5.09).
• Jack Monk Jr., portrayed by Steve Zahn, is the other son of Jack Monk, Adrian's half brother and a known convict. He appeared only in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk's Other Brother" (7.10).
• Dale "the Whale" Biederbeck, portrayed by Adam Arkin in the first season, Tim Curry in the second season, and Ray Porter in the sixth season, is Adrian Monk's archenemy and most hated rival. A wealthy and morbidly obese financier whom Adrian blames for ruining one of the last years of Trudy's life. He first appeared in "Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale" (1.03), at the end of which Monk sends him to prison for a murder-for-hire. Biederbeck later appears funneling information to Monk about Trudy's murder in "Mr. Monk Goes to Jail" (2.16) and "Mr. Monk Is On the Run (Part Two)" (6.16). At the end of this episode Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck loses his pocket politician, the Lieutenant Governor, during a failed conspiracy to assassinate the Governor. Biederbeck is left destitute and powerless for the remainder of his sentence.
• Karen Stottlemeyer, portrayed by Glenne Headly, was Leland Stottlemeyer's wife from the beginning of the series until their divorce in "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage" (4.12). It was later revealed in the season 8 episode "Mr. Monk is the Best Man" (8.13) that she was actually Leland's second wife. She is a filmmaker who specializes in documentaries. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man" (2.05) and later in "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife" (2.14) (in which she was in a vehicle accident caused by a sniper), "Mr. Monk Gets Fired" (3.04), and "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage" (4.12).
• Linda Fusco, portrayed by Sharon Lawrence, was Captain Stottlemeyer's girlfriend in season six. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk, Private Eye" (5.05) and later in "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" (6.01). Monk and Natalie proved her to be a murderer in "Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend" (6.04).
• Trudy "T. K." Jensen Stottlemeyer, portrayed by Virginia Madsen, is Captain Stottlemeyer's love interest in season eight. She is a freelance journalist, first appeared in "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" (8.09) and marries Stottlemeyer in "Mr. Monk is the Best Man" (8.13) after a brief reconsideration. She made a cameo appearance in the series finale, "Mr. Monk and the End - Part II" (8.16).
• Marci Maven, portrayed by Sarah Silverman, is Monk's overzealous admirer. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the TV Star" (2.12), "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" (6.01), and "Mr. Monk's 100th Case" (7.07).

Episode formatting

Main article: List of Monk episodes

Title

Much like novels in a series about a starring detective, most episodes have titles in the form of "Mr. Monk and (a person or thing)", e.g. "Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend", "Mr. Monk (does something)", e.g. "Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus", "Mr. Monk (is something)", e.g. "Mr. Monk Is On The Run", or "Mr. Monk Gets (something)", e.g. "Mr. Monk Gets Hypnotized". In the episode "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" it is shown that Marci Maven (Sarah Silverman) is referring directly to cases in the show by the titles of the episodes indicating that she is the one creating the various episode titles when writing on her fansite for Monk.

While solving a murder is the main plot for most episodes, there are a few episodes in which Monk helps investigate other crimes, such as kidnappings in the season two episode "Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny" and the season three episode "Mr. Monk and the Kid", or a failed murder plot in the season six episode "Mr. Monk and the Daredevil". There are a number of times where the episode is not about the murder itself but about finding evidence to arrest the killer, e.g. "Mr. Monk Goes to a Rock Concert", or "Mr. Monk and the Genius", and episodes where the murder is related to the main plot, e.g. in "Mr. Monk on Wheels". Some episodes actually start as a totally different type of case, but eventually a murder happens, e.g. a suspected abduction turns into a murder case in "Mr. Monk Gets Hypnotized". In season seven, in the 100th episode, Mr. Monk solved his 100th (and 101st) case since his wife's death, a milestone in his career.

Episodes about a murder generally follow one of four basic plot outlines:

• The killer is known, and how the crime was committed is known. The episode is spent trying to find evidence to arrest that person.
• Monk knows who the killer is, and knows what the motive is, but the killer has a seemingly air-tight alibi. The episode is spent trying to break that alibi and find out how the killer did it.
• In a number of episodes, the plot involves trying to find out the killer, how the murder was done, and why.
• In some episodes, the killer's M.O. is known, but not who did it or why.

"Here's What Happened" segments

Most episodes feature a sequence in which Monk reveals how the crime was committed, almost always prefacing his explanation with the words "Here's what happened." Most of these sequences are featured near the end of the episode, but have occasionally occurred at the beginning ("Mr. Monk Takes the Stand") or towards the middle. Some of these sequences are told in an unusual fashion, such as being told to a bear ("Mr. Monk Goes Camping"), in the form of a bedtime story ("Mr. Monk and the Kid"), being chanted during a ritual at a monastery ("Mr. Monk and the Miracle"), being told by someone other than Monk (by Sharona in "Mr. Monk Goes To Jail", by Natalie in "Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees" and by Disher in "Mr. Monk Visits a Farm"), and being rapped out by a rapper (guest star Snoop Dogg in "Mr. Monk and the Rapper"). Harold Krenshaw gives a fictitious summation about Monk in "Mr. Monk Goes to Group Therapy". Monk states a summation twice, in flashback and in present, in "Mr. Monk and Little Monk" as himself and as young Monk. In at least two episodes ("Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike" and "Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door"), Monk gives multiple versions of the same summation, but all except for the last one are false as a result of him being unable to concentrate.

There are only a few episodes that do not contain a summation. The first episode not to feature a summation was the season 1 episode "Mr. Monk and the Airplane".

Production

According to an interview with executive producer David Hoberman,^[9] ABC first conceived the series as a police show with an Inspector Clouseau-like character suffering from obsessive–compulsive disorder. Hoberman said ABC wanted Michael Richards for the show,^[9] but Richards turned it down. Hoberman brought in Andy Breckman as creator, and Breckman, inspired by Sherlock Holmes, introduced Dr. Kroger as a Doctor Watson-like character and an Inspector Lestrade-like character which eventually became Captain Stottlemeyer.

Although ABC originated the show, the network handed it off to the USA Network. USA is now owned by NBC (NBC Universal).^[10] Monk was the first ABC Studios-produced show aired on USA Network instead of ABC. Although ABC initially refused Monk, they did air repeats of the show on ABC in the summer and fall of 2002, and then again in the spring of 2004. 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."^[11] Season 5 premiered Friday, July 7, 2006, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. This marked the first time change for the program, which aired at 10:00 p.m. during its first four seasons. The change allowed the show to work as a lead-in to a new USA Network series, Psych, another offbeat detective program. Monk has followed a consistent format of airing half of its 16 episodes in mid-year and the second half early the following year, with the exception of the first season, which broadcast entirely from July 2002 through October 2002, and the final season, which broadcast entirely between August and December 2009.

Previously aired episodes of Monk began airing on NBC Universal sibling network NBC April 6, 2008. NBC eyed the show because its block with Psych could be plugged into NBC's schedule intact. The shows were being used to increase the amount of scripted programming on the network as production of its own scripted programming ramped back up following the writers' strike.^[12] Ratings for the broadcast debut were well below NBC averages for the time period. The show came in third behind Big Brother 9 on CBS and Oprah's Big Give on ABC.^[13]

Location

Although set in the San Francisco Bay 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.^[14] Most of the episodes from Season 2 through Season 6 were filmed in the Los Angeles, California, area, including on-stage at Ren-Mar Studios for seasons 2–5 and at Paramount Studios for season 6. These include Monk’s apartment, Stottlemeyer's precinct house, Dr. Kroger’s office and Natalie’s house.^[15] In Season 2, Episode 8, a building for the Toronto Star can also be seen in a cutscene.

Many scenes in Season 4 were shot in San Francisco, downtown in Union Square and Chinatown, as shown in "Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty", when Stottlemeyer and Disher are chasing a drug lord (Miguel Escobar) up Jackson Street.

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.^[16] The theme won the 2003 Emmy Award for Best Main Title Music.^[17]

NYC actor Colter Rule was hired by USA Network to do all radio and TV promos for the series from its inception, lending an ironic, understated tone which contributed to the show's early popularity. The original tag was "Monk! America's Favorite Defective Detective!"

When the second season began, the series received a new theme 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.^[18] 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."^[19] Newman was awarded the 2004 Emmy Award for Best Main Title Music for "It's a Jungle out There".^[20]

As a self-referential to the show controversy, the episode "Mr. Monk and the TV Star" features several characters, including obsessed fan Marci Maven, mentioning a controversy over the change of the show-within-the-show's theme music. In the epilogue of the story, Marci 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, and it plays through the credits.

The original theme is heard in the season 3 episode "Mr. Monk and the Game Show". It is also heard in several other episodes as the show enters the credits and then leads into the new theme's instrumental. Disher plays it on a piano in "Mr. Monk and the Leper".

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".

The June 16, 2008, re-airing of the first episode featured a new credit sequence with the Newman theme.

The season 8 episode "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" features a slower version of the original theme with a muted trumpet playing the melody.

Randy Newman also wrote a new song for the final episode entitled "When I'm Gone". The song was released on iTunes on December 1, 2009 and won the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.

For a few episodes where Trudy is featured, a somber but pleasant ending theme was used. The ending theme is last used in "Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra".

Little Monk

Main article: Little Monk

USA Network premiered a 10-episode online series entitled "Little Monk" on August 22, 2009. It includes Adrian Monk and Ambrose Monk during their middle-school years, bringing a back story to Monk's detective skills and phobias. However, as they would have been middle schoolers in the late 1960s and early 1970s, viewers will see anachronisms; the various cars seen in the episodes, as well as some of the clothes, do not belong to the period.

Other media

Soundtrack

The show's soundtrack features its original music score, composed by Jeff Beal.

Podcast

A "behind the scenes" audio podcast entitled "Lunch at Monk" is available for download through the USA website.^[21] In the podcast, cast and crew members of the show are interviewed over lunch.

Novel series

Since 2006, during the airing of season 4, Lee Goldberg has produced a series of novels based on the original television series.^[22] All of the novels are narrated by Natalie Teeger, Monk's second assistant. For the most part, the novels remain faithful to the television series, with slight discontinuity. Two of the novels were later adapted into regular episodes.

Number	Title	Author	ISBN	Publication date	Additional notes (if any)
1	Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse	Lee Goldberg	0-451-21729-2	January 3, 2006	Adapted in 2006 into the season 5 episode "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing"
2	Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii		0-451-21900-7	July 5, 2006
3	Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu		0-451-22013-7	January 2, 2007	Adapted in 2009 into the season 8 episode "Mr. Monk and the Badge"
4	Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants		0-451-22097-8	July 3, 2007	First appearance of Sharona Fleming in any Monk-related media since 2004. Rendered non-canon by the episode "Mr. Monk and Sharona".
5	Mr. Monk in Outer Space		0-451-22098-6	October 30, 2007
6	Mr. Monk Goes to Germany		0-451-22099-4	July 1, 2008	This novel was written before, but published after, the airing of "Mr. Monk Is On The Run", so events in this story run contrary to the series timeline. The foreword acknowledges some discontinuity.
7	Mr. Monk is Miserable		0-451-22515-5	December 2, 2008	Direct sequel to Mr. Monk Goes to Germany.
8	Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop		0-451-22698-4	July 7, 2009
9	Mr. Monk in Trouble		0-451-22905-3	December 1, 2009	Excerpt 'The Case of the Piss-Poor Gold' was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November 2009
10	Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out		0-451-23009-4	July 6, 2010[23]
11	Mr. Monk on the Road		0-451-23211-9	January 4, 2011	Excerpt 'Mr. Monk and the Seventeen Steps' was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, December 2010
12	Mr. Monk on the Couch		0-451-23386-7	June 7, 2011	Excerpt 'Mr. Monk and the Sunday Paper' was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, June/July 2011
13	Mr. Monk on Patrol		0-451-23664-5	January 3, 2012[24]
14	Mr. Monk is a Mess		0-451-23687-4	June 5, 2012[25]

DVD releases

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released all 8 seasons of Monk on DVD in Region 1. On October 5, 2010, Universal released Monk- The Complete Series: Limited edition boxset on DVD in Region 1. A 32-disc set featuring all 8 seasons of the series as well as special features and a collectible 32-page booklet.^[26]

Monk episodes from seasons 1–8 are also available on iTunes. All seasons are also available in HD format. It should be noted that the Region 2 DVDs of seasons 1–3 are in the 4:3 aspect ratio.

DVD Name	Ep#	Release dates
		Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
Season One	13	June 15, 2004[27]	December 27, 2004	January 18, 2005
Season Two	16	January 11, 2005[28]	July 18, 2005	September 21, 2005
Season Three	16	June 5, 2005[29]	February 27, 2006	March 22, 2006
Season Four	16	June 27, 2006[30]	September 18, 2006	November 15, 2006
Season Five	16	June 26, 2007[31]	September 17, 2007	April 1, 2009
Season Six	16	July 8, 2008[32]	September 8, 2008	February 3, 2010
Season Seven	16	July 21, 2009[33]	August 23, 2010[34]	June 30, 2010[35]
Season Eight	16	March 16, 2010[36]	May 9, 2011[37]	December 1, 2010[38]
Complete Series	125	October 5, 2010	August 2011	TBA

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of Monk (TV series) 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 Main Title Theme Music Randy Newman (2004)
• Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series John Turturro (2004)
• Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Stanley Tucci (2007)
• Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Randy Newman (2010)

Golden Globe Awards:

• Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Tony Shalhoub (2003)

Screen Actors Guild:

• 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 (2003–2010) 8 nominations^[39]
• Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series Anya Colloff, Amy McIntyre Britt, Meg Liberman, Camille H. Patton, Sandi Logan, Lonnie Hamerman (2004)
• 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 Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Sarah Silverman (2008)
• Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Gena Rowlands (2009)^[39]

Golden Globe Awards:

• Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (2004)
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Tony Shalhoub (2003–2005, 2007, 2009) 5 nominations
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Bitty Schram (2004)

Screen Actors Guild:

• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003–2005, 2007–2010) 7 nominations

Broadcasters

International broadcasters

Region	TV Network(s)
Arab World	MBC 4
Asia	STAR World
Latin America	Studio Universal

Country	Series Title in Country	TV Network(s)	Series Premiere
Arab World	Monk	MBC 4
Albania		RTSH
Argentina		Studio Universal
Australia		Network Ten (original run) and TV1 (re-runs)
Austria	Monk	ORF 1 (original run) and Puls 4 (re-runs)	June 28, 2004
Belgium		VTM and La Une (French)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Monk	FTV
Brazil	Monk, um detetive diferente (Monk, a different detective)	Rede Record Hallmark Channel Universal Channel
Bulgaria	Монк (Monk)	bTV bTV Comedy (previously GTV) Diema Diema 2 FOXCRIME	January 3, 2007 August 19, 2008 September 22, 2008 April 14, 2009
Canada		A-Channel, Citytv, TVA (French), Canal Mystère (French)
Chile		Studio Universal
Colombia	Monk	Studio Universal
Croatia	Monk	HRT 2
Cyprus	Ντετέκτιβ Μόνκ ("Detective Monk")	CyBC	October 8, 2006
Czech Republic	Můj přítel Monk ("My friend Monk")	TV NOVA
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)
Estonia	Monk	TV 3	September 6, 2003
Finland	Monk	Canal+, YLE TV1	September 11, 2004
France	Monk	TF1, TV Breizh	March 22, 2003
Germany	Monk	RTL, TNT Serie, Super RTL	June 29, 2004
Greece	Ντετέκτιβ Μονκ ("Detective Monk")	Star Channel, Universal Channel
Hong Kong	神探阿蒙 ("Detective Monk")	TVB (Season 7)	September 18, 2003
Hungary	Monk – Flúgos nyomozó ("Monk – Nutty detective")	TV2 and Viasat3
Iceland		Stöð 2
India		STAR World and Fox Crime
Indonesia		STAR World and Fox Crime
Ireland		RTÉ
Israel	מונק ("Monk")	Israel 10 and Hallmark and Star World
Italy	Detective Monk	Rete 4 Joi	June 9, 2005 May 1, 2008
Jamaica	Monk	Television Jamaica	May 2005–
Japan	名探偵モンク [Meitantei Monk] ("Great detective Monk")	NHK BS-2[40] AXN Mystery[41]	March 30, 2004 October 2006
Kenya		Kenya Television Network
Lithuania	Detektyvas Monkas ("Detective Monk")	TV6	September 6, 2003
Mexico	Monk	4tv, Studio Universal
Nepal	Monk	Star World
Netherlands	Monk	SBS6, NET5 & 13th Street	December 6, 2007
New Zealand		the BOX
Norway		TV2 Zebra & Hallmark Channel	February 19, 2008
Pakistan	Monk	STAR World
Philippines		Star World
Poland	Detektyw Monk ("Detective Monk")	TVN (free-tv-premiere), TVN Siedem (free-tv-re-runs) Canal+ (first run), Canal+ Film (re-runs) Universal Channel (re-runs)	April 11, 2003
Portugal		TVI and FX
Romania		Pro Cinema
Republic of Macedonia	Монк	Kanal 5 and Telma	May 6, 2011
Russia	Дефективный детектив ("Defective Detective")	Channel One	2006, 1–3 seasons
	Детектив Монк ("Detective Monk")	Telekanal Zvezda
Serbia	Детектив Монк/Detektiv Monk ("Detective Monk") / Монк	RTS / TV Avala
Slovakia	Monk	Markíza
Slovenia		POP TV	September 8, 2004
South Africa		SABC 2
South Korea	탐정 몽크 [Tam Jeong Monk] ("Detective Monk")	KBS 2TV & Fox	KBS : Only Broadcast Season 3
Spain	Monk	Factoría de Ficción, FDF (TV channel) Calle 13 cable/satellite Canal 9 (Valencian Community) ETB2 (Basque Country) 8tv (Catalonia) TVG (Galicia) TV Canaria (Canary Islands) Telemadrid (Community of Madrid)
Sri Lanka		STAR World
Sweden		Canal+ Film 1 (first run) and Kanal 9 (re-runs) and Comedy Central Sweden (re-runs)	April 8, 2003
Switzerland	Monk	SF zwei, 3+, RSI La 1 (form. TSI 1), TSR 1,4uTV	December 30, 2003
Taiwan	Monk 神經妙探	Videoland — W Movie Channel	July 14, 2004
Thailand		Star World
Turkey		Dizimax, TNT Turkey
Latvia	Monks	TV6
United Kingdom		BBC TWO (First run, seasons 1-6) Quest (TV channel) (repeats S1-S3), Hallmark Channel (repeats) ITV1 (Seasons 7-8) (repeating Season 1 from 30th April 2011)
Ukraine	Монк	Inter	2009-2010
United States	Monk	USA Network (original airing) Universal HD (syndication) Sleuth (TV) (syndication) Various broadcast television stations (syndication)	July 12, 2002

Notes and references

1. ^ Kung, Michelle (2009-12-07). "“Monk” Finale Breaks Basic Cable Ratings Record". Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/12/07/monk-finale-breaks-basic-cable-ratings-record. Retrieved March 6, 2010. 
2. ^ "Mr. Monk Meets His Dad". Monk. 2006-11-16. No. 9, season 5.
3. ^ Natalie was introduced partway through the third season when Bitty Schram, who played Sharona, left "precipitous[ly]", reportedly over a contract dispute. Traylor Howard had not yet seen the show and was unenthusiastic about her manager's urgings to audition as Schram's replacement. She nevertheless tried out and got the part. Despite her initial "cool" reception from fans, show co-creator Andy Breckman believes Traylor quickly and successfully filled the void. "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."
4. ^ 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 January 11, 2009. 
5. ^ Ryan, Joal (2008-04-09). "'Monk' Psychiatrist Dies". E! Online (E! Entertainment Television). http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=f940fb7a-aa19-4567-a9c9-bc12126850f4. 
6. ^ Keller, Richard (2008-07-08). "Tony Shalhoub and Hector Elizondo talk about season seven of Monk". TV Squad. http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/07/08/tony-shalhoub-and-hector-elizondo-talk-about-season-seven-of-mon. Retrieved March 6, 2010. 
7. ^ "Dr. Neven Bell". USA Network. http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/theshow/characterprofiles/hector/index.html. Retrieved 2008-07-10. 
8. ^ "Monk TV Series News: Emmy Award-Winner Hector Elizondo to Appear in Monk". http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/behindthescenes/monknews/news043008.html. Retrieved March 6, 2010. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "Mr Monk and His Origins", a special feature packaged with the Season One DVDs
10. ^ "Monk FAQ". USA Network. September 21, 2006. http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/theshow/faq/faq.html. Retrieved 2006-11-29. 
11. ^ "USA Network Announces Fifth & Sixth Season Pick-Up and Acquisition of Back-End Strip Rights of the Award-Winning Original Series MONK" (Press release). USA Network. January 12, 2006. http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/behindthescenes/monknews/news011306.html. Retrieved 2008-05-28. 
12. ^ Hibberd, James (2007-12-18). "'Monk,' 'Psych' to Get NBC Run". TelevisionWeek (Crain Communications Inc.). http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/james-hibberd/2007/12/monk_psych_to_get_nbc_run.php. Retrieved 2008-04-10. 
13. ^ "Monk, Psych stumble in a shift to NBC". Reuters / Hollywood Reporter. 2008-04-08. http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN0830872920080408. Retrieved 2008-04-12. 
14. ^ IMDB – Monk Filming Locations
15. ^ Monk Set Visit II
16. ^ "Grant Geissman – Biography". http://www.grantgeissman.com/bio.html. Retrieved 2006-09-16. 
17. ^ "Monk – The Show: Theme Song". http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/theshow/music/music.html. Retrieved 2006-09-16. 
18. ^ Bianculli, David (2003-06-17). "Detective's defective, show isn't". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2005-03-13. http://web.archive.org/web/20050313122441/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/93334p-84721c.html. Retrieved 2006-09-16. 
19. ^ "The Monk Fun Page". http://www.eviltwinltd.com/Monk/Monk.html. Retrieved 2006-09-16. 
20. ^ "Chronology — Randy Newman". Archived from the original on August 16, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060816170609/http://www.randynewman.com/tocchronology. Retrieved 2006-09-16. 
21. ^ "Monk TV Series, Detective Monk Television Show – USA Network -Lunch At Monk Podcast". USA Network. 2009-10-26. http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/behindthescenes/podcast. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
22. ^ Lee Goldberg. "Books:Monk". http://www.leegoldberg.com/monk.html. Retrieved March 6, 2010. 
23. ^ Amazon.com. "Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out". http://www.amazon.com/dp/0451230094. Retrieved March 7, 2010. 
24. ^ Amazon.com. "Mr. Monk on Patrol". http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Monk-Patrol-Lee-Goldberg/dp/0451235614/. Retrieved August 11, 2011. 
25. ^ Amazon.com. "Mr. Monk is a Mess". http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Monk-Mess-Lee-Goldberg/dp/0451236874/. Retrieved September 10, 2011. 
26. ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Monk-The-Complete-Series-Limited-Edition/14116
27. ^ "Monk – Season One". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001KL5IU/. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
28. ^ "Monk – Season Two". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006B2A2O/. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
29. ^ "Monk – Season Three". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00094AQZG/. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
30. ^ "Monk – Season Four". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F0UUTG/. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
31. ^ "Monk – Season Five". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OHZKZ4/. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
32. ^ "Monk – Season Six". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016MOWNW/. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
33. ^ "Monk: Season Seven". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001W79MHM/. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
34. ^ "(UK) : Monk: Season 7 (4 Discs) : DVD – Free Delivery". Play.com. http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/9284293/Monk-Season-7/Product.html. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
35. ^ "Monk Season 7 DVD Release". Ezy DVD. http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/813233. Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
36. ^ "Monk DVD news: Announcement for Monk – Season 8". TVShowsOnDVD.com. http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Monk-Season-8/13122. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
37. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003JQL1PU
38. ^ http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/815760
39. ^ ^{a b} "61st Emmy Awards". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. http://cdn.emmys.tv/downloads/2009/61stemmys_noms.pdf. Retrieved March 6, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
40. ^ NHK BS2 名探偵モンク--MONK-- (Japanese)
41. ^ AXN Mystery 名探偵モンク / MONK (Japanese)

External links

• Official website
• Monk Wiki
• Monk on USA from the TV Guide website
• Monk Season 7 – premieres on Monday August 17 on Star World
• Monk at AllRovi
• Monk at the Internet Movie Database
• Monk at TV.com