Monk

I have fallen in love with this show by way of the cable reruns. It's wonderful in every way. The concept of the show is brilliant; a detective show in which the detective, although brilliant, is neither suave, brave, not debonair. He is truly a psychologically damaged person. And although his foibles and phobias are often played for laughs, the fact of his being destroyed by his wife's death is always a serious element of the show. The supporting players are excellent, particularly Ted Levine as Cpt. Stottlemeyer. The character of Randy is a bit gratuitously annoying but you can't have everything. The scriptwriting is some of the best around, with many subtle witticisms and some great cultural parody. And it is never straight out comedy; the tragic nature of Monk's mental affliction is always present, and the endings always have a gentle touch. The crime mysteries themselves are most often not the point of the show. They are merely the McGuffin - in Hitchcocks's phrase - on which to hang a drama about character relationships. Just a great, great show.

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.

Monk is a classic. Tony Shalhoub is incredible as a former detective with obsessive compulsive disorder. It's such an original show that will keep you laughing and entertained throughout its entire run. I didn't start watching it until it was almost off the air but heard such good things about it that I finally thought I'd gave it a chance. So glad I did because it quickly became one of my favorite comedy/detective shows I've ever seen! It is the perfect blend of comedy and mystery. Even though Tony Shalhoub won a ton of awards for his work as Monk, including numerous Emmy & Golden Globe awards, he still is such an underrated actor who was just perfect in this as Monk! I miss this great show so much and still try to watch it whenever I see it's on.

I absolutely loved Monk and still miss it. The series is about Monk, who develops obsessive-compulsive disorder after his wife is murdered. He ends up losing his job as detective with the San Francisco Police Department but still works with them as a consultant with the help of his assistant. He is the best detective alive but his condition always gets in the way. This show will make you laugh, smile and feel every other emotion a good show makes you feel. Tony Shalhoub deserved every single award he won (and he won a lot) for his role as Adrian Monk. I binged the entire series as fast as I could. I actually binged it a second time during Covid and enjoyed it just as much as when I watched it the first time. This is must watch!

Ah Mr. Monk, how I miss this show, there's nothing quite like it. It caught my interest right from the beginning even though I was slightly annoyed by Monk. Sharona made up for it though, she was pretty and fun and I loved the friendly chemistry between them. I remember thinking, if she leaves the show I will stop watching it. Then came Natalie and guess what, love at first appearance! Not only is she incredibly cute and adorable, the character she played was perfect and the relationship with Monk even better! Whoever did that is a genius.

There were times when Monk did things that I thought were just mean, rude and unacceptable regardless of his condition. But you can't stay mad at him because he's kind and a crime solving machine. Unlike some crime series where I feel like I have to over work my brain to keep up with the convoluted plot, when all I want is to switch off all the thinking, this is a refreshing series that is smart and yet natural and easy to follow. And there are plenty of funny moments, captivating drama, and characters that grow on you like the captain and the detective. The series ended properly, which I always find comforting. So glad I managed to watch it all on Prime. Thank you to everyone involved in creating this masterpiece.