Monk (TV series)

Monk
Genre
Created byAndy Breckman
Starring
Opening themeInstrumental theme
by Jeff Beal[a]
"It's a Jungle Out There"
by Randy Newman[b]
ComposerJeff Beal
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes125 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time40–45 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkUSA Network
ReleaseJuly 12, 2002 (2002-07-12) –
December 4, 2009 (2009-12-04)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Monk is an American police procedural comedy drama detective television series that originally ran on the USA Network from July 12, 2002, to December 4, 2009, with 125 episodes broadcast over eight seasons. It follows Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), a private detective with obsessive–compulsive disorder[1] and multiple phobias, and his assistants Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram) and Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard). Monk works with the San Francisco Police Department in solving unconventional cases while investigating his wife's unsolved murder. The show also explores the main characters' personal lives and struggles.

First envisioned by ABC as an Inspector Clouseau-type police show, the series' premise of a detective with obsessive–compulsive disorder originated with David Hoberman in 1998, while Andy Breckman, who is credited as creator, wrote the pilot episode by taking inspiration from Sherlock Holmes. Monk went through two years of development hell due to difficulties finding an actor for the main role. After USA Network took over production and Shalhoub was cast, the series' pilot was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2001. Subsequent episodes of the first season were filmed in Toronto, Ontario, and the remainder of the series was shot primarily in Los Angeles, California.

Monk received critical acclaim and awards throughout its run, including eight Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. The two-part series finale aired on November 27 and December 4, 2009. The final episode held the record for the most-watched scripted cable television drama from 2009 to 2012 (subsequently broken by The Walking Dead) with 9.4 million viewers.[2]

A follow-up film, Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie, premiered on Peacock on December 8, 2023, with a script written by Breckman and the main cast reprising their roles from the series.[3][4]


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  1. ^ "Monk's obsessive-compusive disorder". RecoBee. October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Kung, Michelle (December 7, 2009). "'Monk' Finale Breaks Basic Cable Ratings Record". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
  3. ^ Petski, Denise; Andreeva, Nellie (March 15, 2023). "'Monk' Returns as Peacock Orders Followup Movie Starring Tony Shalhoub & Original Series Cast". Deadline. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  4. ^ Lee Lenker, Maureen (October 9, 2023). "Detective Monk and friends return in first look at Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 9, 2023.

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