Overview of the Monk TV Series
Monk is an American crime television series drama that ran on the USA television network. Andy Breckman created the original series. On the popular hit show, Tony Shalhoub stars as Adrian Monk. The show is primarily a mystery series that features broadly comic touches related to the main character’s insecurities. The Monk TV series debuted on July 12, 2002, and ran through December 2009.
Main Character
The main character, Adrian Monk, is a former homicide detective who had a nervous breakdown after the death of his wife. After recovering, he began working as a private detective. The character has several compulsive habits and phobias. These fears often get in the way of his detective work and annoy others working on the case. He also has an extreme case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The condition ends up costing him his job as a homicide detective. He often tries to overcome his fears in various ways.
Most of the show’s plots are about solving a murder. Sometimes the killer’s identity is apparent, and the focus is on proving their guilt. In other cases, they don’t know who the killer is, and they must track them down.
Production Company and Executive Producers
The series had several production companies throughout its run, including Mandeville Films, Touchstone Television, USA Cable Entertainment (first three seasons), NBC Universal Television Studio (seasons three to six), Universal Media Studios (6), Universal Cable Productions (7 and 8) and USA Network Original Programming (1 to 3). NBCUniversal Television Distribution is the distributor. The executive producers are Andy Breckman, David Hoberman, Tony Shalhoub, Tom Scharpling, and Rob Thompson.
List of Monk TV Series Episodes
The Monk TV series ran for eight seasons and 125 episodes. Each episode ranged from 40 to 45 minutes long. All of the episodes are available to stream online via Amazon Video.
Season 1
The first season includes a total of 12 episodes. The DVD set includes additional special features. Following is a list of episode titles:
- S1, E1 – Mr. Monk and the Candidate (Part 1 and 2) – In the first episode of the series, someone tries to kill a candidate for mayor. Monk investigates and learns there is more than meets the eye.
- S1, E3 – Mr. Monk and the Psychic – A psychic discovers the body of a missing woman, but the investigation begins to raise suspicion.
- S1, E4 – Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale – An 800-pound man is a primary suspect in a murder investigation. Monk questions his ability to commit the crime.
- S1, E5 – Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival
- S1, E6 – Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum
- S1, E7 – Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger
- S1, E8 – Mr. Monk and the Other Woman
- S1, E9 – Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man
- S1, E10 – Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation
- S1, E11 – Mr. Monk and the Earthquake
- S1, E12 – Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger
- S1, E13 – Mr. Monk and the Airplane
Other Seasons
- Monk – Season Two on DVD (2002) – Includes all episodes
- Season Three on DVD (2002) – Includes 16 episodes from the third season and five featurettes.
- Television Series – Season Four on DVD (2002)
- Season Five on DVD (2002) – All 16 episodes from the fifth season in a four-disc set, plus bonus features.
- Season Six on DVD – All 16 episodes from the sixth season.
- The Seventh Season includes all of the episodes from the final year.
- Season 8
Buy the Complete Series on DVD
In addition, the entire run of the Monk TV series is available from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Individual seasons are available, as well as a 32-disc set containing the entire series. Many individual DVDs contain bonus content such as cast interviews and featurettes.
Monk: The Complete Series
This is a 32-disc DVD set that includes all the episodes from all eight series seasons. The set includes unique features that explain things about the character. Special topics include his origins, his OCD, character profiles, and much more. In addition, some seasons include commentary, a look behind the scenes, and an overview of the writing process. The complete set has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on more than 700 reviews.
Below is a video of the season 1 trailer:
List of Monk TV Series Cast Members
- Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk
- Bitty Schram as Sharona Fleming
- Traylor Howard as Natalie Teeger
- Ted Levine as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer
- Jason Gray-Stanford as Lieutenant Randy Disher
Ratings and Awards
The series received numerous nominations and awards. It won eight Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
- The series has a rating of 8 out of 10 stars on IMDB
- The series has a rating of 9.1 out of 10 stars on TV.com
- 95% of Google users indicate they like the show
- The series has a rating of 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon Video (the only five-star rating we’ve seen)
Questions and Comments
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