Monk - Season 1 Reviews

Monk: Season 1

Network: USA
Series Premiere Date: Jul 12, 2002
Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8

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8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 18 Ratings

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Monk

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8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 18 Ratings

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Starring: Tony Shalhoub, Bitty Schram, Bitty Schram
Summary: Former police detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), whose photographic memory and amazing ability to piece together tiny clues made him a local legend, has suffered from intensified obsessive-compulsive disorder and a variety of phobias since the unsolved murder of his wife, Trudy, in 1997. Now on psychiatric leave from the San Francisco Police Department and working as a freelance detective/consultant on difficult cases, Monk hopes to convince his former boss, Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), to allow him to return to the force. Stottlemeyer, who wavered between admiration for Monk and annoyance at his eccentricities during the first season, becomes more of a friend to Monk as the series develops, frequently calling him in to help, as much for Monk's benefit as for his own. However, he knows Monk's limitations as well as his strengths and still harbor doubts about the wisdom of allowing Monk to carry a gun or subdue a perpetrator. Stottlemeyer's second-in-command, Lieutenant Randall Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford), also develops both admiration and compassion for the man he once labeled "the defective detective."

Despite flaws and inadequacies all around, the three become an increasingly effective team, with additional help from Monk's personal assistant. From the double-episode pilot through the first half of season three, Monk was aided by his nurse, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram). But in the tenth episode of the third season, Sharona was replaced by a new assistant, Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard). Like Sharona, a divorcee with a son named Benjy, Natalie is a single parent, a widow with a daughter named Julie (Emmy Clarke). Unlike Sharona, Natalie is not a nurse but a former bartender with a fresh perspective on "Mr. Monk," as she still addresses her new boss. … Expand
Genre(s): Comedy, Suspense

Show Type: Ended
Season 1 premiere date: Jul 12, 2002
Episode Length: 60
Air Time: 09:00 PM
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Positive: 2 out of 3
Mixed: 0 out of 3
Negative: 1 out of 3

Film_Fanatic_15

10

In the first season, you get to know one of the most interesting characters in TV history, Adrian Monk. Audienced will soon love to know his brilliance as a clever detective, and the ultimate case that it seems like he will never decode: finding the murder of his beloved wife Trudy. "Monk" is one of the best shows on cable.… Expand

Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
MDins

10

Monk is one of the best TV shows I have ever watched. Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, the detective who suffers from extreme OCD, is perfect. The comedy and situations are expertly written and the show makes sure to never make fun of those who suffer from similar problems. The murders are all creative and no two episodes are ever the same. The casting is also great with Bitty Schram playing Monk's assistant, Sharona Flemming, for the first 3 seasons and Traylor Howard playing his other assistant, Natalie Teeger, for the rest of the series. Ted Levine as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer and Jason Gray-Stanford as Lieutenant Randy Disher are both fantastic. The therapy scenes with Stanley Kamel as Dr. Kroger and Hector Elizondo as Dr. Bell are also excellent.
Attracting the largest ever viewer figures for a scripted cable-TV episode in the world (for the final episode in the series; "Mr Monk and the End") showed how much the audience had fallen in love with Adrian Monk and how much of a devoted following the show had acquired over its 8 year run.
Undoubtedly one of the greatest detective shows of the last decade, Monk is a treasure to watch and is strongly recommended to everyone, detective fans or not.… Expand

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shineonsunfish

3

I kind of really hate this show. The detective drama is so overdone that you really need to do something different - apparently the creators of Monk felt like there was a real gap in mocking mental disorders, and so this show was born. Tony Shaloub does a great job as the title character, actually - he portrays his OCD as a mental disability blown out of proportion by the tragedy of his wifes death, leaving him incapacitated for years before finally returning to his work as a brilliant police detective. Unfortunately, Monk lives in a world where no one else has ever heard of OCD, so we are treated to a lot of insensitive jokes and "Whaaaat? You Crazy, Monk" moments that wear thin about 15 minutes into the first episode. This is also one of those mysteries that blow the surprise in the cold open, so we always know who the murderer is right as the show starts, which I find very annoying. As I have sat through 5 seasons of this, I think it is safe to say that is is rather unimaginative and insensitive, but has a pretty good cast that redeems it. A little.… Expand

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