# Monk (2002)

> A brilliant but phobia-ridden former San Francisco homicide detective becomes a private consultant, solving baffling cases with obsessive precision.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1593

## Facts

- Seasons: 8
- Episodes: 124
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, crime, mystery
- Created by: Andy Breckman
- Network: USA Network
- Cast: Tony Shalhoub, Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford, Traylor Howard, Bitty Schram, Stanley Kamel, Stephen McHattie, Polly Draper
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0312172/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: witty, gentle, quirky, comforting, light

## What critics say

Audiences broadly regard Monk as a positive, comfortable detective series whose lead performance and quirky investigations make for relaxing, funny entertainment, though its later seasons slip somewhat.

## Synopsis

Monk (2002-2009) is an American network crime comedy series created by Andy Breckman for USA Network. Tony Shalhoub plays Adrian Monk, a brilliant former San Francisco police detective whose obsessive-compulsive disorder grew severe after his wife Trudy's murder, which remains unsolved. Now working as a private consultant, he helps the police force led by Ted Levine's Leland Stottlemeyer crack baffling homicides, while Traylor Howard's Natalie Teeger serves as his assistant and Jason Gray-Stanford's Randall Disher provides a foil within the squad. Its engine is simple and satisfying: each episode presents a fresh murder with an odd twist, and Monk's compulsions, fears of germs and disorder, and sharp observations turn ordinary clues into solutions. Running eight seasons across 124 episodes in a case-of-the-week format, the series keeps a continuing thread of personal grief beneath its lighter procedural surface. The tone is gentle, witty and comforting, with quirky situations drawn from his condition, making it an easy, relaxing watch. Fans of Columbo, Sherlock and Psych will find similar pleasures in an eccentric investigator and a cozy crime mystery.

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