I did not expect, upon telling our extremely cultured Film and TV editors that my favourite television show was a long-forgotten detective show about a man riddled with OCD, to be met with such peals of laughter. It is therefore my duty to come to the defence of what I believe to be one of the most underappreciated TV shows out there: Monk.
First introduced to me when I was about 12, this show has carried me through many major life changes. It provides the perfect blend of intrigue, comfort, nostalgia, and humour.
Tony Shalhoub is the highlight of the show. He does a fantastic job of playing the obsessive compulsive, quirky title character (who is not a monk). Not only does he nail the comedic aspect of the role perfectly (I’d recommend the episodes ‘Mr Monk and the Panic Room’ and ‘Mr Monk Gets Drunk’ to get a sense of his comedy chops), he makes me care for a character that would otherwise infuriate me. He makes Adrian Monk a real, fleshed out, into a multidimensional character who is not solely reduced to his obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
The supporting cast also lends so much to this show. Ted Levine plays Captain Stottlemyer, a blunt and realistic police captain with a soft interior, and he interacts perfectly with his slightly bumbling Lieutenant, played by Jason Gray-Stanford. Monk’s assistants, Sharona and later Natalie, played by Bitty Schram and Taylor Howard respectively, balance out Monk’s character and give him much needed reality checks. The interactions between the cast make the comedy of the show; they each deal with Monk’s quirks in individual, unique ways that are entertaining, but also build important character relationships.
Monk does an excellent job of balancing comedy with the thrill of crime and the occasional sentimental moment. Each episode centres around a seemingly impossible-to-accomplish murder, and you simply cannot stop watching until the cast have solved it. Its heartfelt moments, usually surrounding Monk’s late wife or his persistent desire to rejoin the police force, also leave you extremely attached to these characters.
If I haven’t convinced you already, watch this show! It’s got eight consistent seasons of exciting, funny, and comforting episodes. And if I ever get Tony Shalhoub’s contact information, he’s got some fan mail coming.
“Jason Gray-Stanford, Ted Levine, Tony Shalhoub” by watchwithkristin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.