"We're
in a constant state of fermentation,
like a very tasty, tangy, cheap
wine. We're kind of like the Two
Buck Chuck of series television."
— My Favorite Tony
Shalhoub Quote
How
about we try mysteries where I
sit in a chair, sip a cold drink,
and talk to a beautiful woman?"
— My
Other Favorite Tony Shalhoub Quote
|
|
Welcome
to The Monk Fun Page
An
almost totally safe and friendly
web experience*
This
site is dedicated to celebrating
the Emmy award winning USA series
Monk and Monk fandom.
It's all fun, games, questionable
humor and some news.
The page has been revamped a few
times so please check out the
navigation magnifying glasses
above.
If
you need more Monk than
this site can provide, you've
got a lot to choose from: let's
see... we've got the TV.com
Site, the Yahoo
Group and a bunch of others.
You can find some of the classier
ones in the MonkFans
Ring linked at the bottom
of this page. Not to mention,
(but I will) the USA
Network Official Monk Site,
which has a schedule, episode
guide, the best character blogs
on the internet, video interviews
and all sorts of other nifty stuff.
So take a look if you haven't
been there yet. You can also check
out the
Monk Fanseite, the German
"sister" site of The
Monk Fun Page. That's right, Monk
is an international phenomenon.
And a musical one as well: check
out the song
written and performed by a Canadian
Monk fan... in Austria.
I've
got a
bunch of interviews here on
The Monk Fun Page. The newest
ones are with Monk writer Josh
Siegal, Adria
Tennor (Donna DiMarco, "Mr.
Monk and the Badge"), Mike
Rock (Lt. Dylan, "Mr.
Monk Goes to Group Therapy"),
Taylor
Longbrake (Cathy Cooper, "Mr.
Monk's Favorite Show"), Gary
Weeks (Mr. Cooper, "Mr.
Monk's Favorite Show"), Mike
McGill (Sgt. Steiner, "Mr.
Monk and the Voodoo Curse"),
Sandra
Luesse (Waitress, "Mr.
Monk's Other Brother"), Tim
Bagley (Harold Krenshaw, "Mr.
Monk Fights City Hall"),
Chet
Grissom (Det. Burns, "Mr.
Monk Makes the Playoffs"),
Melissa
Strom (Young Clerk, "Mr.
Monk and the Miracle"), Ernie
Grunwald (Vampire Manager
in "Mr. Monk's 100th Case"),
Casper
Van Dien (Lt. Albright) and
David
A. Jansen (Lt. Pierce) from
"Mr. Monk is Underwater",
James
Lesure (Ray Regis, "Mr.
Monk Takes a Punch"), Malcolm
Barrett, Heather
Brooker and Amy
Crofoot ("Mr. Monk Gets
Lotto Fever").
The
truth is I was fishing for an
interview, but instead I got a
lovely photo from Sarah
Brown (Mandy Bronson, "Mr.
Monk and the Leper")
I'm not giving up on the interview,
because Sarah is one of my absolute
favorites, but in the meantime
here's the photo she sent.
Click on photo
to enlarge
There
are a few message boards on the
Monk scene. The three big ones
are the Official
USA Network Board, TV.com
Message Board and the IMDB
Monk Message Board.
*The
activex control is just Leland
singing "Ain't No Sunshine"
near the bottom of the page.
PRESENTING "MR. MONK GOES
TO SOUTH PARK!"
"Where
are they now?" is
a new Fun Page feature
to keep Monk fans updated
on all (or most of....
or at least some of) the
new projects undertaken
by the former stars, writers,
producers, guest stars
and possibly other Monk-ish
people. So let's start
with Tony Shalhoub.
|
 |
Tony
didn't get much of a rest
before starting rehearsals
on February 8th for his
starring role in the new
Broadway revival of Lend
Me a Tenor. The
play begins previews on
March 12th 2010. (Previews,
for those unfamiliar with
Broadway etiquette, give
new productions a chance
to work out any bugs. Traditionally,
critics do not review a
production while it's still
in previews.) Opening night
is April 4th. Tickets are
on
sale through August
15th 2010. I'm not sure
if that's a firm end date
for the production or if
it's a we'll-see-how-well-it-does
kind of a deal. Like most
Broadway shows it's going
to cost you a boatload of
money: $121.50 for good
seats, $191.50 for "premium"
seats (whatever those are)
and $86 for the cheap seats.
I'm sure it will be worth
every penny. You get to
see Tony Shalhoub in a tux.
|
The
Star |
|
The
Director |
Stanley,
Tony and the rest of the
cast gave the press a photo
op last week. |
Stanley
Tucci, playwright Ken Ludwig
(second from left in photo
above) and the cast, including
Tony, will be having a public
discussion/Q&A
tomorrow, March 1st, at
the 92YTribeca in New York
City . |
Monk
Finale Breaks Ratings
Records
Press
Release from USA
Network
MONK
Finale Becomes
Basic Cable's
Most-Watched Original
Drama Episode
Ever
NEW
YORK, NEW YORK –
December 7, 2009
– After eight
successful seasons
on the air, the
series finale of
the USA Original
MONK on Friday Night
(9pm) set records
as it became the
most-watched basic
cable original drama
series telecast
of all time in total
viewers. Hitting
series highs for
its final episode,
a rare feat in the
TV landscape shared
by only an elite
group of iconic
series, the finale
brought in 9.4 million
total viewers, beating
the prior series
high by +37% (MONK
had never been above
7 million total
viewers in its eight
seasons). The series
that experts say
started the resurgence
of original programming
on cable garnered
seven best comedy
actor Emmy nominations
(and three wins)
for Tony Shalhoub
in the title role
throughout the run.
The finale delivered
series high in P18-49
with 3.2 million
beating the prior
series high by +10%
(This was the first
time MONK surpassed
the 3 million benchmark
in this demo).
MONK delivered 3.7
million P25-54 viewers
beating the prior
series high by +2%.
The MONK finale
now holds the title
of USA's top original
series telecast
of all time among
total viewers, is
#2 among P25-54
and #3 among P18-49.
MONK easily topped
everything on broadcast
for the night in
P2+, P18-49 and
P25-54 based on
fast nationals for
broadcast.
Among cable entertainment
telecasts for 2009TD,
the MONK finale
on Live+Same is
the #1 P25-54 scripted
telecast on basic
or pay cable, the
#1 scripted telecast
on ad-supported
basic cable in total
viewers and the
#1 P18-49 scripted
telecast on basic
cable.
Update:
(Dec.
30, 2009) The final
numbers (live +7)
are in. Part 2 of
the finale raked
in 10,622,000
viewers. It's not
as even as 10 million,
but it is fantastic
and it does put
Monk in the top
25 cable broadcasts
of the year. The
first part of the
finale also made
the top 100 list
with 7,122,000 live
+7 viewers. (Live
+7 means those who
watched the original
broadcast and those
who recorded the
original broadcast
and watched it within
seven days. So in
the case of "The
End, Part II"
approxmately 9.4
million people watched
the original broadcast
as it aired and
an additional 1.2
million people watched
their recording
of the original
broadcast within
a week. This number
would not include
viwership of subsequent
airings or recordings
of those airings.
Also not included
would be any online
viewings.) 2009
Top 100 List
|
Mr.
Monk in Trouble
Lee
Goldberg's latest Monk
novel
Released December 1st!
Season
Eight Episodes
Mr.
Monk and the End: Part
1
Mr. Monk's Favorite
Show
Mr.
Monk and the Foreign
Man with guest
star
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Mr. Monk and the
UFO
with guest star
Daniel Stern
Mr. Monk is Someone
Else
with guest star
Kelly Carlson
Mr.
Monk Takes the
Stand
with guest star
Jay Mohr
Mr. Monk and the
Critic
Mr. Monk &
the Voodoo Curse
with guest star
Meat Loaf
Mr.
Monk Goes to
Group Therapy
Happy
Birthday, Mr.
Monk
with guest star
the first
self cleaning
vacuum
Mr. Monk and Sharona
with guest star
Bitty Schram
Mr. Monk and the
Dog
with guest star
Sparky
Mr.
Monk Goes Camping
with guest star
Alex Wolff
Mr.
Monk is the Best
Man
with guest star
Carol Kane
Mr. Monk and the
Badge
Mr.
Monk and the End
Part I
with guest star
Melora Hardin
Mr.
Monk and the End
Part II
Little Monk
|
Mr.
Monk's Favorite
Show: with guest
stars Elizabeth
Perkins, Rena
Sofer, Sarah
Aldrich, Gary
Weeks and introducing
Taylor
Longbrake.
Monk
is thrilled to be
the bodyguard of
a former child star
after an attempt
is made on her life,
until he learns
how different she
is from her TV alter
ego. Debuted August
7th 2009.
On
the Set of "Mr.
Monk's Favorite
Show"
Interview
with Gary Weeks
Interview
with Taylor Longbrake
The
Monk Fun Page Review
Mr.
Monk and the Foreign
Man: guest stars
Adewale
Akinnuoye-Agbaje.
While investigating
the high-profile
murder of a maid,
Monk finds himself
increasingly drawn
to a case involving
a visiting African
man investigating
his wife's hit-and-run
death. Debuts August
14th 2009.
This
episode was featured
in a TV Guide article
The
Monk Fun Page Review
Mr.
Monk and the UFO:
Mr. Monk sees a
UFO. That just about
says it all, right?
I'm perdicting a
terrestrial explanation
and I bet it's got
something to do
with murder. Guest
starring Daniel
Stern (City
Slickers). Debuted
August 21th 2009.
An article by
a
guy who saw them
filming.
Interview
with Mathis Fender
The
Monk Fun Page Review
Mr.
Monk is Someone
Else: In an
effort to foil an
assassination plot,
Monk assumes a dead
hit man's identity.
Guest starring Reed
Diamond (Dollhouse),
Kelly
Carlson (Nip/Tuck),
Vincent
Curatola (The
Sopranos) and Eric
Balfour (Six
Feet Under, 24).
Best of all Tim
Bagley returns
as Harold Krenshaw.
Debuted August 28st
2009.
The
Monk Fun Page Review
Mr.
Monk Takes the Stand:
Monk's phobias threaten
to undermine a big
murder case when
an aggressive defense
attorney targets
the detective's
unconventional methods
in court. According
to Tony
Shalhoub, Jay
Mohr guest stars
as a “super,
super strong savvy
defense attorney
who’s never
lost a case, who
is defending a criminal
Monk knows is guilty.”
Debuted September
11th 2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
Interview
with Josh Siegal
Mr.
Monk and the Critic:
Natalie believes
a critic (guest
star Dylan
Baker) who panned
her daughter's performance
is responsible for
a murder at the
same time as the
show. Also guest
starring Bernie
Kopell (The
Love Boat).
Debuted September
18th 2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
An
article about the
filming of this
episode in Covina
CA
the
first week of April
Mr.
Monk and the Voodoo
Curse: Guest
starring Meat
Loaf and Michael
Patrick McGill.
Monk investigates
murders linked by
mysterious voodoo
dolls sent to the
victims. Debuted
September 25th 2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
Interview
with Mike McGill
Mr.
Monk Goes to Group
Therapy: Official
logline: "When
Monk's insurance
company refuses
to pay for more
individual therapy
sessions, Monk joins
Dr. Bell's therapy
group, where somebody
appears to be murdering
his fellow patients."
Harold Krenshaw
(Tim Bagley) is
in this one too.
Debuted Friday October
9th
2009.
The
Monk Fun Page Review
Interview
with Mike Rock
Happy
Birthday, Mr. Monk:
It's Mr. Monk's
birthday and what
better way to celebrate
than a couple of
baffling murders...
and a self-cleaning
vacuum. Stottlemeyer
meets a woman (Virginia
Madsen) who's
probably not a killer,
but I'm sure he's
going to be doing
a thorough background
check this time.
Also guest starring
John
Carroll Lynch.
Debuted
on October 16th
2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
Mr.
Monk and Sharona:
She's baaaaaack!
The one and only
Sharona (Bitty Schram).
Also guest starring
Jack Wagner. Debuted
October 23rd 2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
Mr.
Monk and the Dog:
Monk reluctantly
adopts a dog while
looking into the
suspicious disappearance
of its owner. No
word yet on who
will be playing
the dog but the
guest star will
be Wallace
Langham (CSI).
Update:
The dog was played
by Sparky the dog!
Debuted October
30th 2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
Mr.
Monk Goes Camping:
In order to score
points with an officer
on his review board,
Monk goes camping
with the man's son
(Alex
Wolff) and Lt.
Disher. Monk and
Disher on a camping
trip.... How can
that not be funny?
Guest star Alex
Wolff is the son
of season one guest
star Polly
Draper (Rita
Bronwyn, "Mr.
Monk Takes a Vacation").
Also guest starring
Wade
Williams (Prison
Break). Debuted
November 6th 2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Interview
Mr.
Monk Is the Best
Man: I don't
know much about
this one, but I
have to wonder if
wedding bells will
be ringing for Stottlemeyer
and his new lady
(Virginia Madsen).
Update
11/11/09:
I don't have to
wonder now. The
previews make it
clear Leland will
be the one tying
the knot. Also guest
starring Carol
Kane and Teri
Polo. Debuted
November 13th 2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
Mr.
Monk and the Badge:
I got nothin', but
so close to the
end of the series
I'm hoping Monk's
reinstatement is
once again under
consideration. Update
11/11/09:
Monk will be reinstated
and Natalie will
find a new job,
but who knows how
long that will last.
Guest star Mark
Harelik and
Ian
Paul Cassidy.
I hear tell that
Brooke Adams may
also be appearing.
Debuted November
20th 2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
Interview
with Adria Tennor
Mr.
Monk and the End,
Part I: I see
nothing. I know
nothing. I hear
nothing. The finale,
parts one and two,
are top secret.
Update:
I know a little.
Guest stars will
include Virgina
Madsen (no surprise
there), Casper Van
Dien, Melora Hardin
and Mary Beth Evans.
If my eyes don't
deceive me that's
Craig T. Nelson
and Ed Begley Jr.
in the preview.
Debuted November
27th 2009
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
Mr.
Monk and the End,
Part II: Monk
finally learns the
indentity of "The
Judge" his
wife's killer, but
can he can he catch
him before he succumbs
to a deadly poison.
Well, of course
he can! Guest stars
Craig T. Nelson,
Casper Van Dien,
Melora Hardin, D.B.
Woodside and Sarah
Rush. Debuted Friday,
December 4th 2009.
The
Prime Time Pulse
Review
Huffington
Post Article: "Mr.
Monk and the End"
|
Bitty
Schram and Tony Shalhoub
Interview
October
20th 2009
Auction's
over. Click here for results.
Learn
everything you want to
know, but haven't had
a chance to ask
about the final season
of Monk in a
not
very exclusive Q&A
with Tony Shalhoub
held on Tuesday, July
28th 2009 live from Wisconsin!
Mr.
Monk Goes to the Emmys...
for the Seventh Time...
in a Row
| Tony
Shalhoub was once
again nominated
as Outstanding Lead
Actor in a Comedy
Series. This was
his seventh Emmy
nomination for his
role in Monk. He
has already won
the award three
times: in 2003,
2005 and 2006. [Update:
Alec Baldwin won.
Tony was robbed.
Again.]
Gena
Rowlands was nominated
as Outstanding Guest
Actress in a Comedy
for her role as
Marge Johnson in
"Mr. Monk and
the Lady Next Door".
This was Ms. Rowlands
eighth Emmy nomination.
Like Tony she has
also won the award
three times before:
in 1987, 1992 and
2003. [Update:
Tina Fey won. Ms.
Rowlands was robbed.]
The
main Emmy ceremony
took place on Sunday,
September 20th. |
KTLA
Interview with Tony Shalhoub
March 2009
Season
Eight Promo
|
|
|
|
| 
Mr.
Monk and the New Books
Thank
goodness for the Monk novels. They do tide
me over during the infrequent Monk lulls
in my schedule. Author Lee Goldberg recently
finished another one, Mr. Monk and the Dirty
Cop. If you want to know what it's about
click below to see the dust cover synopsis.
He's hard at work
on the next novel, Mr. Monk in Trouble.
Click
to enlarge
Mr.
Monk and the Dirty Cop is available
now!
Read
the Monk Fun Page review of Mr. Monk
and the Dirty Cop
|
Here's
the official description
of the Monk novel, Mr. Monk
is Miserable, released on
December 2nd 2008.
Adrian
Monk already ruined a trip
to Germany for his longsuffering
assistant Natalie. The least
he can do is accompany her
on a detour to France—and
try not to ruin that too.
In fact, Monk shocks Natalie
by announcing that he wants
to visit the sewers of Paris.
The historic underground
maze of pipes and tunnels
is famous for making the
City of Light sanitary,
and to Monk, that's worth
paying tribute to.
The
only problem is that their
explorations lead them to
another hidden world below
the Parisian streets: the
catacombs, filled with aging
skulls and bones. Monk's
sharp eye catches sight
of one skull that's not
so old—and that shows
evidence of murder—pulling
them into a case more twisted
than the catacombs themselves.
Click
to enlarge
Mr.
Monk is Miserable (Hardback)
The
Monk Fun Page Review of
Mr. Monk is Miserable
Here's
the description for Mr.
Monk Goes to Germany,
released in June 2008.
Adrian
Monk is actually doing well
lately. He's solving murders
as fast as they come, and
he's been noticeably less
compulsive—he doesn't
count his morning Wheat
Chex until they're in the
bowl. Progress is progress,
and Monk knows he owes it
all to his therapist, Dr.
Kroger.
So
when Dr. Kroger attends
a conference in Germany,
Monk ends up in trouble.
He can't tie his shoes,
forgets how to swallow,
and loses track of his blinking.
Desperate to regain his
footing, Monk follows his
shrink to Germany. And that's
where Monk sees the man
across a crowded town square.
The man he's never stopped
searching for. The man with
six fingers. The man responsible
for his wife's death.
Click
to enlarge
Mr.
Monk Goes to Germany
(Hardback)
The
fifth Monk novel
which is entitled Mr.
Monk in Outer Space
was released on November
1st 2007. According to Lee
Goldberg on his
blog, "It's
not in outer space. Monk
solves a murder at a science
fiction convention....
I
do have fun with Monk
encountering some of the
more outrageous aspects
of fandom. I delivered
my draft of Mr.
Monk in Outer Space
to my editor a couple
of weeks ago and learned
that they've moved up
the release date of the
hardcover to November
1. That was quite a surprise
and only underscores how
enthusiastic and supportive
they've been for these
books."
Click
to enlarge
Mr.
Monk in Outer Space
dust cover, courtesy of
Lee Goldberg
Mr.
Monk and the Two Assistants,
was the first Monk novel
to be initially released
in a hardback edition and
it's still available at
all the bookstores that
count, but Amazon currently
has the Two
Assistants and
Outer
Space hardbacks
available for less than
the cost of the paperback
versions. I don't know how
long that will last, so
you might want to jump on
it. Two Assistants
was released on July 3rd
2007 and in paperback as
of January 2008. My
review of Two Assistants
is up, if you want to know
what I think.
Mr. Monk and
the Two Assistants dust cover
Click
to enlarge
Mr.
Monk Goes to the Firehouse,
the first in the series of official
Monk novels by Lee Goldberg was
released on January 3rd 2006. The
next novel Mr.
Monk Goes to Hawaii came
out in July of 2006 and Mr.
Monk and The Blue Flu was
released on January 2nd 2007. You
can read an excerpt from Mr.
Monk Goes to the Firehouse,
Goes
to Hawaii and
Blue
Flu at USA Network's Official
Monk website. Lee also does a video
interview for the website.
| More
info on the Monk Books
Get
Your Autographed Monk Books
Here's
how you can order your own, signed
copy of Firehouse, Hawaii,
Blue Flu, Two Assistants,
Outerspace and the now released
Mr. Monk Goes to Germany. Email
Mysteries
to Die For with the following
information:
Name
Address
Phone number
Method of payment (check, money
order or credit card)
Info about how you want the book
inscribed (signed only, inscribed
to ‘name’, etc.)
Mail
your check or money order made payable
to Mysteries to Die For. ($10.50
if you live in California; $10.00
for all other states except Alaska
and Hawaii – if you live outside
the contiguous 48 states, they’ll
email you with pricing information)
to this address:
Mysteries
to Die For
2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd
Thousand Oaks CA, 91362
If
you want to use a credit card, they
will call you to get the necessary
information so please be sure to
include your phone number. If you
want more than one copy of the book,
they’ll email you specifics
as to cost. |
Andy Breckman Gets His Wish
Finding
it hard to keep all the episodes straight?
You'll never have to worry again. Well....
of course, you'll worry, but
not about the correct order of the episodes
through season four. Monk:
the Official Episode Guide was released
on June 27th 2006. I'm pleased to present
an interview with the authors Terry Erdmann
and Paula Block who told The Monk Fun
Page all about it:
"The
reason this book exists is because Andy
Breckman was a fan of the television show
Columbo. He found many, many years ago
a book called The
Columbo Phile and he told me that
he’s always wanted to have a book
like that about himself. So
he mentioned it to someone at the USA
Channel. I
think he mentioned it, probably to Jeff
Wachtel, who’s the senior vice
president of original programming at USA
Network, and Jeff passed on the information.
It got to Cindy Chang at NBC Universal
licensing, because NBC Universal is the
head company over USA Network, and she
said, 'Yes, we can probably do a book.'
I’m not quite sure in what order
the things happened, but they found St.
Martin’s Griffin amenable to doing
the book and then she found us and it
all happened. —Terry Erdmann,
co-author of Monk: The Episode Guide.
The
rest of the interview
|
Excerpt
from Jimhillmedia.com
September 13th 2007
"Of
course, back when "Monk"
was originally in development
at Touchstone Television,
this hour-long dramedy
wasn't envisioned as
a showcase for Mr. Shalhoub's
talents. But -- rather
-- as a starring vehicle
for Michael Richards.
You know? Of "Seinfeld"
fame?
"Strange
but true, folks. As that
super successful sitcom
was winding down its 9-year-run
on NBC in the spring of
1998, every studio in
Hollywood was waiting
in the wings. Eager to
cut deals with Richards
& the rest of the
"Seinfeld" cast
to appear in brand-new
shows."
Michael
Richards (Right) and John
Turturro (Ambrose Monk)
in Unstrung
Heroes
Read
the entire history of
Monk's Origins |
Accompanied
by fellow fan Kim, I had
the privilege of once
again visiting the set
of Monk in November 2007.
They were shooting "Mr.
Monk and the Three Julies",
the last episode to be
filmed for season six.
Click below to read all
about it.
|
|
Click
to enlarge
June
23rd - Dec 6th 2009 Issue
|
Click to enlarge
June
23rd - Dec 6th 2009 Issue
|
Click to enlarge
June
29th - July 12th 2009 Issue
|
Click to
enlarge
March16th
- March 22nd 2009 Issue
|
TV Guide's
Red Carpet Interview with Tony Shalhoub
at the 2009 Golden Globes |
Click to enlarge
July
21st - August 3rd 2008 Issue |
click to
enlarge
May 19th - 25th 2008 |
click to enlarge
June 9th - 15th 2008 |
February
11th-17th 2008
click to enlarge
|
July
23rd - August 5th 2007
|
| Excerpt
from TVGuide.com
Has
Stanley Kamel Finally Made His
Monk on Show Biz?
Interview with Stanley Kamel
by Raven Snook
Friday, January 19, 2007
TVGuide.com:
Is there anything you can share
about the rest of the season? |
|
Kamel:
I'm going to be singing on one
of the episodes. I serenade
Monk in my office, and it's
very, very funny. It's the only
time I've ever seen Tony biting
his lip to keep from laughing.
And Andy Richter guest-stars
[tonight] in "Mr. Monk
Makes a Friend."
TVGuide.com:
I saw the episode, and it's
very funny, particularly when
Monk asks you when he should
"pop the question"
to Richter, about being his
best friend.
Kamel:
Yeah, I just kind of look at
him like, "Wait, is there
something else going on here?
Maybe Monk's gay.... "
Full
Article |
|
May 22-28 2006
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enlarge |
June
5th -11th 2006
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to enlarge
January
2006
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to enlarge
|
|
 
Jun
25, 2003
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|
Tonight's
TV Hot List for Friday 02- 20-09
Monk
to Clean Up His Final Murder Case in 2009
11-14-08
Cheers:
Monk's Brad Behavior 7-21-08
Hector
Elizondo Q & A 7-10-08
Monk
Season Six Review 7-8-08
Family
Guy |
In Style Magazine
- July 2006 |
Written
By Jay A. Fernandez |
Photography
by Bobby Fisher |
|
Monk music editor,
Craig Pettigrew,
answered all my questions in a May 2007 interview.
Love
it or hate it, here it is: the current
Emmy winning theme, It's
a Jungle Out There. USA's official
Monk site has a much more official version,
but this one's in MP3 format for all you
Real-Player challenged folks. In the spirit
of equal time, here's the season
one Emmy winning theme, too. I've
also got the Monk
Rap (1.21MB) from the season six episode
"Mr. Monk and the Rapper." Don't
tell anybody you found it here.
"There's
a certain thing [Randy] Newman has, it's
the dark and mournful sound, and there's
this tongue-in-cheek, darkly humorous
side. It completely fits the tone of the
show," Shalhoub says.
Excerpt
from USA Today
"What makes 'Monk'
tic? Bigger budget, brighter stars"
By Bill Keveney 6/19/2003 |
|
"The
Here's What Happened" Rap
from "Mr. Monk and
the Rapper"
as performed by Snoop Dog
Here's
what happened, y'all
I got this, Monk
Yeah, you can't believe
what you hear all the time
Sometimes seeing is believing
Like the man said, I was set up
I'm just a pawn in this game
Let me break it down for y'all
No, for real here's what happened
Have
you ever been accused?
Man you got set up
And it really wasn't you?
Man you got set up
Tryin’ to plant somethin’
on me
Man you got set up
And then you say I killed the homey
This
fool was greedy
Had to have the whole thing
Let me run it down to you
It's a cold game
He wanted more than half of the pie
That's why his partner had to die
You heard me
You was the target all along
Am I right or am I wrong?
Monk:
You're making a lot of excellent points.
He is.
Every
week they had a breakfast date
Captain Crunch, French toast, or a stack
of pancakes
But this week they wasn't servin’
nothin'
But murder on the plate
(In
close captions, but not in the rap as
broadcast:
The limo driver must have
caught a glimpse of Denny Hodges
As he fled the scene, Homes.)
He
wanted to pin it on me like a purple heart
But his perfect plan just fell apart
‘Cause like Aaron Burr who was tried
for treason
You made a mistake, Dog, forgot about
the season
There
was a fatal flaw to the perfect crime
You see Sunday was daylight savings time
Twice a year we reset the clock ahead
one hour,
But I guess you forgot
You're
partner showed up to break some bread
What he found was an empty table instead
You didn't order room service
Because you thought the homey whitey was
dead
Extra
Large ran out of luck
When the limo came by and picked him up
The pocket watch up under the car
The trigger went boom and there went Extra
Large
Have
you ever been accused?
Man you got set up
And it really wasn't you?
Man you got set up
Tryin' to plant somethin' on me
Man you got set up
And then you say I killed the homey
I
went to the source and found a great detective
I told Adrian Monk to follow my direction
He solved the case
and he rocked it well
Next stop for you Denny Hodges
Is a Death Row jail cell |
Mr.
Monk Gets His First Song
| |
At
least it's the first song that they didn't
have to pay for (as opposed to say It's
a Jungle Out There) and it comes
to us from Europe where Monk is becoming
more popular every day. The composer recently
dropped me an email: "I am a big
Monk fan, a Canadian currently living
in Vienna, Austria. I am also a song writing
musician and I have a new
CD. One of the songs on the CD, “There’s
Nothing Wrong With You”, I wrote
for Monk. It’s a warm, light hearted
message of encouragement for the great
Monk. I would like to share this song
with all Monk fans, for free." Just
go to his website
to download the song. |
There's
Nothing Wrong With You
It's a well
accepted fact
Everyone sane will agree it's true
Just ask anyone
There ain’t nothing wrong with
you
So you don't
like some things
And you have a phobia or two
But that don't make you crazy
There ain’t nothing wrong with
you
It's no wonder
you're the way you are
Trapped in this world that's really
such a mess
You really don't have to look very far
To see it's such a mess, such a dangerous,
scary mess
Some might
say you're cracked
But they don't see you like I do
They might laugh behind your back
But there ain’t nothing wrong
with you
So this world
makes you nervous
Many sane folks feel that too
And the streets are filled with chaos,
yeah I know
But there ain't nothing wrong with you
It's just all such a mess, such a dangerous,
scary mess
All you wanna
do is fix things
That really are quite askew
Maybe you're the only one who sees them,
yeah I know
But there ain’t nothing wrong
with you
So you got
some issues
But nothing we can't work through
But I do think you worry a little too
much
But there ain’t nothing wrong
with you
It's a well
accepted fact
Anyone sane will agree it's true
Just ask anyone
There ain’t nothing wrong with
you
Words and Music
by Lionel Lodge
All Rights Reserved
C P Lionel Lodge 2006
|
As
of this writing and barring a miracle,
Bitty
Schram (Sharona) and Monk
have permanently parted ways. Speculation
abounds as to the "real" reason(s)
for her departure, but as Willie Nelson
says, "There's only two things to
fight about and money is one of 'em."
The
Powers That Be said:
"Monk has decided to go in a different
creative direction with some of its characters.
Bitty Schram will not continue with the
cast. We thank her for her notable contributions
and wish her the very best."
Bitty's
People said: "Bitty Schram and
USA Network have amicably decided to go
their own separate ways... She wishes
everyone connected with the show continued
success and looks forward to pursuing
the various opportunities before her."
According
to a March 2006 TV Guide Article: In
another first, Schram also talks in public
for the first time about her leaving Monk.
She told TV guide that she didn't want
to leave the show but suspected she "was
being paid less than many people who got
raises" and she couldn't "work
out a new contract." Still, she says,
Monk "was the best experience of
my career."
Those
concerned that Bitty was hard done by
needn't worry. According to Tony Shalhoub
in a not so recent article:
"Bitty has so many opportunities
opening up for her now... she has bigger
fish to fry." |
Natalie
Teeger, is the replacement character for
Sharona. The role is played by Traylor
Howard once best known for being the
girl in Two
Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.
Producer David Hoberman said, "We
fell in love with her during her audition,
and we're sure the audience will fall
in love with her too."
Despite
Mr. Hoberman's optimism, not all the fans
shared his enthusiasm. A tropophobic
and vocal group of fans voiced their displeasure
with all things Natalie, from the actress
who portrays her to the concept of the
character. "Why does Natalie go around
thinking she is hot stuff?" asked
one of her harsher critics on the official
USA Message Board. "She always
tries to use her feminine side with men,
come on she is not pretty nor sexy...
just check out that nose, whoa!!!!!"
[Note: that particular poster has since
changed his mind, as have many others,
and now thinks Natalie's okay.]
"Luckily,
no one has come up and yelled at me,"
Howard said in a
March 2005 TV Guide article. "There
are die-hard Sharona fans who are not
going to budge for a while or ever. Some
people love the new character; some are
trying to give her the benefit of the
doubt. But it will take a while."
Tony
had this to say: "I love the whole
freshness that Traylor brings. I feel
the show is intact, that it's evolving
and it's the next chapter."
|
| This
page debuted on July 17th 2003,
(but
it's snowballed since and I've lost all
sense of proportion)
Last significant update September 2009
If you have any comments, questions,
advice or contributions,
I would love to hear from you.
If
you want to contact anyone in the Monk cast
(Tony, Traylor, Ted, or Jason)
the only way to do it is by snail mail:
[Cast Member Name]
c/o "Monk"
Paramount Studios
5555 Melrose Ave
Bldg. 213, Suite 360
Los Angeles, CA 90038
"It would be funny if it weren't so...
dysfunctional"- Dr. Lancaster
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