Monk
USA Network has announced its pick-up of an eighth and final season of Monk. Find out wen it will air and for how many episodes, after the jump.
read more
Tony Shalhoub by Evans Vestal Ward/USA Network Photo
TV has really put the “labor” in Labor Day week. It’s only the third day of September, and what is many years a sleepy week has already seen the premiere of six major series (network and cable), with roughly four more (if you count Bravo’s Top Design) on tap for tonight. I dealt with several of these shows already in my Roush Review column—FX’s The Shield and Sons of Anarchy, Fox’s Prison Break, TNT’s Raising the Bar and HBO’s True Blood—but here are some more thoughts on a week so busy it’s hard to fathom that the official network premiere week is nearly three weeks away.Gossip Girl Rocks. Some of the most fun I’ve had in front of the TV in the last week or so (when I’m not absorbed in U.S. Open tennis play) was zipping through the first three episodes of Gossip Girl’s hilariously sizzling second season. On Monday night, we learned that mopey Serena was getting through her summer-without-Dan by watching The Close...
read more
Monk by Isabella Vosmikova/USA Network
Monk Fridays at 9 pmET USA is back with an aptly named episode Surly Detection A submarine skipper wants to give Monk Das Boot when the sleuth investigates a suspicious suicide for Natalies old Navy friend Casper Van Dien Since claustrophobia ranks high on Monks list of fears he freaks out on the sub Although Monk quickly fingers William Athertons by-the-book commander as the killer the story is just beginning Our show is like Columbo Its more about how they did it than who did it says executive producer Randy Zisk The show also relishes making its hero acutely uncomfortable Monk is in the worst place he can be [an enclosed] space underwater Theres no [way to escape and] that makes it more fun You bet it does particularly when Monk hallucinates that his new therapist Hector Elizondos Dr Bell is talking him through his anxiety The one advantage to an imaginary shrink Theres no fear of being charged for an extra session G J Donnelly
read more
Brad Garrett in Monk by Trae Patton/USA Network Photo
Cheers to Brad Garrett for his image-changing guest spot on Monk. The 'Til Death star livened up the seventh-season premiere as "Honest Jake," a murderous handyman hired by Tony Shalhoub's obsessive-compulsive detective to fix up his new house. (The inside joke here, of course, is that Garrett was TV's original poster boy for OCD as cop Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond.) The 6'8" Garrett effectively used his size for menace rather than mirth. Maybe he can intimidate Death's writers to give him scripts equal to his talent.• Share your own raves and rants about other shows on the Reader Cheers & Jeers discussion board.• We may feature your Cheer or Jeer on TVGuide.com or in TV Guide magazine!
read more
USA Network's Monk returns on Friday, July 18, and stepping in as the OCDetective's psychiatrist is Hector Elizondo. The Chicago Hope alum recently stopped by to talk about his late Monk predecessor, Stanley Kamel, preview his shrink's own relationship with Tony Shalhoub's sleuth, and share some memories about Pretty Woman Julia Roberts. Hector and I also talk about how Alzheimer's has touched each of our families. — Matt Mitovich
read more
Tony Shalhoub by Gavin Bond/USA Network
Tony Shalhoub is excellent as "Adrian Monk," a former San Francisco police detective suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. His list of quirks is nearly endless, yet they don't prevent him from solving difficult cases as a consultant for the police. With help from Natalie, his assistant, Mr. Monk fights through his phobias to bring order to the streets. This 4-disc set from Universal includes all 16 episodes from the sixth season, presented in Anamorphic Widescreen, and offers commentary tracks with the cast and crew. Notable guest stars include Sarah Silverman, Sharon Lawrence, Snoop Dogg, Diedrich Bader, Alfred Molina, Angela Kinsey, Gail O'Grady, and Dan Castellaneta. — Gord LaceyMonk Season 6 on Amazon.com.
read more
Brad Garrett by Jim Spellman/ WireImage.com, Dan Rather by Bennett Raglin/ WireImage.com
Well, would you look at this: I took a bunch of random exclusive casting scoops and packaged them into one very special Ausiello Report blog post. Enjoy! • Exercising the "Sarah Chalke Clause" in his 'Til Death contract, Brad Garrett has signed on to appear in Monk's July 18 season premiere. He'll play a handyman who helps Tony Shalhoub with his home renovations.• Also on the Monk front, Robert Loggia (Big, Mancuso, FBI, assorted mobster roles) has been cast as an aging boxer in "Mr. Monk Takes a Punch," a Season 7 episode slated to air in August. • Former CBS newsman Dan Rather is reprising his role as former CBS newsman Dan Rather on ABC's Dirty Sexy Money next season. This time 'round, he'll be interviewing Patrick Darling (Billy Baldwin) about his new book.• Superman's pledging a fraternity! And that's not even close to being the truth! In reality, Greek is casting a Clark Kent-type to play Rusty and Dale's new R.A. Got suggestions? Post 'em below!Woo-hoo! Ra...
read more
Tony Shalhoub in Monk by Peter Hopper Stone/USA Network Photo
Mere hours after last night's Nielsens came in, NBC revealed a slate which drops Monk and Psych from the network's Sunday lineup. (The Tony Shalhoub starrer had dropped 28 percent from its previous NBC airing, while Psych didn't even break four million viewers.) Thus ends the Peacock's experiment in repurposing USA Network content.For the short term, NBC will fill the two-hour block with back-to-back-to-back-to-back Office repeats, starting with "Fun Run" (Parts 1 and 2) and "Dunder-Mifflin Infinity" (Parts 1 and 2).Related:• Ratings for Sunday, May 4
read more
Hector Elizondo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com
Well, we kinda knew Monk couldn't go too long without an analyst, right? So, tragic as is the April 8 death of Stanley Kamel — aka the neurotic's Dr. Kroger — a USA Network spokesperson confirms to me exclusively that Hector Elizondo has been tapped to join Monk as Tony Shalhoub's new shrink. There's no word on how his character will be introduced, but he'll first turn up in the show's seventh season premiere on July 18.On a related note, Elizondo's hiring would seem to signal that CBS' Cane is a goner. So what's your take, peeps? Will you have a harder time adjusting to seeing Monk on someone else's couch than he'll have being on someone else's couch? Or do you remember Elizondo so fondly from Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries that you'll actually be psyched to see him take a role on a show you actually watch? Share your thoughts below!
read more
Stanley Kamel, who played Dr. Charles Kroger on the USA series Monk, has died. He was 65.Access Hollywood reports that he was found in his Hollywood Hills home by his agents. Sources say Kamel suffered a heart attack.Kamel appeared in numerous TV roles over the past three decades, including as Rebecca Gayheart's father on Beverly Hills, 90210.A network representative said, "USA is deeply saddened by the news of Stanley Kamel’s passing. Stanley was an amazingly talented and extremely kind man, and an important member of the USA family. He will be sorely missed." — J.R. Whalen
read more
