MovieChat Forums > Monk (2002) Discussion > A fun show

A fun show

posted 8 years ago by Catbookss (13664)
28 replies | jump to latest

I'd forgotten about it until someone on MC posted to this board, which showed up on the Trending section.

I'm generally not a big fan of detective/murder shows, but Tony Shalhoub's Monk was a lot of fun to watch.

[–] db20db (17244) 8 years ago

His character was Sherlockian, coupled with being neurotic, which was always a distraction but part of what made it fun. Trying to second guess the solution to the mystery was also part of the fun.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

Yes, it was, and I loved it. To me his neurosis wasn't a distraction; the comedy was the main reason I liked it. I agree trying to guess the answer to the mystery was also part of the fun.

[–] db20db (17244) 8 years ago

I didn't mean that it was a distraction for me as a viewer but for Monk when his OCD kicked in and he was irresistibly motivated to correct something. Sometimes strangers were taken aback by that behavior.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

Okay, I get what you mean now.

One of my favourite episodes was when he was staying in a hotel and he shone a black light (or whatever it was) that showed human secretions of whatever sort *all* over his room! I love comedy but don't often laugh because the laughs aren't big enough for me to, but I did laugh at that one. Poor Monk.

[–] db20db (17244) 8 years ago

Yeah, he was a serious germophobe as well as being OCD.
I just watched an episode recently where he somewhat overcame that by wading through a sewer to save Sharona.
You would think that would have conquered that phobia, but no.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

LOL! I can't imagine Monk wading through a sewer, even if it meant saving Sharona. Haven't yet seen that episode.

It's difficult for me to rewatch the series because I saw it in a hit or miss way, so I really don't know which episodes of which seasons I've seen.

[–] Stratego (30533) 8 years ago

I loved the show, but I'm a fan of murder mystery shows anyway. I watched it from the beginning till the end. Tony Shalhoub did a great job, but I do prefer the earlier seasons when it was more about the mystery and character interactions and less about Monk's crazy antics and celebrity guest stars.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

A friend, who also watched it from beginning to end, said the same thing about preferring the earlier seasons. I caught it hit and miss, and only after a season or two had passed.

I don't care about celebrity guest stars, but loved his neurotic antics, and the fact that despite them, he was an endearing character.

[–] [email protected] (5889) 8 years ago

Loved this show and to think, I only started watching it by accident! I tuned into the USA channel and caught the second half of the premier episode. It was so interesting that I watched it again. They ran the same episode twice that night.

I loved all the seasons. The celebrity guest stars were fine, but Tony Shalhoub made the show. If they never had big name guest stars, it still would've been great!

Of course there were one or two guests that made things fun. Remember the episode when Monk was on the plane with Sharona and she recognized Tim Daly in first class? She was gushing over him but Monk had no idea who he was. Tony Shalhoub played a character in Tim Daly's show "Wings". I enjoy those little "in jokes" for the fans.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

I only started watching it by accident as well! Okay, not entirely, because my friend had told me about it, but we have different tastes, so I didn't watch it until much later, and then it was by accident.

Agree that Tony Shalhoub made the show. Can't imagine anyone else playing Monk as well as he did.

I must have missed that episode, but like Monk, wouldn't have known who Tim Daly was.

Sharona. I remember my friend saying she didn't like it when she was replaced. Honestly, I didn't either, but I thought her replacement was ok, and hadn't followed the show closely enough for that aspect to make a lot of difference to me, but I did prefer Sharona.

[–] db20db (17244) 8 years ago

Tony Shalhoub was to Monk what Peter Falk was to Columbo.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

I didn't post it, but was thinking the same thing! Columbo was quirky too, although not as much as Monk.

[–] db20db (17244) 8 years ago

Yes, but much of Columbo's quirkiness was a deliberate ploy to disarm and ensnare his suspect.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

Very true, whereas Monk's wasn't. He couldn't himself. All the same, I loved Monk more than I did Columbo.

[–] db20db (17244) 8 years ago

The opposite for me. I liked Columbo because of his craftiness.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

I can understand that, although I much preferred Monk to Columbo, personally. I didn't find Columbo particularly endearing, although to a degree. Again, I'm not very much a detective/murder mystery fan, so while I liked Columbo well enough to a point, I didn't like him nearly as much as the endearing Monk, who also always proved to be spot-on.

[–] [email protected] (5889) 8 years ago

Catbookss- some of Columbo's personal quirks were real, like his affection for his old rumpled raincoat! Who the heck wears a raincoat in southern Californa all the the time anyway? lol There was an episode where Mrs. Columbo bought him a new coat, but Columbo kept leaving it behind. He didn't want it. The other cops , much to his chagrin, kept returning it to him!

I'd like to imagine Monk with his genuine OCD and Columbo working a case together. Monk would just lose it with all of Columbo's cigar smoke! And he'd probably insist on ironing Columbo's raincoat or at least send it to the drycleaners.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

I didn't know that, Purple. Fun trivia fact. Do you know what other of Columbo's quirks were really Peter Falk's?

Ha, it would have been REALLY fun to see Monk and Columbo work on a case!

[–] [email protected] (5889) 8 years ago

Well Catbookss, I know that one of Columbo's traits (not really a quirk) was due to Peter Falk. Remember how Columbo would stop and put his hand to his forehead as if thinking? Actors have to move to the correct spot or "hit their mark". Peter Falk only had one eye. The other eye was glass. He had an eye removed in childhood due to cancer.

Peter Falk had to look down to find his mark, so the trademark Columbo "pensive maneuver" was created by him.

Some of Columbo's quirks were developed over time, like the rumpled raincoat. Columbo started out with a TV movie, not the series. Did you ever see the original TV movie called "Prescription:Murder"?

The guest star was the handsome and debonair Gene Barry who played a doctor who wanted to get rid of his wife, hence the "prescription".

I have the series on DVD and when I watched that movie I realized that Columbo looked a bit different. His raincoat was new and had no wrinkles. His hair was combed differently. Columbo himself didn't use some of those befuddled mannerisms.

I don't know for sure, but it seems that Peter Falk created the character's quirks over time by the way he played him. One thing I do know is that the actor started smoking cigars like Columbo did. I can imagine Monk having coughing fits if he was confined to a car with him.

Actually I can't imagine Monk riding in Columbo's car. There was an episode where it's made clear that Columbo's vehicle did not have seatbelts!

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

Yes, I remember him doing that -- often. I knew he had a glass eye, but not that it made it difficult for him to his his mark. Makes sense.

No, never saw the TV movie.

Absolutely right, Monk would never ride in Columbo's car! It would make a great scene between them. Not as bad as him having to crawl through a sewer though :)

[–] Stratego (30533) 8 years ago

I feel that with later guest stars the episode revolved more around that character than the story itself.

But guest stars like Tim Daly were great, one of my favourites, to be honest.

[–] JohnSteed (59) 8 years ago

I loved when Monk would announce early on in an episode, and even sometimes after meeting a person for just a minute or two, that "He's the guy!".

That was great!!

[–] db20db (17244) 8 years ago

Like the episode with the comatose guy, which was early in the show. That one really seemed to defy logic.

[–] JohnSteed (59) 8 years ago

Yes, perfect example!

Another crazy one was when he immediately announced that the astronaut (who was in outer space at the time of the crime) was the murderer!

[–] Stratego (30533) 8 years ago

Absolutely!

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

I never got tired of Monk saying "He's the guy!"

[–] JohnSteed (59) 8 years ago

I know,,,it was awesome.

And then there was an episode where a woman was the murderer and he said "She's the guy"! LOL

[–] Catbookss (13664) 8 years ago

LOL! I must have missed that one.