Monk season 8
| Monk season 8 | |
|---|---|
| Season 8 | |
 | |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Release | |
| Original network | USA Network |
| Original release | August 7 – December 4, 2009 |
| Season chronology | |
The eighth and final season of Monk originally aired in the United States on USA Network from August 7 to December 4, 2009. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on March 16, 2010.
Crew
Andy Breckman continued his tenure as show runner. Executive producers for the season included Breckman, David Hoberman, series star Tony Shalhoub, writer Tom Scharpling, and Rob Thompson. Universal Media Studios was the primary production company backing the show. Randy Newman's theme ("It's a Jungle Out There") was continued to be used, while Jeff Beal's original instrumental theme could be heard in some episodes. Newman also wrote a song for the final episode entitled When I'm Gone. The song was accompanied by a montage of past and present characters from the show, leading the series into the final end credits. Directors for the season included Randall Zisk, Michael Zinberg, David Breckman, and Andrei Belgrader. Dean Parisot returned to direct "Mr. Monk and the Badge". It was his only credit in the series, apart from the pilot episode. Writers for the season included Michael Angeli, Andy Breckman, David Breckman, Hy Conrad, Tom Gammill, Dylan Morgan, Max Pross, Salvatore Savo, Josh Siegal, Joe Toplyn, Tom Scharpling, and Peter Wolk.
Cast
All four main characters returned for the final season. Tony Shalhoub returned as former homicide detective Adrian Monk, with Traylor Howard returning as Monk's faithful assistant, Natalie Teeger. Ted Levine returned as the SFPD captain, Leland Stottlemeyer, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised his role as the lovable but oblivious Lieutenant Randy Disher.
Hector Elizondo returned as Monk's new psychiatrist, Dr. Neven Bell. Emmy Clarke continued to portray Julie Teeger. Virginia Madsen entered the series as Stottlemeyer's new girlfriend (and later wife), Trudy K. Jensen. Melora Hardin reprised her role as Trudy Monk (Monk's deceased wife), and Casper Van Dien returned as Lt. Steven Albright, Natalie's new love interest. Tim Bagley returned to resolve Harold Krenshaw's (Monk's number-one rival) plotline. Craig T. Nelson entered as Judge Ethan Rickover in the penultimate episode. D. B. Woodside entered in the same episode as Monk's physician, Dr. Matthew Shuler. Alona Tal made an appearance in the final episode as Trudy's daughter, Molly Evans. Bitty Schram made a special appearance as Sharona Fleming, Monk's former nurse (Schram was a former cast member, who left during the third season). Other guest stars for the eighth season included Brooke Adams, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Sarah Aldrich, Dylan Baker, Eric Balfour, Ed Begley, Jr., Jack Betts, Kelly Carlson, Ian Paul Cassidy, Shelly Cole, Vince Curatola, Reed Diamond, Mary Beth Evans, Michael Fairman, Mark Harelik, Jesse Heiman, Carol Kane, Bernie Kopell, Wallace Langham, Meat Loaf, Louis Lombardi, John Carroll Lynch, Jay Malone, Jack McGee, Lex Medlin, Jay Mohr, Elizabeth Perkins, Teri Polo, Sarah Rush, Rena Sofer, Daniel Stern, Eric Stonestreet, Karen Strassman, Jack Wagner, Gary Weeks, Christina Vidal, Chandra West, Wade Williams, and Alex Wolff.
Episodes
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 1 | "Mr. Monk's Favorite Show" | Randall Zisk | Jack Bernstein | August 7, 2009 | 5.14[1] |
| 111 | 2 | "Mr. Monk and the Foreign Man" | David Grossman | David Breckman and Justin Brenneman | August 14, 2009 | 5.31[2] |
| 112 | 3 | "Mr. Monk and the UFO" | Kevin Hooks | Michael Angeli | August 21, 2009 | 5.16[3] |
| 113 | 4 | "Mr. Monk Is Someone Else" | Randall Zisk | Salvatore Savo | August 28, 2009 | 4.98[4] |
| 114 | 5 | "Mr. Monk Takes the Stand" | Mary Lou Belli | Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan | September 11, 2009 | 4.82[5] |
| 115 | 6 | "Mr. Monk and the Critic" | Jerry Levine | Hy Conrad | September 18, 2009 | 4.88[6] |
| 116 | 7 | "Mr. Monk and the Voodoo Curse" | Andrei Belgrader | Joe Toplyn | September 25, 2009 | 4.74[7] |
| 117 | 8 | "Mr. Monk Goes to Group Therapy" | Anton Cropper | Joe Ventura | October 9, 2009 | 4.37[8] |
| 118 | 9 | "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" | Tawnia McKiernan | Peter Wolk | October 16, 2009 | 3.98[9] |
| 119 | 10 | "Mr. Monk and Sharona" | Randall Zisk | Tom Scharpling | October 23, 2009 | 5.42[10] |
| 120 | 11 | "Mr. Monk and the Dog" | David Breckman | Beth Armogida | October 30, 2009 | 4.69[11] |
| 121 | 12 | "Mr. Monk Goes Camping" | Joe Pennella | Tom Gammill and Max Pross | November 6, 2009 | 4.26[12] |
| 122 | 13 | "Mr. Monk Is the Best Man" | Michael Zinberg | Joe Toplyn, Josh Siegal, and Dylan Morgan | November 13, 2009 | 4.39[13] |
| 123 | 14 | "Mr. Monk and the Badge" | Dean Parisot | Hy Conrad and Tom Scharpling | November 20, 2009 | 5.30[14] |
| 124 | 15 | "Mr. Monk and the End (Part One)" | Randall Zisk | Andy Breckman | November 27, 2009 | 5.82[15] |
| 125 | 16 | "Mr. Monk and the End (Part Two)" | Randall Zisk | Andy Breckman | December 4, 2009 | 9.44[16] |
Awards and nominations
Emmy Awards
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub, nominated)
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics (Randy Newman, won)
Screen Actors Guild
- Outstanding Actor - Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub, nominated)
References
- ^ Seidman, Robert (August 11, 2009). "iCarly, Burn Notice, The Closer, Royal Pains, WWE RAW and Monk top week's cable shows". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
- ^ "The Closer, WWE RAW, NASCAR, Royal Pains & Monk Top Week's Cable Shows". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. August 18, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Updated: The Closer, WWE RAW, & True Blood Top Week's Cable Shows". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. August 25, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: Wizards of Waverly Place, The Closer, WWE RAW & Royal Pains". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. September 1, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: USC, VMAs, iCarly and True Blood finale..." TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. September 15, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: Monday Night Football, WWE RAW, Hannah Montana and Monk..." TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. September 22, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: Monday Night Football, WWE RAW, Monk top weekly cable chart". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. September 29, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: Record-breaking Monday Night Football, MLB playoffs on TBS, NCIS, WWE RAW, and Wizards of Waverly Place top weekly cable charts". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. October 13, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: Monday Night Football, MLB playoffs, Hannah Montana and NCIS top weekly cable chart". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. October 20, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: Football, Baseball Monk, White Collar, Jeff Dunham, and Sons of Anarchy top weekly cable chart". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. October 27, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "USA IS "WHITE" HOT!". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. November 3, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: NFL Football, SpongeBob and Fanboy & Chum Chum top weekly cable charts". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. November 10, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: NFL Football, iCarly and Suite Life on Deck top weekly cable charts". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. November 18, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "White Collar added 52% to its 18-49 ratings with Live+7 for 3rd episode". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. November 24, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: NFL & College Football, Monk and iCarly top weekly cable charts". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. December 2, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
- ^ "Cable ratings: Patriots-Sants, Monk finale and iCarly special top weekly cable charts". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. December 8, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2014.