Good news and bad news for fans of USA’s Monk TV show. The network has renewed it for an eight season but has also announced that there won’t be a ninth year of dysfunctional sleuthing.
Monk tells the tale of Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), a brilliant San Francisco detective who, after the death of his wife in a car bombing, has a nervous breakdown. After being a recluse for three years, Monk returns to the force, barely able to control his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Monk’s many phobias make it difficult for him to function but, because he’s hyper-aware of the world around him, he’s an incredibly observant sleuth.
Though they’re often irritated by his disorder, Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Lieutenant Randall “Randy” Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) utilize Monk’s abilities cases get tough. Monk is helped by assistant Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram) and later by Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard).
The TV show debuted on July 12, 2002 on the USA network. The show began as a modest success and grew its audience to an average of 6.1 million viewers in season six. This year’s episodes have been averaging five million viewers, 40% of which are from the desirable 18-49 demographic. The numbers are even more impressive when you consider that the series airs on Friday nights, a little-watched night of television.
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USA has renewed the series for an eighth season of 16 episodes but those will end the series. With the show’s viewership still growing, why finish it now? The decision to end the series is said to be a mutual one between all parties involved. Though they maintain that they want to end Monk while the show is still on top creatively, the reason for the cancellation comes down to dollars and cents. As the seasons have progressed, production costs have increased and the network likely finds it hard to justify episodes’ high pricetags.
USA’s Executive VP of Original Programming, Jeff Wachtel, assures that viewers won’t be disappointed by the final episodes. In a statement, he said, “Our fans have been extremely dedicated, and season eight should prove to be a very satisfying reward.” It’s rumored that the final episodes will bring the character full circle, centering around the killer of Monk’s beloved wife.
A special holiday episode of Monk is slated for November 28th and season seven episodes will continue in January 2009. Monk’s last 16 episodes are scheduled to begin airing sometime next summer. Stay tuned! 
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It is time for this show to go, enough of enough, it and the Closer both need to be put to rest…..was good for a couple of years but then lost anything it had
it doesnt matter who hates mr. monk. just cause stupid 3% hate the show doesnt mean th rest of us do!!! besides, if you dont want to watch the show, it is as simple as changing the channel! sorry, you dont really have a say
THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO STOP THE SERIES. NO NO NO NO . IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST SHOWS THAT IS ON TELEVISION. EVERY TIME A GOOD SHOW COMES ON USA YOU CANCEL. I WISH YOU WOULD AT LEAST CONSIDER MAYBE BRINGING IT BACK EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE TO SOLVE ANOTHER GREAT CASE
Loved the show will really miss it.
For goodness sake, why would you cancel a show with such popularity? You guys are missing the mark!
Please cancel another show, ANY show, And keep Monk instead.
please dont end this show. it is one of the best shows on . there are alot of other shows that are awful. if you have 40% of viewers watching it doesnt that tell you enough, this is crazy to end this good,family show. there are not lot of shows that are clean and good. this is one of the best.
YOU WILL BE MISSED VERY MUCH. LOOK FORWARD TO FRIDAYS TO WATCH MONK. BEST OF LUCK IN THE FUTURE WITH WHAT EVER YOU CHOOSE TO DO, BARBARA BURKE
Yes i agree…cancel another show…..ne show…….one of the best….one of the very very few i watch……Don’t leave us MONK!!
PLEASE DON’T CANCEL MONK. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS ON TELEVISION.
Monk is a beloved show. It will be missed by all. I wish that it would be prolonged but the episodes have become predicatable. My 13 year old daughter can predict who did it and why in almost every episode now. I hope you don’t completely cut off MONK from the USA family. Love you Mr. Monk
Production costs can’t be the reason. If it was, they wouldn’t start NEW shows.
The real reason has to be what Tony said- they feel they’ve taken it as far as it can go
I will miss the very best show on Fridays. Please re consider !!!! I beg you.
How can they cancel a show with that many viewers? I would have watched that show if it would have gone 20 seasons
My family LOVES “Monk”. We buy all of the videos of the seasons. We love the growth in the characters over the series.
PLEASE DON’T CANCEL MONK!!!!
It is one of the few good shows. The network CAN take it further–and there are many viewers who want to go there.
We love you, Mr. Monk!
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