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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I don’t have cable due to the ecomony , but I ‘ve been watching the reruns on my
local fox 28, on saturday afternoons, and no matter where i am I always watch it
every week. I plan my Saturday’s around the show.
sorry, i didn’t start out watching it from the beginning, but one day i called my
teenage son who lives with his father, and he said he was watching the show, and
i said that’s a dumb show, he said if you took the time to watch it all of it, you would
love it. so i did and he was so right!!!!
thank you for bring a great family show to tv—– please reconsider bring him back ,
maybe they could find out that Monk’s wife was with a another woman, and she
wasn’t burn up but in a coma somewhere, and nobody knew her name.
that way Monk could have his wonderful wife back and still solve murders
what a waste of talent & show to close. my husband is very much like him, with having to do things JUST right or he can’t relax. i think it’s a great show with a lot of good moments, also brings home waht folks with this “condition” goes through should be more of it. theresemarie
Why has Monk not been awarded an Emmy? Has the show even been nominated?
i love Monk. it is not showing in our country but it is available on DVD, and i have the complete 1-6 season. every nice thing has been said about the show. i hope all the comments here make the bosses change their decision.
Here’s a thought for USA Network. Why don’t you make an occasional movie with Monk in the future. Remember Columbo and so other shows back in the day. After they were cancelled, they often came back with movies. This could be done and maybe it would not be as expensive as a series. This way from time to time we can continue to see Monk. USA give this some thought.
i think it is wrong to stop monk that is my fav. tv show i swatch almost every day NOOOOOOOOOOOOO I LOVED MONK
PLEASE MAKE NEW MONKS THAT IS THE ONLY THING I WATCH MOST OF THE TIME THAT IS WHAT MADE ME THINK ABOUT BEING A DETECTIVE
THAT SHOW WAS AN INSPARATION TO ALL OF US
Monk has gotten old. It’s time to wrap it up and solve the long time big mysteries ans find his wife’s killer.
In the early episodes, Monk was a likable guy, now he’s a jackass. He’s rude, mysogynistic and not as smart as he was. Time to end the show.
Psych is a much better show now anyway.
Still cannot get an answer why Monk is being cancelled. Why?
@Diane Hedlund: If you read the article, it’s pretty clear.
I just finish watching Happy Birthday Mr. Monk. I could relate to him after this ep. I got to meet my favorite cowboy. Fess Parker
on my Birthday. wAy to go Mr. Monk.
I do not understand why they are discontinuing monk, i fi nd it very entertaining and acceptable to most audiences, can someone tell me why that is the case, that they are discontinuing? thank you
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