The return of the popular mystery-comedy series Monk and Psych for new seasons on the USA Network (at 9 and 10 p.m. EDT, respectively) is a bittersweet thing for most followers of the popular show featuring Tony Shaloub as the obsessive-compulsive detective. After a seven-year run in which Monk led the way in building USA and other cable/satellite outlets into a plausible long-term challenge to the broadcast networks’ dominance of television audiences, the coming sixteen episodes will constitute the last season for the show.
The good news is that the producers are planning to resolve the show’s central story lines–Monk’s quest to identify his wife’s killer, and his attempts to become mentally healthy enough to resume his position on the San Francisco police force. (Throughout the series he has served as a consultant on homicide investigations for the force.)
Equally heartening is the fact that Psych, now entering its fourth season, has continued to improve over the years (after a very promising start) and is as enjoyable as Monk.
As I’ve noted earlier in this publication and others, Monk was a trailblazer in moving toward more entertaining, positive, cheerful and optimistic dramatic series television programming, a trend that has picked up steam as the decade progressed. Even the broadcast networks are beginning to get the message, with new, less grim, highly appealing mystery series such as The Mentalist, Castle, and the unfortunately canceled The Unusuals.
Created and produced by comedy writer Andy Breckman and debuting in July 2002, Monk was deliberately given a lighter, more comic veneer than most TV drama shows of the time, instead harking back to the entertaining TV dramas of the 1960s and early ’70s. That has led to a refreshing lightening of the tone of TV dramas, with enjoyability once again a major factor in the equation.
USA led the way with follow-up series based on the same elements–serious but not lugubrious drama, strong infusions of comedy, suspense as opposed to graphic depictions of violence and dead bodies, emphasis on solving mystery puzzles, the presence of likable central characters, etc.–as in Psych, Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, and Royal Pains.
Rival cab/sat powerhouse TNT joined the movement with similar though somewhat darker fare, such as the immensely popular The Closer and Saving Grace, and the rather lighter and very enjoyable Leverage. Others have followed suit, but none has manage to emulate the consistent charm of the USA series.
Beneath the buffoonery and formulaic mystery structure, however, Monk was quite serious, and Shaloub’s sympathetic but never smarmy depiction of the central character was an important part of its effect. In fact, the show lost a bit of its charm in the past year or so, as Adrian Monk became even more annoying and self-absorbed, with his quirky obsessiveness sometimes degenerating into mere selfishness and peevishness.
That was probably not intentional on the producers’ part, and there’s good reason to hope that they’ve righted the ship for the new season. Breckman was quoted in USA Today as being fully aware of the 1970s sensibility of the show and correctly seeing it as a virtue:
“In many ways it’s a very retro, very ’70s kind of show” that’s just not seen these days on network TV. “The pace of the show is slower than most other shows, the humor is quirkier and a little more gentle. I wear this as a badge of honor.”
In addition, the show is ending not because of a loss of quality or audience appeal: the ratings are still about as strong as ever, averaging more than five million viewers. USA decided to call an end to the show because production costs were rising beyond the ability to support it. That might seem a cold decision, but it’s the right one. Costs rise because the people involved in the production are able to demand more money, and if they really want to continue, they can stop pressing for higher salaries each year. (Not that that would ever happen.)
And given the occasional minor missteps in last year’s episodes, it’s probably best for all if Monk stops while its makers are still able to keep the quality high. In addition, the knowledge that this is their last year at it may well concentrate their minds admirably and lead to a very strong final season. The aforementioned USA Today article quoted Breckman as saying, “I want to leave viewers absolutely satisfied, and I want to pay back their loyalty.” Longtime viewers will also be glad to hear that Bitty Schramm will make an appearance this season, reprising her role as Sharona, Monk’s assistant during the first two seasons of the show.
A successful final season would allow us to hope that there might be the occasional Monk TV movie in the future (especially given the bigger budgets the format can accommodate), as with other successful mystery shows such as Columbo; Murder, She Wrote; and Jonathan Creek.
That would be a consummation devoutly to be wished. In the meantime, sixteen more episodes of Monk, plus resolution of the major story lines, is a fine prospect indeed, as is the new season of Psych.