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'Monk' finale detects big ratings
"Monk" hit the big time on its way out.The long-running USA Network detective series starring Tony Shalhoub enjoyed a series finale Friday, Dec. 4 that attracted nearly 9.5 million viewers, a record high for the most-watched regular drama series episode on basic cable, according to Variety.
"It's truly gratifying to have been on the air for eight years and to finish the run with a beautiful episode that people wanted to be a part of," said Mandeville Films' David Hoberman, an executive producer on the show. "'Monk' has achieved a lot in its eight years on the air -- this being one of them."
In the finale, San Francisco cop-turned-private eye Adrian Monk (Shalhoub) finally solves the case of wife's murder, a mystery that had been haunting him for the entire series.
Shalhoub won three Emmys for his work on "Monk."
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Photo credit: USA Network
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The finale was perfect -- sweet and sad, closure but not "the end."
The finale was a bit of a disappointment. All this time spent trying to figure out the wife's murderer and it was resolved in a flash. Seemed like the episode was written as an afterthought.
I had stopped watching after Sharona was written out
I thoroughly enjoyed it and will look forward to an occasional MONK TV movie. Hope to see Traylor Howard very soon back on TV - Natalie was the best!
USA has been putting the lie to the idea that Friday Nights are a "Death slot" for years.
Monk's finale getting about 5 times the ratings of the mega-hyped Dollhouse proves conclusively that there's nothing wrong with Friday Nights.
Paul, don't forget the Monk mysteries by Lee Goldberg at your local bookstore.
I only tuned in to see how they would wrap it up. Naturally, Monk solves the case in, what, like 10-minutes? It took him 15 years (series time) to piece those clues together? All he had to do was watch the damn video tape his wife left for him and he would have figured it out. But no, the writers create a nifty deus ex machina to end the show. Ha! So weak.
I absolutely loved the show....from beginning to the entire. Kudos to the cast, writers, producers and directors. Just hoping that this is not the end and, that, maybe there's a Monk Special sometime in the not to distant future.
Once again, thanks for doing justice to a great show and ending it with dignity.
A delighted fan (always).
Next to Newhart my favorite series finale.
It did seem like an afterthought the way they put the video tape plot together, but Tony Shalhoub's acting in this was bomb awesome