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The premiere features Elizabeth Perkins ("Weeds") as the former child star of a "Brady Bunch" type show who has written a tell-all book. She hires Monk to help her when there is an attempt made on her life. The episode highlights everything that has become wrong with the show as the seasons have progressed. 1. Monk is beyond goofy. It used to be that he was fastidious and particular. Now he's just downright silly and often behaves idiotically. This is not the Monk we used to know. Additionally, and this happens often with long running shows, the writers spontaneously give Adrian characteristics that are apropos of nothing to advance the storyline. And bam! Suddenly Monk loves a TV show we've never heard him talk about. 2. The cases are SO obvious. I literally knew who did it within the first five minutes. I know we never turned to "Monk" for mind-bending criminal cases but they need a case that at least will hold my interest. 3. All the other characters take a back-seat to Monk's antics. I know he's the title character but before the series ends, I really would like to see Natalie, Captain Stottlemeyer, and, particularly, Lt. Randall Disher get their due. This is all not to say that I haven't enjoyed "Monk," I'm just ready to say goodbye. Before the season is over, many of our questions will be answered including who killed Adrian's wife (those will be the final episodes of the season) and will Adrian ever make it back on to the police force (I'm guessing yes on that one, aren't you?). Guest stars this season include Dylan Baker, Meat Loaf, Bernie Kopell, Jay Mohr, Daniel Stern, Alex Wolff, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Eric Balfour, Kelly Carlson, and Reed Diamond. We'll also see the return of Bitty Schram as Adrian's first assistant Sharona. So how about you? Are you ready to say goodbye to "Monk" or are you sad this is the show's final season. Talk about it below. How I Met Your Mother I had a chance to speak to the always friendly Craig Thomas, executive producer of "How I Met Your Mother" Monday at the CBS party. He told me that he didn't wake up early the morning of the Emmy nominations to see if the show had been nominated. But he had one moment of optimism where he put the champagne that people have sent to the show over the years into the refrigerator the night before the Emmy nominations. Turned out to be a good thing, since he and the whole staff spent Emmy nomination day celebrating and drinking champagne. Thomas also gave me a few tidbits about the show's fifth season (warning: don't read if you don't want to know anything about next season). 1. The Barney and Robin romance will get some serious screen time as the season kicks off. He said pairing these two character has been in the back of his mind since the season one episode that had Barney and Robin playing laser tag together. "Exploring whether or not they're together has been great," he said. "They don't change as characters at all. We don't have to make them suddenly be a cute couple. It's fun watching two people who have no idea how to do this attempt to do this together." 2. The show will pick right back up where last season ended. Ted will be teaching a classroom of 300 people. "We get to start of the season with he's literally in the same room as the person who will become his wife and the mother of his children. That's so much fun." So it will be awhile before we learn which of the students becomes The Mother. 3. Marshall still owes Barney two slaps from the slap bet that began in season two. Thomas said a slap may be in the air for season five "but that last slap you don't want to spend that. It's so much fun to drag those slaps out don't be surprised if the very last moment of the entire series is a slap in the face, cut to black." Most Horrifying Moment of the Week I don't know about you but I may never recover from the scene between Nancy and Andy in the restaurant bathroom on "Weeds." I'm officially declaring it the worst TV scene ever. Don't even try to stop me. Worst News of the Week I'm telling you right now "American Idol" will not be the same without Paula Abdul. And I definitely was ready for last season to be Kara's only season on "American Idol." What do you guys think of the news? Where Have I Seen Them Before? Of course we all recognized Peter Jacobson, Dr. Taub on "House," as the patient on his honeymoon on "Royal Pains." Lee Tergesen was the patient with the heart condition. Tergesen was Tobias on "Oz," Peter, Bree's boyfriend, on "Desperate Housewives," and we just saw him as Detective Nick Carey on the fifth season premiere of "The Closer." Katie Finneran was his wife. Finneran was Sharon on "Wonderfalls" and Melody on "The Inside." Jessy Schram was the teen who had promised her baby to two adoptive parents on "HawthoRNe." She was Hannah on "Veronica Mars" and Rachel on "Life." Christy Romano was the hockey captain who gave Ray her phone number on "Hawthorne." Romano was the voice of "Kim Possible" and Ren Stevens on "Even Stevens." Amy Pietz was one of the adoptive mothers. I still miss seeing her as the mom on "Aliens in America" and, of course, she was Annie on "Caroline in the City." Marguerite Moreau was the date Tom kept waiting at the hospital. She was Suzanne on "What About Brian," Reed on "The O.C.," and Monica on "life as we know it." Dennis recognized Krista Allen as the wife of the congressman on "Dirty Sexy Money." We've seen Allen this season as Teddy's wife on "The Philanthropist." She was also Bridget on "What About Brian," Jenna on "Baywatch Hawaii," and Billie on "Days of Our Lives." Dennis also caught Mark Moses and Sharon Lawrence as Deb's parents on "Drop Dead Diva." Moses was Paul Young on "Desperate Housewives" and Duck on "Mad Men." As Dennis correctly pointed out, Lawrence is becoming TV's go-to mom. We saw Lawrence last season as Izzie's mom on "Grey's Anatomy" and Megan's mom on "Privileged." Among her many roles, Lawrence was also Sylvia on "NYPD Blue." That's all for today. I'm back on Friday to talk about the summer finale of "Burn Notice" (don't forget to watch tomorrow night at 9 p.m. on USA) and the season premiere of "Psych" and more. Have a question? Seen a familiar face? Want to nominate a quote of the week? Is there something you want me to try to find out for you while I'm at TCA press tour? Write me at 
After watching the premiere of the eighth and final season of "Monk," I had one prevailing thought: "I am ready to say goodbye to 'Monk.'"
amytvgal@zap2it.com or follow me on Twitter. Talk to you on Friday.
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I'm with you on that bathroom scene on Weeds. Extremely ewww and way creepy. I'm also okay with Monk ending. It hasn't been the same since Sharona left and Natalie came on. I much preferred Sharona.
I agree completely about Monk. The last couple of seasons I've just fast-forwarded through what I've come to call the "Monk moments"--when the plot simply comes to a complete halt for two or three minutes while Monk acts like an idiot.
That scene in the bathroom was definitely gross and unnecessary. It also didn't make sense that Nancy was out drinking when she's breastfeeding. Of course, considering they had her drinking and smoking while she was pregant I guess I shouldn't be that surprised.
Very surprised about Paula Abdul. I had just ***umed all this will she/won't she was PR cooked up by the show's PR people.
I think Simon is the only judge worth anything. They need two more judges like Simon and they could ditch Randy and Kara. I wonder about Ryan's huge contract. Seems like a lot of money for someone who is, in many respects, replaceable.
I look forward to your article on "Psych" this Friday. I really enjoy this show. It is probably the most laid-back, pure fun television shows on the air. It's the type of show where all the writers, producers, and actors just goof off and tell stories and make references that make them laugh. I listened to every commentary and that is perfectly clear from hearing them talk about their show.
As for Monk, I gave up on that show a couple of seasons ago. It has definitely become to predictable and it seems like the writers are just setting up situations to make Monk look stupid. It seems they are making a joke out of his disorder instead of using it to enhance his character. I am sometimes embarr***ed by his antics. Fortunately, "Psych" premiered around the time I gave up on "Monk," so I immediately had a quirky detective show to fill the void.
I think AI made the mistake after S1 by bringing Paula, Randy and Ryan back. At least they got rid of Brian after S1. They should have had new judges afer every season and hired someone who can't compete for the title of most annoying person on the planet the way Ryan does (he's surely won that a handful of times).
I'm sure when AI's ratings continue to regress that Paula's PR team will take the time to crow about how the audience "has spoken" -> of course that isn't truly the case as audience would've regressed the same amount whether she was back or not.
I still love Monk. I watch way more of the quirky characters on USA and TNT than I do on the 'regular' networks. Monk isn't meant to be deep-thinking; it's got humor and some pathos when it hits the subject of Monk's wife Trudy. It's escapist TV and doesn't try to be anything more than that.
Lee Tergesen will always be Chet from the Weird Science TV show to me.
I'm way ready for Monk to be over.
I was glad to see Katie Finnernan on Royal Pains - I loved her character, Sharon, on Wonderfalls. And, if you haven't seen Wonderfalls, check it out. An amazing series canceled way too soon by Fox.
Personally, I'm so glad to finally be rid of Paula. Her rambling and incoherent comments are a complete waste of time.