Monk

Television has been described as a vast wasteland. In most respects this is completely true. There is so very little on television worth watching. Unlike most Americans I can't stand American Idol, The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, CSI, The Walking Dead and most other crud on TV. Most television shows are unimaginative junk with only potty humor and sex to sell them. However, there a few shows I have always enjoyed... The Andy Griffith Show has to be my all time favorite. I also love the old Carol Burnett Show. Sitcoms like M*A*S*H, Seinfeld, I Love Lucy and Cheers aren't made anymore either. You probably noticed most of the shows I like are the old ones. The reason for this is quite simple. They don't make TV shows the way they used to.

With all this being said, Tami and I recently (within the last six months) happened upon a wonderfully entertaining and brilliant show. Monk. That's right, folks, Monk.

Adrian Monk is an obsessive compulsive police detective in San Francisco. He is absolutely brilliant and solves cases other detectives are unable to solve. He does this by noticing details that would escape most people. Early in the series, Monk's wife is killed in a car bombing. Monk is riddled with guilt because he believes he was the intended target of the bomb and because he never found out who did it. It's the only case he's never been able to solve. All of this becomes too much for Monk and he suffers an emotional breakdown which costs him his badge. The subsequent episodes have Monk trying to prove to the review board that he is fit to return to duty, but he is always denied for one reason or another. The show revolves around Monk continuing to solve crimes the police detectives can't. He is always called in as a consultant because they couldn't solve the homicides otherwise.

This show is squeaky clean, witty, brilliantly written and wonderfully acted. It is also HILARIOUS! It's strange to think that a crime investigation show could be funny, but what makes it so humorous is Monk himself. Homicide investigations are not typically clean and pretty sights. This doesn't bode well for an obsessive compulsive, germophobic neat-freak. Things are so bad for him that he has hired an assistant to follow him everywhere carrying sanitizing wipes and talking him down off the proverbial ledge.

The show is in reruns now. We were a little late to the party, but it doesn't matter. Tami and I look forward to 2 episodes every Friday night. It's a great way to unwind after a long week at work. If you're tired of the garbage on TV nowadays and you've never seen Monk, we highly recommend it. We suggested it to my in-laws and they are completely hooked. I think you'll be hooked too. Give Monk a try. You won't regret it.