Monk: Season 1

very interesting

For years, I had believed that television was dead: Aside from occasionally watching the one sitcom left that was intelligently written, "Frasier," I sadly witnessed that most sitcoms -- such as "Friends" and "Will and Grace" -- were "dumbed down," filmed in 10-to-15 second segments, in order to cater to the ADHD, MTV generation. Even the so-called "serious" dramas, such as "The West Wing" and "ER" are basically a clumsy piling on of stale platitudes and disease and/or crisis of the week ephemeral plotting. As for "reality" shows, I have nothing to say about that sorry genre save that, strangely, I have never been plucked out of my boring life, put on a deserted isle, surrounded by a dozen hot babes while eating worms and maggots, in hopes of working for Donald Trump, should I emerge victorious.Then, all of the sudden, in the Summer of 2002, my wife and I stumbled across this show, "Monk." What can I say? "Monk" is one of those programs that only comes along every generation or so. It is so gratifying to finally watch a program that mixes light comedy, captivating mystery, taut suspense and intelligent dialogue. Bravo!"Monk" revolves around its central character, the eccentric savant and super-sleuth, Adrian Monk, played with understated erudition by Tony Shalhoub. Monk, who's been felled by the tragic murder of his beautiful wife, Trudy, has a tough time being reinstated to the San Francisco Police Department because of his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Half Perry Mason and half Felix Unger, he is a walking library of esoteric information hindered by a thousand phobias.His nurse, gal-Friday and sidekick is the streetwise and sexy Sharona Fleming, who's on hand to help Adrian overcome his OCD and to dispense antibacterial wipes to protect him from viral infection and dangerous human elements after shaking hands. Monk's OCD provides a lot of comedic moments and plot points, but without ever becoming preachy or belittling.Monk and Sharona are definitely television's best couple, even though their relationship is platonic. While he exists almost exclusively in his own cerebral and abstract world, world-wise Sharona provides the intuition to navigate him through the world populated by the rest of humanity. She's also the perfect foil for his awkward personality quirks. Without Sharona, Monk would literally be incomplete.Ted Levine plays Monk's former boss, Captain Stottlemeyer, with gruff aplomb. Reluctantly, he hires Monk free lance as a consultant when the SFPD can't crack the case. Jason Gray-Stanford gives more comic relief as the boyish Disher, an earnest yet somewhat slow-witted detective on the force who would never solve one of Monk's mysteries, even if given 1000 years.In this boxed set are 12 episodes from the first season, including the pilot, "Mr. Monk and the Candidate," so buyers, please, you don't need to buy the pilot episode separately, unless you are a completist with OCD, like Adrian Monk. The best episodes are: "Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum," which features an offbeat guest appearance by Kevin Nealon; "Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger,"; "Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation; and, most hilariously, "Mr. Monk and the Airplane," in which our hero manages to annoy all the plane's passengers with his finicky behavior while solving a murder."Monk" is superbly cast and brilliantly executed. The photography is gorgeous, the filmstock ripe with rich hues and deep shadows. I disagree with one previous reviewer who implied that the sound "suffices," because it is merely in Dolby 5.1 stereo. I say the sound is perfect: Though in stereo surround, it is never overbearing, never dominating the picture with "whoosh and clang" foley effects.One little imperfection: "Monk" is supposed to be set in San Francisco, so one would think that our protagonist would take note of the Bell Canada service trucks and phone booths that inexplicably pop up in its episodes. Uncanny.Unfortunately, USA Network will not be bringing back Bitty Schram as Sharona next season. Monk needs his better half. Save Sharona! Visit the petition to keep her on the show:[...]

We became Monk fans with the Season Two DVDs, a family member having tipped us off to the series. Then, having been effectively and thoroughly hooked, we sought out Season Three and, separately, the premier episode on its separate DVD. Still unsatiated, we finally acquired the Season One set. Taking them in that order creates no real problem, since each episode does stand alone. However, it was interesting to note that Season One's Sharona seemed more compassionate and less bitchy than in later seasons. But, bitchy or not, we still miss Sharona, although Natalie had become more substantial by the time Season Three ended. We are eager for Season Four. Since we refuse to watch broadcast television, the DVDs are our only way to experience the show.The ensemble cast is great, with Ted Levine and Jason Gray Stanford perfect in their cops-with-mixed-emotions relationship to Monk. The sub-set between Stottlemeyer and Disher--"Are you ready for this?" "Just tell me, Randy!" is delightful, and I especially enjoyed the way it was echoed in the Mexican cops' interplay when Monk went to Mexico.Stanley Kramer's Dr. Kroger is equally delightful. Having operated in a group setting similar to, but not as intense as Kroger's one-on-one therapy sessions, I feel that his character is authentic.And the kids--both Sharona's and Natalie's--are excellent.I do feel that the writers sometimes lose sight of the earlier story when they alter some aspect of the past in a later episode. For instance, in one episode (I forget which one at the moment, but I think that it was in Season Two) Stottlemeyer talks about being a green detective and learning from Monk, but another time his reflection seems to suggest that he was already in charge when Monk started with the department.Lest it be lost in omission, let it be known that we would never have started with Monk had it not been for the presence of Tony Shalhoub, whose acting we love. From "Galaxy Quest," to "The Big Night" (I still am amazed at how completely Shalhoub disappears in the role of "Primo"), to "Impostors," the man is a delight as an actor. Chicago's Ted Levine was the icing on an already great cake for me. I have grown to appreciate him over the years, although I did not enjoy his Steppenwolf performance in "Buried Child" many years ago.I think that it is the actors, and their characters' relationships, that makes Monk so great, because most of the cases, in themselves, strike me as highly unlikely, and I especially dislike the many "Columbo"-like openings (I liked Peter Falk, hated the Columbo scripts), where I already know who the killer is. Yet, because of the characters and their interaction, I persist, and am always rewarded for it.And, this message to the "bosses"--please don't get so tight, fiscally, that you lose more of the stellar cast. Sharona was about all we can bear to lose, I think. Like Monk, we mourn, too.

Tony Shaloub is Monk. The character he has created is brilliant in its detail . The plots are intriguing and dialogue entertaining but it’s the character that shined timelessly.

Monk's first season is some of the best comedy/drama that has been on TV in years. Tony Shaloub is a gifted actor, and breathes life and believability into the character of Mr. Monk. Monk's daily struggle with OCD is at time funny and because of Tony Shaloub's portrayal, touching. We can see that Monk hates being trapped by his OCD, even if the disease is a contributing factor to his Sherlock Holmesian power of observation. All of the episodes in season one are enjoyable. Watching Monk chase a suspect through a sewer in "Mr. Monk and the Candidate" is hilarious. The interaction between Monk and his nurse/assistant Sharona is fun to watch. In episodes "Mr. Monk takes a Vacation" and "Mr. Monk and the Airplane", the back and forth between the characters is a riot. I think the highlight of this box set is "Mr. Monk and Red Headed Stranger". Some of the subtle jokes about Willie Nelson are great!! And the ending of that episode is very touching. Ted Levine, the actor who played the serial killer in "Silence of the Lambs" plays Detective Stottlemeyer (sp?), and is really good at playing the straight man to Monk.If you enjoy mysteries, that don't involve shoot outs and soap opera (NYPD Blue), or mysteries that don't just pander to the geriatric set (Diagnosis Murder & Matlock), then Monk is for you. With outstanding writing, and a great cast Monk: Season One is Highly Recommended!!

Prompt Amazon delivery, very pleased with product. Monk is always a pleasure to watch!

Love this program so much, bought this first season for my sister, she was very impressed with it and found it very addictive, so is ordering the rest of the seasons. Highly recommend

If you liked the Monk series on TV. You will like this.

Monk is such a great show. We were happy with the dvds we received. The packaging is a little flimsy, but it didn't break and all the dvds played well.Having seen various episodes of the show beforehand, I enjoyed watching the first season in order and understanding more about the characters. "Mr. Monk Goes on Vacation" (I think it's the last episode?) is particularly hilarious.

Good price for pre used DVD. Played perfectly and fast delivery.