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01/11/2005 Archived Entry: "On Monk"

Gordon P. -- unofficial co-blogger -- echoes my thoughts on one of my favorite TV programs "Monk" which has been hitting the skids lately and is about to go over the cliff (IMHO) with the departure of Sharona, his assistant.

For the _Monk_ fans among us: The official reason USA execs give for why Bitty Schram has left _Monk_ is: "Creative Differences"... Hollywood's wonkocracy claims that "creative differences" is usually producer's doublespeak for "she wanted too much money..." Schram (and her agent) were involved in contract negotiations with the USA Network when she "left" (AKA "was fired"), and Schram was allegedly employing "hardball" pressure tactics such as frequently calling in sick or showing up late for filming...

It is difficult for me to believe that Schram's replacement, Traylor Howard will have the same sort of "chemistry" with Tony Shaloub that Schram and Shaloub did... :-( Given the loss of a major component of what made the series unique (namely, the relationship between Monk and Sharona) plus the recent tendency of the writers to give Monk ever more absurd phobias and ticks, and put him into ever more absurd situations (suggesting that they are running out of decent plot ideas, and are attempting to merely "fill time"), my prognostication is that this may well be the last season for _Monk_... :-(