Monk (season 2)

The second season of Monk originally aired in the United States on USA Network from June 20, 2003, to March 5, 2004. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Bitty Schram, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on October 11, 2004.

Monk
Season 2
DVD cover
StarringTony Shalhoub
Bitty Schram
Ted Levine
Jason Gray-Stanford
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes16
Release
Original networkUSA Network
Original releaseJune 20, 2003 (2003-06-20) –
March 5, 2004 (2004-03-05)
Season chronology

Crew

Andy Breckman continued his tenure as show runner. Executive producers for the season included Breckman and David Hoberman. Universal Network Television was the primary production company backing the show. The instrumental theme (written by Jeff Beal) was replaced by "It's a Jungle Out There" by Randy Newman. The song received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music, making Monk the first show to win the award twice. Directors for the season included Randall Zisk, Jerry Levine, and Michael Zinberg. Writers for the season included David Breckman, Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin, Hy Conrad, Daniel Dratch, Michael Angeli, Tom Scharpling, Joe Toplyn, and Andy Breckman.

Cast
Main article: List of Monk characters
See also: List of Monk cast members
Kane Ritchotte returned as Benjy Fleming. He portrayed the character in the pilot episode, but Max Morrow was given the role for the remainder of season one. Ritchotte took over for the remainder of the series.

All of the main cast from the first season returned, including Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, the "defective detective." Bitty Schram appeared as Sharona Fleming, Monk's forceful nurse and assistant. Ted Levine starred as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer of the SFPD, and Jason Gray-Stanford returned as the oblivious but lovable Lieutenant Randall "Randy" Disher. The character of Benjy Fleming (Sharona's son) returned to the original actor, Kane Ritchotte, and Stanley Kamel returned as Monk's psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Kroger.

Guest stars for the season included Glenne Headly in two episodes as Karen Stottlemeyer, Leland's wife, and Jarrad Paul as Monk's annoying upstairs neighbor, Kevin Dorfman. John Turturro guest starred as Monk's agoraphobic brother, Ambrose, a role that would later win him an Emmy. Tim Curry took over the role of Dale the Whale, who was originally portrayed by Adam Arkin in "Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale". The part of Trudy Monk, Monk's deceased wife, was played again by Stellina Rusich but after a recast Melora Hardin replaced her for the role. Amy Sedaris reprised her role as Gail Fleming, and Sarah Silverman made her debut as Monk's biggest fan, Marci Maven. Additional guest stars included Corbin Allred, Kathy Baker, Danny Bonaduce, Bobby Brewer, Pat Crawford Brown, Betty Buckley, Billy Burke, Brooke Burke, Nestor Carbonell, Jane Carr, Rosalind Chao, Gary Cole, John Cothran, Jr., Lolita Davidovich, Rachel Dratch, Chad Donella, Sonya Eddy, Edward Edwards, Bill Erwin, Kurt Fuller, Billy Gardell, Melissa George, Lola Glaudini, Daniel Goddard, Currie Graham, Frank John Hughes, Kathryn Joosten, Leslie Jordan, Michelle Krusiec, Shishir Kurup, Jerry Levine, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Lyons, Fay Masterson, James C. Mathis III, Holt McCallany, Andrew McCarthy, Steve Monroe, Jim Moret, David Norona, Tony Plana, Jenni Pulos, David Rasche, Jake Richardson, Rene Rivera, Michael Shalhoub, Michael B. Silver, Josh Stamberg, Lauren Tom, Danny Trejo, Marcelo Tubert, Marc Vann, Ilia Volok, Christopher Wiehl, Rainn Wilson, and Matt Winston.

Episodes
See also: List of Monk episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
141"Mr. Monk Goes Back to School"Randall ZiskDavid Breckman and Rick KronbergJune 20, 2003 (2003-06-20)5.43[1]
An English teacher falls from the clock tower at a private high school that was Trudy's alma mater. Monk takes a job as a substitute teacher to determine whether she committed suicide or was murdered by her boyfriend, a popular science teacher (Andrew McCarthy).
152"Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico"Ron UnderwoodLee Goldberg and William RabkinJune 27, 2003 (2003-06-27)4.03[2]
A college student on spring break in Mexico dies in a skydiving accident, but an autopsy suggests that he drowned in midair. Monk and Sharona are called in to help with the case and must deal with stolen luggage, a lack of Monk's favorite brand of bottled water, and multiple attempts on his life.
163"Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame"Michael SpillerHy ConradJuly 11, 2003 (2003-07-11)3.64[3]
When a ruthless CEO and his wife are lured to an industrial park and are shot dead in their car, Monk connects their murders to a star baseball player's (Christopher Wiehl) quest for the single season home run record. Rainn Wilson guest stars as Walker Browning.
174"Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus"Randall ZiskJames KriegJuly 18, 2003 (2003-07-18)4.07[4]
When a circus ringmaster is shot dead by a high flying acrobat at a restaurant, Monk immediately suspects the man's vengeful ex-wife (Lolita Davidovich) of the murder. But before Monk can find out how the pretty trapeze artist committed the murder with a broken foot, he must get Sharona to overcome her fear of elephants.
185"Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man"Lawrence TrillingDaniel DratchJuly 25, 2003 (2003-07-25)3.65[5]
Captain Stottlemeyer's wife throws his life into disarray first by nagging him into investigating the death of the world's oldest man, then by throwing him out so that he has no choice but to move in with Monk. First on-screen appearance of Karen Stottlemeyer (Glenne Headly).
196"Mr. Monk Goes to the Theater"Ron UnderwoodWendy Mass, Stu Levine, and Tom ScharplingAugust 1, 2003 (2003-08-01)4.70[6]
While acting in a play, Sharona's sister Gail (Amy Sedaris) becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her co-star after he dies onstage with a knife buried in his chest. At the urging of Sharona and her mother (Betty Buckley), Monk begins to investigate and finds himself stepping into the dead man's role.
207"Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect"Karl SchaeferJerry LevineAugust 8, 2003 (2003-08-08)4.52[7]
After a woman is killed by a mail bomb, Monk becomes convinced that one of her two brothers is the culprit, despite the fact that the man has been in a coma for months. Meanwhile, Sharona's ex-husband Trevor (Frank John Hughes) visits her and Benjy, claiming to have turned his life around and wanting them to move to New Jersey with him.
218"Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy"Tom DiCilloJames KriegAugust 15, 2003 (2003-08-15)2.79[8] (HH)
A disagreement between the publisher of a popular men's magazine (Gary Cole) and his company's lawyer ends with the strangulation death of the lawyer in his private gym. Monk and Sharona visit the publisher's opulent party palace to investigate the crime, but Monk finds himself facing an uncomfortable choice: drop the case or watch the prime suspect ruin Sharona's life by publishing compromising photos from her past.
229"Mr. Monk and the 12th Man"Michael ZinbergMichael AngeliAugust 22, 2003 (2003-08-22)4.36[9]
Monk is called in to investigate a series of murders whose methods and victims seem to have nothing in common. Meanwhile, Sharona's new relationship with the deputy mayor has the entire police department fawning over her.
2310"Mr. Monk and the Paperboy"Michael FrescoDavid Breckman and Hy ConradJanuary 16, 2004 (2004-01-16)5.95[10]
Monk's home life is thrown into turmoil after his paperboy is killed outside the front door and his upstairs neighbor, Kevin Dorfman (Jarrad Paul), begins a whirlwind romance with a convenience store clerk that keeps him up at night. While investigating this crime, Monk manages to solve a local hit-and-run and a murder in Paris just by reading the day's newspaper.
2411"Mr. Monk and the Three Pies"Randall ZiskTom Scharpling and Daniel DratchJanuary 23, 2004 (2004-01-23)4.94[11]
An investigation into the carjacking death of a woman at a town festival leads Monk to an uneasy reunion with his estranged, agoraphobic brother Ambrose (John Turturro), who is convinced that his next-door neighbor murdered his wife.
2512"Mr. Monk and the TV Star"Randall ZiskTom ScharplingJanuary 30, 2004 (2004-01-30)6.27[12]
The ex-wife of the star (Billy Burke) of a popular crime television series is stabbed to death in her home. Monk is convinced that the actor killed her, but his seemingly perfect alibi and a confession by his biggest fan leave Monk floundering in his search for the truth. First appearance of Sarah Silverman as Marci Maven.
2613"Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny"Tony BillJoe ToplynFebruary 6, 2004 (2004-02-06)5.52[13]
A law student (Rachel Dratch) offers to help Monk win reinstatement to the police force if he can catch her grandmother's kidnappers. A bizarre ransom demand - turkey dinners for the homeless - and the apparent involvement of a 1960s-era activist group send the case in unexpected directions as Monk anticipates returning to duty as a cop.
2714"Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife"Jerry LevineAndy Breckman and Beth LandouFebruary 13, 2004 (2004-02-13)5.60[14]
Karen Stottlemeyer is critically injured after crashing into a tow truck whose driver has been shot dead by a roadside sniper. As Monk concentrates on the fact that the shooter and victim were both barefoot, Leland puts his career at risk in an effort to tie a labor union boss to the crime.
2815"Mr. Monk Gets Married"Craig ZiskDavid BreckmanFebruary 27, 2004 (2004-02-27)4.77[15]
Monk and Sharona pretend to be married in order to go undercover at a couples' therapy retreat and investigate the new husband of Disher's mother, an antiques dealer (Nestor Carbonell) over 20 years her junior. The man is obsessed with finding a cache of gold supposedly hidden on the property during the California Gold Rush, and Disher begins to suspect him in the disappearance of his business partner. Jane Lynch guest stars as the therapist.
2916"Mr. Monk Goes to Jail"Jerry LevineChris ManheimMarch 5, 2004 (2004-03-05)5.51[16]
When a death row inmate is fatally poisoned shortly before his scheduled execution, Monk visits the prison to investigate the case. His nemesis, Dale the Whale (Tim Curry), offers to tell Monk everything he knows about Trudy's death if Monk finds the killer. Acting on a tip from the prison librarian (Kathy Baker), Monk goes undercover as an inmate and is assigned to a cell with a quadruple murderer (Danny Trejo).
  • A (HH) listed next to a viewership number indicates the number of household viewers. These are only used if total viewership numbers were unavailable for that particular episode.

Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Monk

Emmy Awards
  • Outstanding Actor – Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub, nominated)
  • Outstanding Casting – Comedy Series (nominated)
  • Outstanding Guest Actor – Comedy Series (John Turturro for playing "Ambrose Monk" in "Mr. Monk and the Three Pies", won)
  • Outstanding Main Title Theme Music (Randy Newman for "It's a Jungle Out There", won)

Golden Globe Awards
  • Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub, nominated)
  • Best Actress – Musical or Comedy Series (Bitty Schram for playing "Sharona Fleming", nominated)
  • Best Series – Musical or Comedy (nominated)

Screen Actors Guild
  • Outstanding Actor – Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub for playing "Adrian Monk", won)

References
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  2. Downey, Kevin (July 9, 2003). "A flusher summer for broadcast networks". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on July 24, 2003. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  3. Fitzgerald, Toni (July 23, 2003). "Gigli effect: Ben and J. Lo do 'Dateline'". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  4. Fitzgerald, Toni (July 30, 2003). "Now, summer reality's winners and losers". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  5. Fitzgerald, Toni (August 6, 2003). "'Restaurant' warms with the main course". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on October 3, 2003. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  6. Fitzgerald, Toni (August 13, 2003). "For 'The O.C.,' a time to find its legs". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on August 24, 2003. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  7. Fitzgerald, Toni (August 20, 2003). "'The blackout ate my ratings, it did'". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on December 7, 2003. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  8. Fitzgerald, Toni (August 20, 2003). "Shark bite: TBS flick nips Discovery". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  9. Fitzgerald, Toni (September 4, 2003). "Schedule switches to keep an eye on". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on September 6, 2003. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  10. Combs, Drew (January 22, 2004). "Comely 'Apprentice' shows it's got legs". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on November 4, 2005. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  11. Combs, Drew (January 28, 2004). "Globe award #s bode well for Oscars". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  12. Combs, Drew (February 4, 2004). "A gaining 'Idol' bettering its debut". Media Life Magazine. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  13. Combs, Drew (February 11, 2004). "Nifty first sweeps Thursday for NBC". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  14. Vasquez, Diego (February 19, 2004). "NBC swoops ahead on power of 'Shrek'". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on November 6, 2005. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  15. Vasquez, Diego (March 3, 2004). "'Bachelorette': Romance ain't like it once was". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  16. Vasquez, Diego (March 10, 2004). "ABC spike from King spooker 'Hospital'". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on November 6, 2005. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
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