Monk (season 2)

Monk (season 2)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	16
Release
Original network	USA Network
Original release	June 20, 2003 – March 5, 2004

Season two 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 January 11, 2005.

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

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, originally given to Stellina Rusich, was recast, and Melora Hardin was given 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, 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

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Written by	Directed by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
14	1	"Mr. Monk Goes Back to School"	David Breckman and Rick Kronberg	Randall Zisk	June 20, 2003	5.43[1]
Monk takes a job as a substitute high school teacher at Trudy's alma mater to determine whether an English teacher really jumped from a clock tower while committing suicide, or was murdered by her boyfriend, a popular science teacher (Andrew McCarthy).
15	2	"Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico"	Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin	Ron Underwood	June 27, 2003	4.03[2]
When a skydiver on vacation in San Macros, Mexico jumps out of an airplane, his chute malfunctions and he dies on impact in the desert. But the coroner finds water in the skydiver's lungs, saying that the boy drowned in midair. Monk is brought to Mexico, where the phrase "don't drink the water" takes on a whole new meaning.
16	3	"Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame"	Hy Conrad	Michael Spiller	July 11, 2003	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.
17	4	"Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus"	James Krieg	Randall Zisk	July 18, 2003	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.
18	5	"Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man"	Daniel Dratch	Lawrence Trilling	July 25, 2003	3.65[5]
Captain Stottlemeyer must take a page from the Book of Monk when his wife nags him into looking into the murder of the world's oldest man. First on-screen appearance of Karen Stottlemeyer (Glenne Headly).
19	6	"Mr. Monk Goes to the Theater"	Wendy Mass, Stu Levine, and Tom Scharpling	Ron Underwood	August 1, 2003	4.70[6]
Sharona's sister Gail (Amy Sedaris) lands a part in a local play that any actress would kill for. But when the actor playing her love interest literally dies on stage after Gail apparently stabs him with a real knife that was switched with a prop knife, the police are convinced she's taken her role a little too far. Sharona and her mother (Betty Buckley) urge Monk to step into the spotlight and find the real killer before the curtain falls on Gail for good.
20	7	"Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect"	Karl Schaefer	Jerry Levine	August 8, 2003	4.52[7]
Monk suspects a guy of murdering his sister with a mail bomb. The only problem: his primary suspect is in a coma. Meanwhile, Sharona is visited by her ex-husband Trevor (Frank John Hughes).
21	8	"Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy"	James Krieg	Tom DiCillo	August 15, 2003	2.79[8] (HH)
When the publisher of the high-powered glamour Sapphire Magazine is strangled and killed on his exercise weights under mysterious circumstances, all clues lead to the infamous swinging party palace, Sapphire Mansion, and the playboy (Gary Cole) behind the magazine. But while a weekend behind the gates of the legendary estate may be every man's fantasy, it is Monk's worst nightmare, especially after his suspect threatens to release embarrassing photos from Sharona's past.
22	9	"Mr. Monk and the 12th Man"	Michael Angeli	Michael Zinberg	August 22, 2003	4.36[9]
When a rash of unusual attacks and murders strike, Monk is called upon to find the link between the victims and stop the killer before the next murder.
23	10	"Mr. Monk and the Paperboy"	David Breckman and Hy Conrad	Michael Fresco	January 16, 2004	5.95[10]
When Monk's paperboy is murdered on his doorstep by a guy looking to steal his newspapers, Monk turns to the pages of the newspaper for clues to solve the baffling crime, solving a hit-and-run in San Francisco and a murder in Paris along the way, only to find that it is a murder plot against his upstairs neighbor Kevin Dorfman (Jarrad Paul).
24	11	"Mr. Monk and the Three Pies"	Tom Scharpling and Daniel Dratch	Randall Zisk	January 23, 2004	4.94[11]
During the investigation into a carjacking over a cherry pie, Adrian is called by his estranged agoraphobic brother Ambrose (John Turturro), who is convinced that his next-door neighbor murdered his wife. Adrian must rebuild his relationship with Ambrose while investigating the neighbor at the same time.
25	12	"Mr. Monk and the TV Star"	Tom Scharpling	Randall Zisk	January 30, 2004	6.27[12]
Monk suspects the star (Billy Burke) of a popular CSI-based TV crime show of killing his ex-wife so that he doesn't have to share his enormous paychecks with her. Except he was outside the house talking to paparazzi during the murder. Monk must determine if a confession by the star's biggest fan is legitimate. First appearance of Sarah Silverman as Marci Maven.
26	13	"Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny"	Joe Toplyn	Tony Bill	February 6, 2004	5.52[13]
A law student (Rachel Dratch) offers to get Monk reinstated to the police force in exchange for his help in finding the kidnappers of her beloved grandmother.
27	14	"Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife"	Andy Breckman and Beth Landou	Jerry Levine	February 13, 2004	5.60[14]
A tow truck driver is shot dead by a roadside sniper. His truck then careens off the road and crashes into Karen Stottlemeyer's (Glenne Headly) oncoming van, leaving her in a coma. The apparent theory is that the shooting was a union dispute gone wrong, meaning Monk, most interested by the fact that the shooter and the driver were barefoot, must find out what really happened and keep Leland from doing something that could cost him his badge.
28	15	"Mr. Monk Gets Married"	David Breckman	Craig Zisk	February 27, 2004	4.77[15]
When Randy's mother gets married to an antiques store dealer (Nestor Carbonell), Randy becomes suspicious of his new stepfather and asks Monk and Sharona to look into him. Unholy matrimony ensues as Monk and Sharona pretend to be a married couple with problems to infiltrate a therapy clinic and crack the mystery behind where a prospector hid his fortune during the California Gold Rush, whilst also receiving ineffective "counseling" from a relentless marriage counselor (Jane Lynch).
29	16	"Mr. Monk Goes to Jail"	Chris Manheim	Jerry Levine	March 5, 2004	5.51[16]
When a death row inmate is poisoned to death 45 minutes before his scheduled execution, Monk is brought in to find out why and runs into his nemesis, Dale the Whale (Tim Curry), who will offer Monk information about Trudy if he finds who killed the inmate. The suspects, however, are endless, including the prison librarian (Kathy Baker), another inmate (Danny Trejo), and even neo-Nazis.

• 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

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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