The seventh season of Monk

Monk (TV series)

Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...

originally aired in the United States on USA Network

USA Network

USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...

 from July 18, 2008 to February 20, 2009. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub

Tony Shalhoub

Anthony Marcus "Tony" Shalhoub is an American actor of Lebanese descent. His television work includes the roles of Antonio Scarpacci on Wings and sleuth Adrian Monk on the TV series Monk. He has won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his work in Monk...

, Traylor Howard

Traylor Howard

Traylor Elizabeth Howard is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Sharon Carter on the television series Two Guys and a Girl and as Natalie Teeger on the USA Network series Monk.-Early life:...

, Ted Levine

Ted Levine

Frank Theodore "Ted" Levine is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs and Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in the television series Monk.-Early life and career:...

, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on July 21, 2009.

Crew

Andy Breckman

Andy Breckman

Andy Breckman is a television and film writer and a radio personality. He is the co-creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning television series Monk on the USA Network, and is co-host of WFMU radio's long-running conceptual comedy program Seven Second Delay...

 continued his tenure as show runner

Show runner

Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...

. Executive producers for the season included Breckman, David Hoberman, series star Tony Shalhoub

Tony Shalhoub

Anthony Marcus "Tony" Shalhoub is an American actor of Lebanese descent. His television work includes the roles of Antonio Scarpacci on Wings and sleuth Adrian Monk on the TV series Monk. He has won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his work in Monk...

, writer Tom Scharpling

Tom Scharpling

Tom Scharpling is an American radio host, comedian, television writer, producer and music video director. He is best known for hosting the weekly freeform radio call-in comedy program The Best Show on WFMU and for acting as a writer/executive producer for the TV show Monk.Scharpling is also noted...

, and Rob Thompson. Universal Media Studios was the primary production company backing the show. Randy Newman

Randy Newman

Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....

's theme (It's a Jungle out There

It's a Jungle out There

"It's a Jungle Out There" is a song written by Randy Newman, the theme song for the TV series Monk since its second season. In 2004, it won an Emmy Award for best theme song....

) was continued to be used, while Jeff Beal

Jeff Beal

Jeff Beal is an American composer of music for film, television, recordings, and the concert hall. Highly regarded as a jazz instrumentalist and versatile composer, Beal's music often incorporates a synthesis of improvisatory and composed elements.- Early life :Beal began trumpet studies in the...

's original instrumental theme could be heard in some episodes. Directors for the season included Randall Zisk

Randall Zisk

Randall "Randy" Zisk is an American television director and producer.As both a director and producer, he has worked most substantially on the television series Monk and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman...

, David Hoberman, Michael W. Watkins, David Breckman, and Andrei Belgrader. Writers for the season included Andy Breckman, Hy Conrad, Daniel Dratch, Tom Gammill, Dylan Morgan, Max Pross, Salvatore Savo, Josh Siegal, Joe Toplyn, Tom Scharpling

Tom Scharpling

Tom Scharpling is an American radio host, comedian, television writer, producer and music video director. He is best known for hosting the weekly freeform radio call-in comedy program The Best Show on WFMU and for acting as a writer/executive producer for the TV show Monk.Scharpling is also noted...

, and Peter Wolk.

Cast

All four main characters returned for the seventh season. Tony Shalhoub

Tony Shalhoub

Anthony Marcus "Tony" Shalhoub is an American actor of Lebanese descent. His television work includes the roles of Antonio Scarpacci on Wings and sleuth Adrian Monk on the TV series Monk. He has won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his work in Monk...

 returned as former homicide detective Adrian Monk

Adrian Monk

Adrian Monk is a fictional character portrayed by Tony Shalhoub and the protagonist of the USA Network television series Monk. He is a renowned former homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department...

, with Traylor Howard

Traylor Howard

Traylor Elizabeth Howard is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Sharon Carter on the television series Two Guys and a Girl and as Natalie Teeger on the USA Network series Monk.-Early life:...

 returning as Monk's faithful assistant, Natalie Teeger

Natalie Teeger

Natalie J. Teeger is a fictional character on the American crime drama Monk. She becomes Adrian Monk's personal assistant midway through the third season of the show...

. Ted Levine

Ted Levine

Frank Theodore "Ted" Levine is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs and Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in the television series Monk.-Early life and career:...

 returned as the SFPD captain, Leland Stottlemeyer

Leland Stottlemeyer

Captain Leland Francis Stottlemeyer is a fictional police officer played by Ted Levine on the American crime drama Monk. He is Captain of the San Francisco Police Department 's Homicide Detail, and a longtime friend of Adrian Monk from their days on the force together where he served as Monk's...

, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised his role as the oblivious but lovable Lieutenant Randy Disher.

Héctor Elizondo

Hector Elizondo

Héctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...

 joined the show as Dr. Neven Bell, Monk's new psychiatrist. Elizondo was cast after the death of Stanley Kamel

Stanley Kamel

Stanley Kamel was an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Charles Kroger on the American television series Monk.-Biography:...

. Emmy Clarke

Emmy Clarke

Mary Elizabeth Clarke , better known as Emmy Clarke, is an American actress.At the age of one Clarke moved with her parents to Houston, Texas. At age 6 she moved to Woking, England, where she attended TASIS England before moving to New York City at age 11. The nickname "Emmy" is derived from her...

 returned as Julie Teeger, Natalie's daughter, and Tim Bagley

Tim Bagley

Timothy Hugh "Tim" Bagley is an American character actor who has appeared in numerous films and television programs. He is perhaps best known for his recurring roles on the TV series Will & Grace, Monk and $h*! My Dad Says.-Early life:...

 reprised his role as Harold Krenshaw, Monk's number-one rival. Melora Hardin

Melora Hardin

Melora Diane Hardin is an American actress, best known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's The Office and Trudy Monk on USA's Monk.-Early life:...

 continued to portray Trudy Monk, Monk's beloved deceased wife. Casper Van Dien

Casper Van Dien

-Early life:Van Dien was born and grew up in Milton, Florida, the son of Diane , a retired nursery school teacher, and Casper Robert Van Dien, Sr., a retired U.S. Navy Commander and fighter pilot. There is a long military tradition in Van Dien's family. Aside from his father, his grandfather was a...

 made his first appearance as Lt. Steven Albright, a new love interest for Natalie. Jarrad Paul

Jarrad Paul

Jarrad Paul is an American actor and screenwriter.He moved to Los Angeles, CA after graduating from high school. During the 1990s, Paul had recurring roles on such shows as Legend and Home Improvement. In 1999, he co-starred with Jay Mohr in Action as screenwriter Adam Rafkin...

 made his final appearance as Monk's annoying upstairs neighbor, Kevin Dorfman. The season saw the return of various villains and acquaintances from the past in the 100th episode

Mr. Monk's 100th Case

"Mr. Monk's 100th Case" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the USA Network TV series Monk, and, true to its name, it is the 100th episode overall...

, including John Turturro

John Turturro

John Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer and director known for his roles in the films Do the Right Thing , Miller's Crossing , Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Transformers film series...

 as Ambrose Monk (Monk's brother), Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....

 as Marci Maven (Monk's number-one fan), Tim Bagley

Tim Bagley

Timothy Hugh "Tim" Bagley is an American character actor who has appeared in numerous films and television programs. He is perhaps best known for his recurring roles on the TV series Will & Grace, Monk and $h*! My Dad Says.-Early life:...

 as Harold Krenshaw, Brooke Adams as Leigh Harrison (a flight attendant who was driven to drinking by Monk in "Mr. Monk and the Airplane

Mr. Monk and the Airplane

"Mr. Monk and the Airplane" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of Monk, and serves as the first season finale.Jason Gray-Stanford listed the episode among his favorites.-Plot summary:...

"), and villains played by Ricardo Chavira, Angela Kinsey

Angela Kinsey

Angela Kinsey is an American actress. She currently appears as the uptight accountant Angela Martin on the hit NBC television series The Office.-Personal life:...

, David Koechner

David Koechner

David Michael Koechner is an American comedian, musician, and character actor. Koechner began studying improvisational comedy in Chicago at the ImprovOlympic, under the teachings of Del Close, before joining the Second City Northwest...

, Howie Mandel

Howie Mandel

Howard Michael "Howie" Mandel is a Canadian stand-up comedian, television host, and actor. He is well known as host of the NBC game show Deal or No Deal, as well as the show's daytime and Canadian-English counterparts. Before his career as a game show host, Mandel was best known for his role on...

, and Andy Richter

Andy Richter

Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...

. Other guest stars for the season included Pamela Adlon

Pamela Adlon

Pamela Fionna Adlon is a Jewish-American actress, voice actress, and producer. She is sometimes credited as Pamela Segall, Pamela S. Adlon and Pamela Segall Adlon...

, Kristina Anapau

Kristina Anapau

Kristina Anapau is an American actress-Private life:Kristina Elizabeth Anapau Roper, was born and raised on the island of Hawaii, is the daughter of Richard Stephen Roper, a scientist and Gloria Lea Kaiser Roper, an artist...

, William Atherton

William Atherton

William Atherton , born William Atherton Knight II, is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life:Atherton was born in Orange, Connecticut, the son of Roby and Robert Atherton Knight...

, Sam Ayers

Sam Ayers

Sam Ayers is an American actor.Ayers was born in Youngstown, Ohio, the son of Samuel Bielich, Jr., a director of construction and carpenter. He was raised in Merrimack, New Hampshire, Sam using his mother's maiden name of "Ayers". He moved to New York and began using Ayers professionally as his...

, Michael Badalucco

Michael Badalucco

Michael Badalucco is an American actor most famous for his role as lawyer Jimmy Berluti on the ABC legal drama The Practice...

, Malcolm Barrett

Malcolm Barrett (actor)

Malcolm Barrett is an American actor.He was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. He has appeared as a series regular on Fox's The Sketch Show and Luis....

, Geoffrey Blake

Geoffrey Blake (actor)

Geoffrey Lewis Blake is an American film and television actor.Blake was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Marjorie Myers and Avery Felton Blake. Blake's film credits include Contact, Young Guns, Forrest Gump, and Cast Away...

, Julie Bowen

Julie Bowen

Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...

, Jack Carter

Jack Carter (comedian)

Jack Chakrin , known by his professional name of Jack Carter, is a Jewish-American comedian, actor and host. Brooklyn Born Carter had long-running comedy act similar to fellow rapid pace contemporaries Milton Berle and Morey Amsterdam...

, Jude Ciccolella

Jude Ciccolella

Richard Jude Ciccolella , better known as Jude Ciccolella, is an American character actor.-Biography:Ciccolella graduated from Brown University, class of 1969 where he acted in student productions. He studied at Temple University with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre...

, Tim Conlon

Tim Conlon

Tim Conlon, born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, is an actor who starred as Jack Slayton in the short lived comedy Wild Oats. In 1997, Conlon starred as David Ruby in the USA Network sitcom Lost on Earth. He has appeared in numerous films including 1989's Prom Night III: The Last Kiss...

, Bob Costas

Bob Costas

Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...

, Henry Czerny

Henry Czerny

- Career :Czerny received formal training at the National Theatre School in Montreal. After graduating in 1982, he went on to perform onstage across Canada, from Ottawa's National Arts Centre to Edmonton's Citadel Theatre and the Stratford Festival. By the late 1980s, he had established himself as...

, Ethan Erickson

Ethan Erickson

-Career:Born Ethan Skip Erickson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Erickson once played the recurring role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer as jock Percy West, that actress Alyson Hannigan's character Willow Rosenberg tutors. He appeared in both season 3 and season 4 as the same character...

, Noah Emmerich

Noah Emmerich

Noah Nicholas Emmerich is an American film actor who first broke out in the film Beautiful Girls. He was later seen in movies like The Truman Show, Cop Land, Frequency, Love & Sex, Windtalkers, Miracle, Super 8 and Little Children.-Early life:Emmerich was born in New York City to a Jewish family,...

, Courtney Ford

Courtney Ford

Courtney Braden Ford is an American actress. She was born in Orange County, California, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.- Career :...

, Brad Garrett

Brad Garrett

Bradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....

, Marcus Giamatti

Marcus Giamatti

Marcus Giamatti is an American actor, best known for being a regular member of the cast of the CBS drama series Judging Amy.-Background:...

, Eileen Grubba

Eileen Grubba

Eileen Grubba is an American actress born in Anchorage, Alaska. A lifetime member of the Actors Studio, she trained at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, HB Studio in New York City, and under the acting coach Allan Miller, who coached Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Geraldine Page, and other leading...

, Ernie Grunwald

Ernie Grunwald

Ernie Grunwald is a Canadian-born actor who has had made guest appearances in a number of notable television series. He has also had recurring roles on, One on One, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody , and Two of a Kind opposite Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen...

, Mike Hagerty, Anne Marie Howard

Anne Marie Howard

Anne Marie Howard is an American actress, former spokeswoman for Ditech.com and current spokeswoman for the National Association of Realtors....

, Joe Hursley

Joe Hursley

Joseph Hursley is an actor and musician living in Los Angeles, California.-Background:Hursley was born in Austin, Texas. His grandfather, Frank M. Hursley co-created the long running soap General Hospital. His father Greg Hursley is an architectural photographer and his mother, Kelle, is a nurse...

, Gregory Jbara

Gregory Jbara

-Early life:Jbara was born in Nankin Township , Michigan, the son of an advertising office manager and an insurance claims adjuster. He is of Lebanese and Irish descent. After graduating from Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne, Michigan, Jbara attended the University of Michigan from 1979 to 1981...

, Kathryn Joosten

Kathryn Joosten

Kathryn Joosten is an American television actress best known for her regular role as Karen McCluskey in Desperate Housewives and for her recurring role in The West Wing as Dolores Landingham.-Early life:...

, Sung Kang

Sung Kang

Sung Kang is an American actor, known for his role as Han Seoul-Oh in the films Better Luck Tomorrow, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, and Fast Five....

, Tom Kiesche

Tom Kiesche

Tom Kiesche is an American film, stage, television, and commercial actor with dozens of credits in each medium. Tom is also a prolific produced and published writer .-External links:...

, James Lesure

James Lesure

James Lesure is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Mike Cannon on the NBC comedy-drama Las Vegas, and as Mel Ellis on the NBC/WB sitcom For Your Love. He also starred as basketball star Alonzo Pope on the ABC series Mr. Sunshine, a 2010-11 midseason replacement with Matthew...

, Peyton List, Robert Loggia

Robert Loggia

Robert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...

, Scott MacDonald, Michael Mantell

Michael Mantell

Michael Mantell is an American actor. He has had many small parts in American movies and television shows, including Eight Men Out , Bart Got a Room, Ocean's Thirteen, Thank You for Smoking, Angel, How I Met Your Mother, Love and Marriage, and The West Wing...

, Eric McCormack

Eric McCormack

Eric James McCormack is a Canadian American actor, musician, writer and producer. Born in Toronto, he began his acting career performing in school plays at Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute High School...

, Dina Meyer

Dina Meyer

Dina Meyer is an American film and television actress, best known for her roles as Dizzy Flores in Starship Troopers and Detective Allison Kerry in the Saw films. She portrayed Mrs. Hong as a recurring guest star on ABC's Scoundrels.-Personal life:Meyer was born in Queens, New York...

, Sandra Mitchell

Sandra Mitchell

Sandra D. Mitchell is an American philosopher and historian of ideas and professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh...

, Steve Monroe

Steve Monroe

Steven "Steve" Monroe is an American actor who has a number of television credits to his name. His guest starring TV credits include, 7th Heaven, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Charmed, Grey's Anatomy, JAG, NYPD Blue, Veronica Mars, Zoey 101, iCarly and The Suite Life on Deck...

, Tom Nagel

Tom Nagel

Tom Nagel is an American actor noted for his roles in The Butcher, The Apocalypse, Pirates of Treasure Island, and Hillside Cannibals.-Filmography:*Hillside Cannibals*Pirates of Treasure Island *The Apocalypse...

, Joanna Pacuła, Evan Peters

Evan Peters

Evan Peters is an American actor, best known for his roles as Tate Langdon in American Horror Story, Jesse Varon in the ABC TV series Invasion and as Cooper Day in The Days, also on ABC. He also had a recurring role in Disney Channel's show Phil of the Future as Phil's geeky friend Seth...

, Greg Pitts

Greg Pitts

Greg Pitts is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Drew in the film Office Space. He has taken bit roles in films and television series, including Grey's Anatomy and Sons & Daughters, and was featured as "Vincent" in Allstate Insurance advertisements with sidekick Andrew Hawtrey as...

, Jon Polito

Jon Polito

Jon Polito is an American actor and voice artist, who is known for working with the Coen Brothers, most notably in the major supporting role of Italian gangster Johnny Caspar in Miller's Crossing. He also appeared in the first two seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street and on the first season of...

, Kali Rocha

Kali Rocha

-Early life:Rocha was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 1993.-Career:...

, Gena Rowlands

Gena Rowlands

Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...

 (in an Emmy award-nominated performance), Douglas Sarine

Douglas Sarine

Douglas Sarine is most famous as the ninja in Ask a Ninja.He graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor's of Arts in Communications in 1995....

, Richard Schiff

Richard Schiff

Richard Schiff is an American actor. He is best known for playing Toby Ziegler on the NBC television drama The West Wing, a role for which he received an Emmy Award...

, Richard Steinmetz

Richard Steinmetz

Richard Steinmetz is an American actor.In May 2004, Steinmetz joined the cast of Passions as Martin Fitzgerald, the long-missing patriarch of the Lopez-Fitzgerald family....

, David Strathairn

David Strathairn

David Russell Strathairn is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck...

, Steve Valentine

Steve Valentine

Steven John Valentine is a Scottish actor, singer and magician who has performed on stage and screen, but is best known for his role as the eccentric Nigel Townsend on NBC's crime drama Crossing Jordan...

, Marc Vann

Marc Vann

Marc Vann , is an American actor. He is known for his role as Conrad Ecklie in the CBS television series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Although this role as the agitator of Gil Grissom has earned the character the dislike of CSI fans, Vann himself has a small, but growing fanbase...

, Tracey Walter

Tracey Walter

Tracey Walter is an American character actor. He has appeared in over 100 films and television shows.-Life and career:Walter was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of a truck driver....

, Audrey Wasilewski

Audrey Wasilewski

Audrey Wasilewski is an American actress and voice actress.-Life and career:Wasilewski's first role came in the 1994 Japanese animated film Heisei tanuki gassen pompoko, where she was one of the additional voices dubbed in English...

, Titus Welliver

Titus Welliver

Titus Welliver is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring roles on the television shows Deadwood, Lost, Sons of Anarchy and The Good Wife...

, Bradley Whitford

Bradley Whitford

Bradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...

, Ruth Williamson, Jacqueline Wright

Jacqueline Wright

Jacqueline Wright is an English director of film, TV and music promos.Wright’s short films include David the Great, a comedic homage to magician David Blaine; Out of Water, which was funded by the UK Film Council; and Stiffy, a comedy with a necrophiliac theme which premiered at the Cannes Film...

, and Steve Zahn

Steve Zahn

-Early life:Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota, the son of Zelda, who worked for the YMCA, and Carleton E. Zahn, a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. Zahn spent part of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota, attending Kennedy Elementary School...

.

Episodes

Series #	Season #	Title	Written by	Directed by	Original air date

Emmy Awards

• Outstanding Actor - Comedy Series (Tony Shalhoub, nominated)
• Outstanding Guest Actress - Comedy Series (Gena Rowlands
  Gena Rowlands
  Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...
  
   for playing "Marge Johnson" in "Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door", nominated)