Post by Nalkarj on May 31, 2023 18:45:29 GMT
I missed this announcement when it came out in March:Seeing all those names reminds me of just how good a cast Monk had.
As much as I like the show, my main worry about this TV movie (other than “last case”—here’s hoping they don’t kill the poor guy) is that series creator Andy Breckman is writing it. (That Deadline article isn’t totally clear on that, actually, but it does say Breckman pitched the concept and is on the creative team.) Despite creating the show, Breckman was—oddly—one of its weakest writers, and—even more oddly—he didn’t seem to have a good grasp on his characters.
I complained about Breckman’s “Mr. Monk Meets the Red-Headed Stranger” back on the old board, but it really got my goat. It’s the sort of thing I’d expect a freelancer to write, with the characters all acting off and even mean-spirited. Oh, and Breckman can’t plot a mystery, as he confirmed with his Monk follow-up The Good Cop, in which all his mysteries were once again painfully obvious.
Which is all to say, I wish Breckman would hand over writing tasks to someone like Hy Conrad, who did most of the cleverer plots on Monk and who wrote the only really good episode of The Good Cop (“Who Killed the Guy on the Ski Lift?”).
Oh well. If nothing else it’ll be good to see Shalhoub and the gang playing these characters again. And good to hear another crazy Randy Disher theory.
A Monk follow-up movie will be coming to Peacock. The NBCUniversal streamer has ordered Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, starring Tony Shalhoub in a reprisal of his titular role from the USA series, along with original series cast members Ted Levine (On Becoming a God in Central Florida), Traylor Howard (Boston Common), Jason Gray-Stanford (Percy Jackson and The Olympians), Melora Hardin (The Office) and Hector Elizondo (Pretty Woman).
As much as I like the show, my main worry about this TV movie (other than “last case”—here’s hoping they don’t kill the poor guy) is that series creator Andy Breckman is writing it. (That Deadline article isn’t totally clear on that, actually, but it does say Breckman pitched the concept and is on the creative team.) Despite creating the show, Breckman was—oddly—one of its weakest writers, and—even more oddly—he didn’t seem to have a good grasp on his characters.
I complained about Breckman’s “Mr. Monk Meets the Red-Headed Stranger” back on the old board, but it really got my goat. It’s the sort of thing I’d expect a freelancer to write, with the characters all acting off and even mean-spirited. Oh, and Breckman can’t plot a mystery, as he confirmed with his Monk follow-up The Good Cop, in which all his mysteries were once again painfully obvious.
Which is all to say, I wish Breckman would hand over writing tasks to someone like Hy Conrad, who did most of the cleverer plots on Monk and who wrote the only really good episode of The Good Cop (“Who Killed the Guy on the Ski Lift?”).
Oh well. If nothing else it’ll be good to see Shalhoub and the gang playing these characters again. And good to hear another crazy Randy Disher theory.
