Tony Shalhoub deserves better than some summer gig on a cable outpost, although a weekly show on any network isn't a bad deal. And the premise -- he plays an obsessive-compulsive ex-cop fighting his phobias as he fights crime -- is probably too wacked out for network TV anyway.Monk, which is both the character's name and more-or-less his lifestyle, should be a showcase for Shalhoub, one of the best character actors in the business.While playing an oddball might be typecasting for Shalhoub, who mastered the weirdo schtick as Antonio the cabbie on "Wings," it will be fun to watch what he does when he isn't forced to steal his scenes anymore.