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Are you the sort of person who is always worrying that you left the stove on or didn't lock the door and go back to check? Then the new television show "Monk" is just for you. A rather ground breaking enterprise, this detective show's linchpin is that the main protagonist, Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. While many television sleuths seem to have certain eccentricities such as Kojak's sucker or Columbo's always playing the simpleton when he is obviously the most intelligent character on the show, Monk takes the cake and so much so that he must be escorted about town by a personal nurse, Sharona, played appealingly by Bitty Schram. She plays the part of his assistant, too, always willing to go undercover for him. This just begins to delineate this quirky and inimitable show. Everywhere there is the sense of the unreal and at the center of it is Monk, nervous, anxious and a bit of a shlemiel. Yet, because of the fact that his illness has rendered him so attuned to stimuli and detail, he is a brilliant shlemiel and a lovable one at that. An officer in the San Fransisco police Department, he suffered a breakdown after the death of his wife and was let go. After that he seemed to mostly shift about town doing nothing, with Sharona in tow. Yet, from time to time, he is called in as a special consultant for cases that seem to be too intractable for the detectives down at the precinct.

His counterpart and liaison is Capt. Leland Stottlemeyer played by Ted Levine. Those who remember, will know Ted Levine from the show "Wonderland" from a few years back. He played the harried and rushed chief psychiatrist on a psychiatric emergency ward. "Wonderland" dealt with the reality of mental illness, pure and simple, "Monk" treads lightly, not wanting to overwhelm the viewer. However, for this show, Mr. Levine has changed considerably in appearance. His hair is now red and he has more of it and he also sports a jaunty moustache. He suit is also nicely pressed. As for the show itself, Monk's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder symptoms only occasionally seem to be acknowledged. Yes, there are certain moments, but you have to be conversant with this illness to recognize them. Also, the pace is rather sluggish and the plot cumbersome. The police, as always, are somewhat clueless and their assumptions are often wrong, Yet, there is a sweetness to this show which is disarming. And the relationship between Monk and Sharona has great potential. It is truly the characters who make this show, and not so much the sleuthing. I would recommend this show for the interpersonal dynamics between the main characters. Monk has a winsome way about him, which is nicely countered by a sweet, though exasperated Sharona. This show is worth your while, if you like the unusual or quirky, but I cannot call it a masterpiece. Hopefully it will stay on until it reaches its stride and finds its niche, and maybe then Adrian Monk will have one less thing to worry about. Brandon W. Fitch
 

Did You Know? "In any given year, more than 17 million American adults have some form of mental illness, and major depession is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Depression is more widespread than heart disease (7 million), cancer (6 million) and AIDS (200,000)." Stigma continues to be the single most significant barrier to people getting the help they need.