It stars Tony Shalhoub as a brilliant detective with more than his share of neuroses. He is obsessive-compulsive and deathly afraid of heights, crowds, germs, the dark and milk. But he's working on the milk.

What makes it all click is that the psychological problems of Adrian Monk, once a star homicide cop now off the force because of his disarray, are generally understated. The talented Shalhoub gives Monk a sweetness and a sense of helpful concern when, say, he's running through a sewer and stops to straighten an old "No Trespassing" sign.

And then there is Monk's bond with his nurse/girl Friday (Bitty Schram). They tease and bicker about his phobias like a veteran couple, and they give the whole movie a layer of affability that doesn't get lost in the conventional TV cop stuff.

The downside to "Monk" is that there is plenty of conventional cop stuff: the angry boss, the bad guys annoyed with the detective, the by-the-numbers crime and the too-easy solution. Still, really, who cares? You don't watch this one for the destination as much as the journey.

The pleasure in this trip is seeing Shalhoub/Monk as the unlikely hero, an earnest, warm guy whose powers of observation and deduction approach genius, and whose only problem is dealing with the entire world.

By the way, after tonight, weekly episodes of "Monk" will air at 10 p.m. Fridays.