Television has always adored detectives, which is why they've come in so many
shapes and sizes. Still, there has never been one quite like Monk, the
obsessive compulsive detective played with such comic dexterity by Tony
Shalhoub.

It's a good thing Shalhoub and his co-star Bitty Schram, are entertaining
enough to hold out attention, because the mysteries on this underfunded USA
cable series are generally transparent.

The joy usually is not in watching Monk solve the case, but in watching him
fight his psychosis as he does so in an understated hilarious performance.
Shalhoub pulls us into every one of Monk's fidgety struggles.

Episode to watch:

"Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man" (Sept. 13) Most episodes play Monk's
compulsion for laughs, apart from one or two that take them too seriously for
comfort. This episode allowed Shalhoub to show a somber side effect without
throwing the show out of balance, as Monks's germ-phobic refusal to shake
hands with a black man is mistaken for racism. The crucial moment comes when
Monk realizes what's happening and yet still can't force himself to shake
hands, and Shalhoub captures both the terror and humor of the moment.