New Television

New episodes of some of my favorite shows are returning.  Here is a partial list:

Ugly Betty -- Thursday nights on ABC.  New episodes began last week.  Past episodes are available online.

Psych -- Season One Marathon January 13, new episodes begin on USA Network on January 19.

Monk -- New episodes begin on USA Network on January 19.

24 -- Returns to Fox with new episodes January 14 and 15.

Prison Break -- Returns to Fox with new episodes on January 22.

Comments

[jennifer]

I enjoy reading your thoughts on Wizbang and found this sight. I too love Monk and Psych.
We've made it a organized family activity. We call it Fun Day Friday, and make popcorn and watch both USA programs!
Thanks for all your writings, you inspire new bloggers!( well you inspired me to begin a blog!)
Thanks
Jennifer

[The Great White Shank]

Happy New Year, Lorie! A happy, healthy,m and prosperous year to you and all your blogging and writing exploits from Goodboys Nation.

[Paul Hooson]

I love MONK as well, Lorie. In fact, MONK and the crime dramas on CBS and NBC are my favorites. BONES on FOX is pretty good too. But I love TV so much that I'm recording shows on 6 different DVD or SuperVHS recorders tonight. During the day, TBN(the religious channel) and CNN or FOX News keep me company.

Believe it or not, after SEINFELD finished, Michael Richards was offered the role of the lead character in MONK. In fact, the role was actually written for him. But Michael Richards turned it down, thinking it would be a flop just like his own short lived MICHAEL RICHARDS SHOW. Tony Shalhoub was a distant second choice as the lead actor in MONK, but proved to really own the role and is now also a producer of the show.

Part of Richards anger management problems have grown from his continued string of bad luck after SEINFELD, and turning down the MONK role, while the choice of Shalhoub was risky for the writers and producers of MONK as he only played the bit supporting role of a cab driiver, Antonio Scarpacci in WINGS and some smaller roles in film. Shalhoub has gone on to win the Golden Globe Awards in 2003, the Emmy in 2003, 2005 and 2006, and the SAG Award in 2004 and 2006 for his role as MONK while Richards has gone on to play only infrequent gigs at small time comedy clubs and arguments with the audience when his shows were flat and not very funny.

Interestingly, THE MICHAEL RICHARDS SHOW was originally wriiten to be a comedy/mystery show very similar to premise of the hit comedy/mystery MONK, but NBC found it to be a failure with audiences in test marketing. By time the show hit the airwaves it was rewritten into a much more conventional format comedy, but audiences still rejected it and it was quickly cancelled due to very poor ratings. Michael Richards was so angry at the writing changes to his show that he reportedly even threatened a writer whom he felt ruined the original premise. When he was offered the role of MONK, it only looked too similar to this earlier failure, and Richards quickly turned the offer down.

Michael Richard likely feels very slighted in all of this. Richards no doubt must wonder every day what if he had only taken the MONK role and received all the Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Awards that Tony Shalhoub has brought home.

MONK interestingly is one of the most "G" rated and family friendly of the Cable crime shows by far. Many Like THE SHIELD, KOJAK, THE CLOSER or others often deal with very tough violence or sometimes language. Perhaps this family friendly style of MONK, along with the funny quirks that Tony Shalhoub has mastered have helped to define the show as a modern classic.

[Barb]

I can't wait for the Monk episodes. I love him.