Monk (season 4) | |
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Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 16 |
Release | |
Original network | USA Network |
Original release | July 8, 2005 – March 17, 2006 |
Season chronology | |
The fourth season of Monk originally aired in the United States on USA Network from July 8, 2005, to March 17, 2006. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on June 27, 2006.
Andy Breckman continued his tenure as show runner. Executive producers for the season included Breckman, David Hoberman, and series star Tony Shalhoub. NBC Universal Television Studio was the primary production company backing the show. Randy Newman's theme ("It's a Jungle Out There") was continued to be used, while Jeff Beal's original instrumental theme could be heard in some episodes. Directors for the season included Randall Zisk, Jerry Levine, and Andrei Belgrader. Writers for the season included Andy Breckman, David Breckman, Hy Conrad, Daniel Dratch, Joe Toplyn, and Tom Scharpling.
During the airing of this season, writer Lee Goldberg published his first Monk mystery novel, Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse.
All four remaining cast members from the end of the season three returned. This included Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, the OCD "defective detective," Traylor Howard as Natalie Teeger, his assistant, Ted Levine as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer of the SFPD Robbery and Homicide Division, and Jason Gray-Stanford as Lieutenant Randy Disher. The character of Dr. Charles Kroger, Monk's ever-needed psychiatrist, was reprised by Stanley Kamel in five episodes, a number surpassed only by Emmy Clarke as Julie Teeger, Natalie's daughter, who appeared in seven. Melora Hardin continued to play Trudy Monk, Monk's deceased wife, and John Turturro returned as Ambrose Monk, Monk's agoraphobic brother, after a one-season absence. Jarrad Paul portrayed Monk's annoying upstairs neighbor, Kevin Dorfman. Michael Cavanaugh and Holland Taylor made their first appearance as Bob and Peggy Davenport (Natalie's ultra-rich parents), and Glenne Headly (Karen Stottlemeyer) made her exit from the series, after her character divorced the captain.