Monk Season 3.5 (now with Natalie, no mo' Sharona) ongoing thread (1 Viewer)

[Linda Thompson]

With contract negotiations underway for a while now, I know this had been looming as a possibility. Unfortunately, it looks like it's now official:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...sion_monk_dc_2

Too bad. But, at least Ted and Jason resolved their own situations and will be staying with the show.

 

[Kevin M]

Damn, apart from Shaloob she was the best thing on the show.

....or Tony Shalhoub....him too...

 

[Jason Seaver]

No way this is a good thing. With the rest of the cast staying the same, a new character is going to have to perform Sharona's function without seeming an obvious substitute. I'm sure it's been done well at some point on some show, but I can't actually recall an example.

 

[Patrick Sun]

How about when Na'Toth on Babylon 5 got replaced with different actresses in the early seasons of B5?

 

[nolesrule]

Patrick, not really a good example. There's a reason that Na'Toth pretty much disappears during the second season, and it's not because of the great replacement choice.

Julie Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth to replace Ko'Dath within the first few episodes was a good choice. Mary Kay Adams' Na'Toth was not a good replacement for Julie Catlin Brown.

It is difficult to replace a strong character. Jason's right when he says "a new character is going to have to perform Sharona's function without seeming an obvious substitute". The likeliness of it feeling forced is high.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Bring back the black nurse from a few episodes ago.

 

[Kevin M]

n..no please don't do that...

 

[MattGentry]

Gonna have to agree. She plays Williams (I think) on Reno 911! and is by far the worst character on the show...

 

[Phil_L]

This is a big let down for me. I love Monk and her character. The dynamic will certainly be different now. Maybe they will kiss and make up like on CSI.

 

[Don Black]

They are bringing in a bartender character in her place? I can't picture Monk in a bar. Hmmf.

 

[Richard Gilmore]

Sharona with her attitude, was the perfect counterpoint to Monk. Without her, unless they are extremely lucky, the show will be weaker.

MASH was able to become even better, IMO, when they replaced a few of the originals, so there is hope.

 

[Jim Dalton]

What? No more Sharona in boots?!? Noooooooooooo!!!

Aside from that, I don't see how this will help the show at all. No doubt this is yet a casualty that stems from the showing moving from a serious drama with some funny aspects to it to a comedy with some drama to it.

Is Monk going downhill?
Only time will tell, but this is not a good sign.

 

[Gabe D]

I don't think "Monk" was ever a serious drama.

 

[Kevin M]

Yeah, I never saw it as anything but a fairly lighthearted yet satiric comedy show with a little Hardy Boys mystery thrown in for good measure.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Law & Order and M*A*S*H are two examples of shows that got better or at least didn't lose ground with major character changes. The obviously better example from B5 was Michael O'Hare's replacement by Bruce Boxleitner. Over-all most people (including the rest of the cast) agreed that that change was an improvement. Night Court didn't hit its stride until Markie Post joined the cast. NYPD Blue survived the loss of two leads and the promotion of the original "quirky second banana" to leading man and did just fine, thanks.

I wouldn't go into full-blown "the sky is falling" mode until I see who replaces Sharona and how. Shaloub's Monk himself is the heart and sould of the show. It can probably survive the loss of just about anyone except him. Frank Burns made a pretty good butt for Pierce's jokes, but he was less a character than a comic device. When Charles Emerson Winchester III was added to the cast he was a genuine comic foil for Pierce who could give as good as he got and sometimes even win. Pierce became a better character for having an equal to play off of. It may be that the writers will be forced to think a bit outside the box of their own making in bringing in a new character who is not just a Sharona clone, and this may make the show better because they'll have to try new things and approach the show and the characters from a new direction.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Jim:

Were we watching the same show? The pilot didn't have as many laughs as many of the episodes, but I think that's because it was badly paced and too full of exposition. I don't think it was an attempt at "serious drama" so much as an attempt at comedy that didn't quite come off. Once the show proper started it always struck me as a comedy first and a mystery second (with only the occasional moment of genuine drama.)

BTW, I did a double take when I saw your name. I have a brother-in-law and nephew who share it.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

If something terrible happened to Sharona, that could send the series in an interesting direction (or a terrible direction depending on how they handle it). I haven't heard anything about how they plan to write her out, though.

Regards,

 

[Jim Dalton]

Joe,

I always saw Monk as being like Columbo. Not as serious as CSI or any of the Law and Order shows out there, but also not as comedic as it has now become. The funny moments derived from his OCD and how it effected him in our normal surroundings.

Putting Kevin Dorfman back in the show for that one episode was real torture. If he's going to be the replacement for Sharona, my Monk days may be at an end. The guy just grates on me (and the wife, too) BIG TIME!

And while a friend of mine is a huge fan of MASH, to me it was never the same after Henry left.

And BTW, I have a brudda name Joe. So, how's that for coincidences?

 

[Linda Thompson]

A brief but worthwhile read:

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/543/543418p1.html

 

[John Watson]

Yeah, Sharona has the Knack alright. Hard to imagine a replacement. :frowning:

Did Peter Falk ever guest star in Monk?