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Monk in HD

#1
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1/1/08 at 7:18am
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We're picking up Monk, having missed it the first time around. It's in SD on USA HD.... is this a mistake, or were the first few seasons of Monk only presented in SD?
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#2
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1/1/08 at 7:21am
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Re: Monk in HD

I don't get USA HD channel but I do see Monk on the Universal HD channel. They are showing Monk in a stretched format of the SD format. To my knowledge none of the Monk series has been in HD, yet.

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#3
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1/1/08 at 9:43am
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Re: Monk in HD

There was a short time when ABC would air "re-runs" of Monk and those airing were in HD.

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#4
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1/4/08 at 2:30am
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Re: Monk in HD

I am pretty sure Monk is shot on film. So whatever format they decide to air it in is going to look good.

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#5
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1/4/08 at 8:54am
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Re: Monk in HD

The Christmas special was definitely in HD, but I think that's the first episode thus broadcast (and possibly shot/edited?)
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#6
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1/7/08 at 12:07pm
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Re: Monk in HD

I saw a rerun of the Christmas episode on USA-HD and it was definitely in HD and looked pretty good. Originally this show was filmed in 16 mm, but I'm not sure that is still the case. That accounts for its somewhat grainy appearance on DVD. I have the first 5 seasons on DVD and that's how I have always watched this show, never on USA in SD.
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#7
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1/7/08 at 1:31pm
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Re: Monk in HD

Interesting info, Glenn. I just dug up this article (HIGH DEF WATCH | Mastering Monk) which details the production progression. The 79-minute pilot was shot in 35mm around Vancouver, but from the second episode on they filmed in Super 16mm for budgetary reasons. The first season production and post took place in Toronto, but the show moved both production and post to Los Angeles for the second season. At least the first 29 episodes past the pilot were shot Super 16 mm, but post-production apparently moved to high-def and 5.1 from 2x01 on. That doesn't necessarily mean that the show switched to 16x9 for the second season. Notably, while shooting 16 mm they sought to control grain by managing film exposure on set rather than clamping down with noise reduction in post. That explains the somewhat grainy look of the show.
I couldn't find any information about whether "Monk" has since moved to HD production in addition to post production.
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#8
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1/7/08 at 1:39pm
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Re: Monk in HD

Interesting details. All of the DVDs are in 16:9 by the way.
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#9
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1/13/08 at 4:02pm
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Re: Monk in HD

My Comcast head-end just added USAHD so Friday night was my first viewing of a new Monk in HD it looked great as did the following new episode of Psych.
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#10
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1/13/08 at 6:16pm
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Re: Monk in HD

The SD broadcast for Friday's episode, like the Christmas episode, was presented in letterboxed 16x9.
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#11
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1/14/08 at 7:05am
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Re: Monk in HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Garrett Adams
My Comcast head-end just added USAHD so Friday night was my first viewing of a new Monk in HD it looked great as did the following new episode of Psych.
I also watched on USAHD Friday, and overall I agree it looked good. But I did notice on just a couple of medium shots (several people standing in a room) there was a sort of a blurriness, almost like a lost focus. Nothing too distracting. I only noticed because I spend too much time examining the frame for picture quality.
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#12
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1/15/08 at 10:13am
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Re: Monk in HD

SD USA has been showing Monk letterboxed since the beginning of this season, and even the re-runs of past seasons exept for a few of first season for some reason. As already mentioned, all the DVDs are 16x9, including all of the first season.

Our local Cox cable has yet to add USA-HD, although a neighboring locally run cable company, Eatel (which we can't get because we aren't in their parish) already added it last month. We got Food Network HD - whoop-dee-do .

Joel

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#13
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1/15/08 at 11:13am
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Re: Monk in HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joel Fontenot
SD USA has been showing Monk letterboxed since the beginning of this season, and even the re-runs of past seasons exept for a few of first season for some reason. As already mentioned, all the DVDs are 16x9, including all of the first season.
Has anyone compared the DVD of the first season to the broadcast first season? I wouldn't be surprised to see MORE picture in the 4x3 broadcast version, because the production didn't account for HD until season two. It therefore wouldn't surprise me if they didn't shoot in 16x9 until season two.
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#14
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1/25/08 at 12:52pm
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Re: Monk in HD

Just a reminder, new episode tonight at 9
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#15
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1/28/08 at 1:36pm
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Re: Monk in HD

I finally watched "Mr. Monk and the 3 Julies" last night. I thought it was a pretty strong episode, with some real tension, and the usual comedic relief. The HD picture quality seemed very good for the most part too.
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#16
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1/28/08 at 5:09pm
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Re: Monk in HD

I have to admit, I thought there was more than the usual drama as "Julie Teeger" kept coming over the police scanner. The "Psycho" element was pretty well executed, and I loved the final scene with the Captain forced to resort to waiting for a bus when, of a people, Julie gives him a ride.
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#17
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2/1/08 at 5:21am
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Re: Monk in HD

If I were the Captain I would tell Julie to get ahold of her rich parents and replace the car she wrecked or spend a few days in jail until she did.

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#18
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2/22/08 at 11:08pm
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Re: Monk in HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker Clack
If I were the Captain I would tell Julie to get ahold of her rich parents and replace the car she wrecked or spend a few days in jail until she did.
Do you mean Natalie? Julie didn't wreck any cars.


Did anyone else catch the two-part season finale? I thought it was excellent. The "feel" for lack of a better term was closer to the first season or two than anything since Natalie was brought on the show. Monk was allowed to be capable, and they really started to progress the Trudy mystery. Considering the event that Monk ultimately stops at the very end, I was impressed by the symmetry with the pilot. I think this episode was clearly designed to serve as a series finale if USA didn't pick up the show for a final season (which they ultimately did after apparently getting all the key people to take pay cuts).
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#19
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2/23/08 at 5:29am
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Re: Monk in HD

I thought the finale was great, too. Hadn't even thought about the assassination angle being an echo of the pilot, but that was a nice touch. I also liked the mention of Sharona and Benjy.

They just got so many little things exactly right, like Monk wanting to move to an even-numbered room, having his used linens washed and folded before housekeeping got there, and the cops wearing two black armbands in mourning, "to make them even."

The whole SUV hit-and-run case was also well-handled. At first I thought there was going to be a direct connection to the main plot, but I loved the fact that the whole thing was a throw-away that was really only needed to blow Monk's cover and get Natalie (and the sheriff) to Sparks. (That Monk solved another case in passing and they didn't even pause to give us the explanation was kinda cool.)

And, of course, the car wash stuff was classic Monk. All in all a very nice pair of episodes.

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#20
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2/24/08 at 1:10pm
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Re: Monk in HD

I'm sooo jealous of those that have USA HD, we don't get it where I live and i'm sick of watching Monk in SD.
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#21
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2/24/08 at 1:50pm
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Re: Monk in HD

I enjoyed the 2-part season finale. Monk at least has some closure concerning Trudy's murder, although he still has to find out whose pulling the strings at the top.

Who else would be overjoyed to have Leland Rodriguez wash and detail their vehicle?
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#22
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2/24/08 at 1:58pm
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Re: Monk in HD

I loved the two parter, I loved how Adrian seemed to shed all of his usual mannerisms and squeaky clean life-style and got down and dirty, he ditched his usual suit and was wearing normal street cloths and jumped into the fray with little to no thought to how dirty he might get.

For the first time we got a glimpse into how he was as a cop before Trudy's murder.
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#23
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2/24/08 at 5:18pm
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Re: Monk in HD

I'm wondering if finally getting past the actual man who killed his wife loosened the choke hold of his neurosises a little bit.
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#24
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2/27/08 at 10:43pm
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Re: Monk in HD

really enjoy watching Monk, but i just never like the way the crimes are wrapped up/solved.

seems to always be just a quick thing right near the end of the show.

"oh look that dog who just happens to have a collour on, that is one of those things that keeps a dog from crossing over an area with a transmitter just happens to be walking by right when i need to solve the mystery."

and then the captain just runs over and pulls the bomb right off the car and pulls a screw out of it to turn off the bomb, THEN says call the bomb squad.

Huh?

it's like a court room drama, they are about to convict the wrong person when all of a sudden some one stands up and say "i did it".
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#25
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2/28/08 at 5:07am
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Re: Monk in HD

For a while there (about two or so seasons ago), I thought that Monk would wrap up (maybe in a seventh season) with him finding out that Trudy was still alive. That (IMO) would have curtailed his neuroses, and may even have resulted in him being officially reinstated to the force. But the episode in which we see Trudy's eyes donated to another person kind of nixed that idea.

Great show.
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#26
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2/28/08 at 9:43am
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Re: Monk in HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
really enjoy watching Monk, but i just never like the way the crimes are wrapped up/solved.

seems to always be just a quick thing right near the end of the show.
To be fair, that's the limitation of broadcast television. You have to wrap it up quick at the end, because you're out of time. "Monk", I think, does a good job of sprinkling bread crumbs along the way, so the big reveal never seems out of place. We watched as each clue was introduced along the way.
Quote:
For a while there (about two or so seasons ago), I thought that Monk would wrap up (maybe in a seventh season) with him finding out that Trudy was still alive. That (IMO) would have curtailed his neuroses, and may even have resulted in him being officially reinstated to the force. But the episode in which we see Trudy's eyes donated to another person kind of nixed that idea.
I watched the first season marathon on New Years, and one thing that was made clear in those early episodes is that catching Trudy's killers would finally allow him to recover. We saw him notably better after the six-fingered man was killed in the season finale. My hope is that if next season is the last season, it's treated as such. I'd love to see Monk slowly recover over the 16 episodes.
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#27
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3/24/08 at 1:58pm
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Re: Monk in HD

I'm still trying to complete Season 6 via repeats on USA-HD. As I noted before, I previously (Seasons 1 through 5) only watched this show when I bought the DVD sets well after each season concluded. I refused to watch on USA in SD due to poor PQ. But then my Comcast recently picked up USA-HD so I started watching the Winter Season 6 episodes and they look good, better than DVD.

I've been watching repeats via reruns to catch up with the Summer S6 episodes, which isn't always easy because they keep changing the schedule around, making me scour the TV listings for the titles I still need to record to the DVR. By April 8 I will have seen all S6 episodes except for one, "Mr. Monk and the Naked Man" which they seem to have skipped in the reruns. Gotta keep my eye out for that one.

Also noticed that NBC will now be airing selected episodes Sunday nights in April.

Based on what I've read it seems that Season 7 may be the last for Monk due to rising costs. But you never know.
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#28
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4/9/08 at 4:41pm
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Re: Monk in HD

"Monk" semi-regular Stanley Kamel (Dr. Kroger) has died, according to TV Guide.

Stanley Kamel, psychiatrist to Monk, desd at 65 - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com

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#29
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4/9/08 at 4:55pm
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Re: Monk in HD



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#30
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4/9/08 at 5:00pm
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Re: Monk in HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD

That was my first introduction to Mr. Kamel. It continues to this day to be one of my favorite episodes from the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Where No One Has Gone Before".

RIP Stanley.

Disney/Buena Vista/Miramax: Please put Beautiful Girls on Blu-ray with bonus features and the original theatrical trailer in 1080p, and an anamorphic re-release with bonus features and the original theatrical trailer day-and-date on DVD. Thanks!

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