show name	Monk
format	MysteryComedy-dramaPolice procedural
camera	Film; Single-camera
runtime	40–45 minutes without commercials,(approx.) 1 hour with commercials
creator	Andy Breckman
starring	Tony ShalhoubBitty Schram (seasons 1–3)Traylor Howard (seasons 3–8)Jason Gray-StanfordTed Levine
executive producer	Andy BreckmanDavid Hoberman (entire run)Tony Shalhoub (seasons 4–8)Tom Scharpling (seasons 5–8)Rob Thompson (seasons 6–8)
company	Touchstone TelevisionMandeville FilmsUniversal Cable ProductionsUniversal Network Television (seasons 1–2)NBC Universal Television Studio (seasons 3–6)Universal Media Studios (seasons 7–8)
opentheme	Instrumental theme by Jeff Beal (season 1)"It's a Jungle out There" by Randy Newman (seasons 2–8)
endtheme	Instrumental theme by Jeff Beal (season 1)"It's a Jungle out There" (instrumental) (seasons 2–8)
country	United States
language	English
channel	USA Network
first aired	July 12, 2002
last aired	December 4, 2009
num seasons	8
num episodes	125
list episodes	List of Monk episodes
picture format	480i (SDTV),1080i (HDTV)
status	Ended }}

''Monk'' is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the title character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.

The series debuted on July 12, 2002 on USA Network. It was well received and continued for eight seasons, with the final season concluded on December 4, 2009. The series currently holds the record for the most watched scripted drama episode in cable television history, a record previously held by ''The Closer''. ''Monk'' set the record with "Mr. Monk and the End – Part II", its series finale, with 9.4 million viewers; 3.2 million of them in the 18–49 demographic.

Plot

Adrian Monk was a brilliant detective for the San Francisco Police Department until his wife, Trudy, was killed by a car bomb in a parking garage, which Monk then believed was intended for him. He later believes that Trudy's death was part of a larger conspiracy that she had uncovered during her time as a journalist. Trudy's death led Monk to suffer a nervous breakdown. He was discharged from the force and became a recluse, refusing to leave his house for over three years.

He is finally able to leave the house with the help of his nurse, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram). The breakthrough allows him to work as a private detective and a consultant for the homicide unit despite limitations rooted in his obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), which had grown significantly worse after the tragedy.

Monk's compulsive habits are numerous, and a number of phobias compound his situation, such as his fear of germs. Monk has 312 fears, some of which are milk, ladybugs, harmonicas, heights, imperfection, and risk. He however had a breakthrough from claustrophobia later in the series. The OCD and plethora of phobias inevitably lead to very awkward situations and cause problems for Monk and anyone around him, as he investigates cases. These same personal struggles, particularly the OCD, are what aid him in solving cases, such as his sharp memory, specific mindset and attention to detail. In one episode entitled "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan", Marci Maven (Sarah Silverman) has compiled a list of all of Adrian's fears. On another episode, he tries to conquer his fears by doing various activities which involved his phobias. For example, he tries drinking milk, climbing a ladder, and putting a ladybug on his hand, but when things are scattered unorganized across a table, he cannot resist the compulsion to arrange them neatly.

Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Lieutenant Randall "Randy" Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) call on Monk when they have trouble with an investigation. Stottlemeyer is often irritated by Monk's behavior, but respects his friend and former colleague's amazing insight and observational abilities, as does Disher. Ever since childhood, Monk's obsessive attention to detail allowed him to spot tiny discrepancies, find patterns, and make connections that others often missed. Monk continues to search for information about his wife's death, the one case that he has been unable to solve, and eventually succeeds in the series finale.

In the middle of season 3, Sharona decides to re-marry her ex-husband and move back to New Jersey, prompting Mr. Monk to hire Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard) as his new assistant. Natalie is a widow and mother of an eleven-year-old daughter.

Monk has a brother Ambrose (John Turturro), and a half-brother, Jack, Jr. (Steve Zahn), whom Monk never knew about until the fifth season. He later meets Jack, Jr. in season seven, in the episode "Mr. Monk's Other Brother".

Characters

Main characters

Adrian Monk, portrayed by Tony Shalhoub, is a former homicide detective and a current consultant for the San Francisco Police Department. He has an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and is well-known for his various fears and phobias, including, but certainly not limited to, heights, snakes, crowds, and milk. His wife, Trudy, was murdered in 1997, and he is haunted by her death (and the fact that it was unsolved) until he finally solves it in the series finale. He is the only character to appear in every single episode of the series.

Sharona Fleming, portrayed by Bitty Schram (seasons 1–3), is Monk's nurse, and later becomes his first assistant. She refuses to baby him, often forcing him to do things that are unpleasant to him, even going so far as to refer to her boss by his first name. Then, she suddenly re-marries her ex-husband and moves to New Jersey midway through the third season, leaving only a note. Her final appearance as a regular character was in "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine" (3.09), because Bitty Schram quit the show (allegedly over contract disputes). However, she returned as a special guest star in the final season in "Mr. Monk and Sharona" (8.10), in order to give closure to her character. Sharona claims that she and her now-twice ex-husband have separated for good. In this episode, she becomes romantically involved with Randy. By "Mr. Monk and the End (Part Two)" (8.16), it was revealed that she and Randy have moved to New Jersey together.

Natalie Teeger, portrayed by Traylor Howard (seasons 3–8), is Monk's second and final assistant. She is significantly less forceful than Sharona, and always refers to Monk as "Mr. Monk." She and her daughter Julie live alone. Unlike Sharona, she dresses more primly, and is less inclined to assume a nonchalant attitude. Mitch, her late husband, was shot down over Kosovo in 1998. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Red Herring" (3.10). She is also the narrator of a series of novels based on ''Monk'' and written by Lee Goldberg.

Lieutenant Randy Disher, portrayed by Jason Gray-Stanford, is a lieutenant in the Homicide Division of the SFPD. He is very naive, is often portrayed as unintelligent, and is known for his outrageous theories. The other characters are often irritated by him, but they also obviously care about him. In season 8, he is seen kissing Sharona. In the series finale, he becomes chief of the Summit, New Jersey Police Department, where he lives with Sharona.

Captain Leland Francis Stottlemeyer, portrayed by Ted Levine, is the head of the Homicide Division of the San Francisco Police Department. He and Monk have been good friends since Monk was on the police force, and continues to be Monk's friend throughout the series. He does his best to help Monk, but is occasionally annoyed by Monk's phobias and the damage they can cause.

Secondary characters

Julie Teeger, portrayed by Emmy Clarke, is Natalie's teenage daughter. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Red Herring" (3.10) and last appeared in "Mr. Monk and the End - Part I" (8.15).

Dr. Charles Kroger, portrayed by Stanley Kamel, is Monk's psychiatrist during the first six seasons of the show. On April 8, 2008, Stanley Kamel died of a heart attack in between production of seasons six and seven. His character was said to have died of a heart attack as well when ''Monk'' restarted in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk Buys a House". The episode was dedicated to his memory. His last appearance was in "Mr. Monk Paints His Masterpiece" (6.14), although he was mentioned several times in "Mr. Monk Is On The Run". Dr. Neven Bell, portrayed by Héctor Elizondo, is Monk's second psychiatrist. He first appeared in "Mr. Monk Buys a House" (7.01). Neven Bell was introduced in 2008 to replace Dr. Kroger after the death of Stanley Kamel.

Trudy Anne Monk, portrayed by Stellina Rusich in the first and second seasons and Melora Hardin starting in the third season, is Monk's deceased wife. Her husband's attempt to solve her murder is the show's longest-running plot arc. Lindy Newton portrays Trudy in a college flashback in the season 5 episode "Mr. Monk and the Class Reunion" (5.06). Her murder was solved in "Mr. Monk and the End - Part II" (8.16).

Kevin Dorfman, portrayed by Jarrad Paul, was an accountant and Monk's talkative upstairs neighbor. He first appeared in the season 2 episode "Mr. Monk and the Paperboy" (2.10). He was murdered by fellow magician Karl Torini in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk and the Magician" (7.15).

Harold J. Krenshaw, portrayed by Tim Bagley, is Adrian's rival for much of the series, and another patient of Dr. Kroger. He and Monk have constant disputes, due to their incompatible obsessions. Harold first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf" (3.06) when he and Monk bickered about the arrangement of magazines in Dr. Kroger's waiting room. After Dr. Kroger dies, Harold constantly tries to discover the identity of Monk's new therapist. He finally does uncover Dr. Bell's name in "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall" (7.16). In the episode "Mr. Monk Goes to Group Therapy" (8.08), Harold and Monk finally become friends by conquering claustrophobia together. Harold generously leaves the group at the end of the episode so that Monk can share private therapy with Dr. Bell.

Benjamin "Benjy" Fleming, portrayed by Kane Ritchotte during the pilot episode and second and third seasons and Max Morrow during the first season, is Sharona's son. His last appearance was in the season three episode "Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month" (3.07), though he was mentioned several times in the eighth season episode "Mr. Monk and Sharona" (8.10) and also appeared in the novel ''Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants'' by Lee Goldberg.

Ambrose Monk, portrayed by John Turturro, is Adrian's agoraphobic brother. He is based on Mycroft Holmes. He first appeared in the season 2 episode "Mr. Monk and the Three Pies", (2.11) for which John Turturro won an Emmy for his performance.

Jack Monk, portrayed by Dan Hedaya, is the father of Adrian and Ambrose. He abandoned the family when Adrian and Ambrose were young (having left for Chinese food and never came back) and started another family. He appeared only in the season 5 episode "Mr. Monk Meets His Dad" (5.09).

Jack Monk Jr., portrayed by Steve Zahn, is the other son of Jack Monk, Adrian's half brother and a known convict. He appeared only in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk's Other Brother" (7.10).

Dale "the Whale" Biederbeck, portrayed by Adam Arkin in the first season, Tim Curry in the second season, and Ray Porter in the sixth season, is Adrian Monk's archenemy and most hated rival. A wealthy and morbidly obese financier whom Adrian blames for ruining one of the last years of Trudy's life. Just as Adrian Monk is compared to Sherlock Holmes, it's possible that Dale Biederbeck, the "Genghis Khan of World Finance", is compared to Professor Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime. He first appeared in "Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale" (1.03), at the end of which Monk sends him to prison for a murder-for-hire. Biederbeck later appears funneling information to Monk about Trudy's murder in "Mr. Monk Goes to Jail" (2.16) and "Mr. Monk Is On the Run (Part Two)" (6.16). At the end of this episode Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck loses his pocket politician, the Lieutenant Governor, during a failed conspiracy to assassinate the Governor. He is left destitute and powerless for the remainder of his sentence.

Karen Stottlemeyer, portrayed by Glenne Headly, was Leland Stottlemeyer's wife from the beginning of the series until their divorce in "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage" (4.12). It was later revealed in the season 8 episode "Mr. Monk is the Best Man" (8.13) that she was actually Leland's second wife. She is a filmmaker who specializes in documentaries. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man" (2.05) and later in "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife" (2.14) (in which she was in a vehicle accident caused by a sniper), "Mr. Monk Gets Fired" (3.04), and "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage" (4.12).

Linda Fusco, portrayed by Sharon Lawrence, was Captain Stottlemeyer's girlfriend in season six. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk, Private Eye" (5.05) and later in "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" (6.01). Monk and Natalie proved her to be a murderer in "Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend" (6.04).

Trudy "T. K." Jensen Stottlemeyer, portrayed by Virginia Madsen, is Captain Stottlemeyer's love interest in season eight. She is a freelance journalist, first appeared in "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" (8.09) and marries Stottlemeyer in "Mr. Monk is the Best Man" (8.13) after a brief reconsideration. She made a brief cameo appearance in the series finale, "Mr. Monk and the End - Part II" (8.16).

Episode formatting

Title

Much like novels in a series about a starring detective, most episodes have titles in the form of "Mr. Monk and (a person or thing)", e.g. "Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend", "Mr. Monk (does something)", e.g. "Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus", "Mr. Monk (is something)", e.g. "Mr. Monk Is On The Run", or "Mr. Monk Gets (something)", e.g. "Mr. Monk Gets Hypnotized". In the episode "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" it is shown that Marci Maven (Sarah Silverman) is referring directly to cases in the show by the titles of the episodes indicating that she is the one creating the various episode titles when writing on her fansite for Monk.

While solving a murder is the main plot for most episodes, there are a few episodes in which Monk helps investigate other crimes, such as kidnappings in the season two episode "Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny" and the season three episode "Mr. Monk and the Kid," or a failed murder plot in the season six episode "Mr. Monk and the Daredevil." There are a number of times where the episode is not about the murder itself but about finding evidence to arrest the killer, e.g. "Mr. Monk Goes to a Rock Concert," or "Mr. Monk and the Genius," and episodes where the murder is related to the main plot, e.g. in "Mr. Monk on Wheels." Some episodes actually start as a totally different type of case, but eventually a murder happens, e.g. a suspected abduction turns into a murder case in "Mr. Monk Gets Hypnotized." In season seven, in the 100th episode, Mr. Monk solved his 100th (and 101st) case since his wife's death, a milestone in his career.

Episodes about a murder generally follow one of four basic plot outlines:

The killer is known, and how the crime was committed is known. The episode is spent trying to find evidence to arrest that person.

Monk knows who the killer is, and knows what the motive is, but the killer has a seemingly air-tight alibi. The episode is spent trying to break that alibi and find out how the killer did it.

In a number of episodes, the plot involves trying to find out the killer, how it was done, and why.

In some episodes, the killer's M.O. is known, but who did it and why is not.

"Here's What Happened" segments

Most episodes feature a sequence in which Monk reveals how the crime was committed, almost always prefacing his explanation with the words "Here's what happened." Most of these sequences are featured near the end of the episode, but have been known to occur at the beginning ("Mr. Monk Takes the Stand") or towards the middle. Some of these sequences are told in an unusual fashion, such as being told to a bear ("Mr. Monk Goes Camping"), in the form of a bedtime story ("Mr. Monk and the Kid"), being chanted during a ritual at a monastery ("Mr. Monk and the Miracle"), being told by someone other than Monk (by Sharona in "Mr. Monk Goes To Jail", by Natalie in "Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees" and by Disher in "Mr. Monk Visits a Farm"), and being rapped out by a rapper (guest star Snoop Dogg in "Mr. Monk and the Rapper"). Harold Krenshaw gives a fictitious summation about Monk in ("Mr. Monk Goes to Group Therapy"). Monk states a summation twice, in flashback and in present, in "Mr. Monk and Little Monk" as himself and as young Monk. In at least two episodes ("Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike" and "Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door"), Monk gives multiple versions of the same summation, but all except for the last one are false as a result of him being unable to concentrate.

There are only a few episodes that do not contain a summation. The first episode not to feature a summation was the season 1 episode "Mr. Monk and the Airplane".

Production

According to an interview with executive producer David Hoberman, ABC first conceived the series as a police show with an Inspector Clouseau-like character suffering from obsessive–compulsive disorder. Hoberman said ABC wanted Michael Richards for the show, but Richards turned it down. Hoberman brought in Andy Breckman as creator, and Breckman, inspired by Sherlock Holmes, introduced Dr. Kroger as a Doctor Watson-like character and an Inspector Lestrade-like character which eventually became Captain Stottlemeyer.

Although ABC originated the show, the network handed it off to the USA Network. USA is now owned by NBC (NBC Universal). ''Monk'' was the first ABC Studios-produced show aired on USA Network instead of ABC. Although ABC initially refused Monk, they did air repeats of the show on ABC in the summer and fall of 2002, and then again in the spring of 2004. On January 12, 2006, USA Network announced that ''Monk'' had been picked up through at least season six as one of the "highest-rated series in cable history." Season 5 premiered Friday, July 7, 2006, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. This marked the first time change for the program, which aired at 10:00 p.m. during its first four seasons. The change allowed the show to work as a lead-in to a new USA Network series, ''Psych'', another offbeat detective program. ''Monk'' has followed a consistent format of airing half of its 16 episodes in mid-year and the second half early the following year, with the exception of the first season, which broadcast entirely from July 2002 through October 2002, and the final season, which broadcast entirely between August and December 2009.

Previously aired episodes of ''Monk'' began airing on NBC Universal sibling network NBC April 6, 2008. NBC eyed the show because its block with ''Psych'' could be plugged into NBC's schedule intact. The shows were being used to increase the amount of scripted programming on the network as production of its own scripted programming ramped back up following the writers' strike. Ratings for the broadcast debut were well below NBC averages for the time period. The show came in third behind ''Big Brother 9'' on CBS and ''Oprah's Big Give'' on ABC.

Location

Although set in the San Francisco Bay Area, ''Monk'' is for the most part shot elsewhere except for occasional exteriors featuring city landmarks. The pilot episode was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the subsequent Season 1 episodes were shot in the Toronto, Ontario, area. Most of the episodes from Season 2 through Season 6 were filmed in the Los Angeles, California, area, including on-stage at Ren-Mar Studios for seasons 2–5 and at Paramount Studios for season 6. These include Monk’s apartment, Stottlemeyer's precinct house, Dr. Kroger’s office and Natalie’s house.

Many scenes in Season 4 were shot in San Francisco, downtown in Union Square and Chinatown, as shown in "Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty," when Stottlemeyer and Disher are chasing a drug lord (Miguel Escobar) up Jackson Street.

Theme music

During the first season of ''Monk'', the series used a jazzy instrumental intro to the show by songwriter Jeff Beal, performed by guitarist Grant Geissman. The theme won the 2003 Emmy Award for Best Main Title Music.

NYC actor Colter Rule was hired by USA Network to do all radio and TV promos for the series from its inception, lending an ironic, understated tone which contributed to the show's early popularity. The original tag was "Monk ! America's Favorite Defective Detective !"

When the second season began, the series received a new theme song, entitled "It's a Jungle out There", by Randy Newman. Reaction to the new theme was mixed. A review of the second season of ''Monk'' in the ''New York Daily News'' included a wish that producers would revert to the original theme. Shalhoub expressed his support for the new theme in ''USA Today'', saying its "dark and mournful sound,...[its] tongue-in-cheek, darkly humorous side.... completely fits the tone of the show." Newman was awarded the 2004 Emmy Award for Best Main Title Music for "It's a Jungle out There".

As a self-referential to the show controversy, the episode "Mr. Monk and the TV Star" revolves around Monk suspecting Brad Terry, an actor who plays a special agent named Rusty Clark in the TV show ''Crime Lab S.F.'', of murdering his ex-wife to avoid sharing his paychecks with her. Throughout the episode, several characters like Sharona and Terry mention a controversy over the change of that show's theme music, including obsessed fan Marci Maven, played by Sarah Silverman. In the epilogue of the story, Marci implores Monk to promise her that he will never change the theme music if he ever gets his own show. When Monk agrees to the promise (only so he can go back to bed), the original music is heard as the scene fades to credits, and it plays through the credits.

The original theme is heard in the season 3 episode "Mr. Monk and the Game Show" as Monk drives to Los Angeles with his neighbor and father-in-law. It is also heard in several other episodes as the show enters the credits and then kicks into the new theme's instrumental. Disher plays it on a piano in "Mr. Monk and the Leper".

For the season 6 episode "Mr. Monk and the Rapper," guest star Snoop Dogg performed a hip-hop version of "It's a Jungle out There," and playing the role of Murderuss, a rapper accused of murdering his rival Extra Large, he accompanies Monk with the "Here's What Happened" in rap form.

The June 16, 2008, re-airing of the first episode featured a new credit sequence with the Newman theme.

The season 8 episode "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" features a slower version of the original theme with a muted trumpet playing the melody while Monk dances with his new self-cleaning vacuum cleaner.

Randy Newman also wrote a new song for the final episode entitled "When I'm Gone." The song was released on iTunes on December 1, 2009 and won the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.

For a few episodes where Trudy is featured, a somber but pleasant ending theme was used. The ending theme is last used in Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra when in a dream Trudy urges Monk to let go, and close her long unoccupied office, and in turn use the finances to give Natalie a much needed raise.

Little Monk

USA Network premiered a 10-episode online series entitled "Little Monk" on August 22, 2009. It includes Adrian Monk and Ambrose Monk during their middle-school years, bringing a back story to Monk's detective skills and phobias. However, as they would have been middle schoolers in the late 1960s and early 1970s, viewers will see anachronisms; the various cars seen in the episodes, as well as some of the clothes, do not belong to the period.

Other media

Soundtrack

The show's soundtrack features its original music score, composed by Jeff Beal.

Podcast

A "behind the scenes" audio podcast entitled "Lunch at Monk" is available for download through the USA website. In the podcast, cast and crew members of the show are interviewed over lunch.

Novel series

Since 2006, during the airing of season 4, Lee Goldberg has produced a series of novels based on the original television series. All of the novels are narrated by Natalie Teeger, Monk's second assistant. For the most part, the novels remain faithful to the television series, with slight discontinuity. Two of the novels were later adapted into regular episodes.

! Number !! Title !! Author !! ISBN !! Publication date !! Additional notes (if any)
1	''Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse''			January 3, 2006	Adapted in 2006 into the season 5 episode "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing"
2	''Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii''		July 5, 2006
3	''Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu''		January 2, 2007	Adapted in 2009 into the season 8 episode "Mr. Monk and the Badge"
4	''Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants''		July 3, 2007	First appearance of Sharona Fleming in any ''Monk''-related media since 2004. Rendered non-canon by the episode "Mr. Monk and Sharona."
5	''Mr. Monk in Outer Space''		October 30, 2007
6	''Mr. Monk Goes to Germany''		July 1, 2008	This novel was written before, but published after, the airing of "Mr. Monk Is On The Run", so events in this story run contrary to the series timeline. The foreword acknowledges some discontinuity.
7	''Mr. Monk is Miserable''		December 2, 2008	Direct sequel to ''Mr. Monk Goes to Germany''.
8	''Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop''		July 7, 2009
9	''Mr. Monk in Trouble''		December 1, 2009	Excerpt 'The Case of the Piss-Poor Gold' was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November 2009
10	''Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out''		July 6, 2010
11	''Mr. Monk on the Road''		January 4, 2011	Excerpt 'Mr. Monk and the Seventeen Steps' was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, December 2010
12	''Mr. Monk on the Couch''		June 7, 2011	Excerpt was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, June/July 2011
13	''Mr. Monk on Patrol''		January 3, 2012

DVD releases

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released all 8 seasons of ''Monk'' on DVD in Region 1. On October 5, 2010, Universal released ''Monk- The Complete Series: Limited edition boxset'' on DVD in Region 1. A 32-disc set featuring all 8 seasons of the series as well as special features and a collectible 32-page booklet.

''Monk'' episodes from seasons 1–8 are also available on iTunes. All seasons are also available in HD format. It should be noted that the Region 2 DVDs of seasons 1–3 are in the 4:3 aspect ratio.

DVD Name	Ep#	Release dates
		! Region 1	! Region 2	! Region 4
Season One		June 15, 2004	December 27, 2004	January 18, 2005
Season Two		January 11, 2005	July 18, 2005	September 21, 2005
Season Three		June 5, 2005	February 27, 2006	March 22, 2006
Season Four		June 27, 2006	September 18, 2006	November 15, 2006
Season Five		June 26, 2007	September 17, 2007	April 1, 2009
Season Six		July 8, 2008	September 8, 2008	February 3, 2010
Season Seven		July 21, 2009	August 23, 2010	June 30, 2010
Season Eight		March 16, 2010	May 9, 2011	December 1, 2010
Complete Series		October 5, 2010	August 2011	TBA

Awards and nominations

Awards won

Emmy Awards:

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003, 2005, 2006)

Outstanding Main Title Theme Music Jeff Beal (2003)

Outstanding Main Title Theme Music Randy Newman (2004)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series John Turturro (2004)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Stanley Tucci (2007)

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Randy Newman (2010)

Golden Globe Awards:

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Tony Shalhoub (2003)

Screen Actors Guild:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2004, 2005)

Award nominations

Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003–2010) 8 nominations

Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series Anya Colloff, Amy McIntyre Britt, Meg Liberman, Camille H. Patton, Sandi Logan, Lonnie Hamerman (2004)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine" Randall Zisk (2005)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Laurie Metcalf (2006)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Sarah Silverman (2008)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Gena Rowlands (2009)

Golden Globe Awards:

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (2004)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Tony Shalhoub (2003–2005, 2007, 2009) 5 nominations

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Bitty Schram (2004)

Screen Actors Guild:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003–2005, 2007–2010) 7 nominations

Broadcasters

International broadcasters

Region !! TV Network(s)
Arab World	MBC 4
Asia	STAR World
Latin America	Studio Universal

Monk Monk Monk, um detetive diferente(Monk, a different detective) Монк (Monk) Monk Monk Ντετέκτιβ Μόνκ("Detective Monk") Můj přítel Monk("My friend Monk") Monk (Canal+)/Detektiv Monk (TV 2 Charlie/TV 2) Monk Monk Monk Monk Ντετέκτιβ Μονκ("Detective Monk") 神探阿蒙("Detective Monk") Monk – Flúgos nyomozó("Monk – Nutty detective") מונק ("Monk") Detective Monk Monk 名探偵モンク [Meitantei Monk]("Great detective Monk") Detektyvas Monkas ("Detective Monk") Monk Monk Monk Monk Detektyw Monk("Detective Monk") Монк Дефективный детектив("Defective Detective") Детектив Монк/Detektiv Monk("Detective Monk") / Монк Monk 탐정 몽크 [Tam Jeong Monk]("Detective Monk") Monk Monk Monk 神經妙探 Monks Monk

Country !! Series Title in Country !! TV Network(s) !! Series Premiere
Arab World	Monk	MBC 4
	|	RTSH
	|	Studio Universal
	|	Network Ten ''(original run)''and TV1 (Australia)>TV1 ''(re-runs)''
Austria	|	ORF 1 and Puls 4
Belgium	|	vtm>VTM and La Une ''(French)''
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Bosnia and Herzegovina	|	Radiotelevision of Bosnia-Herzegovina>FTV
Brazil	|	Rede RecordHallmark ChannelUniversal Channel
Bulgaria	|	BTV (Bulgaria)>bTVbTV Comedy (previously GTV)DiemaDiema 2 FOXCRIME	January 3, 2007August 19, 2008September 22, 2008April 14, 2009
Canada	| A-Channel, Citytv, TVA (French), Canal Mystère (French) ||
Chile	|	Studio Universal
Colombia	|	Studio Universal
Croatia	|	HRT 2
Cyprus	|	CyBC	October 8, 2006
Czech Republic	|	Nova (Czech TV)>TV NOVA
Denmark	| Canal+ ''(first run)'', TV 2 Charlie ''(re-runs)'', TV 2 ''(first run on national television)'' ||
Estonia	|	TV3 (Estonia)>TV 3	September 6, 2003
Finland	|	Canal+, YLE TV1	September 11, 2004
France	|	TF1, TV Breizh	March 22, 2003
Germany	|	RTL Television>RTL, TNT Serie, Super RTL	June 29, 2004
Greece	|	Star Channel, Universal Channel
Hong Kong	|	TVB Pearl>TVB ''(Season 7)''	September 18, 2003
Hungary	|	TV2 (Hungary)>TV2 and Viasat3
Iceland	|	Stöð 2
India	|	STAR Worldand Fox Crime
Indonesia	|	STAR Worldand Fox Crime
Ireland	|	RTÉ
Israel	|	Israel 10and Hallmark Channel>Hallmarkand Star World
Italy	|	Rete 4 Joi (TV channel)>Joi	June 9, 2005 May 1, 2008
Jamaica	|	Television Jamaica	May 2005–
Japan	|	NHK BS-2 AXN Mystery	March 30, 2004 October 2006
Kenya	|	Kenya Television Network
Lithuania	|	TV6 (Lithuania)>TV6	September 6, 2003
Mexico	|	XHTV>4tv, Studio Universal
Nepal	|	Star World
Netherlands	|	SBS6, NET5 & 13th Street	December 6, 2007
New Zealand	|	the BOX
Norway	|	TV2 Zebra & Hallmark Channel	February 19, 2008
Pakistan	|	STAR World
Philippines	|	Star World
Poland		TVN ''(free-tv-premiere)'', TVN Siedem ''(free-tv-re-runs)''Canal+ ''(first run)'', Canal+ Film ''(re-runs)''Universal Channel ''(re-runs)'' |>April 11, 2003
Portugal	| TVI and FX ||
Romania	|	Pro Cinema
Republic of Macedonia		Kanal 5 and Telma |>May 6, 2011
rowspan=2	Russia	|	Channel One (Russia)>Channel One	2006, 1–3 seasons
Детектив Монк("Detective Monk")	Telekanal Zvezda
Serbia	|	Radio Television of Serbia>RTS / TV Avala
Slovakia	|	Markíza
Slovenia	|	POP TV	September 8, 2004
South Africa	|	SABC 2
South Korea		KBS 2TV & Fox |>KBS : Only Broadcast Season 3
Spain	|Factoría de Ficción, ''FDF'' (TV channel)Calle 13 cable/satelliteCanal 9 (Valencian Community)ETB2 (Basque Country)8tv (Catalonia)TVG (Galicia)TV Canaria (Canary Islands)Telemadrid (Community of Madrid) ||
Sri Lanka	|	STAR World
Sweden	|	Canal+ Film 1 ''(first run)''and Kanal 9 ''(re-runs)''and Comedy Central Sweden ''(re-runs)''	April 8, 2003
Switzerland	|	SF zwei, 3+, RSI La 1 (form. TSI 1), TSR 1,4uTV
Taiwan	|	Videoland Television Network>Videoland — W Movie Channel	July 14, 2004
Thailand	|	Star World
Turkey	|	Dizimax, TNT Turkey
Latvia	|	TV6
United Kingdom	|	BBC TWO (First run, seasons 1-6) Quest (TV channel) (repeats S1-S3), Hallmark Channel (repeats) ITV1 (Seasons 7-8) (repeating Season 1 from 30th April 2011)
			2009-2010
	|	USA Network ''(original airing)''Universal HD ''(syndication)''Sleuth (TV) ''(syndication)''Various broadcast television stations ''(syndication)''		July 12, 2002

Notes and references

External links

''Monk'' Wiki

''Monk'' on USA from the TV Guide website

Monk Season 7 – premieres on Monday August 17 on Star World

Category:2002 American television series debuts Category:2009 American television series endings Category:2000s American television series Category:American comedy-drama television series Category:Crime television series Category:English-language television series Category:Monk Category:Police procedural television series Category:Television series by Buena Vista Television Category:Television series by NBC Universal Television Category:Television series by Universal Studios Category:Television shows set in San Francisco, California Category:USA Network shows Category:Fictional portrayals of the San Francisco Police Department

ar:مونك bs:Monk bg:Монк ca:Monk cs:Můj přítel Monk da:Detektiv Monk de:Monk (Fernsehserie) et:Monk el:Ντετέκτιβ Μονκ es:Monk eo:Monk eu:Monk fa:مانک (مجموعه تلویزیونی) fr:Monk gl:Monk ko:탐정 몽크 hi:मोंक id:Monk (seri TV) it:Detective Monk he:מונק (סדרת טלוויזיה) hu:Monk – A flúgos nyomozó mk:Монк ms:Monk nl:Monk ja:名探偵モンク pl:Detektyw Monk pt:Monk ro:Monk (film serial) ru:Детектив Монк sq:Monk sk:Monk sl:Monk sh:Monk (TV serija) fi:Monk (televisiosarja) sv:Monk th:มังค์ tr:Monk zh:神探阿蒙

A television program (television programme in the United Kingdom, Ireland and many Commonwealth countries), also called television show (in the United States), is a segment of content, which is intended to be broadcast on television. It is the product of a television production—or the filmmaking process. It may be a one-time broadcast or part of a periodically recurring series.

A television series that is predetermined to be broadcast as a set number of programs is usually called a miniseries or serial (although the latter term also has other meanings). A short-run of a series lasting less than a year is known as a ''season''—though in the United Kingdom and (some of) the rest of the PAL countries, the term ''series'' is used. This season, or series, usually consists of 12 to 26 installments in the United States, but in the UK there is no defined length. The US-industry practice tends to favor longer seasons than those of some other countries.

A single program of a series is called an episode. A one-time broadcast may be called a "special", or particularly in the UK a "special episode". A television movie ("made-for-TV movie"), or in the UK a television film, is a film that is initially broadcast on television rather than released in cinemas or direct-to-video, although many successful TV movies are later released on DVD.

A program can be either recorded—as on video tape or other various electronic media forms—or considered live television.

Program content

The content of television programs may be factual—as in documentary, news, and reality television, or fictional—as in comedies and dramas. It may be topical—as in the case of a local newscast and some made-for-television movies, or historical—as in the case of many documentaries and fictional series. They could be primarily instructional or educational, or entertaining as is the case in situation comedy and game shows.

A drama program usually features a set of actors in a somewhat familiar setting. The program follows their lives and their adventures. With the exception of soap operas, many shows especially before the 1980s, remained static without story arcs, the main characters and the premise changed little. If some change happened to the characters lives during the episode, it was usually undone by the end. (Because of this, the episodes could be broadcast in any order.) Since the 1980s, there are many series that feature progressive change to the plot, the characters, or both.

Common television program periods include regular broadcasts (like news), series (usually seasonal and ongoing with a duration of only a few episodes to many seasons), or miniseries, which is an extended film, usually with a small predetermined number of episodes and a set plot and timeline. Miniseries usually range from about 3 to 10 hours in length. In the UK, the term "miniseries" is only usually used in reference to imported programmes, and such short-run series are usually called "serials".

Older American television shows began with a title sequence showing opening credits at the bottom lower third of the screen during the beginning, and included closing credits at the end of the show. However, beginning in the 1990s some shows began with a "cold open", followed by a title sequence and a commercial break. Many serial-type shows begin with a "Previously on..." (such as the series ''24'') introduction before the new episode. And, to save time, some shows omit the title sequence altogether, folding the names normally featured there into the opening credits. The title sequence has not been completely eliminated, however, as many major television series still use them.

While television series appearing on TV networks are usually commissioned by the networks themselves, their producers earn greater revenue when the program is sold into syndication. With the rise of the DVD home video format, box sets containing entire seasons or the complete run of a program have become a significant revenue source as well. Many of the prime-time comedy shows and Saturday morning cartoons were digitally remastered for United States television around mid-May 2008, as there will be more original and reissued DVD sets of television programs containing either entire seasons or complete series to come.

Television has changed throughout the years, from wholesome family sitcoms and dramas of years ago, to the reality shows of today. When watching television became popular in the mid-20th century, the whole family watched one set together. Also, many channels have deviated from their original programming focus throughout the years because of channel drift.

Most television networks throughout the world are 'commercial', dependent on selling advertising time or acquiring sponsors, broadcasting executives' main concern over their programming is on audience size or ''eyeballs''. Once the number of 'free to air' stations was restricted by the availability of channel frequencies, but cable TV (outside the USA, satellite television) technology has allowed an expansion in the number of channels available to viewers (sometimes at premium rates) in a much more competitive environment.

Genres

Scripted entertainment

Animated

Award shows (partially scripted)

Drama—which includes:

* Action-adventure or Thriller

* Comedy-drama

* Family drama

* Legal drama

* Medical drama

* Police procedural

* Political drama

* Science-fiction / Fantasy / Horror / Supernatural drama

* Serial drama

* Soap opera

* Teen drama

Miniseries and Television movies

Comedy

* Mockumentary

* Satire

* Situation comedy

* Sketch comedy

Unscripted entertainment

Game shows

Reality

Talk shows

Informational

Infomercials—paid advertising which are up to an hour long

News programs

documentaries

news magazine shows—dealing with current affairs

Development

United States

A person decides to create a new television ''series''. The show's creator develops the show's elements, consisting of the concept, the characters, the crew, and various actors (in some cases, "big-name" actors). They will then offer ("pitch") it to the various networks in an attempt to find one that is interested in the series and order a prototype first episode of the series, known as a ''pilot''.

To create the pilot, the structure and team of the whole series needs to be put together. If the network likes the pilot, they will "pick up" the show for their next ''season'' (UK: ''series''). Sometimes they will save it for "midseason" or request rewrites and further review (known in the industry as "Development hell"). And other times they will ''pass'' entirely, leaving the show's creator forced to "shop it around" to other networks. Many shows never make it past the pilot stage.

If the show is picked up, a "run" of episodes is ordered. Usually only 13 episodes are ordered at first, although a series will typically last for at least 22 episodes (the last nine episodes sometimes being known as the "back nine", borrowing the colloquial golf term).

The show hires a "stable" of writers, who usually work in parallel: the first writer works on the first episode, the second on the second episode, and so forth. When all of the writers have been used, the assignment of episodes continues starting with the first writer again. On other shows, however, the writers work as a team. Sometimes they will develop story ideas individually, and pitch them to the show's creator, who then folds them together into a script and rewrites them.

United Kingdom

In contrast to the US model illustrated above, the UK procedure is operated on a sometimes similar, but much smaller scale.

The method of "team writing" is employed on some longer dramatic series (usually running up to a maximum of around 13 episodes). The idea for such a programme may be generated "in-house" by one of the networks; it could originate from an independent production company; it will sometimes be a product of both. For example, the BBC's long-running soap opera ''EastEnders'' is wholly a BBC production, whereas its popular drama ''Life on Mars'' was developed by Kudos in association with the broadcaster.

However, there are still a significant number of programmes (usually sitcoms) that are built around just one or two writers and a small, close-knit production team. These are "pitched" in the traditional way, but since the creator(s) will handle all the writing requirements, there will be a run of six or seven episodes per series once approval has been given. Many of the most popular British comedies have been made this way, including ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (albeit with an exclusive team of six writer-performers), ''Fawlty Towers'', ''Blackadder'' and ''The Office''.

Production

The executive producer, often the show's creator, is in charge of running the show. They pick the crew and help cast the actors, approve and sometimes write series plots (some even write or direct major episodes). Various other producers help to ensure that the show runs smoothly.

As with filmmaking or other electronic media production, production of an individual episode can be divided into three parts. These are:

Pre-production

Pre-production begins when a script is approved. A director is chosen to plan the episode's final look.

Pre-production tasks include storyboarding, construction of sets, props, and costumes, casting guest stars, budgeting, acquiring resources like lighting, special effects, stunts, etc. Once the show is planned, it must then be scheduled; scenes are often filmed out of sequence, guest actors or even regulars may only be available at certain times. Sometimes the principal photography of different episodes must be done at the same time, complicating the schedule (a guest star might shoot scenes from two episodes on the same afternoon). Complex scenes are translated from storyboard to animatics to further clarify the action. Scripts are adjusted to meet altering requirements.

Some shows have a small stable of directors, but also usually rely on outside directors. Given the time constraints of broadcasting, a single show might have two or three episodes in pre-production, one or two episodes in principal photography, and a few more in various stages of post-production. The task of directing is complex enough that a single director can usually not work on more than one episode or show at a time, hence the need for multiple directors.

Principal photography

Principal photography is the actual filming of the episode. Director, actors and crew will gather at a television studio or on location for filming or videoing a scene. A scene is further divided into shots, which should be planned during pre-production. Depending on scheduling, a scene may be shot in non-sequential order of the story. Conversations may be filmed twice from different camera angles, often using stand-ins, so one actor might perform all their lines in one set of shots, and then the other side of the conversation will be filmed from the opposite perspective. To complete a production on time, a second unit may be filming a different scene on another set or location at the same time, using a different set of actors, an assistant director, and a second unit crew. A director of photography supervises the lighting of each shot to ensure consistency.

Post production

Once principal photography is complete, producers coordinate tasks to begin the video editing. Visual and digital video effects are added to the film; this is often outsourced to companies specializing in these areas. Often music is performed with the conductor using the film as a time reference (other musical elements may be previously recorded). An editor cuts the various pieces of film together, adds the musical score and effects, determines scene transitions, and assembles the completed show.

Distribution

After production, the show is turned over to the television network, which sends it out to its affiliate stations, which broadcast it in the specified broadcast programming time slot. If the Nielsen ratings are good, the show is kept alive as long as possible. If not, the show is usually canceled. The show's creators are then left to shop around remaining episodes, and the possibility of future episodes, to other networks. On especially successful series, the producers sometimes call a halt to a series on their own like ''Seinfeld'', ''The Cosby Show'', ''Corner Gas'', and ''M*A*S*H'' and end it with a concluding episode, which sometimes is a big series finale.

On rare occasions, a series that has not attracted particularly high ratings and has been canceled can be given a reprieve if DVD sales have been particularly strong. This has happened in the cases of ''Family Guy'' in the US and ''Peep Show'' in the UK.

If the show is popular or lucrative, and a number of episodes (usually 100 episodes or more) are made, it goes into broadcast syndication (in the USA) where broadcast to the program rights are then resold.

== == The terminology used to define a set of episodes produced by a television series varies from country to country.

North American usage

The term "series", in North American usage, refers to a connected set of television program episodes that run under the same title, possibly spanning many seasons. A new series is often ordered (funded) for just the first 10 to 13 episodes, to gauge the audience interest. If it is "picked up", the season is completed to the regular 20 to 26 episodes. The term "midseason replacement" usually refers to an inexpensive short-run (10–13 episode) show designed to take the place of an original series which failed to garner an audience and has not been picked up. The term "series finale" can lead to confusion outside of North America. A series finale means that the show will no longer be produced, and thus will be the final episode for that series (in the UK, it would mean the end of a season).

In North America the term "television season" is used inconsistently. A "full season" typically runs from September through May, with a hiatus between December and February. This broadcast programming schedule typically includes 20 to 26 episodes. A full season is sometimes split into two separate units (confusingly also termed seasons) with one before and one after the hiatus. These smaller "seasons" usually contain half the number of episodes (10–13).

More recently these shorter seasons have been referred to as ".5" or half seasons, where the run of shows between September and December is labeled "Season N", and the second run between February and May labeled "Season N.5". This is typically done to increase DVD sales of the show. The distributor will release the first half of the season in stores just before the second half first airs, in order to increase interest in the season's second half. Examples of this would be the science fiction remake ''Battlestar Galactica'', its prequel ''Caprica'', ABC's ''FlashForward'', and NBC's ''Heroes''.

UK and Australia usage

In the United Kingdom, on the ABC in Australia and in other countries, these sets of episodes are referred to as a series.

Australian television does not follow ''seasons'' in the way that US television does. So there is no "Fall Season" or "Fall schedule", for example. In Australia, a batch of episodes will still sometimes be called a "season" as per American terminology, although the UK term "series" is also used. For many years popular night time dramas in Australia would run much of the year, and would only go into recess over the summer period (December–February) where ratings are not taken. Therefore popular dramas would usually run February–November each year. This schedule was used in the 1970s for popular dramas including ''Number 96''. ''Neighbours'' and other dramas continue this routine as at 2010. Australian situation comedy series usually have seasons of about 13 episodes, and might premiere at any month between February and November.

British shows have tended toward shorter series in recent years. For example, the first series of long-running science fiction show ''Doctor Who'' in 1963 featured forty-two 25-minute episodes, which had been reduced gradually to fourteen 25-minute episodes in 1989. The revival of ''Doctor Who'' has comprised thirteen 45-minute installments. However, there are some series in the UK that have a larger number of episodes, for example ''Waterloo Road'' started with 8–12 episodes but from series three onward, it increased to 20 episodes, and season seven will contain 30 episodes. Recently, American non-cable networks have also begun to experiment with shorter seasons for some programs, particularly reality shows such as ''Survivor''. However, they often air two seasons per year, resulting in roughly the same number of episodes per year as a drama.

This is a reduction from the 1950s, in which many American shows (e.g., ''The Twilight Zone'') had between 29 and 39 episodes per season. Actual storytelling time within a commercial television hour has also gradually reduced over the years, from 50 minutes out of every 60 to the current 44 (and even less on some networks), beginning in the early 21st century.

Japanese usage

The Japanese have sometimes subdivided television series and dramas into , from the French term "cours" for "course", which is a three-month period usually of 13 episodes. Each ''kūru'' generally has its own opening and ending image sequence and song, recordings of which are often sold. The number of episodes permitted per season ranges from three to 65. (See also Japanese television programs.)

In the United States, in general, dramas usually last 44 minutes (an hour with advertisements), while sitcoms last 22 (30 with advertisements). However, with the rise of cable networks, especially pay ones, series and episode lengths have been changing, with 55–60 minutes per episode, and shorter seasons overall.

See also

:Category:Television schedules (by country and year)

List of animated television series

List of television programs by name in alphabetical order

Lists of television programs

Network programming (television)

Radio programming

Television advertisement

External links

FCC

Category:History of television

ar:برامج تلفزيون bs:Televizijske serije bg:Телевизионно предаване cs:Televizní program cy:Rhaglen deledu de:Rundfunkprogramm el:Τηλεοπτικό πρόγραμμα es:Programa de televisión eu:Telebista-saio fa:برنامه تلویزیونی fr:Émission de télévision ko:텔레비전 프로그램 id:Acara televisi is:Sjónvarpsþáttur it:Programmazione televisiva he:תוכנית טלוויזיה kk:Трансляция hu:Televíziós sorozat mk:Телевизиска програма ms:Rancangan televisyen nah:Īxiptlayōltzintli nl:Televisieprogramma ja:テレビ番組 no:Fjernsynsprogram pl:Program telewizyjny (audycja) pt:Programa de televisão ru:Телевизионная программа simple:Television programme fi:Televisio-ohjelma sv:TV-program th:รายการโทรทัศน์ uk:Програма (телерадіопрограма) yi:טעלעוויזיע פראגראם zh:电视节目

region	Western Philosophy
Era	20th century philosophy
Color	#B0C4DE
image	Mckenna1.jpg
name	Terence Kemp McKenna
Birth date	November 16, 1946
Birth place	Paonia, Colorado, United States
Death date	April 03, 2000
Death place	San Rafael, California, United States
School tradition	Metaphysics, phenomenology|
Main interests	shamanism, ethnobotany, metaphysics, psychedelic drugs, futurism, primitivism, environmentalism, consciousness, phenomenology, historical revisionism, evolution, ontology, Mind at Large, virtual reality, dominator culture, criticizing science, the Logos
Influences	psychedelic drugs, Marshall McLuhan, Alfred North Whitehead, Teilhard de Chardin, Aldous Huxley, I Ching, William Blake, Riane Eisler, James Joyce, Vladimir Nabokov, Heraclitus
Influenced	Rupert Sheldrake, Robert Anton Wilson, Ralph Abraham, RU Sirius, Cliff Pickover, Timothy Leary
Notable ideas	Novelty Theory, The "Stoned Ape" Theory of Human Evolution, Machine elves }}

Terence Kemp McKenna (November 16, 1946 – April 3, 2000) was an Irish-American researcher, philosopher, speaker, spiritual teacher and writer on many subjects; such as human consciousness, psychedelic drugs, the evolution of civilizations, the origin and the end of the universe, cybernetics, alchemy, and extraterrestrial beings.

Biography

Early life

Terence McKenna grew up in Paonia, Colorado. He was introduced to geology through his uncle and developed a hobby of solitary fossil hunting in the arroyos near his home. From this he developed a deep artistic and scientific appreciation of nature.

At age 16, Terence moved to Los Altos, California to live with family friends for a year. He finished high school in Lancaster, CA. In 1963, McKenna was introduced to the literary world of psychedelics through ''The Doors of Perception'' and ''Heaven and Hell'' by Aldous Huxley and certain issues of ''The Village Voice'' that talked about psychedelics.

Terence claimed that one of his early psychedelic experiences with morning glory seeds showed him "that there was something there worth pursuing." In an audio interview Terence Mckenna claims to have started smoking cannabis regularly during the summer following his 17th birthday.

Studying and traveling

In 1965, Terence enrolled in U.C. Berkeley to study Art History. In 1967, while in college, he got involved with shamanism after being lead there by studying Tibetan religions That year, which he called his "opium and kabbala phase," he also traveled to Jerusalem, where he met Kathleen Harrison, who would later become his wife.

In 1969, Terence traveled to Nepal lead by his "interest in Tibetan painting and hallucinogenic shamanism." During his time there, he studied the Tibetan language and worked as a hashish smuggler, until "one of his Bombay-to-Aspen shipments fell into the hands of U. S. Customs." He was forced to move to avoid capture by Interpol. He wandered through Southeast Asia viewing ruins, collected butterflies in Indonesia, and worked as an English teacher in Tokyo. He then went back to Berkeley to continue studying biology, which he called "his first love."

After he completed part of his studies and his mother's death from cancer in 1971, Terence, his brother Dennis, and three friends traveled to the Colombian Amazon in search of oo-koo-hé, a plant preparation containing DMT. Instead of oo-koo-hé they found various forms of ayahuasca, or "yagé," and gigantic psilocybe cubensis which became the new focus of the expedition. In La Chorrera, at the urging of his brother, he was the subject of a psychedelic experiment which he claimed put him in contact with Logos: an informative, divine voice he believed was universal to visionary religious experience. The voice's revelations and his brother's simultaneous peculiar experience prompted him to explore the structure of an early form of the I Ching, which led to his "Novelty Theory." During their stay in the Amazon, Terence also got romantically involved with his translator, Ev.

In 1972, Terence returned to Berkeley to finish his studies. There he decided to switch majors to a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Conservation, in a then-new experimental section of the same university called the Tussman Experimental College. During his studies, he would also develop techniques for cultivating psilocybin mushrooms with Dennis.

In 1975, he parted with his girlfriend Ev, when she left him for one of Terence's friends from Berkeley. Their parting left him "tormented with migraines and living alone." He graduated in 1975. That same year, he began a relationship with a friend he met in Jerusalem, Kathleen.

Soon after graduating, Terence and Dennis published a book inspired by their Amazon experiences, ''The Invisible Landscape: Mind, Hallucinogens and the I Ching.'' Terence also began lecturing. The brothers' experiences in the Amazon would later play a major role in Terence's book ''True Hallucinations'', published in 1993. In 1976, the brothers published what they had learned about the cultivation of mushrooms in a book entitled ''Psilocybin - Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide'' under the pseudonyms OT Oss and ON Oeric.

Later life

In the early 1980s, McKenna began to speak publicly on the topic of psychedelic drugs, lecturing extensively and conducting weekend workshops. Though associated with the New Age and human potential movements, McKenna himself had little patience for New Age sensibilities. He repeatedly stressed the importance and primacy of felt experience, as opposed to dogma. Timothy Leary once introduced him as "one of the five or six most important people on the planet." }}He soon became a fixture of popular counterculture. His growing popularity culminated in the early to mid-1990s with the publication of several books: ''True Hallucinations'', relating the tale of his 1971 La Chorrera experience; ''Food of the Gods''; and ''The Archaic Revival''. He became a popular personality in the psychedelic rave/dance scene of the early 1990s, with frequent spoken word performances at raves and contributions to psychedelic and goa trance albums by The Shamen, Spacetime Continuum, Alien Project, Capsula, Entheogenic, Zuvuya, Shpongle, and Shakti Twins. His speeches were, and are, sampled by many. In 1994 he appeared as a speaker at the Starwood Festival, documented in the book ''Tripping'' by Charles Hayes. His lectures were produced on both cassette tape and CD.

McKenna was a colleague of chaos mathematician Ralph Abraham, and biologist Rupert Sheldrake, creator of the theory of "morphogenetic fields", not to be confused with the mainstream usage of the same term. He conducted several public debates known as ''trialogues'' with them from the late 1980s until his death. Books containing transcriptions of some of these events were published. He was also a friend and associate of Ralph Metzner, Nicole Maxwell, and Riane Eisler, participating in joint workshops and symposia with them. He was a personal friend of Tom Robbins, and influenced the thought of many scientists, writers, artists, and entertainers. His influences include comedian Bill Hicks, whose routines about psychedelic drugs drew heavily from McKenna's works. He is also the inspiration for the Twin Peaks character Dr. Jacoby.

In addition to psychedelic drugs, McKenna spoke on the subjects of virtual reality, which he saw as a way to artistically communicate the experience of psychedelics; techno-paganism; artificial intelligence; evolution; extraterrestrials; and aesthetic theory, specifically about art/visual experience as ''information'' representing the significance of hallucinatory visions experienced under the influence of psychedelics.

In 1985, McKenna co-founded Botanical Dimensions with his then-wife Kathleen, a nonprofit ethnobotanical preserve in Hawaii, where he lived for many years before he died. In 1997 he and Kathleen divorced. Before moving to Hawaii permanently, McKenna split his time between Hawaii and Occidental, located in the redwood-studded hills of Sonoma County, California.

Death

A longtime sufferer of migraines, in mid-1999 McKenna returned to his home on the big island of Hawaii after a long lecturing tour. He began to suffer from increasingly painful headaches. This culminated in three brain seizures in one night, which he claimed were the most powerful psychedelic experiences he had ever known. Upon his emergency trip to the hospital on Oahu, Terence was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. For the next several months he underwent various treatments, including experimental gamma knife radiation treatment. According to Wired magazine, McKenna was worried that his tumour was caused by his 35-years of smoking cannabis; though his doctors assured him there was no causal relation.

In late 1999, Erik Davis conducted what would be the last interview of McKenna. During the interview McKenna also talked about the announcement of his death:

Terence died on April 3, 2000, at the age of 53, with his loved ones at his bedside. He is survived by his brother Dennis, his son Finn, and his daughter Klea.

The library fire

On February 7, 2007, McKenna's library of rare books and personal notes was destroyed in a fire which burned offices belonging to Big Sur's Esalen Institute storing the collection. An index maintained by his brother Dennis survives, though little else.

Ideas

Terence McKenna advocated the exploration of altered states of mind via the ingestion of naturally occurring psychedelic substances. For example, and in particular, as facilitated by the ingestion of high doses of psychedelic mushrooms, and DMT, which he believed was the apotheosis of the psychedelic experience. He spoke of the "jeweled, self-dribbling basketballs" or "self-transforming machine elves" that one encounters in that state.

Although he avoided giving his allegiance to any one interpretation (part of his rejection of monotheism), he was open to the idea of psychedelics as being "trans-dimensional travel"; literally, enabling an individual to encounter what could be ancestors, or spirits of earth. He remained opposed to most forms of organized religion or guru-based forms of spiritual awakening.

Either philosophically or religiously, he expressed admiration for Marshall McLuhan, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Gnostic Christianity, Alfred North Whitehead and Alchemy. McKenna always regarded the Greek philosopher Heraclitus as his favorite philosopher.

He also expressed admiration for the works of James Joyce (calling ''Finnegans Wake'' "the quintessential work of art, or at least work of literature of the 20th century") and Vladimir Nabokov: McKenna once said that he would have become a Nabokov lecturer if he had never encountered psychedelics.

The "Stoned Ape" Theory of Human Evolution

In his book ''Food of the Gods'', McKenna proposed that the transformation from humans' early ancestors ''Homo erectus'' to the species ''Homo sapiens'' mainly had to do with the addition of the mushroom ''Psilocybe cubensis'' in its diet - an event which according to his theory took place in about 100,000 BC (this is when he believed that the species diverged from the Homo genus). He based his theory on the main effects, or alleged effects, produced by the mushroom. One of the effects that comes about from the ingestion of low doses, which agrees with one of scientist Roland Fischer's findings from the late 60s-early 70s, is it significantly improves the visual acuity of humans - so theoretically, of other human-like mammals too. According to McKenna, this effect would have definitely prove to be of evolutionary advantage to humans' omnivorous hunter-gatherer ancestors that would have stumbled upon it "accidentally"; as it would make it easier for them to hunt.

In higher doses, McKenna claims, the mushroom acts as a sexual stimulator, which would make it even more beneficial evolutionarily, as it would result in more offspring. At even higher doses, the mushroom would have acted to "dissolve boundaries", which would have promoted community-bonding and group sexual activities-that would result in a mixing of genes and therefore greater genetic diversity. Generally McKenna believed that the periodic ingestion of the mushroom would have acted to dissolve the ego in humans before it ever got the chance to grow in destructive proportions. In this context he likened the ego to a cancerous tumor that can grow uncontrollable and become destructive to its host. In his own words:

The mushroom, according to McKenna, had also given humans their first truly religious experiences (which, as he believed, were the basis for the foundation of all subsequent religions to date). Another factor that McKenna talked about was the mushroom's potency to promote linguistic thinking. This would have promoted vocalisation, which in turn would have acted in cleansing the brain (based on a scientific theory that vibrations from speaking cause the precipitation of impurities from the brain to the cerebrospinal fluid), which would further mutate the brain. All these factors according to McKenna were the most important factors that promoted evolution towards the ''Homo sapiens'' species. After this transformation took place, the species would have begun moving out of Africa to populate the rest of the planet Later on, this theory by McKenna was given the name "The 'Stoned Ape' Theory of Human Evolution".

Bibliography

1975 - ''The Invisible Landscape: Mind, Hallucinogens, and the I Ching'' (with Dennis McKenna) (Seabury; 1st Ed) ISBN 0-8164-9249-2.

1976 - ''The Invisible Landscape'' (with Dennis McKenna, and Quinn Taylor) (Scribner) ISBN 0-8264-0122-8

1976 - ''Psilocybin - Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide'' (with Dennis McKenna: credited under the pseudonyms OT Oss and ON Oeric) (2nd edition 1986) (And/Or Press) ISBN 0-915904-13-6

1992 - ''Psilocybin - Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide'' (with Dennis McKenna: (credited under the pseudonyms OT Oss and ON Oeric) (Quick American Publishing Company; Revised edition) ISBN 0-932551-06-8

1992 - ''The Archaic Revival'' (HarperSanFrancisco; 1st edition) ISBN 0-06-250613-7

1992 - ''Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge - A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution'' (Bantam) ISBN 0-553-37130-4

1992 - ''Synesthesia'' (with Timothy C. Ely) (Granary Books 1st Ed) ISBN 1-887123-04-0

1992 - ''Trialogues at the Edge of the West: Chaos, Creativity, and the Resacralization of the World'' (with Ralph H. Abraham, Rupert Sheldrake and Jean Houston) (Bear & Company Publishing 1st Ed) ISBN 0-939680-97-1

1993 - ''True Hallucinations: Being an Account of the Author’s Extraordinary Adventures in the Devil’s Paradise'' (HarperSanFrancisco 1st Ed) ISBN 0-06-250545-9

1994 - ''The Invisible Landscape'' (HarperSanFrancisco; Reprint edition) ISBN 0-06-250635-8

1998 - ''True Hallucinations & the Archaic Revival: Tales and Speculations About the Mysteries of the Psychedelic Experience'' (Fine Communications/MJF Books) (Hardbound) ISBN 1-56731-289-6

1998 - ''The Evolutionary Mind : Trialogues at the Edge of the Unthinkable'' (with Rupert Sheldrake and Ralph H. Abraham) (Trialogue Press; 1st Ed) ISBN 0-942344-13-8

1999 - ''Food of the Gods: A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution'' (Rider & Co; New edition) ISBN 0-7126-7038-6

1999 - ''Robert Venosa: Illuminatus'' (with Robert Venosa, Ernst Fuchs, H. R. Giger, and Mati Klarwein) (Craftsman House) ISBN 90-5703-272-4

2001 - ''Chaos, Creativity, and Cosmic Consciousness'' (with Rupert Sheldrake and Ralph H. Abraham) (Park Street Press; revised ed) ISBN 0-89281-977-4 (Revised edition of Trialogues at the Edge of the West)

2005 - ''The Evolutionary Mind: Trialogues on Science, Spirit & Psychedelics'' (Monkfish Book Publishing; Revised Ed) ISBN 0-9749359-7-2

Spoken word

''History Ends In Green: Gaia, Psychedelics and the Archaic Revival'', 6 audiocassette set, Mystic Fire audio, 1993, ISBN 1-56176-907-x (recorded at the Esalen Institute, 1989)

''TechnoPagans at the End of History'' (transcription of rap with Mark Pesce from 1998)

''Psychedelics in the Age of Intelligent Machines'' (1999) 90 minutes video

''Alien Dreamtime'' with Spacetime Continuum & Stephen Kent (Magic Carpet Media) (CD) video

''Conversations on the Edge of Magic'' (1994) (CD & Cassette) ACE

''Rap-Dancing Into the Third Millennium'' (1994) (Cassette) (Re-issued on CD as ''The Quintessential Hallucinogen'') ACE

''Packing For the Long Strange Trip'' (1994) (Cassette) ACE

Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell, broadcast on May 22, 1997, Five hour interview covering various topics

''Global Perspectives and Psychedelic Poetics'' (1994) (Cassette) Sound Horizons Audio-Video, Inc.

''The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge'' (1992) (Cassette) Sounds True

Discography

''Re : Evolution'' with The Shamen (1992)

''Alien Dreamtime'' with Spacetime Continuum & Stephen Kent (Magic Carpet Media) (DVD)

2009 - ''Cognition Factor'' (2009)

See also

Ethnomycology

Exopheromone

List of notable brain tumor patients

Machine Elf

References

External links

Terence McKenna Land at Deoxy.org

Terence McKenna at Levity.com

Erowid's Terence McKenna Vault

Botanical Dimensions

Rotten.com bio

FloatingWorldWeb's McKenna Pages

Terence McKenna's Last Trip 2000 Wired Magazine article by Erik Davis

"Mind contagions" (2001) at disinfo.com

Psychedelics, Evolution & Fun 2008 essay by Patrick Lundborg

Machine Elves 101, or Why Terence McKenna Matters - Reallity Sandwish by Daniel Moler

Transcription from 1991 interview regarding cannabis

Audio and video resources

Terence McKenna's interview Conducted by John Hazard in October 1998

Audio and video archive at Deoxy.org

Terence McKenna media archive at EROCx1.com

FutureHi.net MP3 Downloads - Terence McKenna, Albert Hoffman, Robert Anton Wilson, and more

McKenna at the 1999 Entheobotany Seminar - Audio Podcast

Psychedelics in the Age of Intelligent Machines - Video samples from the 1999 DVD

McKenna Video on FloatingWorldWeb - McKenna Video Portal

Over 100 podcasts of Terence McKenna talks - Audio Podcast

Transcripts

MindofMcKenna - McKenna Audio Excerpts, Transcriptions and Quotes

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