show name	Monk
genre	Police proceduralComedy-dramaMystery
camera	Film; Single-camera
runtime	40–45 minutes
creator	Andy Breckman
starring	Tony ShalhoubBitty SchramJason Gray-StanfordTed LevineTraylor Howard
executive producer	Andy BreckmanDavid Hoberman 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
last aired
num seasons	8
num episodes	125
list episodes	List of Monk episodes
picture format	NTSC (480i), HDTV (1080i)
status	Ended }}

''Monk'' is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular 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 concluding 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.

Premise

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 three and a half years. Trudy's death was the only case that Monk did not solve until the final episode.

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, glaciers, rodeos, 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 he 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. In the first two seasons, Stottlemeyer was reluctant to work with Monk, seemingly annoyed by the idea that he could not handle his cases himself. By the third and fourth seasons, his faith in Monk's contribution is well-cemented and his collaboration unquestionable.

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). Dr. Bell was introduced in 2008 to replace Dr. Kroger after the death of actor Stanley Kamel.

Trudy Anne Monk, portrayed by Stellina Rusich in the first and second seasons and by 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. 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. Biederbeck 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), "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 cameo appearance in the series finale, "Mr. Monk and the End - Part II" (8.16).

Marci Maven, portrayed by Sarah Silverman, is Monk's overzealous admirer. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the TV Star" (2.12) and later in "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" (6.01), and "Mr. Monk's 100th Case" (7.07).

Episodes

{| style="text-align:center;" class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan="2"|Season ! rowspan="2"|Episodes ! rowspan="2"|Timeslot (ET) ! colspan="3"|Original airing ! rowspan="2"|Viewers(in millions) |- ! Season premiere ! Season finale ! Season |- ! 1 | 13 | style="text-align:left" rowspan="4" |Friday 10:00 pm (July 12, 2002 – March 17, 2006) | | | 2002 | TBA |- ! 2 | 16 | | | 2003–2004 | TBA |- ! 3 | 16 | | | 2004–2005 | TBA |- ! 4 | 16 | | | 2005–2006 | TBA |- ! 5 | 16 | style="text-align:left" |Friday 9:00 pm (July 7, 2006 – August 25, 2006)Friday 10:00 pm (November 17, 2006)Friday 9:00 pm (December 22, 2006 – March 2, 2007) | | | 2006–2007 | TBA |- ! 6 | 16 | rowspan="3" style="text-align:left" |Friday 9:00 pm (July 13, 2007 – December 4, 2009) | | | 2007–2008 ! style="text-align:center" | 5.37 |- ! 7 | 16 | | | 2008–2009 | TBA |- ! 8 | 16 | | | 2009 | TBA |}

Episode titles

Much like novels in a series about a starring detective, all but one of the 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". The only exception to this rule is the season eight episode "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk".

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, and these episodes are hence patterened similarly to many episodes of ''Columbo''.

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 the murder was done, and why.

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

"Here's What Happened" segments

Most episodes feature a sequence in which Monk reveals how the crime was committed, almost always prefaced with the words "Here's what happened", or "Here's what I think happened", and shown in black and white. Most of these sequences are featured near the end of the episode, but have occasionally occurred 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 one 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." An in-joke reference to this contract renewal was also inserted into the episode "Mr. Monk and the Big Reward", which aired around this time.

Season five 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 one episodes were shot in the Toronto, Ontario, area. Most of the episodes from season two through season six were filmed in the Los Angeles, California, area, including on-stage at Ren-Mar Studios for seasons two through five and at Paramount Studios for season six. These include Monk’s apartment, Stottlemeyer's precinct house, Dr. Kroger’s office and Natalie’s house. In season two, episode eight, a building for the Toronto Star can also be seen in a cut scene.

Many scenes in season four 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 season two 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 season two 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" features several characters, including obsessed fan Marci Maven, mentioning a controversy over the change of the show-within-the-show's theme music. 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 three episode "Mr. Monk and the Game Show". It is also heard in several other episodes as the show enters the credits and then leads into the new theme's instrumental. In the season five episode "Mr. Monk and the Leper", while looking around a victim's apartment, Randy doodles out the old theme song on the piano, much to Stottlemeyer's exasperation. The latest use of the original theme music was in the season seven episode "Mr. Monk and the Bully" in 2009.

For the season six episode "Mr. Monk and the Rapper", guest star Snoop Dogg performed a hip-hop version of "It's a Jungle Out There" which substitutes for Randy Newman's version in the opening credits, and later is heard at the end before transitioning into the regular credit music. The June 16, 2008, re-airing of the first episode featured a new credit sequence with the Newman theme. The season eight episode "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" features a slower version of the original theme with a muted trumpet playing the melody.

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".

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

TV movie

On February 17, 2012, Andy Breckman announced that a script had been completed for TV movie titled ''Mr. Monk For Mayor''. Breckman stated that the film should begin production in summer 2012 in California for a release date in December 2012. Breckman also stated that he hoped a sequel would be produced as well.

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 four, 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 'Mr. Monk and the Sunday Paper' was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, June/July 2011
13	''Mr. Monk on Patrol''		January 3, 2012
14	''Mr. Monk is a Mess		June 5, 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 (Middle East)>MBC 4
Asia	STAR WorldUniversal Channel
Latin America	Studio Universal

Monk Monk Monk, um detetive differente(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 Monk Detektyw Monk("Detective Monk") Монк Дефективный детектив("Defective Detective") Детектив Монк/Detektiv Monk("Detective Monk") 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 (Middle East)>MBC 4
	|	RTSH
	|	Studio Universal
	|	Network Ten ''(original run)''and TV1 (Australia)>TV1 ''(re-runs)''
Austria	|	ORF 1 ''(original run)'' and Puls 4 ''(re-runs)''	June 28, 2004
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	| TV NOVA, Prima Family, Universal Channel ||
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 8)''	September 18, 2003
Hungary		TV2 Viasat3 Universal Channel Hungary|>July 28, 2005
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
Malaysia	|	NTV7, Star World
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
rowspan=2	Serbia	|	Radio Television of Serbia>RTS
Монк/Monk	TV AvalaFox CrimeUniversal Channel
Slovakia	|	Markíza
Slovenia	|	POP TV	September 8, 2004
South Africa	|	SABC 2 Universal Channel
South Korea		KBS 2TV & Fox |>KBS : Only Broadcast Season 3
Spain	|Factoría de FicciónCalle 13 cable/satelliteCanal Nou (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	December 30, 2003
Taiwan	|	Videoland Television Network>Videoland — W Movie Channel	July 14, 2004
Thailand	|	Star World
Turkey	|	Dizimax, TNT Turkey
Latvia	|	TV6 (Latvia)>TV6
United Kingdom	|	BBC TWO (First run, seasons 1-6) Quest (TV channel) (repeats S1-S3), Universal Channel (repeats) ITV1 (Seasons 7-8) (repeating Season 1 from 30 April 2011)
			2009–2010
	|	USA Network ''(original airing)''Universal HD ''(syndication)''Sleuth (TV) ''(syndication)''Various broadcast television stations ''(syndication)''		July 12, 2002

See also

Blind Justice

Ironside

Longstreet

Notes and references

External links

Monk on MyNetworkTV.com

''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:American crime television series‎ Category:Television series involving disabilities Category:English-language television series 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 bg:Монк bs:Monk 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

{{infobox person |image	Misha Collins by Gage Skidmore.jpg |name Misha Collins |birthname Dmitri Tippens Krushnic |birth_date August 20, 1974 |birth_place Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |occupation Actor, Producer |yearsactive 1999–present |spouse |children West Anaximander Collins (2010) }}

Misha Collins (born Dmitri Tippens Krushnic) is an American actor, best known for his role as the angel Castiel on the CW television series ''Supernatural''.

Personal life

Collins was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Before acting, he interned for four months at the White House during the Clinton Administration in the Office of Presidential Personnel. Collins attended Northfield Mount Hermon School and the University of Chicago, where he studied social theory.

In 2002, Collins married Victoria Vantoch.

They have one child, West Anaximander Collins. He was born September 23, 2010.

Filmography

Title ''Legacy (TV series) ''Liberty Heights'' ''NYPD Blue'' ''Seven Days (TV series) ''24 (TV series) Moving Alan The Crux ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' ''ER (TV series) ''NCIS (TV series) ''Without a Trace'' ''Over Her Dead Body'' ''Supernatural (TV series) ''Nip/Tuck'' ''Stonehenge Apocalypse'' ''Divine: The Series'' ''Ringer''

Year	|	Role	Notes
1998	Legacy'' ||	Andrew	Episode: "The Big Fix"
rowspan=3	1999	|	Guy	Uncredited
''Girl, Interrupted (film)	''Girl, Interrupted''''	Tony
''Charmed''	Eric Bragg
2000	|	Blake DeWitt	Episode: "Welcome to New York"
2001	Seven Days'' ||	Sergei Chubais	Episode: "Born in the USSR"
rowspan=2	2002	24'' ||	Alexis Drazen	7 Episodes (13–17,22–23)
Par 6	Al Hegelman
rowspan=2	2003	|	Tony Derrick
Finding Home	Dave
2004	|	Man Hanging from the Rope
2004	|	Vlad	Episode: "Nesting Dolls"
2005–2006	ER'' ||	Bret	Episode: "Alone in a Crowd" Episode: "Here and There" Episode: "If Not Now"
rowspan=4	2006	NCIS'' ||	Justin Ferris	Episode: "Singled Out"
''Monk (TV series)	Monk''	Michael Karapov
''Close to Home (2005 TV series)	Close to Home''	Todd Monroe
''Karla (film)	Karla''	Paul Bernardo
rowspan=3	2007	|	Chester Lake	Episode: "Run"
''CSI: NY''	Morton Brite
Reinventing the Wheelers	Joey Wheeler
rowspan=3	2008	|	Brian
The Grift
''Loot (2008 film)	''Loot''''	>
2008–2012	''Supernatural'''' ||	Castiel (Supernatural)>Castiel; Jimmy Novak, Himself, God, Leviathan, Emmanuel	Recurring: Seasons 4 & 7Series Regular: Seasons 5 & 6Special Guest Star: Season 7
	2009	|	Manny Skerritt	Episode: "Manny Skerritt"
	2010	|	Jacob	TV movie
	2011	|	Father Christopher; Producer	Web Series
	2012	|	Dylan	Episode: "Whores Don't Make That Much"

References

External links

Category:Actors from Massachusetts Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:People from Greenfield, Massachusetts Category:Northfield Mount Hermon School alumni

bg:Миша Колинс cs:Misha Collins da:Misha Collins de:Misha Collins es:Misha Collins fr:Misha Collins ko:미샤 콜린스 is:Misha Collins it:Misha Collins hu:Misha Collins ja:ミーシャ・コリンズ pl:Misha Collins pt:Misha Collins ru:Коллинз, Миша fi:Misha Collins sv:Misha Collins tr:Misha Collins vi:Misha Collins zh:米沙·克林斯

name	Jason Gray-Stanford
othername	Jason Gray-StratfordJason Gray Standford
yearsactive	1986–present
occupation	Actor
birth date	May 19, 1970
birth place	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada}}

Jason Gray-Stanford (born May 19, 1970) is a Canadian film and television actor. He is best known for having played the hapless Lieutenant Randy Disher in the TV program ''Monk''.

Career

He was the voice of Kento Rei Faun in the anime ''Ronin Warriors'', and the original English voice of Raditz and Cui in the Ocean Group dub of ''Dragonball Z'', as well as the voice of Shinnosuke in the English dub of ''Ranma 1/2'' and the voice of Joe Higashi in the ''Fatal Fury'' OVAs and The Motion Picture. He also appeared on an episode of ''Stargate SG-1''.

He is also known as the first voice of Yusaku Godai in Maison Ikkoku. However, after episode 36, the dubbing of the series was halted due to poor sales, during which the dubbing company lost contact with Gray-Stanford as well as several other actors. Since episode 37, Godai has been voiced by Brad Swaile. He voiced Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) in 1996's ''Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation''.

Gray-Stanford earned a BFA degree from the University of British Columbia in theatre. He has done extensive dubbing work for various Japanese anime movies and series, and also contributed background vocals to Russell Crowe's 30 Odd Foot of Grunts album ''Gaslight''.

He played Deputy Bobby Michan in the 1999 movie, ''Mystery Alaska'' and appeared in the 2001 movie ''A Beautiful Mind'', both starring Crowe. He appeared in the 2006 Clint Eastwood film, ''Flags of our Fathers'' as Lieutenant Schrier.

Filmography

Title ''Maison Ikkoku'' ''Yoroiden Samurai Troopers'' ''Dragon Ball Z'' ''Green Legend Ran'' ''Ranma 1/2'' ''Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture'' ''Ogre Slayer'' ''Key: The Metal Idol'' ''Dragon Ball Z'' ''The Outer Limits (1995 TV series) ''Doomsday Rock'' ''Saban's Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation'' Power Rangers In Space ''The Escape (1998 film) ''Mystery, Alaska'' ''Harsh Realm'' ''Last Wedding'' ''Taken (TV miniseries) ''Monk (TV series) ''The Collector (TV series) ''Lonely Hearts'' ''Lost in the Dark (2007 film) ''Puppy Love'' ''Otis E.'' ''Grey's Anatomy'' ''Lucky Christmas'' ''Being Bin Laden'' ''Level Seven'' ''Blood on the Border'' ''Caroline and Jackie'' ''Phantom'' ''Red Sky''

colspan="4"	Films
		|	Role	Other Notes
rowspan="1">1986	|	Yusaku Godai
rowspan="1"	1988	|	Gash/Kento
rowspan="1"	1989	|	Raditz	5 Episodes
rowspan="3"	1992	|	Ran	(voice); straight-to-video
''Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf''	Joe Higashi
''Neon Rider''	Daniel
rowspan="4"	1993	|	Shinnosuke	straight-to-video
''Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle''	Joe Higashi
''Ningyo no kizu''	Yuta
''The Commish''	Dave
rowspan="2"	1994	|	Joe Higashi	(voice)
''Highlander: The Series	Highlander''	Jonah
rowspan="7"	1995	|	Ogre Slayer	straight-to-video
''Fatal Fury 1	Joe Higashi
''Dangerous Indiscretion''	Video Store Clerk
''The Surrogate (1995 film)	The Surrogate''	Curtis
''M.A.N.T.I.S.''	Student #1
''Sliders''	Bellhop
''Strange Luck''	First Year Intern
rowspan="4"	1996	|	Tsukiyama	(voice); straight-to-video
''Fatal Fury 2''	Joe Higashi
''Please Save My Earth''	Haruhiko Kazama/Shukaido
''The Sentinel (TV series)	The Sentinel''	Deputy Matheson
rowspan="1"	1996 - 1998	|	Raditz	(voice); 8 Episodes
rowspan="1"	1996, 1998	The Outer Limits'' ||	Airman/Dylan Venable	2 Episodes
rowspan="4"	1997	|	Sgt. Thompson	(TV movie)
''Contagious''	E.R. Doctor #3
''Hostile Force''	Arne
''Extreme Dinosaurs''	Bullzeye
rowspan="1"	1997 - 1998	|	Donatello	(voice); 26 Episodes
rowspan="1"	1998	|	Donatello	(voice) Episode: Shell Shocked
rowspan="5"	1998	The Escape'' ||	Young Guard	(TV movie)
''Mummies Alive	The Legend Begins''	(additional voices)	straight-to-video
''The Mighty Kong''	Ricky
''Poltergeist: The Legacy''	Bob Meyer
''Millennium (TV series)	Millennium''	Kyle
rowspan="3"	1999	|	Bobby Michan
''Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century''	Sherlock Holmes
''Stargate SG-1''	Orner
rowspan="4"	2000	|	Lieutenant	Episode: "Three Percenters"
''First Wave (TV series)	First Wave''	Willet
''Queer as Folk (North American TV series)	Queer as Folk''	Brian's First Trick
''Cold Squad''	Kevin Nixon
rowspan="2"	2001	|	Matthew
''A Beautiful Mind (film)	A Beautiful Mind''	Ainsley
rowspan="1"	2002	Taken'' ||	Howerd Bowen	3 Episodes
rowspan="1"	2002–2009	Monk'' ||	Lt. Randall Disher	125 Episodes
rowspan="1"	2005	The Collector'' ||	Larry Emmerich	Episode: "The Superhero"
rowspan="2"	2006	|	Officer Chetnick
''Flags of Our Fathers''	Lieutenant Schrier
rowspan="1"	2007	Lost in the Dark'' ||	Roy Evans	(TV movie)
rowspan="1"	2008	|	Andy
rowspan="1"	2009	|	Officer Nelson
rowspan="1"	2011	|	Josh Englander	Episode: "Golden Hour"
rowspan="1"	2011	|	Mike Ronowski	(TV movie) (filming)
rowspan="1"	2011	|		(TV movie)
rowspan="1"	2011	|	Logan	(pre-production)
rowspan="1"	2011	|	Agent Scott Baylor	(pre-production)
rowspan="1"	2012	|	James	(pre-production or filming)
rowspan="1"	2012	|	Sasha	(filming)
rowspan="1"	2013	|	Arliss Skidmore	(pre-production)

External links

Jason Gray-Stanford

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from British Columbia Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian television actors Category:Canadian voice actors Category:People from Vancouver Category:University of British Columbia alumni

de:Jason Gray-Stanford es:Jason Gray-Stanford fr:Jason Gray-Stanford it:Jason Gray-Stanford pl:Jason Gray-Stanford pt:Jason Gray-Stanford ru:Грэй-Стэнфорд, Джейсон fi:Jason Gray-Stanford tr:Jason Gray-Stanford

name	K. Koke
background	solo_singer
birth name	Kevin Georgiou
birth date	May 22, 1985
origin	Stonebridge, London, England
occupation	Rapper
instruments	Vocals
years active	2005–present
genre	Hip hop
associated acts	U.S.G
label	U.S.G., Roc Nation, RCA, Def Jam
website	usgent.comRocNation.com/K Koke }}

Kevin Georgiou (born 22 May 1985), better known by his stage name K. Koke, is an English rapper of Greek Cypriot descent from Stonebridge, North West London.

Music career

He is part of one of the United Kingdom's most popular underground rap crews U.S.G.

His first mixtape ''Pure Koke Volume One'' was an underground success. Volume 1 was given away for free on various online outlets, and can currently be downloaded for free from Mixtape Madness. Having gained considerable critical acclaim within the UK Rap scene, he has recently signed with Roc Nation of Sony Music EntertainmentRCA.

''Pure Koke Volume Two'' has been released. It includes 'Nobody But Us' and 'Mama'.

Attempted murder trial

Koke was charged with the attempted murder of an unidentified 27-year-old football player at Harlesden train station on 9 March 2011 along with four teenagers, who were remanded in custody pending trial in October 2011. The victim was shot in the back. Koke's record deal with Roc Nation has not been affected by his arrest. Koke stood trial on October 4, 2011 and was acquitted of all charges on the 3rd November 2011 after 7 months on remand.

Discography

''Pure Koke Vol 1'' (2010)

''Pure Koke Vol 2'' (2011)

Extended plays

''Koke Vol. II'' (2009)

Crew mixtapes

U.S.G - ''Unfortunate Souls Grieve''

References

Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Roc Nation artists Category:British hip hop musicians Category:British rappers Category:Grime artists Category:Rappers from London Category:Musicians from London Category:British people of Greek descent

name	Joe Henderson
landscape	yes
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth date	April 24, 1937Lima, Ohio, United States
death date	June 30, 2001San Francisco, California, United States
genre	Soul-jazz Mainstream jazzHard bopPost-bopJazz fusion
years active	1960–1997
label	Milestone, Verve, Blue Note
notable instruments	}}

Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than forty years Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent labels, including Blue Note.

Biography

Early life

From a very large family with five sisters and nine brothers, Henderson was born in Lima, Ohio, and was encouraged by his parents and older brother James T. to study music. He dedicated his first album to them "for being so understanding and tolerant" during his formative years. Early musical interests included drums, piano, saxophone and composition. According to Kenny Dorham, two local piano teachers who went to school with Henderson's brothers and sisters, Richard Patterson and Don Hurless, gave him a knowledge of the piano. He was particularly enamored of his brother's record collection. It seems that a hometown drummer, John Jarette, advised Henderson to listen to musicians like Lester Young, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon and Charlie Parker. He also liked Flip Phillips, Lee Konitz and the Jazz at the Philharmonic recordings. However, Parker became his greatest inspiration. His first approach to the saxophone was under the tutelage of Herbert Murphy in high school. In this period of time, he wrote several scores for the school band and rock groups.

By eighteen, Henderson was active on the Detroit jazz scene of the mid-'50s, playing in jam sessions with visiting New York stars. While attending classes of flute and bass at Wayne State University, he further developed his saxophone and compositional skills under the guidance of renowned teacher Larry Teal at the Teal School of Music. In late 1959, he formed his first group. By the time he arrived at Wayne State University, he had transcribed and memorized so many Lester Young solos that his professors believed he had perfect pitch. Classmates Yusef Lateef, Barry Harris and Donald Byrd undoubtedly provided additional inspiration. He also studied music at Kentucky State College.

Shortly prior to his army induction in 1960, Henderson was commissioned by UNAC to write some arrangements for the suite "Swings and Strings", which was later performed by a ten-member orchestra and the local dance band of Jimmy Wilkins.

Early career

He spent two years (1960–1962) in the U.S. Army: firstly in Fort Benning, where he even competed in the army talent show and won the first place, then in Fort Belvoir, where he was chosen for a world tour, with a show to entertain soldiers. While in Paris, he met Kenny Drew and Kenny Clarke. Then he was sent to Maryland to conclude his draft. In 1962, he was finally discharged and promptly moved to New York. He first met trumpeter Kenny Dorham, an invaluable guidance for him, at saxophonist Junior Cook's place. That very evening, they went see Dexter Gordon playing at the Birdland. Henderson was asked by Gordon himself to play something with his rhythm section; needless to say, he happily accepted.

Although Henderson's earliest recordings were marked by a strong hard-bop influence, his playing encompassed not only the bebop tradition, but R&B;, Latin and avant-garde as well. He soon joined Horace Silver's band and provided a seminal solo on the jukebox hit "Song for My Father". After leaving Silver's band in 1966, Henderson resumed freelancing and also co-led a big band with Kenny Dorham. His arrangements for the band went unrecorded until the release of ''Joe Henderson Big Band'' (Verve) in 1996.

Blue Note

From 1963 to 1968, Joe appeared on nearly thirty albums for Blue Note, including five released under his name. The recordings ranged from relatively conservative hard-bop sessions (''Page One'', 1963) to more explorative sessions (''Inner Urge'' and ''Mode for Joe'', 1966). He played a prominent role in many landmark albums under other leaders for the label including most of Horace Silver's swinging and soulful ''Song For My Father'', Herbie Hancock's dark and densely orchestrated ''The Prisoner'', Lee Morgan's hit album The Sidewinder and 'out' albums with pianist Andrew Hill (''Black Fire'' 1963 and ''Point of Departure'', 1964) and drummer Pete La Roca (''Basra'', 1965).

In 1967, there was a notable, but brief, association with Miles Davis's quintet featuring Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, although the band was never recorded. Henderson's adaptability and eclecticism would become even more apparent in the years to follow.

Milestone

Signing with Orrin Keepnews's fledgling Milestone label in 1967 marked a new phase in Henderson’s career. He co-led the Jazz Communicators with Freddie Hubbard from 1967-1968. Henderson was also featured on Hancock's ''Fat Albert Rotunda'' for Warner Bros. It was during this time that Henderson began to experiment with jazz-funk fusion, studio overdubbing, and other electronic effects. Song and album titles like ''Power To the People'', ''In Pursuit of Blackness'', and ''Black Narcissus'' reflected his growing political awareness and social consciousness, although the last album was named after the Powell and Pressburger film of 1947.

After a brief association with Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1971, Henderson moved to San Francisco and added teaching to his résumé. He continued to record and perform as always, but seemed to be taken for granted by jazz audiences.

Later career and death

Though he occasionally worked with Echoes of an Era, the Griffith Park Band and Chick Corea, Henderson remained primarily a leader throughout the 1980s. An accomplished and prolific composer, he began to focus more on reinterpreting standards and his own earlier compositions. Blue Note attempted to position the artist at the forefront of a resurgent jazz scene in 1986 with the release of the two-volume ''State of the Tenor'' recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City. The albums (with Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster on drums) revisited the tenor trio form used by Sonny Rollins in 1957 on his own live Vanguard albums for the same label. Henderson established his basic repertoire for the next seven or eight years, with Monk's "Ask Me Now" becoming a signature ballad feature.

It was only after the release of ''An Evening with Joe Henderson'', a live trio set (featuring Charlie Haden and Al Foster) for the Italian independent label Red Records that Henderson underwent a major career change: Verve took notice of him and in the early 1990s signed him. That label adopted a 'songbook' approach to recording him, coupling it with a considerable marketing and publicity campaign, which more successfully positioned Henderson at the forefront of the contemporary jazz scene. His 1992 'comeback' album ''Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn'' was a commercial and critical success and followed by tribute albums to Miles Davis, Antonio Carlos Jobim and a rendition of the George Gershwin opera ''Porgy and Bess''.

On June 30, 2001, Joe Henderson died due to heart failure after a long battle with emphysema.

Discography

As leader

;Blue Note Records

1963: ''Page One''

1963: ''Our Thing''

1964: ''In 'n Out''

1964: ''Inner Urge''

1966: ''Mode for Joe''

1985: ''The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vols. 1 & 2''

;Milestone Records

1967: ''The Kicker''

1968: ''Tetragon''

1969: ''Power to the People''

1970: ''If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem''

1971: ''In Pursuit of Blackness''

1971: ''Joe Henderson in Japan''

1972: ''Black Is the Color''

1973: ''Multiple''

1973: ''The Elements''

1975: ''Canyon Lady''

1976: ''Black Miracle''

1976: ''Black Narcissus''

;Verve Records

1968: ''Four''

1968: ''Straight, No Chaser''

1992: ''Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn''

1992: ''So Near, So Far (Musings for Miles)''

1994: ''Double Rainbow: The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim''

1996: ''Big Band''

1997: ''Porgy & Bess''

;Red Records

1987: ''Evening with Joe Henderson'' - with Charlie Haden, Al Foster

1991: ''The Standard Joe'' - with Rufus Reid, Al Foster

2009: ''More from an Evening with Joe Henderson''

;Jazz Door

1973: ''6tet/4tet'' - with Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton

1994: ''Live'' - with Bheki Mseleku, George Mraz, Al Foster

2001: ''Sunrise in Tokyo: Live in 1971''- with Terumasa Hino, Masabumi Kikuchi

;Other labels

1977: ''Barcelona'' (Enja Records) - with Wayne Darling, Ed Soph

1979: ''Relaxin' at Camarillo'' (Contemporary Records) with Chick Corea, either Tony Dumas or Richard Davis on bass, Peter Erskine or Tony Williams drums

1980: ''Mirror, Mirror'' (Pausa Records) with Chick Corea, Ron Carter, Billy Higgins

1999: ''Warm Valley'' (West Wind Records) - with Tony Martucci, Tommy Cecil, Louis Scherr

As sideman

1963: Kenny Dorham - ''Una Mas'' (Blue Note)

1963: Andrew Hill - ''Black Fire'' (Blue Note)

1963: Johnny Coles - ''Little Johnny C'' (Blue Note)

1963: Grant Green - ''Am I Blue'' (Blue Note)

1963: Grant Green - ''Idle Moments'' (Blue Note)

1963: Blue Mitchell - ''Step Lightly'' (Blue Note)

1963: Antonio Diaz "Chocolaté" Mena - ''Eso Es Latin Jazz...Man!''

1963: Bobby Hutcherson - ''The Kicker'' (Blue Note - released 1999)

1964: Grant Green- ''Solid'' (Blue Note)

1964: Lee Morgan - ''The Sidewinder'' (Blue Note)

1964: Kenny Dorham - ''Trompeta Toccata'' (Blue Note)

1964: Horace Silver - ''Song for My Father'' (Blue Note)

1964: Andrew Hill - ''Black Fire'' (Blue Note)

1964: Andrew Hill - ''Point Of Departure'' (Blue Note)

1964: Freddie Roach - ''Brown Sugar'' (Blue Note)

1964: Duke Pearson - ''Wahoo!'' (Blue Note)

1965: Andrew Hill - ''Pax'' (Blue Note)

1965: Pete La Roca - ''Basra'' (Blue Note)

1965: Larry Young - ''Unity'' (Blue Note)

1965: Horace Silver - ''The Cape Verdean Blues'' (Blue Note)

1966: Nat Adderley - ''Sayin' Somethin'''

1966: Duke Pearson - ''Sweet Honey Bee'' (Blue Note)

1967: McCoy Tyner - ''The Real McCoy'' (Blue Note)

1969: George Benson - ''Tell It Like It Is'' (A&M;/CTI)

1969: Herbie Hancock - ''The Prisoner'' (Blue Note)

1969: Herbie Hancock - ''Fat Albert Rotunda''

1970: Freddie Hubbard - ''Red Clay''

1970: Freddie Hubbard - ''Straight Life''

1970: Alice Coltrane - ''Ptah, the El Daoud''

1971: Blue Mitchell - ''Vital Blue''

1972: Miroslav Vitouš - ''Mountain In The Clouds''

1973: Ron Carter - ''All Blues'' (CTI)

1973: Flora Purim - ''Butterfly Dreams''

1974: Johnny Hammond - ''Higher Ground''

1974: Charles Earland - ''Leaving This Planet''

1974: Patrice Rushen - ''Prelusion''

1976: Coke Escovedo - ''Comin' At Ya!''

1976: Roy Ayers - ''Daddy Bug & Friends''

1977: Flora Purim - ''Encounter''

1977: Woody Shaw - ''Rosewood'' (Columbia)

1978: Freddie Hubbard - ''Super Blue''

1979: Art Farmer - ''Yama'' (CTI)

1982: Mal Waldron - ''One Entrance, Many Exits''

1989: Jon Ballantyne - ''Sky Dance'' (Justin Time)

1991: Wynton Marsalis - ''Thick In The South: Soul Gestures In Southern Blue, Vol. 1''

1991: McCoy Tyner - ''New York Reunion''

1992: Kenny Garrett - ''Black Hope''

1994: Kitty Margolis - ''Evolution''

1994: Roy Hargrove - ''With the Tenors of Our Time''

1995: Shirley Horn - ''The Main Ingredient''

1999: Terence Blanchard - ''Jazz in Film''

2004: Charlie Haden/Joe Henderson/Al Foster - ''The Montreal Tapes: Tribute to Joe Henderson'' (Verve, 1989)

References

External links

The Joe Henderson Discography

"Twelve Essential Joe Henderson Tracks" by S. Victor Aaron (Jazz.com)

Joe Henderson "Lush Life" Solo: Transcription and Analysis

Category:1937 births Category:2001 deaths Category:American jazz composers Category:African American musicians Category:American jazz tenor saxophonists Category:Soul-jazz saxophonists Category:Hard bop saxophonists Category:Mainstream jazz saxophonists Category:Jazz fusion saxophonists Category:Post-bop saxophonists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Wayne State University alumni Category:People from Lima, Ohio Category:Musicians from Ohio Category:Blue Note Records artists Category:Enja Records artists Category:Red Records artists Category:Milestone Records artists Category:Blood, Sweat & Tears members

cs:Joe Henderson da:Joe Henderson de:Joe Henderson es:Joe Henderson fr:Joe Henderson it:Joe Henderson nl:Joe Henderson ja:ジョー・ヘンダーソン pl:Joe Henderson pt:Joe Henderson fi:Joe Henderson sv:Joe Henderson