‘Monk’ Wraps It Up with Season Eight

USA Network has determined the future of Monk, one of television’s most enjoyable, unique, and memorable series ever. Tony Shalhoub and the rest of the stellar cast will end their fantastic run after the upcoming eighth season, which is set to premiere in the summer of 2009 with a 16-episode order.

Says network executive vice president Jeff Wachtel: “We want to build to a spectacular conclusion for this wonderful show. By many measures, Monk is the most successful series in the history of basic cable television — and it was certainly the original tentpole of our ‘character’ brand. Our fans have been extremely dedicated and season eight should prove to be a very satisfying reward.”

I certainly hope so. We all knew the good times had to end at some point, but I still feel bittersweet tears welling up already. At least it’s reassuring that the series will exit on a ratings and quality high. And then there’s always the near daily repeats and frequent Monkathons.