I hope everybody else is as psyched as I am for the return of Tony Shalhoub and his magnificent crime dramedy Monk.

The place to be at 9pm EST tonight is USA Network, which will air the seventh-midseason premiere of the show, a fun episode called “Mr. Monk and the Other Brother.” And, you betcha — it appears Adrian Monk does indeed have another sibling besides John Turturro’s recovered agoraphobic Ambrose, a half brother named Jack Jr. played by Joy Ride etcetera star Steve Zahn.

The action gets rolling at the very beginning of the episode, when poor Monk, busy whipping himself up a stack of perfectly square pancakes one morning, realizes that someone is breaking into his apartment. That someone is Jack, who has just escaped from prison and soon informs Monk that he needs help bringing the person who framed him for murder to justice.

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Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, there’s only one better way than Black Friday to kick off the holiday season properly: with the now traditional year-end return of USA Network’s Monk and Psych for their respective crowd-pleasing midseason holiday specials.

First up is Team Tony Shalhoub at 9pm EST, who bring us “Mr. Monk and the Miracle.” Neither Adrian Monk nor Captain Stottlemeyer believes in miracles, until a little intervention from fate.

In the case of the OCD detective, he decides to take on an inspiring mystery involving the murder of several homeless men’s friend, courtesy of Natalie’s intervention. And Stottlemeyer experiences renewed faith when a fountain at a monastery appears to get rid of his chronic pain.

Following at 10pm EST is Psych and “Christmas Joy.” Shawn and Gus’ title happiness over supposedly saving Christmas is almost ruined when the mall Santa they help a young girl get out of jail turns out to be a common con artist, as is the child.

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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.

Tonight, a very special milestone will occur in the long and storied history of USA Network’s original hit crime dramedy Monk. After seven mostly entertaining seasons, the series will finally air its 100th episode, aptly titled “Mr. Monk’s 100th Case,” a major hallmark for any television series.

Onboard for the guest star-filled extravaganza are a slew of familiar faces and few new ones, too. They include newcomers Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) and Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives), as well as returning guests John Turturro as Monk’s agoraphobic brother Ambrose, Tim Bagley as Monk’s nemesis Harold Krenshaw, Sarah Silverman as Monk’s biggest fan Marci Maven, Jarrad Paul as neighbor Kevin Dorfman, Howie Mandel as former cult leader Ralph Roberts, and Shalhoub’s real-life wife Brooke Adams as flight attendant Leigh Harrison.

There are also a few shifty criminals nabbed thanks to Monk’s brilliance, such as Sharon Lawrence’s Linda Fusco, Andy Richter’s Hal Tucker, David Koechner’s Joey Krenshaw, Ricardo Chavira’s Jimmy Belmont, and Angela Kinsey’s Arlene Boras.

This one is going to be a blast, so if you’re a Monk fan, you won’t want to miss it.

Monk airs Fridays on USA at 9pm EST.

Following the unexpected passing of actor Stanley Kamel earlier this year, Monk fans knew the dreaded day would come when the series would have to deal with the aftermath of losing both the talented actor and his roundly loved character on the show, Dr. Charles Kroger. The July 18 seventh-season premiere, “Mr. Monk Buys a House,” wastes no time addressing the situation with a plot that deftly and directly acknowledges Kamel’s departure while opening the season on a very high and promising note. Oh, and the funny’s still there, too, in a big way.

The title says it all when it comes to the main premise of the episode. In a familiar agitated state, this time because of Chopin music only he can hear his young neighbor playing incessantly, ace detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) decides to buy a house that seems perfect in all but one respect — it was the site of a recent murder. However, not even a tragedy that terrible is capable of lessening Monk’s attraction to the home’s spotless interiors and soundproofing.

Since Monk is Monk, perfect is never perfect enough, though, right? So, off he heads to the hardware store one day to buy what’s needed to make the house even more perfect. That’s where he bumps into handyman Honest Jake, played by effective guest star Brad Garrett (‘Til Death), whom he later calls when another aspect of the house inevitably starts bothering him. Bad idea, to say the least.

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My fellow Monksters, don’t forget that the seventh season of USA’s Emmy-winning Tony Shalhoub dramedy Monk premieres this Friday night, July 18, at 9pm EST sharp.

Thanks to USA’s generosity, I’ve already watched the kick-off episode, “Mr. Monk Buys a House,” which features a guest-star appearance by ‘Til Death’s Brad Garrett. Equally wonderful is the très cool giveaway I’ve got coming up before the Big Day.

After you check out the trailer following the jump for the upcoming season, make sure to also stay tuned for an advance review of the premiere and that contest I just mentioned. Two people will have a chance to get very, very lucky!

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Original Air Date: February 22, 2008

Let’s get it over with — Monk is alive! (Of course!)

As CAPTAIN STOTTLEMEYER stands on the beach alone, looking out at the ocean, dirty ADRIAN MONK comes over some rocks, carrying a bulletproof vest. The captain tells Monk that law enforcement is searching for his body down the beach. He has clean clothes and water for Monk, who must completely disappear now that he’s presumed dead.

This means the detective can’t call Natalie or Dr. Kroger or anyone else because there’s already enough evidence to convict him of murdering the six-fingered man. After the fake shooting they just pulled off, the captain could go to jail, too. The only solution is for the captain to complete the investigation while Monk is away.

RANDY arrives at NATALIE’s house one morning while she’s preparing for Monk’s funeral, and he brings in some flowers sent by SHARONA, who intends to come for the service with her son BENJY. Natalie is very angry at the captain for killing her boss rather than simply firing a warning or nonlethal shot. When Randy tells her Stottlemeyer is outside and would like to come in, Natalie is initially opposed.

Stottlemeyer enters through the open door anyway, and after Natalie gets over her immediate irritation, she acknowledges the situation must be harder on him than anyone else … until he tries to dissuade her from going into debt for Monk’s funeral. She’s already taken out a loan to pay for the formal affair.

Yet, Stottlemeyer’s apparent cheapness infuriates Natalie again, and she kicks the captain out of her house. Outside the door, the captain pulls a postcard from Monk out of his pocket. It says “I wish I wasn’t here” and reveals the detective is in Sparks, Nevada.

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Isn’t Tony Shalhoub nice? Instead of just doing an interview with mainstream media or one of those mass conference calls with a combination of mainstream media and bloggers, the gracious star of USA’s hit crime dramedy Monk will set aside some time on Friday to talk directly with viewers via an online chat.

The discussion will happen Friday, February 22, at 8pm EST, an hour before the second and final installment of the two-part sixth-season finale “Mr. Monk Is on the Run” premieres at 9pm EST.

If you’re interested in participating in the LIVE conversation, drop by the Monk website to register ahead of time if you’re not already. Then just fire up your browser at the scheduled hour and enjoy Shalhoub’s banter.

Original Air Date: February 15, 2008

As MONK and NATALIE walk down the street and discuss a TV show, Natalie tries to convince her boss that she knows one he’ll love. But, since it’s on Channel 11 and not Channel 10, the only channel he watches, Monk doesn’t seem too convinced he’ll like the program.

The pair approach an electronics store, where CAPTAIN STOTTLEMEYER and RANDY are waiting for them outside. The captain informs Monk that he just got off the phone with DR. KROGER, who’s concerned about something the police found inside the business that might upset his patient.

No one was murdered; it’s a straightforward robbery. Yet, there’s a cryptic note with the words written in a column like a list. It says “to force heaven mars shall have a new angel” in all uppercase letters.

Only a few odd items were taken: a couple of cellphones, a flashlight bulb, waterproof sealant, braided copper wire, and ten 20-volt magnesium batteries. Monk immediately realizes that someone is making a bomb with a remote, and the captain notes he’s only seen a bomb like this once before — it’s the same type that was used to murder Monk’s beloved wife TRUDY (Guest Star Melora Hardin).

The final suspicious discovery on the scene is a crowbar used to pry open the door. It has six fingerprints on it, indicating a person with six fingers, which is also reminiscent of a clue left in Trudy’s unsolved murder.

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Monk didn’t come on last week. But, that’s all right because tonight at 9pm EST, fans will get the first installment of the two-part sixth-season finale, “Mr. Monk Is on the Run.”

I’m really looking forward to these episodes not because I’m ready for Tony Shalhoub and his crew to call it a season. It’s movie-star guest star Scott Glenn (The Bourne Ultimatum, The Silence of the Lambs) who has me all worked up, and his presence is a guarantee that Monk viewers have some really good TV to look forward to.

The plot revolves around Adrian Monk, of course, who becomes the prime suspect in a murder case instead of the lead investigator, gets arrested, and then turns into a fugitive after he busts out of prison.

I was joking around with someone earlier that the guards in the jail probably help Monk escape just so he’ll go away and stop making their jobs impossible by being his typical picky self.

A trailer for the episode(s) follows the jump. Enjoy!

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