Editing Adrian Monk (section)

==Character development==

===Creation===
Monk was originally envisioned as a "more goofy and physical" [[Inspector Clouseau]] type of character.<ref name="pg2"/><ref name="PPGaz"/><ref name="monk-clean">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/28/1075088060920.html|newspaper=[[The Age]]|author=Neumaier, Joe|title=Monk Comes Clean|date=2008-01-24|access-date=2009-01-20}}</ref> However, co-creator David Hoberman came up with the idea of a detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder.<ref name="pg2">{{Harvnb|Erdmann|Block|2006|p=2}}.</ref> This was inspired by his own bout with self-diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder; in a ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]'' interview, he stated that, "Like Monk, I couldn't walk on cracks and had to touch poles. I have no idea why—but if I didn't do these things, something terrible would happen."<ref name="PPGaz">{{cite news|url=http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/TV/20030620monk0620fnp5.asp|title=TV Preview: 'Monk' returns for more disorder-ly police work|last=Gillies|first=Judith|date=2003-06-20|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|access-date=2008-12-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118142843/http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/TV/20030620monk0620fnp5.asp|archive-date=18 January 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

Other fictional inspirations include [[Columbo (character)|Columbo]]<ref name="pg2"/><ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/18/arts/television-murder-he-mumbled.html?_r=0|title=Television; Murder, He Mumbled|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2004-01-18|last=Stanley|first=Alessandra|access-date=2008-12-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nysun.com/arts/drama-without-much-mystery/35426/|work=[[The New York Sun]]|last=Blum|first=David|date=2006-07-05|title=Drama Without Much Mystery|access-date=2008-12-27|archive-date=2009-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126061621/http://nysun.com/arts/drama-without-much-mystery/35426|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Sherlock Holmes]], and his obsession with neatness and order may be an homage to [[Hercule Poirot]].<ref name="pg2"/> Like Holmes, and occasionally Poirot, Monk is accompanied by an earnest assistant with little or no detective ability, similar to [[Doctor Watson]] and [[Arthur Hastings|Captain Hastings]], respectively;<ref name="pg6">{{Harvnb|Erdmann|Block|2006|p=6}}.</ref> Monk's two major allies from the police department, [[Leland Stottlemeyer|Captain Stottlemeyer]] and [[Randy Disher|Lieutenant Disher]] (credited as "Deacon" in the pilot episode), are reminiscent of [[G. Lestrade|Inspector Lestrade]] and [[James Harold Japp|Chief Inspector Japp]], Holmes' and Poirot's well-meaning but ineffectual respective police counterparts. In addition, Monk has a brother whose abilities of deduction are even more amazing than his, yet much more geographically limited due to his own personal problems, somewhat in the style of [[Mycroft Holmes]] (who is more adept than Sherlock but notoriously lazy).<ref name="NYT"/><ref name="pg5">{{Harvnb|Erdmann|Block|2006|p=5}}.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/01/24/230705.php|last=Stark|first=Template|date=2004-01-24|publisher=[[Blogcritics]]|title=Brother Bill Maher and Monk|access-date=2008-12-27|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011204218/http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/01/24/230705.php|archive-date=2008-10-11}}</ref>

When trying to think of a possible name for the character, co-creator [[Andy Breckman]] decided to look for a "simple monosyllabic last name".

===Casting===
[[File:Tony Shalhoub.jpg|thumb|right|Shalhoub was cast because the producers felt he could "bring the humor and passion of Monk to life".<ref name="monk-history">{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/detective-story-som-twists-monk-abc-loss-cable-gain-article-1.506417|title=A Detective Story With Some Twists ''Monk'': ABC loss was cable's gain|work=[[New York Daily News]]|date=2002-08-16|last=Battaglio|first=Stephen|access-date=2016-10-16}}</ref>]]
Co-creator David Hoberman revealed that the casting sessions were "depressing".<ref name="pg3">{{Harvnb|Erdmann|Block|2006|p=3}}.</ref> USA Network's executive vice president Jeff Wachtel stated that looking for the right actor to portray Monk was "casting [[hell]]".<ref name="pg4">{{Harvnb|Erdmann|Block|2006|p=4}}.</ref> After two years of developing, the producers still had not found an actor to play the part.<ref name="pg3"/> Although [[Michael Richards]] was considered, distributors of the show [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[ABC Studios|Touchstone]] worried that the audience would [[Typecasting (acting)|typecast]] him for more comedic roles after his previous work as [[Cosmo Kramer]] on the [[situation comedy|sitcom]] series ''[[Seinfeld]]''.<ref name="monk-history"/><ref>{{cite video|people=Hoberman, David|title=[[List of Monk episodes|Monk, Season 1]], Mr. Monk and His Origins|medium=DVD|publisher=[[Universal Studios, Inc.|Universal Studios]]|date=2002}}</ref> After Richards dropped out of the project, he went on to star in another series about a private detective, ''[[The Michael Richards Show]]'', which was cancelled after six episodes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/tv/10407/|title=Q&A With Michael Richards|last=Tucker|first=Ken|date=2004-11-15|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|access-date=2008-12-27}}</ref>