Monk was proper: It’s a jungle on the market. And in case you’ve spent quarantine watching each one in all Monk‘s 125 episodes with a dedication that will make even the nice detective proud, the one factor scarier than the surface world is perhaps determining what to look at subsequent.
The USA Community procedural has been a soothing (if generally too actual) rewatch within the midst of a worldwide pandemic, which has a variety of us pointing at Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) and his provide of hand-sanitizing wipes and saying, “I do that.” However Monk is not the one TV detective with a knack for cracking not possible instances whereas annoying everybody within the room. TV Information has rounded up a few of the greatest crime exhibits to fill that Monk-shaped gap in your life, from long-running classics to underappreciated gems.
End your browsing nightmare with TV Guide’s recommendations for every mood
Searching for extra suggestions of what to look at subsequent? We have a ton of them! And in case you’re in search of extra hand-picked suggestions based mostly on exhibits you like, we have those too.
House
The place to look at: Amazon, NBC.com
Olivia Wilde, Jesse Spencer, Omar Epps, Hugh Laurie, Home
Should you like Monk greatest when he is cranky, try Home. The long-running Fox medical drama is a hospital whodunit the place catching the “killer” means determining what’s flawed with the affected person (and it is by no means lupus, aside from the one time it’s). It is a good twist on the standard thriller present method, and Hugh Laurie — because the sensible however abrasive Dr. Gregory Home — makes it unmissable. Like Monk, Home is a contemporary homage to Sherlock Holmes, from his sharp deductive abilities to his drug use. Come to look at Hugh Laurie mock individuals whereas diagnosing unusual illnesses, keep for the Holmes-and-Watson relationship between Home and his one true buddy, Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard).
Bones
The place to look at: Hulu, Amazon
Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, Bones
OK, let’s clear this up: She’s Bones. And it is a nickname. As a result of she works with bones. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), a world-renowned forensic anthropologist who solves crime utilizing bones and writes best-selling crime novels on the aspect, is the Monk of the Bones world (girls’s rights!), a socially awkward genius with a tragic previous who could be troublesome and exacting however at all times will get outcomes. Brennan and her crew of scientists work with FBI Particular Agent Seeley Sales space (David Boreanaz) to catch murderers in instances that vary from quirky to “this time it is private.” The instances are enjoyable, however they are not often as onerous to crack as Monk‘s; the true promoting level of Bones is the electrical chemistry between Deschanel and Boreanaz.
Perry Mason
The place to look at: HBO, HBO Max
Monk’s phobias are sometimes performed for laughs, however at his core he is a really unhappy man. Should you’re seeking to watch one other unhappy man resolve crimes, try HBO’s new take on Perry Mason, starring Matthew Rhys, the very best unhappy man on tv. This Perry Mason, set in 1930s Los Angeles, desires up a gritty origin story for the famed protection lawyer, who spends the primary season principally targeted on fixing one ugly case — and going through his personal demons, clearly. There are lags within the storytelling, however the characters are effectively drawn and the vibe is appealingly noir. And Matthew Rhys is simply so good at being unhappy.
Veronica Mars
The place to look at: Hulu
Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars
For extra noir detective tales, this time with bonus teen drama, watch Veronica Mars. The UPN-turned-CW collection stars Kristen Bell as a excessive schooler, and eventual faculty pupil, who moonlights as a non-public eye, taking over instances for her classmates and her detective father (Enrico Colantoni) whereas additionally unraveling season-long mysteries. The one which looms largest is the homicide of her greatest buddy, Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried). Should you’re in search of an intricate crime drama that calls for extra consideration than Monk, Veronica Mars is the proper marathon — no less than for the primary two seasons. The frustrating Hulu revival is greatest ignored, and even the third season misplaced some magic, however the early years of Veronica Mars are unforgettable: a sensible, darkish exploration of trauma and privilege in a city the place the haves and the have-nots are at one another’s throats.
Psych
The place to look at: Peacock, Amazon
James Roday and Dule Hill, Psych
There was a time when a Monk and Psych crossover would have been like assembling the Avengers for USA Community followers. A crossover by no means occurred (all we acquired have been these promos), however in case you miss Monk‘s upbeat “characters welcome” allure and nonetheless have not watched Psych, let this be your sign from the blue sky heavens. The cult favourite present follows irreverent charmer Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) as he bluffs his method right into a gig as a faux psychic detective utilizing his eager observational abilities. Alongside his greatest buddy, Gus (Dulé Hill), Shawn wins over the Santa Barbara Police Division, together with his love curiosity, Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), and gruff head detective Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson). Psych is Monk with much more laughs, obscure popular culture references, and working gags about pineapples.
Stumptown
The place to look at: Hulu
Cobie Smulders, Stumptown
Everybody ought to love no less than one gone-too-soon community drama. It retains you humble. And you would do quite a bit worse than ABC’s Stumptown, which was unexpectedly canceled resulting from COVID-19 manufacturing delays after beforehand being renewed for a second season. The Portland-set present, based mostly on the comedian e-book collection of the identical title, stars Cobie Smulders as non-public investigator Dex Parios, a Marine veteran with PTSD and playing debt who’s additionally making an attempt to help her brother (Cole Sibus). Dex, a messy, smart-alecky bisexual girl, is a cool spin on TV’s typical troubled detective, and Smulders is highly watchable within the function. The truth that the ensemble is filled with favorites like Jake Johnson and Michael Ealy solely makes Stumptown sweeter.
Elementary
The place to look at: Hulu
Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller, Elementary
Typically you wish to watch a troublesome genius impressed by Sherlock Holmes, and generally you wish to watch Sherlock Holmes. The very best of the latest wave of Arthur Conan Doyle variations is Elementary, which stars Jonny Lee Miller as a contemporary Sherlock who lives in New York Metropolis and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson, a former surgeon employed as his sober companion. It is a sharp, well-made collection with an thrilling solid (keep tuned for Natalie Dormer), and it weaves in shocking new twists on the Sherlock Holmes canon whereas nonetheless delivering all the standard comforts of a community procedural. Plus, Liu’s wardrobe as Joan is to die for.
BrainDead
The place to look at: CBS All Access
Danny Pino, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, BrainDead
This one is not a detective present, nevertheless it is an underrated gem that includes Tony Shalhoub as a senator whose mind has been eaten by alien bugs. Between The Good Wife and The Good Fight, super-creators Robert and Michelle King created BrainDead, a one-season surprise a couple of documentary filmmaker (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who takes a job working for her senator brother (Danny Pino) and discovers that Washington, D.C., has been invaded by extraterrestrial bugs, which have taken management of some members of Congress. Only a few individuals have observed a distinction. It is a charmingly bizarre political satire with a sci-fi streak, and it is a enjoyable watch if you wish to see Shalhoub in a brand new gentle. Monk wouldn’t do effectively with these bugs.
Columbo
The place to look at: IMDb TV (free with adverts)
Peter Falk, Columbo
Only one thing more — brush up in your TV detective historical past with Columbo. The traditional procedural aired on NBC from 1968 to 1978 after which returned much less continuously on ABC from 1989 to 2003. The legendary Peter Falk stars as Lieutenant Columbo, a intelligent, rumpled murder detective who, like Monk, is perpetually underestimated by killers. A number of the greatest Monk episodes observe the Columbo mannequin: The episode begins by revealing who did it, and the thriller is how our hero will show it, which he at all times does. Test it out for the satisfaction of watching egotistical murderers get what’s coming to them.