Monk was proper: It is a jungle on the market. And when you’ve spent the previous few months watching each one in every of Monk‘s 125 episodes with a dedication that might make the nice detective proud, the one factor scarier than the skin world is perhaps determining what to observe subsequent.
The USA Community procedural has been a soothing (if typically too actual) rewatch within the midst of a world pandemic, which has lots 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 circumstances whereas annoying everybody within the room. TV Information has rounded up a number of the finest character-driven crime reveals 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
In search of extra suggestions of what to observe subsequent? We have a ton of them! And when you’re in search of extra hand-picked suggestions based mostly on reveals you like, we have those too.
House
The place to observe: Amazon, NBC.com
Olivia Wilde, Jesse Spencer, Omar Epps, Hugh Laurie, Home
If you happen to like Monk finest 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 good however abrasive Dr. Gregory Home — makes it unmissable. Like Monk, Home is a contemporary homage to Sherlock Holmes, from his sharp deductive expertise to his drug use. Come to observe Hugh Laurie mock folks whereas diagnosing unusual illnesses, keep for the Holmes-and-Watson relationship between Home and his one true pal, Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard).
Bones
The place to observe: 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 facet, is the Monk of the Bones world (ladies’s rights!), a socially awkward genius with a tragic previous who might be tough 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 circumstances that vary from quirky to “this time it is private.” The circumstances are enjoyable, however they are not often as arduous to crack as Monk‘s; the true promoting level of Bones is the electrical chemistry between Deschanel and Boreanaz.
Perry Mason
The place to observe: HBO, HBO Max
Monk’s phobias are sometimes performed for laughs, however at his core he is a really unhappy man. If you happen to’re trying to watch one other unhappy man remedy crimes, try HBO’s new take on Perry Mason, starring Matthew Rhys, the perfect unhappy man on tv. This Perry Mason, set in 1930s Los Angeles, goals up a gritty origin story for the famed protection lawyer, who spends the primary season largely targeted on fixing one ugly case — and going through his personal demons, clearly. There are lags within the storytelling, however the characters are properly drawn and the vibe is appealingly noir. And Matthew Rhys is simply so good at being unhappy.
Veronica Mars
The place to observe: 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 school scholar, who moonlights as a non-public eye, taking up circumstances 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 finest pal, Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried). If you happen to’re in search of an intricate crime drama that calls for extra consideration than Monk, Veronica Mars is the right marathon — no less than for the primary two seasons. The frustrating Hulu revival is finest 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 observe: 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 bought have been these promos), however when 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 approach right into a gig as a faux psychic detective utilizing his eager observational expertise. Alongside his finest pal, 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 operating gags about pineapples.
Stumptown
The place to observe: Hulu
Cobie Smulders, Stumptown
Everybody ought to love no less than one gone-too-soon community drama. It retains you humble. And you could possibly do loads 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 assist 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 position. The truth that the ensemble is filled with favorites like Jake Johnson and Michael Ealy solely makes Stumptown sweeter.
Elementary
The place to observe: Hulu
Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller, Elementary
Generally you need to watch a tough genius impressed by Sherlock Holmes, and typically you need to watch Sherlock Holmes. One of the best of the current wave of Arthur Conan Doyle diversifications 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 observe: 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 folks have seen 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 properly with these bugs.
Columbo
The place to observe: 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 regularly 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 few of the finest 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.