Monk Season 1

Right now you can watch Monk Season 1 on and — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. Across 1 season, the show has had time to find its rhythm and keep it. 1,274 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Watch it for Tony Shalhoub — stay for everyone else around them. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Monk Season 1 is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Sharp writing and a well-matched ensemble are what separate Monk Season 1 from the crowd. He’s ingenious, he’s phobic, and he’s obsessive-compulsive. Adrian Monk’s offbeat antics have made him unfit for duty but he’s back as a San Francisco police consultant to help out on their most baffling cases. The brilliant but neurotic Monk is now fighting crime as well as his abnormal fears of germs, heights, crowds and virtually everything else known to man. Tony Shalhoub and Ted Levine lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2002. The timing in Monk Season 1 is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Monk Season 1. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single week. Tony Shalhoub is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.