I bought my ticket to this today. Hopefully I get some pics!

I'll post any pics I might be lucky enough to get. It looks like a small crowd so fingers crossed!

I got up the nerve and scored my first celebrity mom interview! Traylor Howard who you may remember from Two Guys, A Girl and Pizza Place, as well as her current show Monk, has graciously agreed to answer my Fabulous Mom questions. She has an adorable son and a great boyfriend.

1. How would you describe yourself?

Curious, loyal, neurotic, passionate, playful.

2. How do you continue to follow your passions and dreams while being a mom?

I'm lucky enough to have a job where I can be creative and have my
son at work for part of the time. We get long breaks throughout the
year so I can be with him all the time which I love. At this point I
have the best of both worlds.

3. How has motherhood changed you?

I'm just happier. Having my son a bit later in life---I'm soaking it
up---he is such a happy and playful soul who brings a huge amount of
joy in our lives.

4. What do you do for yourself so that you can still be Fabulous?

Exercise. Can't give that one up. Need it for my head, heart,
body..............I would be sluggish and no good to anyone if I
didn't do something at least 4 times a week.

5. What is the best mom advice you've have ever gotten?

Well, it sort of came to me through God. Get rid of all my ideas of
what "should" be for my family/child.....just keep my eyes on my
son...if he is happy, all is well.

6. What are your top five Fabulous must haves?

1. Kiehl's tinted lib balm
2. Jan Marini sunblock
3. My camper knee high suede boots
4. My Gucci backpack that's about 15 years old.
5. Lots of epsom salts on hand to take a long hot bath.

"Monk" actor Tony Shalhoub really can't get away from his title character, the obsessive-compulsive detective. Sure, he's been in a ton of other stuff - a hundred and some episodes of "Wings," for one thing - but these days he's always spotted looking kind of nervous and apologetic, just like Detective Monk.

Is he that deeply in character? Does he do this all the time or just for photo ops? Let's just make sure that tie is perfectly centered...

Could some of the natural English speakers please explain to me, what is "epsom salts" ?

Epsom salts are minerals we put into our bath water to help soak away aches and pains; well some do but I don't. Other people who stand all day at work will come home and soak their feet in hot water with epsom salts to relieve tired, aching, itchy feet. Epsom is a city in England, probably known for their warm mineral springs where people go to soak their bodies in the mineral waters.

I don't know if it is as popular today with people as it was years ago.

Thank you for another link to a very good article.

Kees/Sue

It actually makes me a little nervous for TS. I noticed during the online web chat that he mentioned insecurity two or three times. I'd hate to think he's turning into the real life version of "Mr. Monk and the Actor"

Okay, so we're at the airport to pick up my mom today. You know me, I love to people watch, especially at the airport! So at the baggage claim area I look over and see Monk! It was like the weirdest feeling because I felt like, "Hmmmm, I wonder what kind of a case he's on here in L.A." It was the weirdest feeling. I had to like, remind myself he's a character, not reality.
I told Cameron, "Hey, there's Monk." Cameron was thinkin' Mom was out of her mind! "No, it's not," says Cameron. "Trust me, Cameron, I watch Monk every afternoon. That is Monk." Sure enough, it was Tony Shalhoub! I guess he was on my mom's flight from Chicago. We made eye contact and I must have scared him because then he moved to the other side of the carrousel. I tried to get Cameron to take a picture of him with his camera phone, but he wouldn't! I was like, "Come on, Cameron, I need a picture for my blog." Oh, well!

Another blog entry:

I Saw Monk Today!

I just found this, there is an interview with Tony:

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobas...tent?oid=453520

Monk - why Monk is not invited on parties

Article from Zap2it...there's nothing new we don't know but it's always good to read it...

I found this spoiler below. It´s from Watch with Kristin (e-online). I´m not sure if the information is for real, but I thought I should share it with you. Maybe someone wuld know more about it.

The upcoming season will contain Monk's 100th episode; it'll be partially a clip show, where Adrian Monk will work his 100th case for the San Francisco PD, while a reporter writes a profile about him. The reporter will meet "old friends," as Breckman put it, who will reflect on Monk and his past cases. "At first I thought, hey it'll be a breeze but I think it's going to be a challenge," said Breckman. Shalhoub chimed in by joking that "we're hoping it's really really expensive, too."

By JENNIFER BRETT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/31/2008

Tony Shalhoub, star and executive producer of USA network's hit show "Monk," has a guest-starring role at an Atlanta benefit next week. He'll be at Theatrical Outfit's gala, "ATLexis 2008," on April 5. The reception starts at 6 p.m. at the Rialto Center, with a performance following at 7:30 p.m. at the Balzer Theater at Herren's.

Shalhoub, a three-time Emmy winner, and his wife, actress Brooke Adams, will join a cast of notable Atlantans reading selected excerpts from Southern literature. Shalhoub's sister, local actress Susan Shalhoub Larkin, also will be a featured reader during the performance, along with Brenda Bynum, recording artist Kate Campbell, Mayor Shirley Franklin, Tom Key, Dr. Carl V. Patton, Monica Pearson, author Ferrol A. Sams and WSB-AM's Scott Slade.

A Monk-tastic auction package will be on the block during the fundraiser. The high bidder wins a tour of the "Monk" set, lunch in Los Angeles with Shalhoub and a slew of signed "Monk" memorabilia.

Tickets to the black-tie optional event are $110 each. Call 678-528-1511 or e-mail samantha.benitez@theatricaloutfit.org.

We caught up with Shalhoub just as he was about to board a flight from New York to Los Angeles. (Unlike his paranoid character, he apparently isn't terrified of flying).

How did you get involved with this event?

My sister Susan has worked in the Atlanta theater for years. She contacted me. I just loved the idea of this theater. I love the whole idea of this place and what they're about. It reminds me of a theater that I worked in in Portland, Maine.

Where does the talent come from in your family? (Shalhoub's nephew, Tony Larkin, also is an Atlanta actor).

It's a great question. I think it comes from my mother's side. My mother had an uncle who was a vaudevillian. When we were growing up, he was always the kind of guy doing amazing magic tricks. My mother's father had been a singer. My mother, had she not had 10 children and devoted her life to us, (might have pursued acting).

Do you miss the stage?

I do really miss theater. "The Scene" [the off-Broadway show he did last year with "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Patricia Heaton] was fantastic. Prior to that I hadn't done a play for seven or eight years. Living in L.A. and having a family and being involved in television and features, it's a little tricky to slip a play in there. If I'm going to be away from home, be in another city, it has to be the right material. When I did "The Scene" it was a really good fit.

Brooke has done a number of guest turns on "Monk." Do you come up with characters with her in mind, or does she take the roles that appeal?

She'll say to me, I'm ready to do another one [and start looking at possible roles in conjunction with the writers].

In the episode where she plays a flight attendant dealing briskly with her neurotic passenger, she seems to really enjoy pushing you around.

That does seem to come naturally, doesn't it?

Q: How'd you get Snoop Dogg to agree to star as a rapper accused of murdering another rap star? (In the episode, Snoop's character was set up and Monk's sleuthing frees him).

We had to tiptoe around that a little bit. Fortunately Snoop Dogg was, I guess, a fan of the show. He was such a great sport about the whole thing.

Will Monk ever solve the mystery of his wife's murder?

Oh, yes. The writers swear that they know. They just refuse to tell me. I've bribed them, tried to humiliate them into telling me. I can never help anyone who asks.

Why do viewers love a show about a quirky OCD-plagued detective? Does that say something about our country's collective psyche?

It's not surprising, especially in this post-9-11 era. It's this collective anxiety. This block of shows that we're going to be doing, we're going to reach our 100th episode. At the end of season 6, the ratings were our highest-ever. The audience has been loyal to the point of being obsessed, which is fitting.

Do you share any of your character's quirks?

I never considered myself having those kinds of severe conditions. Since I've been doing this show it's heightened my awareness, fostered another level of idiosyncrasies. I think more about stuff than I used to. That's not necessarily a good thing. I've kind of been infected.

You're a huge Green Bay Packers fan (The Green Bay, Wis., native holds season tickets). Were you sad to see Brett Favre retire?

I would have loved to have seen him go a couple more seasons. I was at the last game. It was a great season. I have to feel good about the fact that he went out on a highlight.

Here's a new MP3 inteview w/ Jason...he's apparently had some coffee.
I think the people interviewing him are Monk fans.

http://www.wbpmblog.com/blog/category/the-...ity-guest-book/

I'd rather have two scenes in something great than be the lead in something that's a piece of crap."
It's official--Jason's got a functioning brain. Brownie points awarded. Jason wins a cookie and a gold star.

Yep they still have me doing this. Here's my interview with Tony Shalhoub about 'Monk'. I don't think I was quite as nervous as the Jay Leno interview, but I still can't break the habit of saying "uh" and "um".

This was pretty fun for me I'm a huge fan of Monk. Tony Shalhoub's performance of the title character is absolutely perfect, both tragic and Hilarious. You as a viewer really feel for Monk and the people around him, and still you can't help but laugh at how he reacts to the situations that he finds himself in and his surroundings, like when he has to solve a murder in a junk yard or when he shook hands with a leper. The ensemble cast works perfect together, all of the supporting characters are beautifully performed by terrific actors.
I have to admit I was a late comer to the series. I didn't start watching until halfway through the third season when Traylor Howard joined the show playing Mr. Monk's new assistant (I've kind of had a crush on her since '96 when she was on Boston Common). Even though I was a Johny come lately to the wonder that is Monk, I was hooked from the first episode that I watched. Recently the show has been picked up for a seventh season and I'm happy that I get to keep watching the continued adventures of my favorite detective.

This article is from 26. August 2006

Written by Kenya Jones
Wednesday, 23 April 2008


ACED caught up with Monk star Tony Shalhoub during USA Network's Upfront presentation at Modern restaurant in New York last month to talk about his (okay, our) excitement over the start of the new season of the popular television series, during which it will reach its 100th episode by the end of the summer. After such a long run of success, the show is in syndication on Fox as of this month, along with its network brother Psych.

Tony, who seemed completely laid back, comfortable, and the polar opposite to the title character he plays -- while sampling the various hors d'oeuvres being thrust at him -- was eager to discuss the full circle moment Monk is coming up on in the show's seventh season this summer. As the show's executive producer and star, we naturally expected him to know all the goods and spill them after careful grilling while he was distracted by shrimp. No such luck.

It turns out that even he wasn't made privy to the developments we saw begin to unravel at the end of last season, when it looked like an uncovered clue was about to lead us (and Monk) to discover just who killed his beloved wife Trudy. "Unfortunately, the writers know the answer and they would not tell me. I've tried to bribe them, humiliate them... They're just being really closed mouthed about it. But, I mean it's sort of satisfying to know that they know, even though they won't tell me." We should have known this before asking. That's the answer you're usually apt to get whenever there is a top secret plot to protect. Still, it was worth a try.

Because it's a journey we have taken on for six years, we, like everyone else, have been waiting for Monk to finally be able to move past Trudy's death and to repair the damage the grief caused. Anyone who knows the story of Monk knows that he is a brilliant detective who worked for the San Francisco Police Department until his wife died in a car bomb attack, a plot Monk believed was intended for him.

Trudy's death led Monk to suffer a nervous breakdown. He was discharged from the force and became a shut-in, refusing to leave his house for over three years. He now works as a consultant for the homicide unit, despite having an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A huge part of the show's appeal stems from Monk's endearing ways of dealing with his OCD in order to solve crimes, his disorder's effect on his relationships, and his undying love and devotion to Trudy. Shalhoub agrees, and tries to break down, just what it is about Adrian Monk that gets to the heart of people. "I think one of the things that appeals to people about the character is that he is vulnerable and overwhelmed by so many obstacles in his life; and yet he presses on. And everyone, I think, feels, (especially nowadays) in the age of anxiety, a certain level of it that's been heightened in the last few years. So maybe that helps people relate to this character. Maybe in some small way he offers hope to people."

Hope that problems can be solved through adversity is what Monk's characters have represented for the last six years. A story like this is capable of being both tragic and funny at the same time. Monk's team of cohorts pulls the dramedy together beautifully from script to screen with awesome storytelling coupled with performances successful in grasping and holding our attention.

Though Shalhoub himself has been showered with praise and accolades for his performance on the critically acclaimed series, the three-time Emmy winner is well aware of the talent he's surrounded himself with and marvels at how lucky he is. "This group of actors that I work with is so great. We have the feeling of a real true ensemble. It's gotten to the point where we're open about critiquing each other and suggesting things to each other. We're all kind of feeding off of each other's energy. It feels almost like a theatre troupe that's worked together for years and years. It's a very healthy, productive, and very supportive environment."

While Shalhoub acknowledges the valuable fact that his positive working relationship with fellow actors helps Monk's ship run efficiently, he lays the series' staying power primarily at the feet of the devoted viewers who keep tuning in every week to keep it floating smoothly above water. "We are so gratified. Our fans, they may not be large in number, but they are almost as obsessive as Monk. I can't thank them enough for staying with us."

Being an obsessive fan could turn out to be doubly awesome in the coming season. The mystery of Trudy's death has been eating at us for six years and the possibility of it being solved is extremely exhilarating. Monk could find closure. He could finally be able to let his wife go and move on. Get better. Find love? Shalhoub is all for it, sensing, like we do, some significant changes for the better in Monk's relationships with people (women especially) that could shake things up a bit. And for him, it's agreeably about time.

"I would love to see that [Trudy's murder is]resolved, but the writers might save that for the series finale. I would like to see Monk get more courageous in terms of romantic interest, even though he holds fast to his love for Trudy. I think now, in the seventh year, we could start to explore more and see Monk kind of break out of that. And I think it might happen for him. Especially with the possibility of solving this mystery on the horizon."

Great. Despite trying very hard not to take that as a hint, we cannot wait to find out if our favorite anxiety-ridden detective can overcome his fear of communicable diseases long enough to woo a woman. We can just hear the intake of breath as an entire nation of Monk obsessives wait to see if our favorite assistant, Natalie Teeger (portrayed by Traylor Howard) might someday fall into the category of ‘romantic interest'. We think it's about time too.
The first episode of the new season airs July 18th. Check out the Official Site for more information.

Wow. I think my heart just skipped a beat. Is it July yet?

I'd like to be the first to say that nowhere does Tony or anyone involved with Monk say that Natalie and Monk are going to be romantically involved. Tony says that Monk may have a romantic love interest. (Not necessarily Natalie) and the person who wrote the artical was the one who said Natalie.

Also, is anyone else worried about the 100th ep (with old friends ala Seinfeld)? As I recall, everyone hated that Seinfeld episode.

I'd like to be the first to say that nowhere does Tony or anyone involved with Monk say that Natalie and Monk are going to be romantically involved. Tony says that Monk may have a romantic love interest. (Not necessarily Natalie) and the person who wrote the artical was the one who said Natalie.

Also, is anyone else worried about the 100th ep (with old friends ala Seinfeld)? As I recall, everyone hated that Seinfeld episode.

Nope, the author of the artical suggested Natalie. A romantic interest doesn't mean Natalie. He's had romantic interests before, Monica Waters and Michella Rivas. And there were quite a few who were dead certain that Natalie and Adrian would be all over each other by the end of On The Run. But, as long as they are allowed to, people are going to see what they want to see, and if the writers are smart, they'll keep writing it so that this is possible. Once they have a romance locked in and undeniable, the show will be rolling downhill fast, because I would guess that only a fraction of people watching, even just a fraction of the people who are shippers, won't be happy about it. If Adrian dates Natalie, the Randy/Natalie shippers will be upset, as will the non/anti-shippers. And even with the fans of a Natalie/Adrian relationship, once they get what they have been wanting, then what? They've been watching all this time, hoping for that, all that build up and anticipation, I can't think of any situation where the actual relationship was in anyway equal to the hype in this kind of scenario. I won't believe it till I see it, and even then, I may have a hard time believing it.

As for the Seinfeld show, did they do an episode like that? I didn't know that, I didn't watch it that often. When I did watch, it was hilarious, though. One of my all time favorite TV memories is of George on the Rascal scooter when he knocked over all the senior citizens' scooters and then tried to get away in a low speed chase. I loved that.

But while I am somewhat hopeful that they are building toward a relationship, I don't think anything would be established till the end. But as I have said before, it would defy credibility for Monk to solve Trudy's murder in the climax and then put them together in the coda without any prior preparation. If they want to get them together by the last episode (which I do not know to be the case) then they would have to pave the way to make it believable.

Thursday, 24 April 2008

James and Jennifer Iaccino cover the pop-culture scene in Chicago for MediaBlvd and for the various internet radio shows affiliated with MediaBlvd Magazine. They are the co-hosts of the popular “Doctor And Mrs Who” live audio broadcast which airs weekly on Thursday nights.

Return Dates For USA’s Original Series
Burn Notice: Thursday, July 10th
Monk: Friday, July 18th
Psych: Friday, July 18th

By James & Jennifer Iaccino


USA Network, by many criteria the number one cable entertainment network, had a unique take on this year’s upfront presentations. As most TV watchers are aware, the networks generally hold mega events in early may in New York to present the new and returning shows in their line up to current and potential advertisers. This year, USA spread their upfront presentations over three host cities; New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and held their gala celebrity attended events in early April. MediaBlvd was lucky enough to be invited to attend the magical event held April 1 at the Chicago Arts Club. Celebrities in attendance included Monk’s Tony Shalhoub, Psych’s Corbin Bernsen, Burn Notice’s Gabrielle Anwar, and the wrestler, Maria, from WWE.

...............................

Interview With Monk’s Tony Shalhoub

MediaBlvd Magazine> What do you like best about playing such a character in Monk?

Tony Shalhoub>Well, I work with great people; the actors that I work with, the directors, the crew. We have amazing writers. We’re going into our seventh season now, and how they keep throwing us curve balls makes you feel really alive. It’s kind of a dream job. And the fact that we all get to play dramatic and comedic stuff factors in. That’s rare on television. There are so many things about the show that I love.

MediaBlvd> How did you get into Monk?

Tony> My manager brought me the script, and I’d heard it was a script that had been floating around for a number of years. First over at ABC, it was in a state of semi-development, and an executive who was trying to get a position at USA talked ABC into letting him take it over there to see if they could do something with it there. A little more time passed, then they brought it to me, and I met the writer and producer, and it seemed like a good fit.

MediaBlvd> Do they allow you to do a lot of impromptu things with the character?

Tony> Well, yeah. It does lend itself to that kind of a thing. The writers give us great stuff of course, but they can’t always anticipate what might happen at any given location or on any given set. The actors are always finding things that would be distracting for Monk, or would preoccupy him. So it’s always kind of moving and never set in stone.

MediaBlvd> Do you ever have a hard time keeping a straight face when you are filming?

Tony> I do very often, because I work with really funny people. The shrink scenes that I do are just so off center and the more serious scenes become funnier I think.

MediaBlvd> It’s a really wonderful show.

Tony> It’s gratifying to know that people still care about it.

MediaBlvd> The way you play it deadpan is just so funny, you just have to laugh at it.

Tony> Well sometimes it’s because I’m just so tired; I don’t even have the energy to make a face.

MediaBlvd> Is this a dream for you, to be doing a TV show, or what would you want to be doing in the future?

Tony> Well, I did a series in the 90’s called Wings. I was on that for six years. I’ve kept my hand in film and theatre. It’s great to have a steady series. The nice thing about cable is that we only do sixteen episodes a year, so it only takes six months a year and so I have time to do other things. Sometimes in network for an hour long series of a series you’ll go over ten months. So it’s kind of ideal in that it affords me the luxury of doing other projects. But in the future when Monk ends…. I’m sure it’ll end one day. When it does end, I think about maybe producing a series. I’m a producer on Monk and I’ve learned a lot.

MediaBlvd> We love you in Monk.

Tony> Thank you so much.

MediaBlvd> Now how about Galaxy Quest, did you enjoy filming that?

Tony> That was one of my favorites.

MediaBlvd> I’ve heard that they are talking about possibly a sequel?

Tony> Every couple of years we hear rumblings about that. It would be great if we could do it. Interestingly enough the director of that film directed the pilot of Monk. I asked him to direct the pilot of Monk. It’s a guy named Dean Parisot, and he’s a fantastic feature director.

MediaBlvd> Thirteen Ghosts, that’s another one of your roles that I absolutely loved.

Tony> The director there was a visual effects guy, and Thirteen Ghosts was his first feature. He was just amazing. He would just paint pictures for us about what it was all going to look like. You could sort of half imagine it, and when you saw it, it was exactly what he described. I did enjoy working on it, and I’d never done a horror movie before or after. Well actually, I did work on 1408 too.

As for the Seinfeld show, did they do an episode like that? I didn't know that, I didn't watch it that often. When I did watch, it was hilarious, though. One of my all time favorite TV memories is of George on the Rascal scooter when he knocked over all the senior citizens' scooters and then tried to get away in a low speed chase. I loved that.

Nope, the author of the artical suggested Natalie. A romantic interest doesn't mean Natalie. He's had romantic interests before, Monica Waters and Michella Rivas. And there were quite a few who were dead certain that Natalie and Adrian would be all over each other by the end of On The Run. But, as long as they are allowed to, people are going to see what they want to see, and if the writers are smart, they'll keep writing it so that this is possible. Once they have a romance locked in and undeniable, the show will be rolling downhill fast, because I would guess that only a fraction of people watching, even just a fraction of the people who are shippers, won't be happy about it. If Adrian dates Natalie, the Randy/Natalie shippers will be upset, as will the non/anti-shippers. And even with the fans of a Natalie/Adrian relationship, once they get what they have been wanting, then what? They've been watching all this time, hoping for that, all that build up and anticipation, I can't think of any situation where the actual relationship was in anyway equal to the hype in this kind of scenario. I won't believe it till I see it, and even then, I may have a hard time believing it.

As for the Seinfeld show, did they do an episode like that? I didn't know that, I didn't watch it that often. When I did watch, it was hilarious, though. One of my all time favorite TV memories is of George on the Rascal scooter when he knocked over all the senior citizens' scooters and then tried to get away in a low speed chase. I loved that.

If the kissage scene in the final episode was or should be considered only a ploy to simply pander to some aspirations of some fans and not meant to be taken seriously then I think the writers are doing a great injustice to many which could lead some to dismis all scenes that depict interpersonal relationships - other than those about trudy - as being fools gold.

Digital audiobooks, especially those narrated by talented artists, can "extend the pleasure of being read to by your parents into fifth, sixth, seventh grades," he says. And talented artists are lining up to narrate; Macmillan Audio launched a children's list this spring with narrations by actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Tony Shalhoub.

Author George Selden; Read by Tony Shalhoub
Published April 2008

Tucker is a streetwise city mouse. He thought he’d seen it all. But he’s never met a cricket before, which really isn’t surprising, because, along with his friend Harry Cat, Tucker lives in the very heart of New York City—the Times Square subway station. Chester Cricket never intended to leave his Connecticut meadow. He’d be there still if he hadn’t followed the entrancing aroma of liverwurst right into someone’s picnic basket. Now, like any tourist in the city, he wants to look around. And he could not have found two better guides—and friends—than Tucker and Harry.

http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page...D478DE8B9E25442

found this.

Back to cable they will go: On Sunday NBC will stop showing repeats of “Monk” and “Psych,” two dramas from NBC Universal’s USA cable network. A two-hour block of “The Office” will be shown in their place.

Six seasons of “Monk,” starring Tony Shalhoub as a detective who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, were hits on cable. Similarly, “Psych,” starring James Roday as a police consultant with uncanny observational powers, has shown success since it was introduced in 2006.

But the programs did not fare well on the network. “In recent weeks, the dramas have hovered around a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49 and typically came in last place among the major networks during their respective hours,” The Hollywood Reporter noted.

In at least one way, the broadcast ratings were actually lower: The April 28 episode of “Monk” on NBC averaged 5.8 million viewers, while the February 22 season finale of “Monk” on USA averaged 6.9 million viewers.

Ben Silverman, the co-chair of NBC Entertainment, said in December that the writers’ strike had “put a flashlight” on the network’s decision to repurpose the two shows, but that NBC would have done it anyway. Mr. Silverman has said that NBC will consider the same treatment for “In Plain Sight,” an upcoming drama on USA.