I've been researching Monk lately and have come across some trivia that made me smile or fitted
things together for some episodes that have left me puzzled. Alot of you will probably know some/all of this stuff already, so for those who don't and might get a kick out of it like me, here we go...

• In season 1 episode, 'Mr Monk and the Billionaire Mugger' the scene where Adrian goes to visit the sisters living on Kelly Street might seem out of tune with the rest of the story. This was because it was shot for the pilot but not used and the team then found a home for it in this episode

• In season 1 episode 'Mr Monk Takes a Vacation' the guest character, Rita became Monk's partner, effectively overshadowing Sharona's role rather than complementing the main character dynamic. So Sharona got the 'B' story of unknowingly hooking up with a married man. That story line didn't add anything to the plot, but the interesting thing is the reason all their dates had them playing tennis, it's because Bitty Schram is a semi-pro level tennis player

• In season 2 episode, 'Mr Monk Goes to the Ballgame" the original script had the Captain echoing Tom Hank's famous line to Sharona, 'there's no crying in baseball'. Bitty wasn't comfortable with it though and got it taken out of script.

I've got some more behind the scene trivia like this, might post a bit more later.

Apologies to anyone who knows this stuff already!

Those were great! I've never seen them before--feel free to post more!

Please post more. Those were great!!

Ok, 3 more before I go to bed...

• The team weren't happy with the final appearance of Dale the Whale when the character was first introduced in 'Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale'. It was felt the production values had fallen short and that it looked liked the actor playing the character had an inflated kid's paddling pool over his body with a blanket draped over it. However, wearing the fat suit was one of Jason Gray-Stanford's favourite times of the entire first season as he got to play broad comedy (and roll around in a fat suit)

• Although many posters here think of 'Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan' as a Monk 'classic' episode, the writers think they made some misjudgments in a few set pieces. Believing it's funnier to watch Monk get bent out of shape over things that most people will take in their stride, the scenes where Monk is getting upset at being jostled on the street and on the packed train was considered - in hindsight - unfunny as people without OCD would also suffer in those circumstances

• Andy Breckman really goes all out to impress a date. In 'Mr. Monk Goes Back to School', the victim was named for his girlfriend, Beth Landau and then later, the Captain's wife's profession - a documentary film maker - was named for Beth, who is, yep, a documentary film maker. Andy and Beth later married.

Goodnight everyone, sleep well.

Those were GREAT! Post more, if you have them....Please.

Great job in finding these great pieces of interesting information! Please post more when you find them. I (and others) will be looking forward to it.

Thanks, goodbyegirl!

Thank you! I really enjoyed, please, keep them coming!!

Wait, I'm confused now....JGS played Dale the Whale too???? I thought it was Adam Arkin, Tim Curry, and Ray Porter.

No JGS wore the empathy suit -- the one the killer doctor wore to look like Dale the Whale.

Jason Gray Stanford was originally supposed to read for the part of Shelden (Deputy Mayor?) in the pilot, but he turned it down.

The director told him they were writing another part, and asked him to come in and read for that.

Disher was originally called "Lt. Deaken" (sp?) It's his name in the pilot, anyway.

Ooooo that fat suit, lol, thought they meant the Whale fat suit....thx for straightening me out

Hello again

Some more tidbits...

• The teaser opening season 2 episode, 'Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect' is Jason Gray-Stanford's all-time favourite. Randy just can't hide his excitement at his first car chase, but ultimately, the car doesn't even get out of gear. But the reason the car chase is so short is because production was so costly on the previous episode, 'Mr. Monk Goes to the Theater' and originally the plan was for Disher and the Captain to get a little way down the street before stopping.

• The infamous 'Pete and repeat' scene in season 1 episode, 'Mr. Monk and the Airplane' would not have made it had the Network Programmers concerns been taken without discussion. They thought it was funny, but too long and asked if Monk would just distract the little girl. Although this would be something a regular person would do, Monk just had to go through a new set of tortures each time the kid asked the question. Tony completely sold it, the Programmers loved it and it was one of the last notes ever sent on a joke to Andy Breckman.

• Ti the Elephant, playing the guest, erm, elephant in season 2 episode, 'Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus' was a big hit on set and charmed everyone with her gentle manner but guest star Lolita Davidovich was a little freaked about letting Ti hover above her for the scene where murderer Natasia Lovara gets her foot broken. Director Randy Zisk would never ask an actor to do something he wouldn't be willing to do himself, so he laid down and let Ti lightly rest her foot on his knee. Lolita was reassured and the actual scene was filmed with no harm coming to any actor (or elephant).

Next up, show trivia on how Traylor Howard's parents reacted to their association to a particular episode, whose idea it was for Monk and Sharona to get married and the name of which much loved actress the writers orginally wanted to use in the orignal draft for 'Mr. Monk and the Cobra'.

These posts are fantastic! Great job! Thanx! for putting me in a great mood this monday morning as I head out to the office!

Thank you, Goodbyegirl! please, keep them coming!!!!

have a pretty nice week!!!

Mi

These are so fun! Keep them coming!!

Yep, and the character of Randy was intended as a guest part for the pilot and was turned into a main character role after the show got picked up. Guess Jason Gray-Stanford must have really impressed - and the double act with the Captain was too good to pass up.

Waiting on pins and needles...

I'm particularly waiting to hear about Natalie's parents, because we haven't met yet... Because we aren't dating yet... Because she hasn't called me yet... Unless sending a process server with a restraining order counts as a call...

Psst! Natalie! Call me... 555-1212! (Does this phone number make me look desperate?)

Ok, where were we?

• Often guest characters are named for friends and family of the show and the recipients are usually quite flattered. In season 4 episode, 'Mr. Monk Goes to a Wedding', Natalie's parents are named for Traylor Howard's real-life parents, Peggy and Bobby, however Traylor's Dad was concerned that his fictional counter-part would come off as a jerk and Traylor had to remind him that the show's not real.

• It was Andy Breckman's daughter, Rachel (then aged 17) who suggested it would be fun to see Monk and Sharona pretending to be married. Rachel mentioned this at dinner before they went to a Broadway show and Andy was so taken with this he spent the entire evening plotting out the season 2 episode, 'Mr Monk Gets Married' and missed the whole show

• The writing team made 3 separate attempts to secure a celebrity name for what eventually became 'Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra'. Family estates are very careful with the reputations of their loved ones and the team couldn't get permission to use Jerry Garcia's or Bruce Lee's names for the vital part of the dead celebrity needed for the story. There was discussion with Bruce Lee's family to use the title 'Mr. Monk vs. the Dragon' but the family finally declined the offer. Before settling on the fictional character name, the team attempted to get approval for 'Mr. Monk Meets My Fair Lady' which was Andy Breckman' favourite as he loved the idea that Audrey Hepburn was suspected of killing people. Not surprisingly, the script was rejected by the late actress's estate.

Coming up tomorrow: Another line that Bitty Schram wanted to have removed, a sleight of hand trick in 'Mr. Monk Meets the Godfather' you may have missed and which members of the team got on the best with the monkey from 'Mr. Monk and the Panic Room'.

Hmmmm.

There was a single post poster with a username like PGH or PSH or something like that... I remember that there was a debate over the exact date of Traylor Howard's birthday, and this PGH person posted something like: "Traylor's birthday is xxxxx. I should know."

We quickly deduced that the poster was Traylor's mother, but no amount of pleading would get them to post again, or to pass my telephone number to Traylor (Psst! Traylor! 555-1212... Call me!)... So if Traylor's mother's name was "Peggy," that would be the P in PSH (or PGH or whatever it was).

Sorry, that had nothing to do with the matter at hand, but I just wanted to mention my telephone number, in case Traylor was reading this (It's 555-1212!).

Desperately awaiting our trivia fix for today. Where are you, goodbyegirl?

Especially for you Yvette88 - with apologies to Og of the Jungle, this one is Natalie light...

• In season 2 episode, 'Mr. Monk and the Three Pies', Ambrose tells Sharona how fearless Monk is and refers to him as a 'regular Evel Knievel'. Whilst shooting the scene Bitty Schram insisted the reference to Knievel was too obscure for the audience but after a brief discussion director Randy Zisk convinced her that the viewers would get the joke and the script went ahead as written.

• Have a close look at season 3 episode, 'Mr. Monk Meets the Godfather' and you may notice that when Fat Tony first delivers Adrian and Sharona to the restaurant, from the point when Sharona gets out of the car until she gets into the building the viewers don't get to see her face. Bitty wasn't available so a body double in a Sharona-style wig stood in for her.

• A favourite episode for many posters here is season 3 story, 'Mr. Monk and the Panic Room'. The chimp in the tale 'Darwin' was played by thespian chimp Mowgli who was a very well behaved guest star. Bitty Schram adored him and the feeling was mutual - she spent hours playing with him, and he was very receptive to her. Ted Levine also bonded with Mowgli, so much so he brought in his own props, including fez and cymbals for the famous interrogation scene.

Night all.

I loved all of these trivial facts you have been posting. Please keep them coming!

yes, this is nice!
Now we could also have a thread on Monk Bloopers.....

Mi

That would be very nice.

Fantastic! Where are you finding all this interesting stuff??

Thanks again, goodbyegirl!

Keep them coming. I would love to know your source of this very interesting information.

3 more for you...

• There was one special guest star who just wouldn't perform. In season 3 episode, 'Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever', the original production called for Monk to go into a dissociated episode when he, the Captain and Natalie are lost in the woods in the rain whilst stuck in the car. The scene originally included a bear clawing at the window, whom Adrian thinks is Dr. Kroger so tries to open the window and say hello. An automatronic bear was found but mechanical difficulties with the artificially produced rain stopped the bear from working and as the rain was essential to the plot, the bear had to go.

• Working with Bitty Schram during the scenes in his office for season 3 episode, 'Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf" was one of Stanley Kamel's favourite times in Monk. Stanley had a soft spot for Bitty as she was in the room when he auditioned for the part of Dr. Kroger. When he left the room, he heard Bitty turn to David Hoberman and say 'Well, there's a no-brainer - that's the guy'.

• Although some bees were added in post production for other sequences in season 4 episode, 'Mr. Monk Bumps his Head', the scene in which Adrian is swarmed by bees was the real deal for Tony Shalhoub. A queen bee in a tiny cage was buried in Tony's shirt to attract all the other bees. Tony was a good sport to do it, but perhaps he felt more secure because his brother, Michael Shalhoub was making his 2nd appearance in Monk and was in this scene as beekeeper Ned

Coming up, problems with Tony's wardrobe, what actor Jarrad Paul was told after his first attempt at playing Monk's neighbour, Kevin Dorfman and which actress brought her own teeth for her guest part.

Sleep well

These are great and you're lucky to have the key to the 'secret treasure trove of unknown facts.' Keep them coming.

Thank you so much for this great thread.

Kees/Sue

Traylor's birthday is June 14, 1966.

Ha! Natalie, pick me!! My number is 867-5309!

Ha! Like she won't know that that's Jenny's Number. (Jenny isn't, like, your sister or something, is she, Neat?)

Besides, she likes me better, and I've got the restraining orders to prove it!

(Psst!. Traylor! Happy belated birthday! Call me! 555-1212!)

Oh my goodness! These are great! There is no way I would agree to stick a bee cage down my shirt! Where do you find all this great stuff? Keep them coming!

These are great to read. Thanks for sharing them =]

I feel like a recovering addict waiting for a methadone shot. Where's my fix for today goodbyegirl?

Some good ones coming up today, pesky job of mine keeps getting in the way but will post soon.

I've got sooooooo much of this stuff, good to know that it's finding a home and hopefully making someone smile!

The definately make me smile. I wait everyday for them.

Did anyone else feel a little tingle of glee run down their spine when they read this?


Thank you goodbyegirl.

We were very close at one time. That's all I'll say.




Curses! I wonder if I can get her to hand-write "return to sender" on one of those packages she keeps sending back to me... THEN we'll see who she likes the most!



I feel like we should sing happy birthday to her or something... Og, can you harmonize?

Here we go with today's installment...

• To avoid an overheard boom mike being seen in shot, actors are routinely fitted with tiny wireless microphones hidden under their clothing. Monk's wardrobe is worn ever so slightly too tight to give Adrian a secure, buttoned-up feeling but due to the characters' constant fidgeting, the mikes rub against the fabric resulting in a headache for Sound. The solution? Sound and Wardrobe worked together and ultimately placed tiny sticky-backed 'furniture feet' alongside the mikes in order to make Monk's clothing lay smoothly and not rub on the sound equipment. The result? It works - well, most of the time!

• Actor Jarrad Paul was invited to read for the part of Monk's neighbour, Kevin Dorfman and thought the audition had gone well, maybe a little too well. Monk producers generally attempt to keep the show from tipping too far into flat-out comedy by keeping the humour within certain parameters but Jarrad hadn't given Kevin ANY parameters and one day a team of 8 Network people visited the set and asked Kevin to tone it down. Clearly the executives weren't too disturbed as additional doses of Dorfman were ordered up for subsequent episodes.

• Guest star Laurie Metcalf played the strange and lonely Cora in season 4 episode, 'Mr. Monk Bumps his Head'. Laurie really wanted to make the character her own, so much so, that she turned up on set with her own sourced set of fake teeth. Combine this with Cora's unflattering hairstyle and unbecoming wardrobe and the end result is a character that is decidedly less than attractive. The director, Randy Zisk was a big fan of Laurie's efforts and was very appreciative of the fake teeth.

Next time, international versions of Disher and the Captain, the summation that nearly blew the budget and what happens when working with adorable 2-year old twins.

These are GREAT! Thanks!

very nice! keep'em coming!!!

Mi

Love 'em!! And I'm a huge fan of Laurie Metcalf. They need to use her again. They've created three different roles for Brooke and at least two different roles for Michael. I'd love to see Laurie in another episode!

Thank you!! I look forward to the next one!!

I thought the fake teeth tipped the styling for this character over the edge and laid the blame squarely at the feet of the wardrobe department. I stand corrected and if the marvelous Ms Metcalf does return, I hope she leaves her teeth at home.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Memememememememeeeeeeeeeee.... DO re MIIIIII fa sooooooo Lalaland diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii DOE!

Apparently not.

Goodbyegirl's in here--does that mean we're getting our trivia fix for the day?

Just enough time to get some more trivia in before tonight's new season 7 episode...

• Respected Monk author, Lee Goldberg was breaking season 2 story, 'Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico' in the writers room in New Jersey when someone came up with the idea of the Mexican cops being and looking not too dissimilar to the Captain and Disher. This idea carried over to other episodes, notably 'Mr. Monk and the Paperboy' where we meet a French version of the pair. You'll notice that the international versions of the Captain all sport Ted Levine styled mustaches.

• It was Monk Writer, Producer and Executive Story Editor, Hy Conrad who first suggested doing the memorable summation as a children's story book for season 3 closer, 'Mr. Monk and the Kid', and it was Andy Breckman who put in the suggestion to animate it. Fun idea, but very costly, however show friend Scott Greenberg whose company animates for The Simpsons and King of the Hill (amongst others) loved Monk and a deal was struck. It may well be the last time we see an animated fairy tale summation, but it did ensure season 3 had a beautiful and moving storybook ending.

• Casting very young actors is always risky but the Monk team struck gold when hiring 2-year old twins, Preston and Trevor Shores for the part of Tommy in season 3 episode, 'Mr. Monk and the Kid'. One of the boys found a natural rapport with Tony Shalhoub and would happily fall asleep in his lap after delivering his lines on cue. Alot of the scenes were kept free-form as you never know what's going to happen when working with very young children and sometimes the boys did things that were not in the script, like wagging the hot dog in the restaurant scene. One of the boys was infatuated with the boom mike - so when you see 'Tommy' reaching up, that was what he was going for!

Ack!! No teasers for tomorrow's trivia?! You haven't exhausted your resources, have you? Are there any more???

Coming up tomorrow...

Tony Shalhoub's trick for avoiding tripping on dolly tracks (the track camera moves on), who the writers had in mind for the part of Marty Eels in 'Mr. Monk and the Other Detective' and how the character of Kramer in Seinfeld influenced a popular storyline for Disher.

Resources are full to brimming, you'll be getting bored of this soon!

There's no way I'll ever get bored with this! A lot of information has been well-circulated and shown up in multiple threads dressed in different clothes. I've never seen this trivia anywhere before. Keep 'em coming!!

I won't get bored ever!! it's a great thread!!!!!

hugs
Mi