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Author Topic: "Monk" heads-up  (Read 2335 times)

trainman

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"Monk" heads-up
« on: August 12, 2004, 11:03:54 PM »
Some of you may enjoy this Friday's episode of "Monk," which is titled "Mr. Monk and the Game Show."  And some of you may especially enjoy picking apart all the things depicted in the episode that wouldn't/couldn't happen on a real game show.  (I've seen it because I closed-captioned it last week.)

My guess is that the plot of the episode was inspired by Ken Jennings.

10:00 P.M. EDT Friday on USA Network; I think it repeats several times during the following week.
trainman is a man of trains

inturnaround

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"Monk" heads-up
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2004, 12:26:01 AM »
[quote name=\'trainman\' date=\'Aug 12 2004, 11:03 PM\']My guess is that the plot of the episode was inspired by Ken Jennings.
[/quote]
That would be interesting if that were the case. KayJay's run began taping in what, March? Was it really that well-known in H'wood that he was on this streak? And was it really something the producers of "Monk" thought would be popular enough to poke fun at at that point?

I mean, sure, it seems like a good idea now that it's taken the syndie ratings crown for a few weeks, but turnaround for an hour-long drama is long. It takes around 8 days generally to film an hour-long drama and the writing process takes far longer than that.

It was probably that the producers thought that a game show environment with its loud buzzers, bells and people would make a good atmosphere to put the OCD crippled Adrian Monk. I'm betting they're right.
Joe Coughlin     
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trainman

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"Monk" heads-up
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2004, 09:31:30 PM »
[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Aug 12 2004, 08:26 PM\'] I mean, sure, it seems like a good idea now that it's taken the syndie ratings crown for a few weeks, but turnaround for an hour-long drama is long. It takes around 8 days generally to film an hour-long drama and the writing process takes far longer than that. [/quote]
 I had the script while I was closed-captioning it, which had the revision dates on the front cover.  The shooting script wasn't finished until early July.  (This was the last produced episode of the current "season," although there's still one more new episode, which airs on the 20th.)
trainman is a man of trains

jrjgames

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"Monk" heads-up
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2004, 08:14:16 AM »
Just wonder why every plot in a show like this when there is a game show is someone is cheating?

John

dzinkin

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"Monk" heads-up
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2004, 09:57:28 AM »
[quote name=\'jrjgames\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 08:14 AM\'] Just wonder why every plot in a show like this when there is a game show is someone is cheating? [/quote]
 They're not always cheating.  When game shows have appeared in sitcoms rather than dramas, someone's usually looking stupid rather than dishonest. :-)

aaron sica

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"Monk" heads-up
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2004, 10:18:32 AM »
[quote name=\'dzinkin\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 09:57 AM\'] [quote name=\'jrjgames\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 08:14 AM\'] Just wonder why every plot in a show like this when there is a game show is someone is cheating? [/quote]
They're not always cheating.  When game shows have appeared in sitcoms rather than dramas, someone's usually looking stupid rather than dishonest. :-) [/quote]
 Case in point:

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME A CAR

dzinkin

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"Monk" heads-up
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2004, 10:19:18 AM »
[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 10:18 AM\'] Case in point:

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME A CAR [/quote]
 Another case in point:

"Who is Ed Higgins?"

GS Warehouse

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"Monk" heads-up
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2004, 11:51:53 AM »
Guys, neither of those can hold a candle to:

"Who are three people have never been in my kitchen?"

sshuffield70

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"Monk" heads-up
« Reply #8 on: August 18, 2004, 11:56:28 AM »
[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 09:18 AM\'] [quote name=\'dzinkin\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 09:57 AM\'] [quote name=\'jrjgames\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 08:14 AM\'] Just wonder why every plot in a show like this when there is a game show is someone is cheating? [/quote]
They're not always cheating.  When game shows have appeared in sitcoms rather than dramas, someone's usually looking stupid rather than dishonest. :-) [/quote]
Case in point:

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME A CAR [/quote]
 Gimme A Break!

aaron sica

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"Monk" heads-up
« Reply #9 on: August 18, 2004, 01:17:50 PM »
[quote name=\'sshuffield70\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 11:56 AM\'] [quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 09:18 AM\'] [quote name=\'dzinkin\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 09:57 AM\'] [quote name=\'jrjgames\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 08:14 AM\'] Just wonder why every plot in a show like this when there is a game show is someone is cheating? [/quote]
They're not always cheating.  When game shows have appeared in sitcoms rather than dramas, someone's usually looking stupid rather than dishonest. :-) [/quote]
Case in point:

GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME A CAR [/quote]
Gimme A Break! [/quote]
 YES!!

I was just beginning to be a "Wheel Watcher" when that episode aired...WCBS-2 in NYC had recently added the nighttime show, and I was fascinated with it...

Although it was kind of weird seeing only 2 play WoF (I believe the premise that Gimme a Break used was "Best Friends Week", but unlike the current one, with 6 total (2 at each spot), Nell and Addy played against each other.