Mr. Monk is Online

Earlier this month, novelist/TV writer Lee Goldberg and MONK writer/producer/director David Breckman participated in an interactive live interview webcast, where fans were allowed to question them about the adventures of TV detective Adrian Monk on screen and in print.

Here are all three parts of the interview from YouTube, available in one handy playlist. Recorded live Oct 4, 2009:

LEE GOLDBERG MONK WEBCAST




Related links:
MONK final season begins tonight
Mr. Monk and Season Seven on DVD
Shalhoub on MONK: 'Everything does come to an end'
Mr. Monk and the Finished Manuscript
ADRIAN MONK: The face of OCD
Mr. Monk And The Continuity Police
Mystery TV Themes: MONK
Q&A: LEE GOLDBERG (Monk, Diagnosis Murder)

Mr. Monk and the Final Season

This summer, USA Network starts airing the eighth and final season of Monk. Obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) returns for 16 brand-new episodes, the return of Sharona (Bitty Schram), and the long-promised resolution of the only case Monk has never been able to solve: The murder of his beloved wife, Trudy. Updates at usanetwork.com/series/monk.

Meanwhile, Season Seven comes to DVD July 21 (Info at TVShowsonDVD). And the latest tie-in novel in stores is Mr. Monk is Miserable, by Monk writer Lee Goldberg.

Related links:
MONK ends with season eight
Mr. Monk and the Finished Manuscript
The stars shine for MONK 100
MONK: New therapist, new episodes
ADRIAN MONK: The face of OCD

Win a MONK galley!

TV writer/producer and novelist Lee Goldberg is giving away two signed galleys of his upcoming Monk tie-in original novel, Mr. Monk Goes to Germany. Check out the details at his blog, A Writer's Life.

Buy Monk books and DVDs at the StudioWell store

Related links:
Q&A: LEE GOLDBERG (Monk, Diagnosis Murder)
MONK hits 100
Official MONK on DVD
MONK back for season seven in July
Mystery TV Themes: MONK

MONK back for season seven in July

Season six wrapped just a couple weeks ago, but Entertainment Weekly reports that USA's Monk kicks off season seven in July. Returning are Tony Shalhoub (in his three-time Emmy-winning role), Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford. The first eight new episodes air this summer -- with the second half-season starting January 2009. Meanwhile, TVShowsOnDVD says Monk's sixth season hits DVD in June.

UPDATE: In related news, Lee Goldberg has posted the covers to his next two original Monk novels, Mr. Monk Goes to Germany and Mr. Monk is Miserable.

Buy Monk books and DVDs at the StudioWell store

Related links:
Mr. Monk And The Continuity Police
Mystery TV Themes: MONK
Q&A: LEE GOLDBERG (Monk, Diagnosis Murder)

Mr. Monk And The Continuity Police

TV writer and novelist Lee Goldberg explains the inevitable continuity problems between a television series and the tie-in novels ... in particular, Monk:

I thought the two-part MONK season finale was great, but it points out one of the pitfalls of writing a tie-in series while the TV show it is based on is still in production. It means there are going to be some continuity miss-matches between the TV series and the books...and there's nothing that can be done about it.

Lee also gives his perspective on the upcoming DVD release of the first season of Mannix. (He worked on the crossover episode of Diagnosis: Murder that brought Joe Mannix out of retirement.)

Related links:
Mr. Monk Is On The Run (Pt 2)
Q&A: LEE GOLDBERG (Monk, Diagnosis Murder)
Mystery TV Themes: MONK
Mystery TV Themes: MANNIX
Diagnosis -- Murder!

MANNIX to the max

Even as TV shows come to DVD faster and faster, the Los Angeles Times felt the need to announce that classic '70s private eye series "Mannix" is still not headed to DVD. Now, I don't have a lot of firsthand memories of the series -- while there are many classic TV shows I have been able to watch via the twin miracles of reruns and DVD, "Mannix" is one I only know by reputation. (And, of course, the uber-cool opening credits.)

Meanwhile, author and TV writer/producer Lee Goldberg shares a story about the time he and his partner engineered a Mannix appearance on the '90s sleuth series "Diagnosis Murder."

This unique episode of "Diagnosis Murder" cleverly teams Mannix with his old friend Dr. Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke) to solve a murder case that the detective was unable to crack on his own series 24 years ago.

Scenes from the 1973 "Mannix" episode "Little Girl Lost" are used in flashback sequences. Pernell Roberts, Beverly Garland and Julie Adams, who were guest stars on the original episode, also appear.

"It's such a good idea," the jovial Van Dyke says between takes on the "Diagnosis Murder" hospital set in Van Nuys. "We weave the old show in so well with the flashbacks."

Read the whole story here.

Related links:
Q&A: LEE GOLDBERG
Mystery TV Themes: MANNIX
Diagnosis -- Murder!
Fiction and DVD Links (27 Feb 08)

The man behind ROCKFORD FILES

Mystery novelist and TV writer Lee Goldberg shares anecdotes about meeting TV producer Roy Huggins, who created such series as MAVERICK, THE FUGITIVE and ROCKFORD FILES. Lee also links to a video interview he conducted with Huggins shortly before his death: Interview with Roy Huggins

Related: Mystery TV Themes: The Rockford Files

Diagnosis -- MURDER!

Penguin celebrates the DVD release of the popular mystery series Diagnosis Murder by offering 15-percent off any or all of the tie-in novels on the Penguin website. The first six novels are available now; the seventh, The Double Life, comes out November 7. Offer valid for all orders received before and on Dec. 31, 2006 or while supplies last.

I must confess, I missed out on Diagnosis Murder when it was on TV -- so the DM novels I were more or less my introduction. They well-written mysteries, and also completely accessible to a new fan like me.

As of yesterday, we are now the proud owners of Diagnosis Murder season one; I can begin catching up! (They even include the original 1991 Jake and the Fatman episode that introduced the Dr. Sloane character.)

Related links:
Mr. Monk and the Syndicate
MR. MONK AND THE AMAZON REVIEW
WATCHING THE DETECTIVES

TV-TO-BOOK: MR. MONK

My wife and I have been watching Season Two of of the excellent detective series Monk. (Since we do not have cable, we have to enjoy them on DVD.) We are just amazed at how funny and wonderful these stories are.

Tomorrow, the first original Monk tie-in novel hits shelves, Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse (Signet). The book is written by TV writer and novelist Lee Goldberg, co-writer of the Monk episode "Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico" (which we just watched, and it was AWESOME).

The Monk Fun Page interviewed Mr. Goldberg about his adventures writing for television (including Monk and Diagnosis Murder ) and writing the first official Monk novels.

The USA Network has launched an official website devoted to the Monk books, which includes an excerpt and a video interview with the author. (You can also check out downloads and an exclusive Monk mini-webisode created exclusively for the Internet.)

Related link: Mr. Monk Goes To The Firehouse