Warning: This article discusses topics of mental health and death.
The best episodes of Monk from season 1 to season 8, and the 2023 TV movie Mr. Monk’s Last Case, center on the titular character’s attempts to solve a bizarre mystery, but his oddities and unusual behavior are often the biggest obstacles in his search for the truth.
There are plenty of TV shows that are a perfect replacement for Monk, and each offers similar qualities or characters that are just as engaging and entertaining. Even though Monk is rather unique, several incredible murder mystery shows match the same standards of the iconic show. Many viewers still miss Monk and hope for a sequel to Mr. Monk’s Last Case, but until that happens, these equally powerful and funny TV shows are ideal additions to the watch queue.
8 Psych
Fake It 'Til You Make It
Shawn Spencer happens to possess some uncanny powers of observation thanks to his father, Henry, a former police officer who taught his son to even the smallest details of his surroundings. When Shawn is accused of committing a crime that he actually solved, he convinces the cops that he's a psychic -- and with the reluctant help of his best friend, Gus, Shawn starts solving cases for a skeptical but increasingly impressed police force.
- Directors
- Mel Damski, Steve Franks
- Writers
- Andy Berman, Steve Franks
- Seasons
- 8
Psych is a great alternate show for Monk because both titles brilliantly use humor and mystery and are led by a quirky lead character. Psych’s Shawn Spencer is a fake psychic with stellar observation skills, and while Adrian Monk doesn’t have any fantastical talents, both of them are good at figuring out the truth about crimes pretty quickly. Shawn’s hilarious back and forth with his best friend, Gus, is amazing and offers some heartwarming moments throughout Psych. The way Shawn bluffs his way into many ludicrous escapades is funny and often absurd, but it adds to his charm.
Psych is a TV show that can easily be compared to Monk, but with even more central figures for audiences to fall in love with. Psych’s 8 seasons and 3 sequel movies mean that there are plenty of installments for new viewers to binge, which will help scratch the Monk itch.
7 iZombie
The Solution To Uncovering Criminals Is To Eat Brains
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After being turned into a zombie, medical resident Liv must periodically feast on human brains to keep the appearance of being human and takes a job at a morgue to sate her hunger. When she discovers that eating a corpse's brain gives her temporary access to their skills, traits, and memories, Liv decides to use her talent to help solve murders.
- Directors
- Rob Thomas
- Writers
- Rob Thomas
- Seasons
- 5
iZombie’s premise initially seems quite ridiculous, but its execution is stellar. The show follows Liv Moore, who manages to gather clues and information about ongoing cases by eating the brains of murder victims. While this concept seems to be rather cheesy, the use of comedy and suspense pays off and makes iZombie an overall enjoyable watch.
Liv’s backstory and the dynamic she has with her colleagues are very interesting, and while she can be stand-offish at times, she generally has a solid rapport with them. Like Monk, iZombie looks at difficult themes but offsets them with a more lighthearted tone. iZombie’s success is due to how it highlights the topics of identity and death, whereas Monk delves into the day-to-day of someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
It’s a shame that the show is now over, especially as iZombie season 6 could improve the series
Neither show mocks these subjects but rather presents them realistically, which normalizes them. It’s a shame that the show is now over, especially as iZombie season 6 could improve the series, but seasons 1 to 5 are still worth catching up on.
6 House
Sherlock Holmes Goes Into Medicine
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House is a medical mystery drama in which the villain is typically a difficult-to-diagnose medical malady. It follows Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a world-renowned disabled diagnostician with a notorious substance abuse issue. With his team of world-class doctors, House has built a reputation as one of the most brilliant doctors in the world - an especially impressive feat when taking into that he rarely actually sees his patients.
- Directors
- Deran Sarafian
- Writers
- David Shore
- Seasons
- 8
It’s widely considered that Hugh Laurie’s Gregory House in House is an alternative interpretation of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous literary detective. House follows the abrupt and rude titular character, with every episode focusing on a new medical mystery for him to solve. Like Adrian Monk, House rubs people the wrong way regularly, although the actions of Monk’s lead are undoubtedly less intentional.
Even though House isn’t the easiest character to feel sorry for at times, his ongoing issues with mental health and drug addiction make him very compelling. While there are differences between criminal and healthcare investigations, both House and Monk approach them in a very similar way.
20 Best House Episodes, Ranked
The House M.D. series wrapped over a decade ago, but the show is still one of the best medical dramas around, these are the best episodes.
The two characters are straightforward and throw themselves straight into the intricate details of their respective enigmas, and they both make a name for themselves by being able to find a solution in the span of an episode. The best episodes of House also use dark humor like Monk does, but another common element the two shows share is the ability to draw audiences in with somber and profound storylines when needed.
5 Veronica Mars
Smart & Witty, Just Like Monk
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Veronica Mars
- Release Date
- 2004 - 2019-00-00
- Network
- The CW
- Showrunner
- Rob Thomas
Cast
Jason Dohring
WHERE TO WATCH
Veronica Mars is a drama mystery series that stars Kristen Bell as the titular teen detective who learns the ropes from her father, a California police sheriff. Following a "crime-of-the-week" episode format, each episode sees Veronica tackling new cases while carrying on her High School life, with a more significant, overarching plot carrying between episodes. Veronica's side career begins following the death of her best friend, which sets off a chain of events leading to several smaller cases.
- Directors
- John T. Kretchmer, Nick Mark, Michael Fields
- Writers
- Rob Thomas, Phil Klemmer
- Seasons
- 4
Veronica Mars is a fantastic the best episodes of Veronica Mars across four seasons, as well as the 2014 movie, is absolutely impeccable. Veronica Mars is a TV show that is a great recommendation for viewers looking for a combination of Monk and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The comedic tone of Veronica Mars differs from that of Monk, but both shows use intelligent humor well. Veronica Mars and Monk are both known for including snappy and insightful dialogue, which shines a light on the complexities and flaws of their respective characters. Kristin Bell’s renowned murder mystery show isn’t a story-of-the-week format like Monk, either, but Veronica Mars still has plenty of intriguing mysteries spanning across seasons that audiences can easily sink their teeth into.
4 Only Murders In The Building
Three Wacky Detectives Solving Crimes
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Only Murders in the Building
- Release Date
- August 31, 2021
- Showrunner
- Steve Martin, John Hoffman
- Directors
- Cherien Dabis
Cast
Michael Cyril Creighton
Aaron Dominguez
WHERE TO WATCH
Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers, each with a shared interest in true crime, who team up to investigate a death in their apartment building, unraveling secrets and uncovering unexpected twists.
- Writers
- Steve Martin, John Hoffman
- Seasons
- 4
- Creator(s)
- Steve Martin, John Hoffman
Only Murders in the Building and Monk are immediately comparable because eccentric and flawed detectives lead the two shows. The hit Disney show features the hilarious Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage, Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora, and Martin Short as Oliver Putnam, three people from wildly different backgrounds who find themselves thrown into the madness and chaos of murder investigations. Although the three don’t work for any form of law enforcement as Adrian Monk does, he only returns to his original role after the death of his wife because a friend brings him in.
Therefore, Monk is only in his position because of a chain of coincidental events, much like the Only Murders in the Building season 5 is already confirmed, so it’s an ideal title to invest in now.
3 Murderville
A Hilarious And Improvised Take On Murder Mysteries
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Murderville
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2022-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
Cast
Will Arnett
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on the BBC series Murder in Successville, Murderville is a murder-mystery series in which cast improvise most of their lines. Each episode welcomes a new celebrity guest star, with Arrested Development and Bojack Horseman's Will Arnett starring as senior detective Terry Seattle in each of the show's episodes.
- Seasons
- 1
Murderville tackles murder mysteries and uses humor in very different ways from Monk. However, after watching Murderville, it’s easy to appreciate that the two TV shows create a very similar response in viewers. Murderville stars Will Arnett as Senior Detective Terry Seattle. In every episode, he is ed by a special Murderville celebrity guest as a rookie colleague to solve a new case.
What’s so absurd about Murderville, however, is that the story is roughly planned out, but the execution of each episode is improvised, which makes it even funnier. While Murderville doesn’t take itself as seriously as Monk does, the show thrives on ironic humor. Monk is often unpredictable, as is Murderville, but in very different ways.
Is Murderville Entirely Improvised? What's Really Happening
Murderville has Will Arnett and guest stars trying to solve murder mysteries, but is the entire show actually improvised? Here's how it works.
The show’s new mystery with every episode is absurd and frequently nonsensical, but Murderville’s commitment to making each enigma as in-depth and convoluted as possible is always apparent. Terry Seattle isn’t half the detective Monk is, granted, but he is plagued by his past traumas, which is the main link between the two characters.
2 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
A Heartwarming And Comical Series About The NYPD's Investigations
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Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Release Date
- 2013 - 2021-00-00
- Network
- FOX, NBC
- Showrunner
- Michael Schur, Dan Goor
WHERE TO WATCH
From the creative minds of Dan Goor and Michael Schur comes Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a police comedy series set in the NYPD's fictional 99th precinct. Headed by the comedically serious Captain Raymond Holt and protagonist Jake Peralta, the detectives of the 99 deal with burglaries, drug deals, and oddities in New York City, occasionally steering into real-world issues surrounding police perception and social concerns in the 2010s and earlier. Each detective has their own unique personality that makes them stand out, creating endearing dynamics that helped the show thrive for eight seasons.
- Writers
- Michael Schur, Dan Goor
- Seasons
- 8
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of the best sitcoms of all time. While comedy takes precedence and is at the forefront of the show, the intricate details of criminal proceedings are also crucial to its success. The ensemble cast are all unique and layered personalities, but each of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s characters can be compared to Adrian Monk in different ways. For example, Amy Santiago’s obsessiveness and dedication to her work, Captain Holt’s observation skills, Jake’s enthusiasm, and Rosa’s bluntness are all qualities that Monk would regard as highly valuable.
One brilliantly funny Brooklyn Nine-Nine character that Monk would absolutely befriend is Charles Boyle because the two have a long list of phobias and fears. Although humor is the most important part of both Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Monk, the two shows are also ed for tackling deeper issues head-on.
Although humor is the most important part of both Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Monk, the two shows are also ed for tackling deeper issues head-on.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s approach to social issues and personal traumas is fantastic throughout and is praised for being realistic, something Monk is also often applauded for. The funniest scenes in Brooklyn Nine-Nine share a similar tone to Monk, and if anything, the titular detective would appreciate the NYPD’s wild antics.
1 Little Monk
Adrian Monk's Origin Story
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LIttle Monk
- Release Date
- 2009 - 2009-00-00
Cast
Aaron LinkerLittle Monk-
Chris Fernandez LizardiLittle Ambrose
Little Monk (2009) is a prequel to the popular series Monk, focusing on the early adventures of a young Adrian Monk as he solves crimes in his junior high school, offering insights into the development of his unique detective skills and character traits.
- Main Genre
- Comedy
Little Monk is a web series prequel about Adrian Monk’s childhood, which follows the events that make him the character viewers know him as in Monk. Young Adrian’s adventures in middle school, which often include his older brother, Ambrose, are fabulous.
Although the mysteries that Adrian and Ambrose solve aren’t as morbid or dangerous as the cases in Monk, the overall atmosphere of the show is still prominent in the spin-off. Little Monk delves into the emotional turmoil and trauma that the titular character faces growing up and how his OCD develops.
Chris Lizardi also played Danny in The Hustler (2009)
This narrative is interwoven with genuinely enthralling investigations, and the approach to such a topic, especially in the context of a child, is perfectly executed. Considering Little Monk is simply a light-hearted addition to the Monk series, it’s surprising how profound and warming the show is. Little Monk provides some amazing context about the character and a great backstory for the entire Monk family, and because the 2023 TV movie Mr. Monk's Last Case is the most famous continuation, it’s a title many aren’t aware of.
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Monk
- Release Date
- 2002 - 2009-00-00
- Network
- USA
- Directors
- Randy Zisk, Jerry Levine
WHERE TO WATCH
Starring Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, Monk follows the titular detective, a private investigator with OCD who helps solve crimes with the San Francisco Police. On the side, he also investigates the death of his wife, who was killed by a car bomb. Bitty Schram, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford also star.
- Writers
- Tony Shalhoub
- Seasons
- 8
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