Monk Doesn't Need A Revival (This Is How Tony Shalhoub's Adrian Should Return Instead)

Published Apr 29, 2025

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Beloved as it is, Tony Shalhoub's ending of Monk came in 2009, the detective procedural has remained popular for well over a decade now, and many longtime fans may wonder if it will ever get a revival.

In 2023, Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie proved that there are still plenty of great stories to tell about Adrian and the rest of the cast of Monk. Adrian, Natalie, Stottlemeyer, and Randy were just as funny as ever, and though it had its problems, Mr. Monk's Last Case also had plenty of great aspects. The wider resurgence of the mystery genre in movies like Knives Out and shows like The Resident also means there's never been a better time for Monk to make a comeback. However, I think there's a better option than a Monk revival show.

There Have Been Discussions About Monk's Future After The Movie

Mr. Monk's Last Case Proved Monk Is Just As Popular As Ever

Mr. Monk's Last Case was a resounding success. It earned 92% on continuing the Monk franchise in the future. On top of it all, Mr. Monk's Last Case created the perfect conditions for Adrian's return by seeing the reemergence of his OCD symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monk Should Continue (But Not With A Revival Of The TV Show)

Reviving The Monk Show Would Have Too Many Problems

It's clear that there's plenty of room and desire for more Monk stories in the future, and Adrian's story should definitely continue, but not in a serialized format. A Monk revival show would have far too many problems to work the way it should. Reboots are already an overused gimmick of the TV industry, and seeing Monk return after over a decade would feel more like a cheap cash grab instead of a welcome reunion. Additionally, one of the harshest realities of Monk was also how formulaic it felt, which is a whole can of worms in and of itself.

Monk's formula carried it to success for decades, but it's now a big obstacle to a revival show.

Reviving Monk and keeping the same "howdunnit" formula the show - and Mr. Monk's Last Case - rarely deviated from would feel a bit tiresome. Monk was already getting repetitive and predictable in 2009, and that problem wouldn't be any better now. However, changing Monk's formula would risk jeopardizing what makes Monk the beloved comfort show it is. Part of the allure of any revival show is that it feels familiar, so if Monk decides to revamp its formula, it might destroy the point of restarting the series. Monk's formula carried it to success for decades, but it's now a big obstacle to a revival show.

Another Monk Movie Is The Best Way To Continue The Franchise

Monk Could Follow Psych's Lead & Use Movies To Update Us On Big Moments In Adrian's Life

Imagery from Mr. Monk's Last Case and the Monk show — Custom image by Yeider Chacon

Monk deserves to continue, but it's clear that revamping the show is a quagmire of potential problems. With that in mind, I feel that making more Monk movies is a smarter choice than rebooting the show. The best proof of how continuing Monk in the form of movies could work comes from its closely related contemporary, Psych. Since the ending of Psych in 2014, there have been three new movies that all found a way to maintain the show's essence while adding enough new aspects to the mix to keep everything fresh.

The Psych movies updated viewers on how Shawn, Gus, Juliet, and the rest of the crew were doing, and it offered more of the most beloved aspects of the original show. Monk could do exactly the same thing Psych has been doing since 2017. Just as the Psych movies followed big personal moments like Shawn and Juliet's wedding or Gus meeting his future wife, the Monk movie 2 could take place a few years after the first film and follow another big event in Adrian's life. Adrian could find new love after Trudy's death or even travel to New Jersey to reunite with Sharona and Randy.

Psych & Monk's Futures Update Means A Crossover 19 Years In The Making Can Finally Happen

A recent update about the hit procedural dramas, Monk and Psych, might mean that the long-awaited collaboration between the two series can happen.

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Plus, being a movie would mean Monk could keep its tried-and-true formula without running on for multiple seasons and becoming repetitive. Even if future Monk movies are predictable, having years between each installment will keep the formula from growing stale. Depending on how frequent prospective Monk movies are, the formula may even be received as a welcome bit of familiarity instead of more of the same. If Monk does come back for more, I hope it's in the form of movies like Mr. Monk's Last Case.