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USA Insider Monk

Could a Monk TV Revival Happen? Here's What the Star and Creator Had to Say

The new police captain wants Adrian Monk back working cases. But will he come back to TV?

By Stephanie Gomulka

Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) might have to keep his visitor badge for the local police station after all.

The private homicide detective, still reeling from his wife’s (now solved) murder, is now working a personal very case in the Peacock original movie Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, which reunites him with his intrepid friends who helped make the original series such a success.

The movie follows Monk trying to figure out if his stepdaughter Molly’s fiancé was murdered, and if he was, who did it? USA Insider spoke with the Emmy-winning Shalhoub and series creator Andy Breckman to ask if a brief mention of unsolved cases in the movie might hint at another stint with Monk on our TV screens in the future.

Will Adrian Monk Return to Solve the Cold Cases in the Police Station's “Freezer?”

Traylor Howard as Natalie Teeger, Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, Ted Levine as Leland Stottlemeyer, and Jason Gray-Stanford as Randy Disher

While connecting with the local police department, the new captain welcomes Monk and his familiar crew back with open arms. Monk is gifted a permanent visitor pass because, despite his prolific work with the SFPD, he hasn't been able to return to work since the pandemic. The captain notes the department wants Monk back consulting with them on cold cases since there are, as she puts it, “22 open homicides. 22 victims who need your help." 

“The Freezer,” Shalhoub said while recalling the moment from the movie to USA Insider.

RELATED: Tony Shalhoub on Monk's Dramatic Return and the One Change He Asked For

“The new captain called it 'the freezer,'” Breckman added. “We left the door open at the end of this movie, as you saw, and what will come through the door you know… time will tell, but we very intentionally left that door open.”

The longtime collaborators joked about the possible significance of the mention of 22 cases.

“22 episodes it’s funny, is that a season?” Breckman jokingly asked.

"A network season," Shalhoub responded.

“Well, you couldn’t solve all of them,” Breckman said causing Shalhoub to warmly chuckle in response. “Some of them are pretty tough. You’ll never solve all 22. Not even Monk.”

Shalhoub previously spoke to USA Insider about if he was open to returning to the role again after the Peacock film.  

“I never say never,” the actor said at the time. “If another… great idea came along, who knows?”

For those who reached the conclusion of Mr. Monk's Last Case, you know that it ended with Monk deciding to stick around and get back to doing what he does best, using his brilliant (albeit unique) mind to help give victims and their families the closure they deserve. Could fans be in for more of that journey with their favorite detective and his band of friends? Only time will tell.

Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie is streaming now on Peacock. Stream all eight seasons of the show now.

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