Monk: Season One (Blu-ray Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Nov 14, 2024
Format: Blu-ray Disc

Director

Various

Release Date(s)

2002 (November 28, 2023)

Studio(s)

Mandeville Films/Touchstone Television/USA Cable Entertainment (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

Film/Program Grade: B+
Video Grade: A
Audio Grade: A-
Extras Grade: D+

Review

Tony Shaloub was a familiar television face after his breakout performance in Wings for NBC, and after the show ended, appeared in several films before once again returning to the small screen. It was the best thing that could have happened to him. Monk gave him an Emmy-winning role and much more exposure than anything before or since. The show lasted eight seasons from 2002 to 2009, building a massive fan base, and in 2023 saw a resurgence after the release of Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie on Peacock. Today, the show stands as one of the most popular TV series of all time and continues to garner new fans, thanks in no small part to a small but likable cast of characters, chief among them Adrian Monk, played perfectly by Tony Shaloub.

Adrian Monk is a former San Francisco Police Department homicide investigator, and after the murder of his wife Trudy, his obsessive-compulsive and phobic tendencies become much more extreme, leading to his dismissal from police work and undergoing psychiatric care. His personal assistant Sharona (Bitty Schram) aids him when he’s called in by the police to help solve unconventional crimes, much to the annoyance of Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), but with the help of Stottlemeyer’s second-in-command, Lieutenant Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford). As Monk continues to investigate a variety of cases, frustrated many and appreciated by others along the way, he attempts to get his life together by trying to solve his wife’s murder, while also learning to deal with her death, working through his disorder and his many phobias.

All thirteen episodes of the first season of Monk were shot by cinematographers Jerzy Zielinski, Jim Westenbrink, and Nikos Evdemon on Super 35mm film with Panavision cameras and lenses, finished on HDCAM SR videotape, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Kino Lorber Studio Classics brings the show to Blu-ray for the first time using new 4K masters created by NBC/Universal from the original camera negatives, framed at 1.78:1, and presented on dual-layered BD-50 discs. The overall look of the show is organic and much sharper than any disc-based presentations that have come before it. The size of the bitrate per disc depends on the number of episodes included, which generally run from 40 to 45 minutes a piece, aside from the pilot which is nearly 80 minutes. Disc one which features the pilot, the syndicated versions of the pilot, and two episodes range from 20 to 30Mbps; discs two and three containing three episodes each range from 35 to 40Mbps; and disc four containing three episodes and a few, brief standard definition extras range from 25 to 35Mbps. It’s also worth noting that some of the establishing shots, transitions, and computer-generated special effects are from obvious standard definition sources. However, the majority of these presentations look phenomenal with excellent detail and color, as well as solid levels of grain. The palette offers a nice variety of hues with deep blacks and good contrast. Everything is clean and stable throughout.

Audio is included in English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s not a mind-blowing sound experience, but it offers good separation with plenty of push for dialogue, sound effects, and score. It’s more than satisfactory.

The 4-Disc Blu-ray release of Monk: Season One sits in a blue Amaray case with a double-sided insert, featuring the episode titles and their synopses on the opposite side. Everything is housed in a slipcover featuring the same artwork. The following episodes and extras are included on each disc:

DISC ONE

Mr. Monk Meets the Candidate: Original Pilot (78:39)
Mr. Monk Meets the Candidate: Syndicated Version Part 1 (42:23)
Mr. Monk Meets the Candidate: Syndicated Version Part 2 (41:14)
Mr. Monk and the Psychic (44:03)
Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale (44:11)

DISC TWO

Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival (43:38)
Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum (43:27)
Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger (42:51)

DISC THREE

Mr. Monk and the Other Woman (44:37)
Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man (43:56)
Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation (44:20)

DISC FOUR

Mr. Monk and the Earthquake (44:42)
Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger (44:09)
Mr. Monk and the Airplane (44:13)

Mr. Monk and His Origins (SD – 4:18)
Mr. Monk and His O.C.D. (SD – 2:59)
Mr. Monk and His Fellow Sufferers (SD – 4:14)
Mr. Monk and His Emmy Award-Winning Performance (SD – 3:53)
Mr. Monk and His Partners in Crime (SD – 4:35)

The only extras included are standard definition featurettes from the original DVD release, offering brief interviews and behind-the-scenes clips, but nothing all that engrossing. This is a definitely a show that’s crying out for more attention in the bonus materials. Perhaps commentaries with various members of the cast and crew, but even if that isn’t a reality, Monk: Season One on Blu-ray is a home run. It’s a great start to a great show with long-lasting appeal. Highly recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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