Monk will be back for a seventh season. It isn't an even number, a fact that would irritate the OCD detective to no end, but it is a lucky one. USA Network has ordered 16 new episodes of the idiosyncratic mystery series which has turned character actor Tony Shalhoub into an Emmy-winning star. USA has plans to run eight of the new episodes in July and August; then the other eight in January and February.

Before then, you can catch up with Monk, and USA's other whimsical detective series, Psych, when they air on NBC in March. Although it has not be announced as yet, USA will likely pick up Psych, too, and they will continue running in tandem.




Despite a certain sameness to the Monk formula -- primarily because it is a formula -- the audience for the show has remained strong. According the network, Monk was up both 22% in the adults 18-49 demo and 15% in adults 25-54 in its most recent run vs. the same period a year ago.