obsessive compulsive

Last night, everybody's favorite obsessive compulsive decorator and house flipper, Jeff Lewis, was back on Bravo, and the ratings for Flipping Out were through the roof. The Season Three premiere was the highest ever for the reality show, up 53 percent from last season's opener.

More important than the numbers, though, was the show itself. If you want to see how the recession has hit the real estate business, check out this show. Instead of flipping million dollar homes in Southern California, Jeff is now reduced to taking renovation jobs and working for other people. He's not used to having to work for others, but it's great to see it happen.

Monk and Natalie find themselves financially strapped due to a lack of cases. They ask that Monk be put on retainer, but while trying to negotiate Monk's deal they catch wind of a stolen diamond and a one million dollar reward for it's return. Seeing this as the answer to their problems, Natalie convinces Monk to try and solve the case.