USA NETWORK ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR GUEST SLATE FOR HIT SERIES "MONK" SEASON FIVE RETURN IN JANUARY

USA NETWORK ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR GUEST SLATE FOR HIT SERIES "MONK" SEASON FIVE RETURN IN JANUARY

Guest stars include Steven Weber, Ricardo Chavira, Andy Richter, Sean Astin and more

New York, NY � November 30, 2006 � MONK, USA's critically-acclaimed original series starring Emmy�, Golden Globe� and SAG award winner Tony Shalhoub, returns in its fifth season with all-new episodes and a roster of top-tier guest stars on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 9pm/8 Central. The show remains one of the highest-rated original scripted series in basic cable history.

Guest stars for mid-fifth season return include Steven Weber ("Wings," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"), Ricardo Chavira ("Desperate Housewives", "Six Feet Under"), Sean Astin ("Lord of the Rings," "24"), Charles Durning ("Rescue Me," "Everybody Loves Raymond"), Dan Butler ("Frasier," "American Dreams"), Holland Taylor ("Two and a Half Men," "The Practice"), Michael Cavanaugh ("24"), David Eigenberg ("Sex and the City," "Third Watch"), Andy Richter ("Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Andy Richter Controls the Universe"), Heather Tom ("One Life to Live," "The Young and the Restless"), James Gammon ("Nash Bridges," "Cold Mountain"), Chris Williams ("Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," "Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Brooke Adams ("Lace," "Moonlighting") & Emmy Clarke ("My House in Umbria," "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus") as Julie Teeger.

As season five continues, Monk suspects a radio shock jock (Weber) killed his wife but the DJ has an alibi � he was on the air at the time of the murder; the mysterious "Six Way Killer" strikes in San Francisco, and Monk's detective skills are pitted against the flashy forensic technology of a federal agent (Williams) as they both pursue the murderer; a fun-loving everyman named Hal (Richter) befriends Monk and for the first time in his life, Monk appears to have a buddy... but is Hal up to something? (also guest starring Eigenberg); When wealthy neighbor's of Natalie's parents (Taylor and Cavanaugh) mysteriously die, Natalie suspects foul play, so Monk goes undercover as a butler for the deceased's son (Astin) in order to investigate; Monk goes to the emergency room for a bloody nose, but when a doctor in the hospital turns up dead, Monk joins the investigation and soon finds his own life is in danger (guest starring Durning and Butler); and when Lt. Disher inherits a farm from an uncle who committed suicide, he comes to suspect that it was murder, so Monk joins him on the farm to investigate (guest starring Chavira, Adams and Gammon).

Tony Shalhoub ("Big Night," "Wings," "Men in Black," "Cars") has earned three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and two SAG Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of Adrian Monk, a brilliant detective who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Monk's psychological disorder cost him his position as a legendary homicide detective on the San Francisco Police Force. Due to the tragic unsolved murder of his wife, Monk has developed an abnormal fear of germs, heights, crowds and virtually everything else, which provides an unusual challenge to solving crimes � not to mention his day-to-day existence.

Traylor Howard ("Two Guys and a Girl," "Me, Myself and Irene"), Ted Levine ("Heat," "Moby Dick") and Jason Gray-Stanford ("Taken," "A Beautiful Mind") also star.

MONK is executive produced by David Hoberman ("Raising Helen," "Bringing Down the House," "The Negotiator"), Andy Breckman ("Saturday Night Live," "The Late Show with David Letterman," "Rat Race"), Tony Shalhoub and Randy Zisk ("House," "Without a Trace"). Fern Field ("Kane & Abel," "Heartsounds") and Tom Scharpling ("The Best Show on WFMU") serve as co-executive producers. Anthony Santa Croce ("Carnivale") and John Collier ("King of the Hill") are producers. MONK is from NBC Universal Television Studio in association with Mandeville Films and Touchstone Television.

For photos of the season five of MONK, as well as all USA Network projects, please log on to the NBC Universal Media Village at http://www.nbcumv.com/.

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