USA Network Announces Fifth & Sixth Season Pick-Up and Acquisition of Back-End Strip Rights of the Award-Winning Original Series MONK

USA Network Announces Fifth & Sixth Season Pick-Up and Acquisition of Back-End Strip Rights of the Award-Winning Original Series MONK

16 Episode Orders for Seasons Five & Six; Strip to Begin in 2008

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- USA Network announced today that MONK, the award-winning original series starring Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Tony Shalhoub, has been picked up for seasons five and six, with a 16 episode order per season. Additionally, USA has picked up the back-end strip rights to MONK from NBC Universal Television Distribution. Beginning in 2008, USA will strip all six seasons of the show, totaling 93 episodes. The announcement was made jointly by Jeff Wachtel, USA's executive vice president, original programming and Jane Blaney, USA's senior vice president, programming.

"MONK is the cornerstone of USA's original programming," said Wachtel. "It remains one of the highest-rated series in basic cable history. We are so proud to bring it to the next level."

"We are thrilled to keep such an acclaimed and beloved series in our stable of programming," added Blaney. "MONK is such a consistent performer, we are confident that it will have a long, successful life on USA for many years to come."

Tony Shalhoub ("Big Night," "Wings," "Men in Black") has earned two 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 costs 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 David Breckman ("Saturday Night Live") are producers. MONK is from NBC Universal Television Studio in association with Mandeville Films and Touchstone Television.

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

USA Network is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. USA Network is seen in over 89 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

Contacts:
Jean Guerin 212.664.8988 jean.guerin@nbcuni.com
Kristin Schulman 212.664.4140 kristin.schulman@nbcuni.com
Andrea Epstein 818.777.6679 andrea.epstein@nbcuni.com

Source: USA Network

CONTACT: Jean Guerin, +1-212-664-8988, jean.guerin@nbcuni.com, or
Kristin Schulman, +1-212-664-4140, kristin.schulman@nbcuni.com, or Andrea
Epstein, +1-818-777-6679, andrea.epstein@nbcuni.com, all of USA Network

Web site: http://www.nbcumv.com/

Web site: http://www.usanetwork.com/

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