22 Years Later, Iconic 89%-Rated Detective Show Takes Netflix Charts by Storm

Summary:

• Detective TV show Monk was airing in 2002–2009 on USA Network but only ended in 2023 with a standalone movie.
• The series has great reviews and an 89% average Critic Score across all eight seasons on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Yesterday, Monk stormed Netflix ’s Global Top 10 chart, being the only non-Netflix TV show on the list.

Netflix charts are often dominated by its latest arrivals. Even now, 9 out of 10 TV shows in the streaming platform’s Global Top 10 are Netflix Originals, mostly the recent ones — but the last one is not like the others. It’s the long-prophesied return of everyone’s favorite detective. 22 years later, Monk returns to take over Netflix!

What Is Monk and Why Are We Happy?

Monk is the iconic detective TV show that ran between 2002–2009 on USA Network. Starring Tony Shalhoub, this eight-season-long series was the perfect blend of mystery and comedy, following a brilliant ex-detective struggling with both difficult cases and his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Oh, and for once, it’s set in SF and not NYC, Chicago, or LA.

Monk’s popularity has always been non-negotiable: despite having ended 15 years ago, the TV show still has great scores across multiple platforms. On Rotten Tomatoes, its average Critic Score is 89% with the audience’s 88% following closely behind, which is mighty impressive considering Monk ran for eight seasons total!

But being just another well-received TV show from the 2000s doesn’t work for Monk as recently, the series made a sudden comeback and took Netflix’s Top 10 by storm.

Monk Pops Up and Dominates Netflix Charts

Years later, Adrian Monk is back on his wife’s case, and he has quite a few fans to accompany him on the journey: yesterday, the TV show rose to the 8th spot on Netflix’s Global Top 10 chart.

For context, Monk’s neighbors in the list are 3 Body Problem, The Gentlemen, Homicide: New York, Queen of Tears, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and other huge and brand-new Netflix shows.

The resurgence in Monk’s popularity is likely thanks to his recent standalone movie, Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie which premiered in December 2023. Just like the original TV show, the film raked up an amazing 95% Critic Score on Rotten Tomatoes and an even stronger 100% Top Critic Score, cementing Adrian Monk’s already impressive legacy even further.