There was one thing missing from Monk's 8-season run that would have made the show even better

Monk was one of the best TV shows of its time, but it was strangely missing something that would have made it even better. One of the many TV detectives based on Sherlock Holmes, Tony Shalhoub's Adrian Monk has delighted audiences for eight seasons as a private consultant who struggles with OCD and guilt over never catching his wife's killer. Despite its dark premise, Monk it was a touching show with hilarious moments and fun characters.

The best episodes of Monk were the ones where the case and everything Adrian was going through that week were connected, thus providing character development and a fun whodunit at the same time. Like many TV procedurals of that era, many of which also aired on the USA Network, Monk followed a strict case-of-the-week formula. This allowed the show to have many guest stars and unique characters. However, despite all the celebrity cameos and up-and-coming actors appearing in small roles, Monk I've never had a crossover episode.

Monk Crossover Episodes Would Have Been Hilarious If They Were Done Right

It's a shame, there was never a monk crossing episode

Adrian Monk lived in his own world and operated under a strict set of rules that only a handful of characters, especially recurring ones, Monk actors, were aware. That's why seeing Adrian working with another detective or similar character in a Monk crossover episode would have been fascinating. Although television crossovers have been around for decades, the early 2000s saw the beginning or consolidation of many shared universes on TV, including but not limited to Law and Order and CSI.

Naturally, the logistics of a crossover episode can be complicated. There weren't many similar detective shows airing on the USA Network at the same time as Monkwhich helps explain why there was never a crossover between Adrian and another crime-solving genius. Something like Adrian Monk working with one of the CSI teams certainly would have been a lot of fun, but since they were on different networks it was never a real possibility. Even a team-up of Adrian Monk and Gregory House seems like something that would have been hilarious.

Monk & Psych was an obvious crossover that never happened

Adrian Monk only met Shawn Spencer in TV commercials

There was at least one USA Network show airing at that time that deserved a crossover with Monk, Psychopath. From the “genius detective with some kind of gimmick” formula to the overall feel-good tone of the shows, Psychological and Monk they were similar in many ways. While there were a few references and Easter Eggs here and there, a fitting crossover between Psychological and Monk never happened. Considering that Psychological continued with three films and Monk recently returned with a new film, perhaps not all hope is lost for one team.

Adrian Monk and Shawn Spencer met, but only on network TV promotions. Whether these interactions should be considered “canon” is up to the viewers, but it's fun to imagine that these shows took place in the same universe. Still, in retrospect, it is quite disappointing that there was never a real Monk and Psychological crossover episode given how similar they were.