For the notes, comedy is a type of drama. So is tragedy.

Monk is clearly a comedy, all one has to do is look at the ensemble cast if they're confused.
Randy's only job is comedic in nature.
The assistant humanizes and is the abused character of our tragic hero, which is also funny, because it's his humor and goodness that keeps the assistant in his employ.
The series has an arc that is full of heart and tragedy, but it plays a backseat to the comedy.
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There should be a Dramedy category

Uh Yes it is! Monk is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen! That's why i like it. I don't see how it isn't a comedy.

I strongly agree wtih you. There are amusing scenes, but it's definitely not a comedy.

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"Monk" IS a comedy. But so is "House MD". The difference between them, that Monk is much more dramatic.

I have to disagree. In Monk, the murders are always portrayed in good taste and many of the times in a lighthearted way, that is what is GREAT about the show, it doesn't bring you down. They talk about murder and even show it, however it is never really bloody or disturbing, nothing I would look away from. Monk I do not see as 'disturbed' at allif anything he plays a character that is in fact more 'human' than the rest of usinstead of drinking, doing drugs, like some might do after losing their loved one, he has this coping defense, expressing b68his trama through this presentation of anxiety, the OCD. You see, I thin that you do not fully understand the character that Shalhoub is playing. It is a GREAT comedy, an escape from reality and something that I look forward to watching whenever I can catch a re-run.
If you can't explain it simply then you don't know it well enough.

It really is (or was) a combination of drama and comedy. It's both without being too much of one or the other.

Dark comedy works. But, it's made me laugh out loud (as intended) way way too many times for it not to be listed as a comedy.
As a matter of fact, nearly every other line on the show is intended to make you laugh, aside from a few obligatory saucy sensational moments, and of course the murder. Other than those, the jokes made on that show are far too good to not list it as comedy.

how about dark comedy?

it's too sad to be a true comedy.

it's too sad to be a true comedy.

It's part comedy part drama (i.e. it's like real life, not too much drama, not too much farce), but the best episodes tend to be the ones that have the most dramatic or sentimental moments, rather than the ones that try to go for the most jokes. I hope the last season has a bit more drama, with Monk getting closer to finding out who killed his wife, and maybe a budding romance between Monk and Natalie (I'm usually against romances between characters, I'm totally against House getting with Cuddy, but I make an exception for Monk and Natalie - Monk needs to kiss a woman again, they can't finish the series without him at least getting over that phobia, even if he's still afraid of milk).
I laugh very little at Monk compared to something like Seinfeld, which is still funny after seeing an episode 20 times, but I smile quite a bit while watching Monk. It's not a true comedy, but it fits under that category better than anything else.

Monk producers lost the grip.its geting boring to watch monk now ! too many bad jokes and forced situations.they are loosing it.

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I couldn't have said it better myself. Having dramatic themes or aspects to the episodes does not change the fact that it is written as a comedy. Comedy without dramatic or tragic elements is called slapstick. This show doesn't claim to be slapstick. It claims to be comedy.and it is.
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Well it makes a lot of people laugh. If it looks like a comedy,smels like a comedy, tastes like a comedy, moves like a comedy, sounds like a comedy, and feels like a comedy, it must be a comedy!

its at least half a comedy think about it they had an episode where the suspect was a chimp the only other detective show ive seen that did something like that was jonathon creek (comedy) where the suspect was a gorilla
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well, i think the makers clearly set out to do a comedic type of show, even if it is a comedy about "darker" stuff. comedy doesnt always have to be hollow, obvious jokes comedy also lies in tragedy.

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IMO it is a laughing riot.
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what do you mean it is not a comedy. The show is very funny! I could see how you might get the opeining scene as a dramatic part in the show but the show is defintly a comedy. The show is based around Monk's phobias and all of his funny lines, plus his castmates. That is what a comedy is. A drama would be a show such as House M.D. The show is centered around the patients and there problems rather than the little bits of comedy here and there. That is what makes it a drama because it is centered around the dramatic scenes.

It's more of a drama with heavy comic relief.
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