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Dave on Demand | Hugs to 'Monk'

The defective detective's most ardent fan starred in an uproarious opener for what could be the show's last season.

Those were the days, 1957, when Richard Crenna (top) was about 30, starring with Walter Brennan (in overalls) in "The Real McCoys," now a vintage TV DVD. Crenna died in 2003.
Those were the days, 1957, when Richard Crenna (top) was about 30, starring with Walter Brennan (in overalls) in "The Real McCoys," now a vintage TV DVD. Crenna died in 2003.Read more

Monk

returned for its sixth season in high style last night with another visit from the phobic detective's most devoted fan/stalker, Marci Maven (Sarah Silverman). She maintains an incredibly detailed Web site devoted to Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), researched in large part by sifting through his garbage. She even creates dioramas of his cases in her home shrine to Monk.

It was a hilarious performance by Silverman, especially whenever he would discover something in his investigation and she would run at him for a "clue hug," driving the haphephobic Monk into severe anxiety.

Shalhoub has been dropping hints that this may be the final season for the show because it's running out of steam. Maybe so, but if it happens, an Adrian & Marci spin-off would be most welcome.

Other voices. Once again this season, Showtime's series Weeds will open each episode with a different artist singing its subversive suburban theme song, "Little Boxes" (written by Malvina Reynolds, it became a hit for Pete Seeger in 1964).

The lineup for the third season (which begins Aug. 13) starts off with Randy Newman (who also sings and wrote Monk's delightful theme, "It's a Jungle Out There") and includes the Shins, Linkin Park, Donovan, Billy Bob Thornton and Michael Franti.

I can't help thinking how many shows would have been improved with a similar approach. For instance, imagine how great the William Katt-Robert Culp series, The Greatest American Hero, would have been if instead of Joey Scarbury singing "Believe It or Not" each week, you had a roster of popular early '80s acts like Kim Carnes, Blondie, Foreigner, Devo, Phil Collins, Christopher Cross and Blue Oyster Cult.

Are you a good robot? A cartoon from that same era, Transformers, had a cool theme song, suitable for heavy-metal treatment.

I went to see the hit film adaptation this week and left the theater rather confused. Loved the human elements, but the robots all looked and talked the same (like an angry Kelsey Grammer). I couldn't tell the Opticons from the Decepticons, especially when they were engaged in battle.

When you're selling good vs. evil, it seems to me you should be able to know who you're rooting for.

Luke, Luke, the barn's on fire! My favorite vintage TV DVD this week is The Real McCoys: Complete Season #1 (Infinity, $39.98). Before The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres, there was this 1957 series with Walter Brennan and an impossibly young-looking Richard Crenna. It was the grandpappy of rusticoms.

The clan was far more backwoods than I remembered them. For instance, Brennan remonstrates with his granddaughter, "Look at you - 13 years old and ain't even got a steady fella yet!"

This is how old-school this show is: The first season contains 39 episodes.

Loose fit. A deal was announced this week to market a brand of American Idol jeans. Despite the popularity of the show, I'm not sure this will work. What teens will want pants with a spandex waist, a baggy butt, and fabric that is, I hate to tell you, really patchy, dawg?