Starting next week, ABC’s new quirky detective Raines will be going up against USA’s quirky detective Monk.
I was even more impressed with the second episode of Raines than I was with the first (very good script, very good acting [one very minor exception]), no stock characters, but I truly enjoy Monk.
Since Monk will still be a rerun next week, I will probably be watching more of Raines, but I will be switching back and forth.
How about you?
Monk lost me when it became more about Tony Shaloub twitching than about solving murders. Raines has me as long as the focus remains on the crimefighting.
What’s up with all the twitchy detectives? They’re breeding like maggots all of a sudden.
Mrs. Plant will want to see Monk.
I miss Sharona. 
The pack mentality of hollywood is an amazing thing.
[nerd]maggots don’t breed[/nerd].
As a biologist, you’d think I’d be more precise about things like this. Of course, I kinda figured my point was obvious without having to be technically correct in every particular. Perhaps I should say “They’re multiplying like flies in rotten meat.”
Ooooh, or even better, for a vintage biology flavor:
“They’re multiplying like Lamarckian maggots.”
Monk’s season is over, so they’re in reruns. Plus, every 2 months, USA will have another Monk marathon, so there’s always plenty of time to catch up, if that helps.
And even if you don’t own a VCR, USA repeats Monk several times, first on Saturday and then again during the next week. So there’s no reason not to watch both.
Monk is in reruns until July, by which time Raines will be in reruns, so you’re probably good at least until sometime in 2008 (and who knows what will have happened to the schedule by then).
[sub]Psst…Raines is on NBC, not ABC.[/sub]
That explains why Jeff Goldblum looked so much like Regis Philbin.