Go mark those calendars now, my fellow Monk fans. The always fun Tony Shalhoub series will return for the first half of its eighth and final season — *sniffle* — on Friday, August 7, at 9pm ET.

And where there’s Monk, you know Pysch is never far behind, of course. So, also note on your calendar that the equally entertaining sleuth show starring James Roday and Dulé Hill kicks off its fourth run an hour later on the same date.

Yeah, I know, I know — the season premieres arrive late enough in the season to almost be in the fall. But I’ll take the series whenever USA Network decides to air them. Thus, no complaints from me!

Source: The Futon Critic

Tony Shalhoub‘s quaint Monk, still immensely entertaining after seven seasons, reaches an important milestone tonight at 9pm EST: its 100th episode.

Since the big event also coincides with the detective’s 100th case, the title of the hallmark is simply and appropriately “Mr. Monk’s 100th Case.” [Oddly, however, the official website calls it “Mr. Monk's 100th Episode.” Hmmm…]

But that’s where the simplicity ends because USA has an onslaught of high-profile, memorable guest stars — some of whom have appeared on the series in the past — lined up to help celebrate this momentous occasion.

They include newcomers Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) as a reporter and Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives) as Monk’s former babysitter, in addition to repeat guests John Turturro as Monk’s agoraphobic brother Ambrose, Jarrad Paul as Monk’s neighbor Kevin Dorfman, Tim Bagley as Monk’s nemesis Harold Krenshaw, Howie Mandel as former cult leader Ralph Roberts, Sarah Silverman as Monk’s biggest fan Marci Maven, and Shalhoub’s real-life wife Brooke Adams as flight attendant Leigh Harrison.

Then there’s the infamous crooks from crimes solved by the brilliant detective over the seasons: Sharon Lawrence as Stottlemeyer’s ex-girlfriend Linda Fusco, Andy Richter as Hal Tucker, David Koechner as Joey Krenshaw, Ricardo Chavira as Jimmy Belmont, and Angela Kinsey as Arlene Boras.

The only criminal missing is Dale “The Whale” Biederbeck, so maybe all three actors who have played Monk’s archrival — Adam Arkin, Tim Curry, and Ray Porter — were otherwise engaged.

In any case, you know a show rocks when it can lure that many talented thespians to all appear in a single episode of a series that’s not their own, which makes tonight’s Monk the most important must-see hour of television this week. Sorry, 90210.

Starting at 9pm EST on USA Network tonight, everybody’s favorite detectives on Monk and Psych will return to solve more cases during their respective new seasons. I’ve watched the premieres for both shows and assure all viewers, whether longtime fans or newcomers, that the summer continues to look spectacular when it comes to USA’s winning roster of crime dramedies.

Monk begins the night of programming with the seventh-season premiere “Mr. Monk Buys a House,” an episode that essentially serves as a fond and fitting farewell to Stanley Kamel‘s character Dr. Charles Kroger. The actor who played the psychiatrist from the beginning of the series passed away in April of this year, leaving a huge void that some feared could not be filled.

Although there will never be another Kamel or Dr. Kroger, Adrian Monk’s (Tony Shalhoub) new therapist Dr. Neven Bell, played by veteran actor Hector Elizondo, gets off to a promising start with our resident OCD sufferer. The rapport between the two characters is spot-on from their first scene together, which is a relief and a reflection of the two actors’ talent.

Another familiar face on the episode is ‘Til Death‘s Brad Garrett, who stops by to guest star as a handyman with a really big knack for spotting flaws in construction. Monk hires Honest Jake — yes, that’s his name — to fix one of the inevitable problems in the detective’s recently purchased home, and let’s just say, the residence gets a very new look very fast.

There’s less home improvement — okay, no home improvement — involved in Psych‘s third-season premiere “The Ghost in You,” but that doesn’t mean nothing needs repairing. If you’ve already heard that Moonlighting icon Cybill Shepherd has been tapped to portray Shawn Spencer’s (James Roday) previously unseen but always present mother Madeline Spencer this season, then you can guess what I mean.

The Spencers are one of those families people would pay to have dinner with if they were real, just to get a front-row seat to the guaranteed melodrama. The episode doesn’t disappoint on that front.

It also scores when it comes to the main plot, which revolves around Shawn’s best buddy Burton “Gus” Guster (Dulé Hill). Of course, viewers have always known that Gus has a legitimate occupation, something Shawn can’t claim. The premiere gives us a closeup view of Gus on the job, but, unfortunately, he’s having a very bad time.

Thanks to Shawn and Gus’ sleuthing success, word gets around to Gus’ boss that he pursues a time-intensive side hobby solving crimes. An ultimatum is delivered, and suddenly a very reluctant Gus finds himself trying to unravel the case of The Ghost in His Boss’ House.

Yeah, it’s good times, as is the entire episode, pretty much, and it makes me happy to have Shawn and Gus and Monk and all my other Friday-night USA faves back.

True Monk and/or Psych fanatics can enter the MONK & PSYCH Friday-Night Prize Pack giveaway hosted at my other TV blog Comedy Centric before August 4. The prizes are cool and generous.

Super Special Guest Stars Help Start Things Off Right

The one-two comedic punch of oddball detectives Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) and Shawn Spencer (James Roday) resumes tonight in its customary Friday-night home on basic-cable’s USA network. Monk, as usual, gets first dibs on the viewing audience at 9pm EST, beginning its sixth season with special guest star Sarah Silverman in the episode “Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan.” That fan is, of course, the ultra popular and funny comic Silverman of her very own Comedy Central hit The Sarah Silverman Program, who plays Marci Maven, a stalker-ish admirer of our OCD-afflicted master sleuth. When her pooch bites the dust, Maven smells murder in the air and hunts down a typically reluctant—and some might say equally strange—Monk to get to the bottom of her doggie’s death.

USA Presents a Very Special Double Monk Episode

The second half of Monk‘s current fifth season doesn’t get into full swing until January 19 of next year, but kind USA has not forgotten about Adrian-starved fans this holiday season. Tonight, the basic-cable station will gift and then regift viewers two versions of the same “Mr. Monk and the Leper” episode. Are you a fan of those classic old black & white movies and television shows that helped inaugurate the modern entertainment age? Then catch tonight’s episode at 9pm EST to see Monk and his gang in a special black & white installment. Haven’t looked at a movie or TV show that was created before the introduction of glorious Technicolor? Then the 10pm EST version is what you want. Avid fans can also view both episodes and then head over to the USA Monk Web site in order to vote for whichever version was their favorite. And if you go, while you’re there, don’t forget to also let USA know which five episodes you love and most want to see during the 14-episode, January 14 Monk Viewer’s Choice Marathon. USA is doing *real* good by its Monk groupies, which is nice to see.