One More Season for Monk

USA Network has picked up the eighth, and what will be the final season of "Monk," reports Variety. 

USA announced its pick-up of an eighth and final season of Monk, to debut in the summer of 2009. The OCDetective series, fronted by three-time Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub, will say goodbye with a 16-episode run. 

"We want to build to a spectacular conclusion for this wonderful show," USA Network's executive vice president of original programming, Jeff Wachtel, said in making the announcement. " By many measures, Monk is the most successful series in the history of basic cable.... Our fans have been extremely dedicated, and Season 8 should prove to be a very satisfying reward." 

The cable channel has ordered 16 episodes of the series, an early prodiginator of its "Characters Welcome" brand of original series, with a premiere scheduled for next summer. 

With the earlier renewals of "Psych," "Burn Notice" and "In Plain Site," USA has now re-upped all of its established originals. 

Starring Tony Shalhoub, a three-time Emmy winner for his role as a brilliant detective who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, "Monk's" seventh season earlier this year scored average ratings increases over season six in adults 18-49 (up 13%) and total viewers (up 20%). 

"Monk" is executive produced by David Hoberman, Andy Breckman, Randy Zisk, Tom Scharpling and Shalhoub.