In his obsession for order, he notices every stray bit of disorder

Monk, television detective

Adrian Monk, played by Tony Shaloub, is a police officer who was put out on medical leave due to an obsessive-compulsive disorder. The police captain who was his boss still calls him in as a consultant on tough cases, however.

It's a theme common to detective literature, the bumbling cop rescued by the sharp sleuth. As far as I know, it began with Sherlock Holmes -- in an era, remember, when the paid police forces nearly everywhere were little more than night watchmen, with no training, and forensic science didn't even have a name. The theme though hardy, is not so apt today, when even police are highly trained and have access to forensic specialists.

Monk's character

Most fictional detectives have some character aspect that makes the main detective memorable. Sherlock Holmes played the violin and used cocaine when bored; Nero Wolfe was grossly overweight and grew orchids in his penthouse.

Holmes's attributes do paint a picture of a man as mysterious as the stories. Wolfe's orchids lend nothing that I can see to his character or to the story. They are just oddities with no particular function.

The thing about Adrian Monk that I appreciate is that it is exactly his neurosis (obsessive compulsive disorder) that contributes to his sleuthing ability. Those of us who are happy amidst disorder tend not to notice hints that the blind can see or the jogger didn't run.

While OCD is a serious disorder, the writers of the show treat it with a light touch, providing plenty of laughs for the neurotic crowd, who will experience the flash of recognition in Monk's odd behaviours.