I think the reason that people don’t talk more about "Monk," despite its popularity, is that watching it is an intensely personal, even interactive, experience. Adrian Monk is a kind of private investigator of our own flaws and sadnesses, and no doubt many viewers identify with the myriad intrapsychic obstacles that make it hard for him to get through the day. They don’t need to talk to their friends about "Monk," because simply watching the show serves the same function—as sharp as its dialogue is, "Monk" is often touching beyond words.
At least I can watch every other episode of Monk on hulu.com
Monk is great TV - speaking of which, thanks to youtube I can watch the famous hash brownies episode of Barney Miller.