‘Monk,’ ‘Psych’ move to NBC temporarily

Like a house that had its “for sale” sign up too long, the “Monk” script just sat there.

It had been shuffled between networks and between stars. Surely, there must be something wrong with it.

“When I first read it, I thought it was a good idea, but it would be hard to pull it off,” Tony Shalhoub recalls.

Fortunately, his manager nudged him to give it a try. “Monk” became a cable hit, winning seven Emmys – three for Shalhoub.

Now it reaches broadcast TV. On April 6, the USA Network’s “Monk” and “Psych” temporarily take over the 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. spots on NBC.

The move is a rarity; networks have avoided cable shows, even during the writers’ strike. That might be a little because of cable’s language and violence – and more because of its cynical tone. These two shows, however, are different.

“People can forget about everything else and just have fun with us,” says Dule Hill, who stars in “Psych” with James Roday. “We have three generations watching us.”

There’s another factor: Most cable shows are complex, weaving plot lines from week to week. Cable can do that, with endless chances to rerun previous episodes; broadcast can’t.

These two shows don’t try. Each is simply crime-of-the-week; the fun is in the twists.