 " Mr. Monk and the Man Who Shot Santa Claus " was co @-@ written by Dan Schofield and Ben Gruber , and directed by Randall Zisk . After the airing of the ninth episode of the sixth season , " Mr. Monk Is Up All Night " , on September 14 , 2007 , Monk broadcast entered a hiatus until January . The cast and staff , however , returned in August to work on the second half of the show 's sixth season , which they called " Season 6 @.@ 5 " . Hayley Helmreich , a series associate producer , remarked that it was difficult to have the " Christmas @-@ y feeling " in August in Los Angeles . Helmreich also found difficulties to get a company that would agree to have their toys being thrown by " a not @-@ so @-@ nice Santa Claus " . 
