struct ed , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁gun shot ' s ▁echo ▁would ▁have ▁mask ed ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁shot . ▁As ▁such , ▁it ▁was ▁impossible ▁that ▁Lloyd ▁could ▁have ▁known ▁where ▁the ▁sh ots ▁were ▁coming ▁from ▁unless ▁he ▁already ▁knew ▁where ▁the ▁gun man ▁would ▁be . ▁ ▁Production ▁Mon k ▁was ▁originally ▁en vision ed ▁as ▁an ▁Ins pect or ▁Cl ouse au ▁type ▁of ▁show ▁by ▁an ▁American ▁Broadcast ing ▁Company ▁( ABC ) ▁executive . ▁Learning ▁about ▁it , ▁co - cre ator ▁David ▁H ober man ▁came ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁detect ive ▁with ▁obs ess ive – comp uls ive ▁dis order ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁This ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁his ▁own ▁bout ▁with ▁self - di agn osed ▁obs ess ive – comp uls ive ▁dis order . ▁Initial ly , ▁Michael ▁Rich ards ▁was ▁considered , ▁but ▁ABC ▁and ▁Touch stone ▁( now ▁ABC ▁Studios ) ▁wor ried ▁that ▁the ▁audience ▁would ▁type cast ▁him ▁for ▁more ▁com edic ▁roles ▁after ▁his ▁previous ▁work ▁as ▁Cos mo ▁K ram er ▁on ▁the ▁sit com ▁series ▁Se inf eld . ▁H ober man ▁revealed ▁that ▁the ▁casting ▁sessions ▁were ▁" de press ing ". ▁USA ▁Network ' s ▁executive ▁vice ▁president ▁Jeff ▁W acht el ▁stated ▁that ▁looking ▁for ▁the ▁right ▁actor ▁to ▁port ray ▁Mon k ▁was ▁" cast ing ▁hell ". ▁After ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁search , ▁the ▁produ cers ▁still ▁had ▁not ▁found ▁an ▁actor ▁to