▁and ▁multiple ▁ph ob ias , ▁and ▁his ▁assistant ▁Sh ar ona ▁F lem ing ▁( B itt y ▁Sch ram ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁police ▁officers ▁L eland ▁St ott le me yer ▁( T ed ▁Lev ine ) ▁and ▁R andy ▁D isher ▁( J ason ▁Gray - St an ford ). ▁In ▁this ▁episode , ▁Mon k ▁investig ates ▁an ▁assass ination ▁attempt ▁on ▁a ▁mayor al ▁candidate . ▁ ▁First ▁en vision ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Mon k ▁went ▁through ▁development ▁hell ▁due ▁to ▁difficulties ▁to ▁find ▁an ▁actor ▁for ▁the ▁main ▁role . ▁After ▁successfully ▁casting ▁Sh al hou b , ▁the ▁series ' ▁first ▁episode ▁was ▁shot ▁in ▁V ancouver , ▁British ▁Columbia ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁" Mr . ▁Mon k ▁and ▁the ▁C andid ate " ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Andy ▁Bre ck man ▁and ▁directed ▁by ▁Dean ▁Paris ot . ▁When ▁the ▁episode ▁first ▁a ired ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁on ▁the ▁USA ▁Network ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁it ▁was ▁watched ▁by ▁ 4 . 8 ▁million ▁view ers . ▁The ▁episode ▁was ▁generally ▁well ▁received ▁by ▁critics , ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁pra ise ▁regarding ▁Sh al hou b ' s ▁performance ▁as ▁the ▁title ▁character . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁past , ▁Ad rian ▁Mon k ▁( T ony ▁Sh al hou b ) ▁was ▁a ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Police ▁Department ▁investig ator , ▁but ▁the ▁death