▁play ▁the ▁part . ▁ ▁As ▁distrib utors ▁of ▁the ▁show , ▁ABC ▁and ▁Touch stone , ▁could ▁not ▁find ▁a ▁lead ▁actor , ▁it ▁entered ▁in ▁development ▁hell . ▁This ▁situation ▁remained ▁until ▁Jack ie ▁Ly ons , ▁a ▁former ▁ABC ' s ▁executive ▁who ▁joined ▁USA , ▁recommended ▁Mon k ▁to ▁her ▁b oss , ▁W acht el . ▁Trying ▁to ▁change ▁USA ' s ▁reputation ▁of ▁" a ▁mus cles - and - may hem " ▁network , ▁W acht el ▁and ▁then ▁USA ▁president ▁Doug ▁Herzog , ▁decided ▁to ▁charge ▁on ▁Mon k , ▁" a ▁c ere br al ▁series ". ▁Watch el ▁wanted ▁to ▁cast ▁Tony ▁Sh al hou b , ▁" some one ▁who ▁could ▁bring ▁the ▁humor ▁and ▁passion ▁of ▁Mon k ▁to ▁life ", ▁as ▁Mon k . ▁Sh al hou b ▁initially ▁was ▁not ▁interested , ▁but ▁after ▁his ▁manager ' s ▁ins istence ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁the ▁pilot ▁director ▁was ▁Dean ▁Paris ot , ▁he ▁accepted . ▁Paris ot ▁declared , ▁" The ▁pilot ▁was ▁a ▁strong ▁collaboration ▁between ▁myself , ▁David ▁H ober man , ▁Andy ▁Bre ck man ▁and ▁Tony ▁Sh al hou b ." ▁ ▁Sh ar ona ' s ▁character ▁was ▁originally ▁written ▁as ▁an ▁African - American , ▁but ▁B itt y ▁Sch ram , ▁who ▁" had ▁this ▁great ▁mat ernal ▁thing ▁crossed ▁with ▁an ▁East ▁Coast - type ", ▁according ▁to ▁Sh al hou b , ▁was ▁cast ▁instead . ▁Ted ▁Lev ine ▁was ▁cast