'Monk' to end after eight seasons

Crime drama Monk has been renewed for an eighth and final season, according to reports.

The acclaimed series, which stars Tony Shalhoub as a detective with OCD, will bow out after a run of 16 new episodes next summer.

Jeff Wachtel, evp of original programming at broadcaster USA Network, said: "Our fans have been extremely dedicated, and Season 8 should prove to be a very satisfying reward."

The decision to end the show, which has pulled in consistently high ratings for the cable network, has been attributed to creative reasons and rising production costs.