UNIVERSAL SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

Monk, Psych and Wild at Heart offer popular viewing.

The Universal Channel on DSTV (previously Hallmark) offers three very entertaining series this month.

Monk can be seen on Mondays at 21h00. Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is an obsessive-compulsive detective who often provides unique insight into cases that have San Francisco's finest stumped. He suffers from 312 phobias including a fear of germs, heights, crowds and virtually everything else, which provides an unusual challenge to solving crimes… not to mention his day-to-day existence. Monk’s disorder was triggered by the murder of his beloved wife, Trudy which forced him to take a leave of absence. Whenever the police department find themselves unable to crack high-profile cases, they have no choice but to turn to the only man for the job, phobias and all. Traylor Howard plays his devoted personal assistant while Ted Levine is his former partner and boss who is often annoyed and baffled by his friend's behaviour but recognizes Monk's brilliance. Well-known actor Hector Elizondo plays Monk's therapist.

Psych is aired on Mondays at 21:50, after Monk. This smash hit, quick-witted drama stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young police consultant who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute the precinct detectives think he’s psychic - at least that’s what he lets them believe. Psych also stars Dule Hill as Shawn’s best friend and reluctant sidekick and Corbin Bernsen as Shawn’s disapproving father, who ironically was the one who honed his son’s “observation” skills as a child.

Wild At Heart offers a premiere double bill on Sundays at 20h45. Following difficult times in the last series for the Trevanion family transplanted to the wilds of the South African bush at Leopard’s Den, love is continuing to blossom for Danny Trevanion (Stephen Tompkinson) and fellow vet Alice Collins (Dawn Steele). However, severe doubts linger as to whether Danny really possesses the willingness to commit to Alice. To complicate matters, Alice must face some life-changing decisions about her future as another job may take her elsewhere. Shot in South Africa, the series also stars Deon Stewardson, Dawn Steele and Hayley Mills and features Nomsa Xaba and Abigail Kubeka.