Den Hedaya guest stars on special holiday episode

Will the defective detective survive meeting his long-lost father?

USA Network announced Tuesday (Oct. 10) that Emmy-nominated Dan Hedaya will guest star as the hitherto unseen father to "Monk's" titular sleuth.

The special holiday episode begins when Adrian Monk's (Tony Shalhoub) quiet Christmas plans go awry when his father Jack Monk -- who's been absent for 40 years -- drops back into his life. The son must leave Natalie's (Traylor Howard) holiday party and take to the road with his truck driver dad, who has a very tight schedule.

As if estranged family dynamics weren't hard enough, it turns out the elder Monk has somehow gotten mixed up in a dangerous mystery and must trust his son to help him solve the case.

The special episode will premiere on USA on Friday, Nov. 17.

"Monk" is one of the highest-rated original scripted series in basic cable history and has earned Shalhoub three Emmys for portraying the brilliant detective who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, a problem that he must circumvent in his daily life and to solve crimes. Howard, Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford also star.

Hedaya is a prolific film and TV actor best known for playing Nick Tortelli on "Cheers" and its spinoff "The Tortellis." He's also appeared on "Hill Street Blues," "Yes, Dear" and "ER." He received an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance on "NYPD Blue."

His big-screen credits include "Blood Simple," "The Usual Suspects," "To Die For," "Alien: Resurrection," "Dick," "Mulholland Dr." and "Robots."