The USA network is a solid cable channel. The go-to place for never-ending Law &
Order reruns, they've also been trying to produce quality original programming for years. Their most successful venture was Monk, a fun procedural starring Tony Shalhoub as a detective with crippling OCD who nonetheless is a keen detective and manages to battle his various phobias while fighting crime in San Francisco. Shalhoub won multiple Emmy's, Screen Actors Guild awards, and a Golden Globe for the role and put USA on the map. Since then, USA has consistently been one of cable's #1 channels, garnering viewers for multiple hits like Burn Notice, Royal Pains, and White Collar. But for my money, the best show they have right now is Psych.
Currently in its sixth season, Psych stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, the son of a cop who taught him how to be hyper observant and apply his deductive reasoning. Shawn is entirely too lazy to undergo the training and hard work it takes to become a police detective so he does the next best thing - he pretends he's a psychic. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances he finds himself suspected of a crime and to get out of it he pretends to be psychic and helps the police solve the case. By picking up on small clues littered about crime scenes, he puts on credible shows of seeing visions and spirits that tell him where the body is, who the murderer is, or anything else that needs to be investigated. The Santa Barbara Police Department is mostly skeptical, but the man gets results, and as a result he is hired on as a psychic consultant together with his buddy Gus (Dule Hill) who becomes his unwilling business partner in a psychic detective agency.
The premise is similar to the CBS show, The Mentalist (a fact that is briefly mocked in a Psych episode, since they had the idea first) but the execution is starkly different. While The Mentalist aims to be a serious crime drama, Psych is a goofy, hilarious, fun-loving show that places almost as much emphasis on random pop culture references and rapid banter than on the actual crime-solving. James Roday and Dule Hill have an easy camaraderie that makes them a pleasure to watch on screen, and the supporting cast of characters are a fun bunch who are alternately exasperated and impressed by the duo's antics.
This week's episode was remarkable. Shawn, Gus, Inspector Lassiter (who is not a fan of the duo), and Woody (the bizarre coroner who is friendly but creepy at the same time) all wake up in the Psych office with absolutely no recollection of what happened last night after they went to a cop's retirement party. The show is always referencing movies and TV and previously did an homage to Twin Peaks. This time, it's The Hangover's turn. Now I adore that movie and have watched it several times, so I particularly loved every allusion in the scene when everyone's waking up and discovering things that they have no explanation for. They find a video on Shawn's phone showing them making merry with a stranger in a Hawaiian shirt, and next thing you know, that stranger has turned up dead at the police station. Oh and he has 3 bullets in his chest, which is curious because Lassiter's gun looks like it has been fired and is missing 3 bullets. Desperate to piece together last night's events, the four men combine forces and try to figure out, "What the hell happened last night?!"
I won't spoil the rest: you can watch the revelations and hilarity unfold for yourself since the episode is available on Hulu (sorry non-US readers, I'm sure you can find alternate means of watching!) Needless to say, it's a fun spin on the old formula and keeps you guessing and giggling till the end. There's a brief Reservoir Dogs tribute too, which is always welcome (although Coupling will always be my pick for having the best Reservoir Dogs scene in a TV show - who knew getting suited up for a funeral could lend itself to such amusement?)
Psych is a perfect example of a simple procedural detective show done with a twist. It is witty, enjoyable, doesn't take itself too seriously, and delivers a solid episode every week. Every show ends with a short blooper reel, which always leaves me with the impression that these actors really enjoy their jobs. And that makes me enjoy the show even more.
Order reruns, they've also been trying to produce quality original programming for years. Their most successful venture was Monk, a fun procedural starring Tony Shalhoub as a detective with crippling OCD who nonetheless is a keen detective and manages to battle his various phobias while fighting crime in San Francisco. Shalhoub won multiple Emmy's, Screen Actors Guild awards, and a Golden Globe for the role and put USA on the map. Since then, USA has consistently been one of cable's #1 channels, garnering viewers for multiple hits like Burn Notice, Royal Pains, and White Collar. But for my money, the best show they have right now is Psych.
Currently in its sixth season, Psych stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, the son of a cop who taught him how to be hyper observant and apply his deductive reasoning. Shawn is entirely too lazy to undergo the training and hard work it takes to become a police detective so he does the next best thing - he pretends he's a psychic. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances he finds himself suspected of a crime and to get out of it he pretends to be psychic and helps the police solve the case. By picking up on small clues littered about crime scenes, he puts on credible shows of seeing visions and spirits that tell him where the body is, who the murderer is, or anything else that needs to be investigated. The Santa Barbara Police Department is mostly skeptical, but the man gets results, and as a result he is hired on as a psychic consultant together with his buddy Gus (Dule Hill) who becomes his unwilling business partner in a psychic detective agency.The premise is similar to the CBS show, The Mentalist (a fact that is briefly mocked in a Psych episode, since they had the idea first) but the execution is starkly different. While The Mentalist aims to be a serious crime drama, Psych is a goofy, hilarious, fun-loving show that places almost as much emphasis on random pop culture references and rapid banter than on the actual crime-solving. James Roday and Dule Hill have an easy camaraderie that makes them a pleasure to watch on screen, and the supporting cast of characters are a fun bunch who are alternately exasperated and impressed by the duo's antics.
This week's episode was remarkable. Shawn, Gus, Inspector Lassiter (who is not a fan of the duo), and Woody (the bizarre coroner who is friendly but creepy at the same time) all wake up in the Psych office with absolutely no recollection of what happened last night after they went to a cop's retirement party. The show is always referencing movies and TV and previously did an homage to Twin Peaks. This time, it's The Hangover's turn. Now I adore that movie and have watched it several times, so I particularly loved every allusion in the scene when everyone's waking up and discovering things that they have no explanation for. They find a video on Shawn's phone showing them making merry with a stranger in a Hawaiian shirt, and next thing you know, that stranger has turned up dead at the police station. Oh and he has 3 bullets in his chest, which is curious because Lassiter's gun looks like it has been fired and is missing 3 bullets. Desperate to piece together last night's events, the four men combine forces and try to figure out, "What the hell happened last night?!"
I won't spoil the rest: you can watch the revelations and hilarity unfold for yourself since the episode is available on Hulu (sorry non-US readers, I'm sure you can find alternate means of watching!) Needless to say, it's a fun spin on the old formula and keeps you guessing and giggling till the end. There's a brief Reservoir Dogs tribute too, which is always welcome (although Coupling will always be my pick for having the best Reservoir Dogs scene in a TV show - who knew getting suited up for a funeral could lend itself to such amusement?)
Psych is a perfect example of a simple procedural detective show done with a twist. It is witty, enjoyable, doesn't take itself too seriously, and delivers a solid episode every week. Every show ends with a short blooper reel, which always leaves me with the impression that these actors really enjoy their jobs. And that makes me enjoy the show even more.
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