''Psych'' is an American
detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series created by
Steve Franks
Steve Franks is an American screenwriter, director and musician based in Orange County, California. He is best known as the creator of the USA Network original series ''Psych''.
Education
Franks graduated from the University of California, Irv ...
for
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
. The series stars
James Roday
James Roday Rodriguez (born James David Rodriguez, April 4, 1976) is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for starring on the USA Network series ''Psych'' as hyper-observant consultant detective and fake psychic Shawn S ...
as
Shawn Spencer
Shawn Spencer is a fictional character and main protagonist on the American television comedy-drama ''Psych'' played by American actor James Roday Rodriguez. Taking advantage of his eidetic memory and keen observational skills, he poses as a ps ...
, a young crime consultant for the
Santa Barbara Police Department
The Santa Barbara Police Department is a local law enforcement agency in the city of Santa Barbara, California. It was founded in January 1900 by the mayor at the time, Charles A. Storke. The department's jurisdiction is a little over and has a ...
whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive
eidetic memory
Eidetic memory ( ; more commonly called photographic memory or total recall) is the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision—at least for a brief period of time—after seeing it only onceThe terms ''eidetic memory'' and ''pho ...
allow him to convince people that he solves cases with
psychic
A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, ...
abilities. The program also stars
Dulé Hill
Karim Dulé Hill (; born May 3, 1975) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as personal presidential aide and Deputy Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff Charlie Young on the NBC drama television series ''The West Wing'', for whi ...
as Shawn's intelligent best friend and reluctant partner
Burton "Gus" Guster, as well as
Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor and film director. He appeared as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series '' L.A. Law'', as Shawn's father,
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
*Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
, a former detective with the Santa Barbara Police Department.
''Psych'' premiered on July 7, 2006, following the
fifth-season premiere of ''
Monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
'', and continued to be paired with the series until ''Monk''
's conclusion on December 4, 2009. During the
second season, an animated segment titled "The Big Adventures of Little Shawn and Gus" was added to the series. ''Psych'' was the highest-rated US
basic cable
Cable television first became available in the United States in 1948. By 1989, 53 million U.S. households received cable television subscriptions, with 60 percent of all U.S. households doing so in 1992. with Data by SNL Kagan shows that about 58 ...
television premiere of 2006.
USA Network renewed the series for an eighth season on December 19, 2012, to include eight episodes, and ordered two more episodes on June 25, 2013, bringing the episode order to ten.
On February 5, 2014, USA Network confirmed that the eighth season of ''Psych'' would be its last, with the series finale airing on March 26, 2014.
The show has developed a cult following, especially in the years since going off air, with fans of the show being called "PsychOs". ''
Psych: The Movie'', a two-hour TV film, aired on USA Network on December 7, 2017. Franks' hope is to make five more ''Psych'' movies, following ''Psych: The Movie''.
On February 14, 2019, it was announced ''Psych: The Movie 2'' was greenlit and all the main cast would return for the TV film, which was set to premiere in late 2019, but the premiere thereof was subsequently delayed to 2020, with the film renamed ''
Psych 2: Lassie Come Home''. The film was released on
NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States.
NBCUniversal is primari ...
's streaming service,
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
, July 15, 2020, the day the service officially launched.
On May 13, 2021, Peacock announced a third film, ''
Psych 3: This Is Gus'', which premiered on November 18, 2021.
Overview
Most episodes begin with a
cold open
A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In Ameri ...
in the form of a flashback to Shawn and Gus's childhoods. The flashbacks usually involve Shawn and Gus being taught a lesson by a young Henry Spencer (Shawn's father) (
Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor and film director. He appeared as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series '' L.A. Law'', ), who wishes that his son would follow in his footsteps and become a law enforcement officer. These lessons often play a role for the climax of the episode. As a child, Shawn was taught by Henry to hone his powers of observation and deduction, often using games and challenges to test him. Each flashback also sets the theme for the episode.
Shawn originally becomes known as a psychic when, after calling in tips on dozens of crimes covered on the news which help the police to close the case, the police become suspicious of his knowledge. The police theorize that such knowledge could only come from the "inside" and they decide to arrest him as a suspect. To avoid being sent to jail, Shawn uses his observational skills to convince the police that he is psychic. The interim police chief warns Shawn that if his "powers" are fake, he will be prosecuted. With no choice but to keep up the act, and having proven himself an effective aid to the police in solving crimes, he establishes a
psychic detective
A psychic detective is a person who investigates crimes by using purported paranormal psychic abilities. Examples have included postcognition (the paranormal perception of the past), Psychometry (paranormal), psychometry (information psychicall ...
agency, Psych, and becomes an outside consultant to the police. Pretending to have psychic powers allows him to engage in strange and comic behavior as he turns real clues into hunches and otherworldly visitations. He enjoys teasing lifelong friend Burton Guster (Gus), a pharmaceutical sales representative, about Gus's eclectic interests as they drive around in a blue
Toyota Echo
The is a supermini/subcompact car sold by Toyota since 1999, replacing the Toyota Starlet, Starlet and Toyota Tercel, Tercel.
Up to 2019, Toyota had used the Yaris nameplate on export versions of various Japanese-market models, with some marke ...
nicknamed "The Blueberry" solving crimes.
Head detective Carlton Lassiter (
Timothy Omundson
Timothy Michael Omundson (born July 29, 1969) is an American actor. He is notable for his supporting roles as Sean Potter on the CBS television series ''Judging Amy'', Eli on the syndicated series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', Carlton Lassiter i ...
), playfully nicknamed "Lassie" by Shawn and Gus, quietly respects Shawn's crime-solving skills, but doubts his psychic abilities and is constantly exasperated and/or infuriated by his antics. However, junior detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara (
Maggie Lawson
Margaret Cassidy Lawson (born August 12, 1980) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara in the TV show ''Psych''.
From 2018 to 2019, she held the recurring role of Nathalie Flynn on Fox's ''Lethal ...
) and Chief Vick (
Kirsten Nelson
Kirsten Nelson (born October 3, 1970) is an American actress and director best known for her role as police chief Karen Vick on the TV series '' Psych''.
Early life and education
Kirsten Nelson was born in Enid, Oklahoma and raised in Chica ...
) are far less antagonistic – with O'Hara expressing belief in Shawn's abilities, while Vick is mum on the subject – and usually willing to give Shawn the leeway he needs to solve cases. Henry and Shawn have a difficult relationship, but despite this, Henry reluctantly helps Shawn on various occasions.
Characters
Main
*
Shawn Spencer
Shawn Spencer is a fictional character and main protagonist on the American television comedy-drama ''Psych'' played by American actor James Roday Rodriguez. Taking advantage of his eidetic memory and keen observational skills, he poses as a ps ...
(
James Roday
James Roday Rodriguez (born James David Rodriguez, April 4, 1976) is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for starring on the USA Network series ''Psych'' as hyper-observant consultant detective and fake psychic Shawn S ...
) is a freelance consultant with the
Santa Barbara Police Department
The Santa Barbara Police Department is a local law enforcement agency in the city of Santa Barbara, California. It was founded in January 1900 by the mayor at the time, Charles A. Storke. The department's jurisdiction is a little over and has a ...
who pretends to be a psychic.
*
Burton "Gus" Guster (
Dulé Hill
Karim Dulé Hill (; born May 3, 1975) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as personal presidential aide and Deputy Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff Charlie Young on the NBC drama television series ''The West Wing'', for whi ...
) is Shawn's best friend and business partner.
*
Carlton "Lassie" Lassiter (
Timothy Omundson
Timothy Michael Omundson (born July 29, 1969) is an American actor. He is notable for his supporting roles as Sean Potter on the CBS television series ''Judging Amy'', Eli on the syndicated series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', Carlton Lassiter i ...
) is the head detective for the Santa Barbara Police Department.
*
Juliet "Jules" O'Hara (
Maggie Lawson
Margaret Cassidy Lawson (born August 12, 1980) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara in the TV show ''Psych''.
From 2018 to 2019, she held the recurring role of Nathalie Flynn on Fox's ''Lethal ...
) is a junior detective for the Santa Barbara Police Department partnered with Lassiter.
*
Henry Spencer
Henry Spencer (born 1955) is a Canadian computer programmer and space enthusiast. He wrote "regex", a widely used software library for regular expressions, and co-wrote C News, a Usenet server program. He also wrote ''The Ten Commandments for C ...
(
Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor and film director. He appeared as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series '' L.A. Law'', ) is Shawn's uptight and precise father and a former police sergeant.
*
Karen Vick
Karen C. Vick (née Dunlap) is a character on the American comedy detective drama ''Psych'' played by Kirsten Nelson.
Fictional biography
According to Head Detective Carlton Lassiter's weblog, Vick replaced Police Chief John Fenich upon his retire ...
(
Kirsten Nelson
Kirsten Nelson (born October 3, 1970) is an American actress and director best known for her role as police chief Karen Vick on the TV series '' Psych''.
Early life and education
Kirsten Nelson was born in Enid, Oklahoma and raised in Chica ...
) is the SBPD Interim Chief and is later named Chief in "
Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead
The second season of '' Psych'' originally aired in the United States on USA Network from July 13, 2007 to February 15, 2008. It consisted of 16 episodes. James Roday, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, and Corbin Bernsen reprised thei ...
" (main seasons 2–8, recurring season 1).
*Lucinda Barry (
Anne Dudek
Anne Louise Dudek (born March 22, 1975) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Tiffany Wilson in the 2004 film ''White Chicks'', Danielle Brookson in the USA Network television series ''Covert Affairs'', Dr. Amber Volakis on the Fox ...
) is Lassiter's original partner and love interest in the
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
, she is transferred after her relationship with Lassiter is discovered (season 1).
Recurring
*
Young Shawn (seasons 1–5:
Liam James
Liam James (born August 7, 1996) is a Canadian actor, known for his role as Noah Curtis in the 2009 film ''2012 (film), 2012'', List of Psych characters#Young Shawn, young Shawn Spencer on the USA Network television series ''Psych'', and the lead ...
; seasons 5–6:
Skyler Gisondo
Skyler Augustus Gisondo (born July 22, 1996) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the films ''Licorice Pizza'', ''Booksmart'', and ''Vacation'', as well as the television programs ''The Righteous Gemstones'' and ''Santa Clarita Die ...
) is the younger version of Shawn Spencer.
*
Young Gus (Carlos McCullers II) is the younger version of Burton "Gus" Guster.
*
Buzz McNab
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series '' Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various rec ...
(
Sage Brocklebank
Sage Brocklebank (born January 14, 1978) is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Buzz McNab, a long-standing role on the comedy-drama '' Psych''. He also produces movies and writes for theatre and film.
Career
Actor
Since 2001 Brocklebank ...
) is a naive but lovable cop who often provides Shawn and Gus with clues.
*
Madeleine Spencer
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series ''Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the ser ...
(
Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. ...
) is a police psychologist who is Shawn's mother and Henry's ex-wife.
*
Abigail Lytar
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series ''Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various recurr ...
(
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook (born October 4, 1979) is an American actress and model. She has starred in the films ''The Baby-Sitters Club'' (1995), ''She's All That'' (1999), and ''Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), and in the television series '' Into th ...
) is Shawn's high-school crush.
*
Winnie Guster
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series ''Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various recurr ...
(
Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashad ( ) (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress, singer and director who is dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom ''The Cosby S ...
) is Gus' mother.
*
Bill Guster
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series ''Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various recurr ...
(season 2:
Ernie Hudson
Earnest Lee Hudson (born December 17, 1945) is an American actor. His roles include Winston Zeddemore in the ''Ghostbusters'' film series, Sergeant Darryl Albrecht in ''The Crow'' (1994), and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's '' Oz'' (1997–2003). Hu ...
; season 3:
Keith David
Keith David Williams (born June 4, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his signature deep voice and commanding screen presence in over 300 roles across film, stage, television, and interactive media.
He has starred in such films as '' T ...
) is Gus' father.
*
Mr. Yang
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series '' Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various rec ...
(
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth Sheedy (born June 13, 1962) is an American actress. Following her film debut in 1983's '' Bad Boys'', she became known as one of the Brat Pack group of actors and starred in ''WarGames'' (1983), ''The Breakfast Club'' (1985) ...
) was a serial killer.
*
Mary Lightly
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series ''Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various recurr ...
(
Jimmi Simpson
Jimmi Simpson (born November 21, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his work on television, which includes recurring roles as Liam McPoyle on ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–2013), Lyle the Intern on ''The Late Show ...
) was a department psychologist who was an expert on Mr. Yang.
*
Woody the Coroner
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series '' Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various rec ...
(
Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller (born September 16, 1953) is an American character actor. He has appeared in a number of television, film, and stage projects. He is best known for his roles in the films ''No Holds Barred'' and ''Ghostbusters II'' (both 1989), ''Way ...
) is a police coroner with whom Shawn shares a mutual respect.
*
Pierre Despereaux
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series ''Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various recurr ...
(
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes (; born 26 October 1962) is an English actor and writer. He is known for his leading film roles as Westley in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), Robin Hood in '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' (1993), and Dr. Lawrence Gordon in ...
) is an extremely elusive Canadian art thief.
*
Declan Rand
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series ''Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various recurr ...
(
Nestor Carbonell
Nestor may refer to:
* Nestor (mythology), King of Pylos in Greek mythology
Arts and entertainment
* "Nestor" (''Ulysses'' episode) an episode in James Joyce's novel ''Ulysses''
* Nestor Studios, first-ever motion picture studio in Hollywood, ...
) is a rich criminal profiler.
*
Marlowe Viccellio
This is a list of characters in the USA Network original comedy-drama TV series '' Psych'' and subsequent movies that were released on Peacock. The principal cast of the series has remained the same throughout the series. However, various rec ...
(
Kristy Swanson
Kristen Noel Swanson (born December 19, 1969) is an American actress. She is best recognized for having played Buffy Summers in the 1992 film '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and appeared in the 1996 film ''The Phantom''.
Her first starring role w ...
) is a woman Lassiter meets and later marries.
*Curt Smith (
himself
A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that refers to another noun or pronoun (its antecedent) within the same sentence.
In the English language specifically, a reflexive pronoun will end in ''-self'' or ''-selves'', and refer to a previously n ...
) is the singer of the band
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...
.
* Frank O'Hara (
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
) is Juliet's estranged father.
*Rachael (
Parminder Nagra
Parminder Kaur Nagra (born 5 October 1975) is a British actress of Indian Punjabi descent and Sikh heritage. She is known for portraying Jess Bhamra in the film ''Bend It Like Beckham'' (2002) and Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the NBC medical drama s ...
) is Gus' girlfriend.
*Lloyd French (
Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom ''The Ropers'' (1979–1980), as Hank Kings ...
) is Juliet's stepfather.
*
Harris Trout (
Anthony Michael Hall
Michael Anthony Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor best known for his leading role as Johnny Smith in '' The Dead Zone'' from 2002 to 2007. He also rose to fame starring in films with ...
) is a special consultant hired by the mayor to increase efficiency at the SBPD.
*Betsy Brannigan (
Mira Sorvino
Mira Katherine Sorvino (; born September 28, 1967) is an American actress. She won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's ''Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995).
She also starred in the films ...
) takes over as the new head detective when Lassiter is promoted to chief.
*Father Wesley (
Ray Wise
Raymond Herbert Wise (born August 20, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Leland Palmer in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), Vice President Hal Gardner i ...
) is a Catholic priest and friend of Shawn and Gus.
Episodes
Production
The show uses
White Rock, British Columbia, Canada for its Santa Barbara, California setting. ''Psych'' also incorporates
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
and various locations around the
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a geographic and cultural region of the mainland coast of British Columbia that generally comprises the regional districts of Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley. Home to approximately 3.05million people as of the 2021 Canadia ...
of British Columbia as a backdrop. Santa Barbara is on a mountainous coastline without bays and just has the few
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
miles offshore. Many of the overlooking helicopter shots and set-up shots (in which the exterior of the Santa Barbara Courthouse is shown) are actually filmed in Santa Barbara. The animated segments "The Big Adventures of Little Shawn and Gus" were created by J.J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc. The music, effects, and sound design for "The Big Adventures of Little Shawn and Gus" were created by Fred Weinberg.
Casting
Anne Dudek's character was written out of the series after the character generated a negative test audience reaction with Lassiter due to their relationship. The character of Juliet served as a replacement.
Theme song
The theme song for ''Psych'' is "I Know You Know" by The Friendly Indians, series creator
Steve Franks
Steve Franks is an American screenwriter, director and musician based in Orange County, California. He is best known as the creator of the USA Network original series ''Psych''.
Education
Franks graduated from the University of California, Irv ...
's band. Some episodes in seasons three through eight use an extended version of "I Know You Know" consisting of the first verse and the chorus, but most episodes use a shortened version consisting of mostly the chorus. In some episodes, the theme song is changed, usually as a tie-in to the theme of the episode to come.
Variations
* The theme was given a Christmas theme for the episode "Gus's Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy". It was used again in "Christmas Joy" (3.09) and "
The Polarizing Express
The fifth season of ''Psych'', consisting of 16 episodes, premiered on USA Network in the United States on July 14, 2010 and concluded on December 22, 2010. A DVD of the season was released on May 31, 2011. Production officially started in Vanco ...
".
* The song was sung in Spanish for "
Lights, Camera... Homicidio" and "No Country for Two Old Men".
* It was expanded into a
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
-themed version sung in
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
in "Bollywood Homicide" while each of the theme credits was shown first in Hindi, then in English.
*
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...
performed an ''
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
'' version of the theme for "High Top Fade Out". It was used again for the episode "
Let's Doo-Wop It Again
The sixth season of ''Psych'', consisting of 16 episodes, premiered on the USA Network in the United States on October 12, 2011 and continued to air until April 11, 2012. James Roday, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernsen an ...
".
* In "Romeo and Juliet and Juliet", the main titles are translated in Chinese. However, the actual theme song is not edited.
* Curt Smith of Tears for Fears guest-starred in "Shawn 2.0" and recorded his own version of the theme. Smith also recorded a song ("This is Christmas") for the episode "The Polarizing Express".
*
Julee Cruise
Julee Ann Cruise (December 1, 1956 – June 9, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and actress, known for her collaborations with composer Angelo Badalamenti and film director David Lynch in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She released fo ...
, who recorded the theme for ''
Twin Peaks
''Twin Peaks'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company, ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cance ...
'', recorded a slower, extended version of the theme for the ''Twin Peaks''-inspired episode "
Dual Spires
"Dual Spires" is the 12th episode of the fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series ''Psych'', and the 75th episode overall. The episode was directed by Matt Shakman and written by Bill Callahan and series star James Roday Rod ...
".
* A superhero-themed version was recorded for "
The Amazing Psych-Man & Tap Man, Issue #2". The main titles were also redone in a comic-book style.
* For the episode "
Heeeeere's Lassie
The sixth season of '' Psych'', consisting of 16 episodes, premiered on the USA Network in the United States on October 12, 2011 and continued to air until April 11, 2012. James Roday, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernsen a ...
", the song and main titles were given a theme similar to ''
The Shining''.
The Christmas-themed and Hindi versions of the song also include variations on the main titles. The Hindi and Chinese-themed episodes phonetically translated words into Devanagari and Chinese characters, respectively, in their title sequences. The title sequence in the episode "Dual Spires" is an almost shot-for-shot recreation of the title sequence of ''Twin Peaks''. The episode "
100 Clues
The seventh season of ''Psych'', containing 14 episodes, premiered on the USA Network in the United States on February 27, 2013. The primary run ended on May 29, 2013, but a television special, ''Psych: The Musical'' aired later in the year. James ...
" featured an entirely new main title sequence based on the board game
Clue
Clue may refer to:
People with the name
* DJ Clue (born 1975), mixtape DJ
* Arthur Clues (1924–1998), Australian rugby league footballer
* Ivan Clues
* Tim Cluess
Arts, entertainment, and media ''Clue'' entertainment franchise
* ''Cluedo'' ...
. The actor names and title were shown on game cards similar to those of the cards of suspects in Clue.
Pineapple
In the "
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
", Roday improvised by picking up a
pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
and saying, "Should I slice this up for the road?" Since then, pineapples have appeared in every episode as a running gag, whether just one in the background or the actual mention of it. It is Shawn's go-to housewarming gift. The pineapple is a major marketing point for items related to the show on the USA website. Fan movements, such as fan-made websites, have also been dedicated to finding a pineapple or pineapple-related object in each episode.
"Psych: The Musical"
Before season 8 was aired, the show did a special, 88-minute
musical episode. This episode does not fit chronologically in the narrative; there are situations in the episode that would imply that it takes place sometime before the middle of season 7.
Series finale aftershow
Following the series finale on March 26, 2014, USA Network aired a live
aftershow
An aftershow or after-show is a genre of television talk show whose topic is another television program. An aftershow is typically broadcast immediately after a new episode of its corresponding program to help retain the audience, and to provide ad ...
entitled "Psych After Pshow." The hour-long special was hosted by
Kevin Pereira
Kevin Elder Pereira (born December 28, 1982) is an American television personality and host.
Early life
While he was 14, Pereira hosted ''Pointless Audio'' under the pseudonym Captain Immy.Stephen A. Johnson (April 15, 2006)AOTS hosts Kevin Pere ...
and featured series stars and creator/executive producer Steve Franks.
Release
Syndication
In July 2011,
Ion Television
Ion Television is an American broadcast television network owned by the Katz Broadcasting subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network first began broadcasting on August 31, 1998, as Pax TV, focusing primarily on family-oriented enter ...
announced that ''Psych'' would become part of its 2012 broadcast in syndication. During 2012, reruns of the show mostly ran on Saturdays as a marathon. In 2013, Ion Television announced the acquisition option pick-up of season seven of ''Psych''. The deal with NBC Universal Cable & New Media Distribution adds all 16 new episodes of season seven to Ion's existing library of seasons one–six of ''Psych'' and includes rights to future seasons. As of January 2017, ''Psych'' started airing on
Hallmark Movies and Mysteries and is also airing on Ion Television.
Home media
Reception
Ratings
''Psych'' scored a 4.51 rating and an average of 6.1 million total viewers at its premiere, which made it the highest-rated scripted series premiere on basic cable in 2006 in all key demographics (households, P18-49, P25-54, and total viewers), according to a
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
press release, quoted from the Futon Critic.
;Notes
Nominations and awards
''Psych'' was the winner of the
Independent Investigations Group
The Center for Inquiry (CFI) is a US nonprofit organization that works to mitigate belief in pseudoscience and the paranormal, as well as to fight the influence of religion in government.
History
The Center for Inquiry was established in 199 ...
Annual Award for "Excellence in Entertainment" for advancing the cause of science and exposing superstition. Accepting for ''Psych'' was staff writer Daniel Hsia.
James Roday Rodriguez
James Roday Rodriguez (born James David Rodriguez, April 4, 1976) is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for starring on the USA Network series '' Psych'' as hyper-observant consultant detective and fake psychic Shawn ...
was nominated for the 2006
Satellite Award for Best Actor – TV Series Musical or Comedy. Rodriguez was also nominated for the 2009
Ewwy Award
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cultu ...
for Best Actor in a Comedy. ''Psych'' was nominated for its first
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
in 2010 in the category
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for the episode "Mr. Yin Presents...". Adam Cohen and John Robert Wood were the composers for this episode. ''Psych'' was nominated for its second Emmy Award in 2012 in the category "
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media" for their interactive game "HashTag Killer". In 2012 and 2013, ''Psych'' was nominated for the
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
for "Best Cable TV Comedy". In 2014, ''Psych'' won the
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
for "Best Cable TV Comedy" in its last nomination.
Other media
Novels
William Rabkin
William Rabkin is an American television producer, television writer and author.
Early life
He did his undergraduate work at the University of Washington in Seattle, then attended UCLA, where he did his MFA in screenwriting and was a part of th ...
has written and published five novels based on the series. The novels are written in
third-person narrative
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...
style. Additionally,
Chad Gervich
Chad Gervich is a published author, television writer and producer, and playwright.
Gervich has produced and written for shows such ''After Lately'', ''Dog With a Blog'', ''Cupcake Wars
''Cupcake Wars'' is an American reality competition seri ...
(''
Small Screen, Big Picture
''Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer's Guide to the TV Business'' is a nonfiction book about the entertainment business written by Chad Gervich. It covers the process of entering the TV writing profession and earning a living as a TV writer. It ...
'') has published a crime-fighting guide based on methods presented in the show.
Film series
''Psych: The Movie''
On May 8, 2017, USA Network announced ''
Psych: The Movie'', a two-hour TV film to air December 7, 2017. All the original main cast would return for the TV film, which was directed by series creator
Steve Franks
Steve Franks is an American screenwriter, director and musician based in Orange County, California. He is best known as the creator of the USA Network original series ''Psych''.
Education
Franks graduated from the University of California, Irv ...
and screenplayed by Franks and series star,
James Roday Rodriguez
James Roday Rodriguez (born James David Rodriguez, April 4, 1976) is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He is best known for starring on the USA Network series '' Psych'' as hyper-observant consultant detective and fake psychic Shawn ...
.
Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi Pugh ( ; born September 29, 1980) is an American actor. He received critical acclaim for starring as Chuck Bartowski in the series ''Chuck'', and as the title character in '' Shazam!'' and its 2023 sequel, as a part of the DC Ext ...
was later announced for the film as the main villain, "Thin White Duke", while Jazmyn Simon – Dulé Hill's real-life fiancée – played Selene, a romantic interest for Gus. On July 5, 2017,
Charlotte Flair
Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (born April 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Charlotte Flair. She is currently inactive.
She is a second-generati ...
announced that she would be in ''Psych: The Movie'' as Heather Rockrear.
On June 28, 2017, former guest star
Ralph Macchio
Ralph George Macchio Jr. ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in three ''Karate Kid'' films and in ''Cobra Kai'', a sequel television series. He also played Johnny Cade in '' The Outsiders' ...
joined the cast reprising his role as Nick Conforth, the police academy officer who trained Shawn and Gus in season 5. Principal photography took place from May 25 to June 18 in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, British Columbia. It was later announced that Timothy Omundson would have a reduced role due to a stroke, but would still appear. In addition,
Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller (born September 16, 1953) is an American character actor. He has appeared in a number of television, film, and stage projects. He is best known for his roles in the films ''No Holds Barred'' and ''Ghostbusters II'' (both 1989), ''Way ...
,
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
and
Jimmi Simpson
Jimmi Simpson (born November 21, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his work on television, which includes recurring roles as Liam McPoyle on ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–2013), Lyle the Intern on ''The Late Show ...
were confirmed to be reprising their respective roles of Woody Strode, Ewan O'Hara and Mary Lightly.
''Psych 2: Lassie Come Home''
On February 14, 2019, it was announced ''Psych: The Movie 2'' was greenlit and all the main cast would return for the TV film, set to premiere in 2019.
On April 18, 2019, it was announced
Joel McHale
Joel Edward McHale (born November 20, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, and television host. He is best known for hosting ''The Soup'' (2004–2015) and his role as Jeff Winger on the NBC sitcom ''Community'' (2009–2015). He has performed i ...
would be joining the TV film, as well as
Jimmi Simpson
Jimmi Simpson (born November 21, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his work on television, which includes recurring roles as Liam McPoyle on ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–2013), Lyle the Intern on ''The Late Show ...
, reprising his recurring role as Mary Lightly. On September 17, 2019, it was announced that the sequel had been renamed ''Psych 2: Lassie Come Home'' and would instead be airing on NBCUniversal's new streaming service,
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
. Consequently, the film will only debut after the streaming service is launched.
In a November 2019 interview with
Larry King
Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program ...
, Timothy Omundson revealed that the film would revolve around the characters rallying together in support of Lassie's recovery following a stroke, mirroring Omundson's real-life stroke which led to his reduced presence in ''Psych: The Movie''.
''Psych 3: This Is Gus''
On May 13, 2021, Peacock announced a third film, ''Psych 3: This Is Gus'', with production set to begin in the summer.
On October 9, 2021 at
New York Comic Con
The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006.
History
The New York Comic Con is a f ...
, it was announced the film will premiere on November 18, 2021.
Along with the returning main cast,
Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller (born September 16, 1953) is an American character actor. He has appeared in a number of television, film, and stage projects. He is best known for his roles in the films ''No Holds Barred'' and ''Ghostbusters II'' (both 1989), ''Way ...
would reprise his role as Woody Strode and
Curt Smith
Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Smith plays bass guitar, has co-written several ...
returns as himself.
References
External links
*
*
''Psych''on
TV Squad
Weblogs, Inc. was a blog network that published content on a variety of subjects, including tech news, video games, automobiles and pop culture. At one point, the network had as many as 90 blogs, although the vast majority of its traffic could be ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Psych
2006 American television series debuts
2014 American television series endings
2000s American comedy-drama television series
2010s American comedy-drama television series
2000s American crime drama television series
2010s American crime drama television series
2000s American police comedy television series
2010s American police comedy television series
2000s American police procedural television series
2010s American police procedural television series
American crime comedy television series
English-language television shows
Television series by Universal Television
Television shows set in Santa Barbara, California
Television shows filmed in Vancouver
USA Network original programming
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