Psych
Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network.[1] The series stars James Roday Rodriguez as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills"[2] and impressive eidetic memory allow him to convince people that he solves cases with psychic abilities. The program also stars Dulé Hill as Shawn's intelligent best friend and reluctant partner Burton "Gus" Guster, as well as Corbin Bernsen as Shawn's father, Henry, a former detective with the Santa Barbara Police Department.[3]
| Psych | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Steve Franks |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "I Know You Know" by The Friendly Indians |
| Ending theme | "I Know You Know" by The Friendly Indians |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 120 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production locations | White Rock, British Columbia, Canada |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 42 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Release | |
| Original network | USA Network |
| Original release | July 7, 2006 – March 26, 2014 |
| Related | |
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Psych premiered on July 7, 2006, following the fifth-season premiere of Monk, 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 television premiere of 2006.[4] 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.[5][6] 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.[7]
Psych: The Movie, a two-hour television film, aired on USA Network on December 7, 2017, launching the Psych film series,[8] with Franks' hope being to make five more Psych movies following Psych: The Movie.[9] On February 14, 2019, it was announced Psych: The Movie 2 was greenlit and set to premiere in late 2019, for which the main cast would return, but the premiere thereof was subsequently delayed to 2020, with the film renamed Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, and released on NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock, July 15, 2020, the day the service officially launched.[10][11][12] On May 13, 2021, Peacock announced a third film, Psych 3: This Is Gus, which premiered on November 18, 2021.[13][14] Three further Psych films are in development.[9]
Overview Edit
Most episodes begin with a cold open in the form of a flashback to Shawn and Gus' childhoods. The flashbacks usually involve Shawn and Gus being taught a lesson by a young Henry Spencer (Shawn's father) (Corbin Bernsen), 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, theorizing that such knowledge could only come from the "inside" and unwilling to believe that it is merely Shawn having honed his observational skills. To avoid being sent to jail, Shawn uses those skills to convince the police that he is psychic; though 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 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' eclectic interests as they drive around in a blue Toyota Echo nicknamed "The Blueberry"[15] solving crimes.
Head detective Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), playfully nicknamed "Lassie" by Shawn and Gus, quietly comes to respect Shawn's crime-solving skills despite doubting his psychic abilities; Lassiter is constantly exasperated by Shawn keeping investigations ongoing and/or infuriated by Shawn's antics. However, junior detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) and Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson) 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 Edit
Main Edit
- Shawn Spencer (James Roday) is a freelance consultant with the Santa Barbara Police Department who pretends to be a psychic.
- Burton "Gus" Guster (Dulé Hill) is Shawn's best friend and business partner.
- Carlton "Lassie" Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) is the head detective for the Santa Barbara Police Department.
- Juliet "Jules" O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) is a junior detective for the Santa Barbara Police Department partnered with Lassiter.
- Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen) is Shawn's uptight and precise father and a former police sergeant.
- Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson) is the SBPD Interim Chief and is later named Chief in "Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead" (main seasons 2–8, recurring season 1).
Recurring Edit
- Young Shawn (seasons 1–5: Liam James; seasons 5–6: Skyler Gisondo) is the younger version of Shawn Spencer.
- Young Gus (Carlos McCullers II) is the younger version of Burton "Gus" Guster.
- Buzz McNab (Sage Brocklebank) is a naive but lovable cop who often provides Shawn and Gus with clues.
- Madeleine Spencer (Cybill Shepherd) is a police psychologist who is Shawn's mother and Henry's ex-wife.
- Abigail Lytar (Rachael Leigh Cook) is Shawn's high-school crush.
- Winnie Guster (Phylicia Rashad) is Gus' mother.
- Bill Guster (season 2: Ernie Hudson; season 3: Keith David) is Gus' father.
- Mr. Yang (Ally Sheedy) is a serial killer.
- Mary Lightly (Jimmi Simpson) is a department psychologist who is an expert on Mr. Yang.
- Woody the Coroner (Kurt Fuller) is a police coroner with whom Shawn shares a mutual respect.
- Pierre Despereaux (Cary Elwes) is an extremely elusive Canadian art thief.
- Declan Rand (Nestor Carbonell) is a rich criminal profiler.
- Marlowe Viccellio (Kristy Swanson) is a woman Lassiter meets and later marries.
- Curt Smith (himself) is the singer of the band Tears for Fears.
- Frank O'Hara (William Shatner) is Juliet's estranged father.
- Rachael (Parminder Nagra) is Gus' girlfriend.
- Lloyd French (Jeffrey Tambor) is Juliet's stepfather.
- Harris Trout (Anthony Michael Hall) is a special consultant hired by the mayor to increase efficiency at the SBPD.
- Betsy Brannigan (Mira Sorvino) takes over as the new head detective when Lassiter is promoted to chief.
- Father Wesley (Ray Wise) is a Catholic priest and friend of Shawn and Gus.
- Lucinda Barry (Anne Dudek)[b] is Lassiter's original partner and love interest in the pilot, she is transferred after Shawn tips off her relationship with Lassiter to the Santa Barbara Police Department (season 1).
Episodes Edit
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | |||
| 1 | 15 | July 7, 2006 | March 2, 2007 | USA | |
| 2 | 16 | July 13, 2007 | February 15, 2008 | ||
| 3 | 16 | July 18, 2008 | February 20, 2009 | ||
| 4 | 16 | August 7, 2009 | March 10, 2010 | ||
| 5 | 16 | July 14, 2010 | December 22, 2010 | ||
| 6 | 16 | October 12, 2011 | April 11, 2012 | ||
| 7 | 14 | February 27, 2013 | May 29, 2013 | ||
| Psych: The Musical | December 15, 2013 | ||||
| 8 | 10 | January 8, 2014 | March 26, 2014 | ||
| Psych: The Movie | December 7, 2017 | ||||
| Psych 2: Lassie Come Home | July 15, 2020 | Peacock | |||
| Psych 3: This Is Gus | November 18, 2021 | ||||
Production Edit
The show uses White Rock, British Columbia, Canada for its Santa Barbara, California setting.[16]
Casting Edit
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2021) |
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. Maggie Lawson was cast as Juliet O'Hara to serve as a replacement.[17][18]
Theme song Edit
The theme song for Psych is "I Know You Know" by The Friendly Indians, series creator Steve Franks'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,[19] 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.
Pineapple Edit
In the "pilot", Roday improvised by picking up a pineapple 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.[20] Fan movements, such as fan-made websites, have also been dedicated to finding a pineapple or pineapple-related object in each episode.[21]
Series finale aftershow Edit
Following the series finale on March 26, 2014, USA Network aired a live aftershow entitled "Psych After Pshow." The hour-long special was hosted by Kevin Pereira and featured series stars and creator/executive producer Steve Franks.[22]
Release Edit
Syndication Edit
In July 2011, Ion Television announced that Psych would become part of its 2012 broadcast in syndication.[23] 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. It no longer airs on Ion Television. 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.[24] As of January 2023, Psych started airing on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.
Home media Edit
| Title | Ep # | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 15 | June 26, 2007 | April 24, 2008 | April 30, 2008 |
| The Complete Second Season | 16 | July 8, 2008 | June 7, 2010 | March 3, 2010 |
| The Complete Third Season | 16 | July 21, 2009 | February 21, 2011 | March 2, 2011 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 16 | July 13, 2010 | July 18, 2011 | August 22, 2012 |
| The Complete Fifth Season | 16 | May 31, 2011 | May 21, 2012 | September 5, 2013 |
| The Psych-O-Ween Collection | 4 | September 11, 2012[25] | TBA | TBA |
| The Complete Sixth Season | 16 | October 16, 2012 | July 26, 2013 | August 14, 2014 |
| The Complete Seventh Season | 14 | October 8, 2013 | July 11, 2016 | TBA |
| Psych: The Musical | 4 | December 17, 2013[26] | TBA | TBA |
| The Eighth and Final Season | 10 | April 1, 2014[27] | TBA | TBA |
| The Complete Series | 120 | October 7, 2014[28] | TBA | TBA |
| The Complete Collection | 120, 1 Movie | July 3, 2018[29] | TBA | TBA |
Reception Edit
Ratings Edit
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 press release, quoted from the Futon Critic.[4]
| Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | Premiered | Ended | TV season | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Premiere Viewers (in millions) | Date | Finale Viewers (in millions) | ||||
| 1 | Friday 10:00 pm (July 7, 2006 – February 20, 2009) | 15 | July 7, 2006 | 6.06[30] | March 2, 2007 | 4.48[31] | 2006–2007 |
| 2 | 16 | July 13, 2007 | 4.33[32] | February 15, 2008 | 4.70[33] | 2007–2008 | |
| 3 | 16 | July 18, 2008 | 4.89[34] | February 20, 2009 | 4.83[35] | 2008–2009 | |
| 4 | Friday 10:00 pm (August 7, 2009 – October 16, 2009) Wednesday 10:00 pm (January 27, 2010 – March 10, 2010) | 16 | August 7, 2009 | 3.98[36] | March 10, 2010 | 2.95[37] | 2009–2010 |
| 5 | Wednesday 10:00 pm (July 14, 2010 – May 29, 2013)[c] | 16 | July 14, 2010 | 3.69[38] | December 22, 2010 | 2.90[39] | 2010 |
| 6 | 16 | October 12, 2011 | 3.00[40] | April 11, 2012 | 2.71[41] | 2011–2012 | |
| 7 | 14 | February 27, 2013 | 2.94[42] | May 29, 2013[c] | 2.18[43] | 2013 | |
| 8 | Wednesday 9:00 pm (January 8, 2014 – March 26, 2014) | 10 | January 8, 2014 | 2.28[44] | March 26, 2014 | 1.93[45] | 2014 |
- Notes
Nominations and awards Edit
Psych was the winner of the Independent Investigations Group Annual Award for "Excellence in Entertainment" for advancing the cause of science and exposing superstition. Accepting for Psych was staff writer Daniel Hsia.[46][47] James Roday Rodriguez was nominated for the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actor – TV Series Musical or Comedy.[48] Rodriguez was also nominated for the 2009 Ewwy Award for Best Actor in a Comedy. Psych was nominated for its first Emmy Award in 2010 in the category Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for the episode "Mr. Yin Presents...".[49] 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 for "Best Cable TV Comedy". In 2014, Psych won the People's Choice Award for "Best Cable TV Comedy" in its last nomination.
Other media Edit
Novels Edit
William Rabkin has written and published five novels based on the series. The novels are written in third-person narrative style. Additionally, Chad Gervich (Small Screen, Big Picture) has published a crime-fighting guide based on methods presented in the show.
| Author | Title | ISBN | Publication date |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Rabkin | A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read | 0-451-22635-6 | January 6, 2009 |
| Mind Over Magic | 0-451-22744-1 | July 7, 2009 | |
| The Call of the Mild | 0-451-22876-6 | January 5, 2010 | |
| A Fatal Frame of Mind | 0-451-23159-7 | August 3, 2010 | |
| Mind-Altering Murder | 0-451-23252-6 | February 1, 2011 | |
| Chad Gervich | Psych's Guide to Crime Fighting for the Totally Unqualified | 1-455-51286-9 | May 7, 2013 |
Film series Edit
Once production on the original series wrapped, series creator Steve Franks had the idea to bring the Psych universe back in film form later on. On May 8, 2017, USA Network announced Psych: The Movie, a two-hour TV film to air December 7, 2017.[50] All the original main cast would return for the film, directed by series creator Steve Franks and co-written by Franks and series star, James Roday Rodriguez. The first sequel, Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, was released on NBCUniversal's new streaming service, Peacock, on July 15, 2020.[51] A third film, Psych 3: This Is Gus, followed on November 18, 2021.[14] Three further Psych films are in development.[9]
Podcast Edit
The Psychologists Are In: A Psych Rewatch Edit
Launched in November 2021, Maggie Lawson and Timothy Omundson have hosted a weekly rewatch podcast of the series and films.[52] Episodes include plot recaps and behind-the-scenes memories from the two hosts. The series also features interviews with cast members, guest stars, and crew members, including writers, directors, and series creator Steve Franks.
References Edit
- ^ "About | Psych". ION Television. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ Season 1, episode 11: "My heightened observational skills are considered a gift by many many people, but I'm here to tell you, they can be a burden."
- ^ Atkin, Hillary (March 26, 2013). "'Psych's' James Roday, Dule Hill Savor Series' Creative Freedom". Variety. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ^ a b "Psych Debuts As This Year's Most-watched New Show in Basic Cable". The Futon Critic.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (December 19, 2012). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 22, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
- ^ "'Psych' Gets Order For Two More Episodes, One To Be Determined By Fans". Deadline. June 26, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (February 5, 2014). . Zap2it. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ^ Psych_USA [@Psych_USA] (October 7, 2017). "Grab your pineapple and mark your calendars! #PsychTheMovie is coming to @USA_Network on DECEMBER 7!" (Tweet). Retrieved September 18, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c MacDonald, Lindsay (December 7, 2017). "Yes, the Psych Movie Sequel Will Be All About John Cena". TV Guide. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ USA Network (February 14, 2019). "Psych: The Movie 2 Is Coming to USA Network Later This Year!". USA Network.
- ^ Andy Swift (September 17, 2019). "Psych Movie Sequel Gets a Doggone Cute New Title, Later Premiere Date Now on Peacock Streaming Service". TVLine.
- ^ "Psych 2 to Premiere in July, Among First Wave of Peacock Streaming Originals". TVLine. May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (May 13, 2021). "Psych 3: This Is Gus a Go at Peacock; Threequel to Feature Wedding, Birth of 'Baby Guster,' Random Pineapple(s)". TVLine. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Webb Mitovich, Matt (October 9, 2021). "Psych 3 Movie Threequel Gets Premiere Date, Trailer That Questions Existence of a 'Peacock' Streaming Service". TVLine. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
- ^ Barrett, Annie (July 21, 2010). "'Psych': Dulé Hill answers your questions, Part 1". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- ^ "Filming locations for "Psych" (2006)". imdb.com. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
- ^ Raymond, Nicholas (April 8, 2020). "Psych: Why Anne Dudek's Character Was Replaced After The Pilot". Screen Rant. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ Agard, Chancellor (July 7, 2016). "Psych 10th anniversary: Creator, stars share memories from pilot". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ A later version of the song performed by The Friendly Indians revealed a second verse that was not used at any point during the course of the show.
- ^ "Comedy Television Series and Mystery TV Show – Psych TV Series – USA Network – What's with the Pineapple? – USA Network". Retrieved October 24, 2011.
- ^ "Psych Pineapple | where is the pineapple in every episode of Psych?".
- ^
- ^ "ION Media Networks | Press Releases". Ionmedianetworks.com. July 27, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ "ION Media Networks | Press Releases". Ionmedianetworks.com. July 1, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ Lambert, David (June 27, 2012). . TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
- ^ Lambert, David (October 8, 2013). . TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
- ^ Lambert, David (January 14, 2014). . TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- ^ Lambert, David (July 15, 2014). . TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
- ^ "Psych: The Complete Collection". www.amazon.com. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ Kissel, Rick (July 12, 2006). . Daily Variety. Penske Business Media. OCLC 60626272. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013. (subscription required)
- ^ . The Associated Press Online. Highbeam Research. Associated Press. March 9, 2007. OCLC 464378787. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013. (subscription required)
- ^ Kissel, Rick (July 18, 2007). . Highbeam. OCLC 60626272. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2013. (subscription required)
- ^ Seidman, Robert (February 20, 2008). . TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (July 22, 2008). . TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on August 26, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (February 24, 2009). . TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on March 3, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (August 11, 2009). . TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Archived from the original on December 22, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- ^ Seidman, Robert (March 11, 2010). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 1, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (July 15, 2010). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (December 26, 2010). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 31, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
- ^ Gorman, Bill (October 13, 2011). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (April 12, 2012). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 28, 2013). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 3, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (May 30, 2013). . Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (January 9, 2014). . Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (March 27, 2014). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
- ^ "IIG – 08/09/2007 Press Release". Iigwest.com. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ "The IIG Awards". Iigwest.com. August 21, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ [1] July 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 1 by Corinne Heller (November 11, 2010). . OnTheRedCarpet.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ "Not a Drill: 'Psych: The Movie' Is Coming to USA Network This December". Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ w Network (February 14, 2019). "Psych: The Movie 2 Is Coming to USA Network Later This Year!". USA Network.
- ^ Racioppi, Frank (March 17, 2022). "The Psychologists Are I Podcast: The Psych-Os Are In Charge, And That's A Good Thing!". medium.com. Medium. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
External links Edit
- Official website
- Psych at IMDb