Psych stars talk mystery and season finale
For many, USA Network conjures memories of Walker Texas Ranger re-runs and a nearly endless run of Olympic curling. And that is unfortunate, because in the last four years it has transformed itself into one of the best cable networks on television.
The crown jewel in USA's lineup is undoubtedly Psych, a comedy about a fake psychic detective agency, run by Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his odd couple partner, Burton Guster (Dule Hill).
The News-Letter recently had the opportunity to speak to two of its stars about its recent season finale and hopes for the future.
Like its predecessor, Monk, and other USA Network shows that followed (Burn Notice, Royal Pains and White Collar), Psych follows a formulaic, always-endearing plot pattern. Every episode begins with a brief flashback to the late 80's when Shawn was just a kid.
In the in the first 10 minutes Shawn and Gus are invariably introduced to a murder and usually a B-list celebrity guest star. By the last 15 minutes Shawn's uncanny observational skills will allow him to pull together the pieces of the puzzle and identify the killer.
The catch is that Shawn is no psychic - he's trapped in an elaborate lie in which he uses he must use his "psychic" abilities to divine information.
Along for the ride is Shawn's dad (Corbin Bernsen), an ex-cop who trained him from youth to hone his observational skills; Santa Barbra Police Department head detective Carleton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), affectionately known as Lassie; and his partner Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson).
Together Shawn, Gus, Lassie and Juliet track an international art thief, solve the murder of Gus's old college a cappella partner, thwart the murder of a Branson-esque billionaire and in last night's season finale save the lives of those closest to them - in all, some 63 cases.
What separates Psych from other detective dramas is the fun. In the average 43-minute episode, there is rarely a moment's pause in the dialogue. The banter, reminiscent of a 1930s or 1940s comedy, is often improvised by Roday. While immensely fun for the viewer at home, it also makes the production of Psych a "dream job," according to Roday.
The crown jewel in USA's lineup is undoubtedly Psych, a comedy about a fake psychic detective agency, run by Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his odd couple partner, Burton Guster (Dule Hill).
The News-Letter recently had the opportunity to speak to two of its stars about its recent season finale and hopes for the future.
Like its predecessor, Monk, and other USA Network shows that followed (Burn Notice, Royal Pains and White Collar), Psych follows a formulaic, always-endearing plot pattern. Every episode begins with a brief flashback to the late 80's when Shawn was just a kid.
In the in the first 10 minutes Shawn and Gus are invariably introduced to a murder and usually a B-list celebrity guest star. By the last 15 minutes Shawn's uncanny observational skills will allow him to pull together the pieces of the puzzle and identify the killer.
The catch is that Shawn is no psychic - he's trapped in an elaborate lie in which he uses he must use his "psychic" abilities to divine information.
Along for the ride is Shawn's dad (Corbin Bernsen), an ex-cop who trained him from youth to hone his observational skills; Santa Barbra Police Department head detective Carleton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), affectionately known as Lassie; and his partner Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson).
Together Shawn, Gus, Lassie and Juliet track an international art thief, solve the murder of Gus's old college a cappella partner, thwart the murder of a Branson-esque billionaire and in last night's season finale save the lives of those closest to them - in all, some 63 cases.
What separates Psych from other detective dramas is the fun. In the average 43-minute episode, there is rarely a moment's pause in the dialogue. The banter, reminiscent of a 1930s or 1940s comedy, is often improvised by Roday. While immensely fun for the viewer at home, it also makes the production of Psych a "dream job," according to Roday.
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