Psych

Did You Know?

• William Rabkin has written and published five novels based on the series.
• In July 2011, Ion Television announced that Psych would become part of its 2012 broadcast in syndication.
• Three further Psych films are in development with the script for Psych 4 reportedly complete.

Overview

Early seasons often kick off with a cold open showing Shawn and Gus as kids. These flashbacks typically feature Shawn’s dad, Henry Spencer, trying to teach the boys a life lesson because he wants Shawn to become a cop. The lesson usually ties into the episode’s climax. Henry trained young Shawn to sharpen his observation and deduction skills through games and challenges, and each flashback also sets the episode’s theme. Shawn first gets labeled a psychic after he calls in tips on dozens of news-covered crimes that help police close cases. The cops get suspicious, figuring only an insider could have that knowledge, and won’t accept that Shawn just has sharpened observational skills. To dodge jail time, Shawn uses those same skills to convince them he’s psychic. Interim police chief Karen Vick warns him that if his powers are fake, he’ll be prosecuted. Stuck keeping up the act, and having already proven useful at solving crimes, he starts a psychic detective agency called Psych and works as an outside consultant for the police. Pretending to be psychic lets him act weird and funny, turning real clues into fake hunches and ghostly visions. He loves teasing his lifelong friend Burton Guster, a pharmaceutical sales rep, about Gus’s random hobbies as they cruise around in a blue Toyota Echo nicknamed “The Blueberry” solving cases. Head Detective Carlton Lassiter, whom Shawn and Gus call “Lassie,” quietly grows to respect Shawn’s crime-solving skills even though he doubts the psychic act. Lassiter constantly gets annoyed by Shawn dragging out investigations and furious at his antics. Junior detective Juliet O’Hara and Chief Vick are much less hostile—O’Hara believes Shawn’s abilities, while Vick stays quiet on the matter—and they usually give Shawn the freedom he needs to crack cases. Henry and Shawn have a rocky relationship, but Henry still reluctantly helps Shawn out from time to time.

Characters

Shawn Spencer is a freelance consultant with the Santa Barbara Police Department who pretends to be a psychic. Henry Spencer is Shawn's uptight and precise father and a former police sergeant. Karen Vick is the SBPD Interim Chief and is later named Chief in Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead. Lucinda Barry 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. Young Shawn appears in flashbacks, played by Liam James in seasons 1 through 5 and Skyler Gisondo in seasons 5 and 6. Young Gus is played by Carlos McCullers II. Buzz McNab is a naïve but lovable cop who often provides Shawn and Gus with clues. Madeleine Spencer is a police psychologist who is Shawn's mother and Henry's ex-wife. Abigail Lytar is Shawn's high-school crush, later his girlfriend. Winnie Guster is Gus's mother. Bill Guster is Gus's father, played by Ernie Hudson in season 2 and Keith David in season 3. Mr. Yang is a serial killer. Mary Lightly is a department psychologist who is an expert on Mr. Yang. Woody the Coroner is a police coroner with whom Shawn shares a mutual respect. Pierre Despereaux is an extremely elusive international art thief. Declan Rand is a rich criminal profiler. Marlowe Viccellio is a woman Lassiter meets and later marries. Curt Smith is the singer of the band Tears for Fears. Frank O'Hara is Juliet's estranged father. Rachael is Gus's girlfriend. Lloyd French is Juliet's stepfather. Harris Trout is a special consultant hired by the mayor to increase efficiency at the SBPD. Betsy Brannigan takes over as the new Head Detective when Lassiter is promoted to Chief. Father Wesley is a Catholic priest and a friend of Shawn and Gus.

Production

The town of White Rock, British Columbia, stands in for Santa Barbara, California, in the series. Anne Dudek’s character was removed from the show after test audiences reacted negatively to her relationship with Lassiter, leading to Maggie Lawson being brought in as Juliet O'Hara. The theme song, “I Know You Know,” was written and performed by the Friendly Indians, a band fronted by series creator Steve Franks. Most episodes use a short version that mainly plays the chorus, but episodes from season three through eight sometimes feature an extended cut that includes the first verse. Many episodes swap out the standard theme for a special version tied to the episode’s concept. These variations include a Christmas theme for holiday episodes, a Spanish-language version, a Bollywood-style piece sung in Hindi, an a cappella take by Boyz II Men, a recording by Curt Smith, a version by Julee Cruise for a Twin Peaks-inspired episode, a superhero-themed rendition, and one inspired by The Shining. During the pilot, James Roday ad-libbed by grabbing a pineapple and asking if he should slice it for the road. That moment launched a running gag: a pineapple—or something pineapple-related—appears in every episode, often as a background detail or a direct mention. Shawn frequently gives pineapples as housewarming gifts. The fruit became a major marketing symbol for the show on USA Network’s website, and fans have created websites dedicated to spotting it in each episode. After the series finale aired on March 26, 2014, USA Network broadcast a live hour-long aftershow called “Psych After Pshow,” hosted by Kevin Pereira and featuring the cast along with Steve Franks.

Reception

When Psych first aired, it pulled in a 4.51 rating and averaged 6.1 million viewers per episode. That premiere made it the top-rated scripted series debut on basic cable for 2006 across households and key adult age groups, as reported by USA Network. The show’s first three seasons earned an 89% “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. It also received the Center for Inquiry’s Annual Award for Excellence in Entertainment, which recognized the series for promoting science and challenging superstition; staff writer Daniel Hsia accepted the honor. James Roday Rodriguez earned a 2006 Satellite Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV Series, as well as a 2009 Ewwy Award nomination in the same category. Psych picked up its first Emmy nomination in 2010 for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series, thanks to composers Adam Cohen and John Robert Wood for the episode “Mr. Yin Presents...”. A second Emmy nomination came in 2012 for Outstanding Emerging Media Program, tied to the interactive game “HashTag Killer.” The show was nominated for the People’s Choice Award for Best Cable TV Comedy in both 2012 and 2013, and finally won that award in 2014.