TVSquad

Sometimes reruns from a cable series can do rather well on network television as a bigger audience pool checks them out. That wasn't the case with Monk and Psych.

The two USA network hits (often in the top 10 in the Nielsen cable ratings) didn't fare too well when NBC ran them on Sunday nights the past couple of months, so the Peacock Network is pulling the shows immediately. Fans of The Office will be happy to hear that NBC will air a two hour marathon of Office repeats in the 9 to 11 time slot. That is, until they decide to put another reality show at that time.

This sounds like good casting to me. Cybill Shepherd is joining Psych for a mini-arc as Shawn's mom. The actress, best known on TV from her hit series Moonlighting (remember, her and Bruce Willis?), has recently been on Showtime's The L Word. Cybill's not a great dramatic actress, but she is pretty funny and should fit in perfectly with the goofy, good-natured fun on Psych.

When Psych comes back to USA Network on July 18 with new shows, her episodes (at least two) will be broadcast. She's playing Madeleine, Henry's ex-wife and Shawn's mama. So far in the series, Maddie (like Maddie Hayes in Moonlighting perhaps?), has not been shown in the scenes depicting Shawn -- and Gus's -- childhood. Corbin Bernsen, who plays Henry, has worn a hairpiece for the retro scenes and goes bald for the present day scenes. We'll see whether Cybill's in both scenes or not...

According to the show, when Madeleine appears in Santa Barbara, she's coming from Europe and wants to visit her sonny boy. The visit, so we're told, dredges up some old memories. And since this is a crime/caper/mystery show, perhaps Maddie's bound to get involved in one of Shawn's cases.

The other day was actor James Roday's birthday; on April 4, he turned 32. For the Texas born star of Psych, life is quite nice right now. Psych is coming back for a third season on USA this summer, and starting the other night, episodes from season two will be showcased on NBC. Oh, and he's dating Maggie Lawson, a.k.a. O'Hara, his co-star on the show.

There's a fine line between charming and obnoxious, amusing and annoying, cute and cloying, funny and trying too hard. James Roday veers close to the line. He's a daredevil of a comic actor, daring to be almost too much to take. But like other actors of his ilk, he succeeds in flying close to the sun, but never burning his wings. Like Jim Carrey or Robin Williams, James Roday is willing to push the comic envelope. So far, he's proved to me that watching him is always interesting, arresting and fun. While he may never reach the box office glory of Carrey or cop an Oscar like Williams, he's definitely going to be a TV star for today, tomorrow and down the road.

For those of you interested in reading a review about this episode of Psych you may want to look a the one that we did when the show originally premiered on USA. What this post is really for is to welcome new viewers to the show and give them a forum to discuss the series.

The thing about Psych, especially this second season, is that underneath the fluff mysteries and the pop cultural references (which there are many this episode) there is a story of friendship and family that flows throughout. Plus, it's funny. James Roday and Dule Hill really shine as Shawn Spencer and Burton "Gus" Guster and they have a very good supporting cast that guides them along the way.

I'm very glad that they used this episode to premiere Psych on the schedule rather as it had a very good and funny guest appearance by Lou Diamond Phillips. Should they ever air the second season premiere on NBC I give you fair warning...despite being directed by John Landis it is just not a very good episode. That being said, I'd like to know if you'll keep tuning in to Psych. Was it as funny as you thought it would be, or do you think it's a bad show with a good theme song? Your opinions are appreciated.

Last night, USA Network invited some of their favorite advertisers -- and a few reporters -- to their upfront presentation, held at The Modern, a sleek restaurant and lounge located at New York's Museum of Modern Art. It was an opportunity for USA and NBC Universal executives to crow about the network's continued success as well as let advertisers know what's coming up in 2008 and how they can combine their advertising message with the unique "characters" that USA offers.

All that's well and good -- be ready for more product placement and ad pods that other networks have recently adopted -- but the best part about an upfront presentation are the stars that the network drags out to schmooze and booze with those advertisers. And USA brought the big guns, including Tony Shalhoub from Monk, Debra Messing from The Starter Wife, Jeffrey Donovan and Bruce Campbell from Burn Notice, Dulé Hill, James Roday, and Corbin Bernsen from Psych, Kathryn Erbe and Chris Noth from Law & Order: Criminal Intent, the WWE's Triple H and Shawn Michaels, and Mary McCormack from the network's new show In Plain Sight. I got to speak to a few of them; audio of those interviews is after the jump.

One thing that gets me about the USA Network's "seasons" is that they barely begin, and then they are over. I am not even sure we got eight episodes of Psych, and now it is gone again, just as I was getting comfortable with my weekly dose of hokey. Hokey, says I? Then why do I miss it?

1. Corbin Bernsen -- You know you loved him in L.A. Law, heck, you even loved him in Major League II. But Psych uses Bernsen's talents to the fullest, in creating one of TV's most obnoxious dads with a true tender side (from bubble baths to believing in his son, even though it is usually somewhat veiled). So, so glad they use him more each season.

2. The mysteries -- Yes, a grand part of the hoke, and sometimes painfully predictable. But I love a mystery, even of the lamest kind, and for me, a show that has some secrets not revealed until the end carries some clout.

Is it really a big surprise that television advertising isn't as effective as it used to be? As TV watchers -- okay, we're uber-watchers -- we know that with DVRs and TiVos we're zooming through ads, or we're channel surfing in between segments of our favorite shows, or renting/buying content in formats that allow us to avoid commercials altogether. Now, according to the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research's TV & Technology Survey, we learn that six out of 10 marketers believe that TV advertising has become less effective in the past two years. And it's getting worse.

Monk will be back for a seventh season. It isn't an even number, a fact that would irritate the OCD detective to no end, but it is a lucky one. USA Network has ordered 16 new episodes of the idiosyncratic mystery series which has turned character actor Tony Shalhoub into an Emmy-winning star. USA has plans to run eight of the new episodes in July and August; then the other eight in January and February.

Before then, you can catch up with Monk, and USA's other whimsical detective series, Psych, when they air on NBC in March. Although it has not be announced as yet, USA will likely pick up Psych, too, and they will continue running in tandem.

(S02E16) "One more time, buddy. For justice." -- Shawn Spencer

Where has the time gone? After a very short second half, the second season finale of Psych is upon us. And, despite the semi-disaster that was the season premiere, it was a pretty decent sophmore run for the show. We got to see a good bit of development from all of the characters, an easing of the psychic element of Shawn's abilities, and some extra focus on those who surround the young Spencer. One can only hope that the show's run on NBC come March will interest some more fans to the program.

(S02E15) "First you treat a woman like a person, then a princess, then a Greek Goddess, then a person again" -- Shawn's advice on how to treat a woman.

For nearly two seasons Shawn Spencer has been 'The Man'. He could get into any place, do anything, and be with pretty much any girl he wanted. Wherever he went he was the center of attention. This week, the shoe was on the other foot as the spotlight was painfully pulled away from Shawn and pointed to some of the other members of the cast.

And, you know what? I LOVED it!

(S02E14) "Fine. I don't need you and your misplaced prepositions!" -- Young Gus to Young Shawn

"My dad is a lying, liar from Liarsburg!" -- Shawn Spencer

After speculating last week about Carlton Lassiter's feelings towards Shawn and Gus we discovered them this week: he respects them, albeit grudgingly. He could have certainly hired one of the many private detectives that he deals with on a regular basis but, fully aware of the team's reputation, he decided to go with them. Mostly for their inside contacts, so Lassiter said; however, I have a feeling it was more than that.

(S02E13) "Spencer, thank God you're here! Now go home." -- Detective Lassiter to Shawn

Even though it may sound crazy, one of the things I like about Psych is that it actually has an opening credits sequence complete with a theme song -- something that is extremely rare in this era of maximum exposure. While that may sound mundane at first, it actually gives the show a bit of extra character. It can also be used to set the tone of an episode, as well.

(S02E12) I don't know about you, but since Psych returned with new episodes I've noticed a bit of tweaking with the format. Nothing major, mind you, just some minor things to shake it up a bit. And, because of those tiny tweaks, the show has a somewhat different feel to it. I guess that's what happens as a show, even a crime-comedy like Psych, matures.

(S02E11) " I like my wine like I like my men -- white & hairy" -- Mira's mother, Phylis Gaffney, to Shawn Spencer

After a few months break (with a holiday special in-between) Psych returned to the USA Network schedule this week with a slew of new episodes that were completed long before the Writers' Strike began. This is good news because 1) it's one more scripted show in an ocean of reality programming and 2) it gives them a full episode load to air on NBC starting in March. I've always felt that this comedy has been overlooked because of the day and time it airs, and I hope that its showing on network television will give more people an opportunity to see just how good it is.

Many of us expected to see the names of a few cable series when the major networks released their updated winter schedules because not only would it help fill the void but also give those series a chance at getting a new audience. Sadly, it wasn't the case. However, NBC announced today that the upcoming seasons of USA Network's Psych and Monk would air on NBC in March.