Psych is the latest comedy to come out of America and is certainly very unique and original.
You have probably heard the slogan of the show, "fake psychic, real detectives". It is therefore no secret that the show is about a guy, Shawn Spencer, who pretends to be a psychic and yet is working as a detective.
In fact, it is Shawn's eidetic memory (also known as photographic or total recall) which allows him to recognize clues and make deductions that others cannot and the result is that everyone is marvelled to the extent that they would believe him to be a psychic. This basic premise of the show allows for a lot of material and sets the tone as one of playful deceit.
The cast are an eclectic bunch with James Roday, despite being a relative unknown, playing the lead character, Shawn Spencer.
More well known to viewers are Dule Hill, who plays Shawn's best friend (Charlie Young from The West Wing) and Corbin Bernsen of LA Law fame who plays Shawn's father.
Shawn, whilst being the son of a policeman, is a haphazard grown-up kid who has never held down a decent job for a significant period of time. He is somewhat reminiscent, in my opinion, of a Jim Carrey character who has taken his medicine!
Gus is a pharmaceutical sales rep and the perfect antithesis to Shawn's hyperactivity. Naturally cautious, this can be to the detriment of his sense of adventure. It remains to be seen at this early stage of the series whether Gus will play a large part in the series or take a back seat to Shawn.
Henry Spencer, Shawn's father, is a retired former cop who was highly respected in the force. Somewhat estranged from his son for specific reasons unknown, we can expect to see development in father and son's relationship through the series.
The show is set in Santa Barbara, California but is actually shot in Vancouver, Canada. Whilst some eagle eyed viewers can easily spot the difference, most cannot.
Released only in the USA to date and having premiered on July 7th 2006, the show goes out at 10pm Friday night, Eastern time.
It is actually more accurate to call Psych a dramedy or comedy drama. There are no laughter lines and no slapstick and an evolution of a real story line. If you haven't yet seen it, I suggest visiting USA Network's site for a free viewing of the pilot - you'll be glued for the rest of the series!
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