Psych Season One

I know! You know! That I’m not telling the truth…
I know! You know! That you don’t have any proof.

And thus possibly one of the biggest undiscovered gems of theme tunes begin…as well as a hidden gem of a television programme. Psych is the brain child of Steve Franks, and consists of maverick genius Shawn Spencer who has an amazing ability to notice small details and intense powers of deduction. However, his constant tip-offs make him a suspect and it leads to him pretending to be a psychic. He drags his life-time friend Gus into the scam and ends up creating a private detective agency as a fake psychic.

James Roday stars as Shawn Spencer

It’s a genuinely entertaining lightweight show that isn’t bogged down by dark melodramatic backstories that explain the main character’s eccentricities (ala Monk) but is just completely fun and enjoyable. It’s one of the few shows on TV that could actually boast that it’s being completely feel-good tv. It’s full of excellent dialogue that’s performed excellently be it’s main cast. James Roday is brilliant as the slack-yet-gifted Shawn who revels in the chance to make a scene or just ‘let loose’. Dule Hill is great as the more serious, tight-lipped Gus as they solve cases of murder, kidnap and other strange cases. In fact the bromance between Gus and Shawn is incredibly entertaining. They’re loyal, but bicker like brothers and it’s just dynamite to watch on screen.

They’re supported by a great supporting cast, Timothy Omundson plays a great straight comic foil in the form of Lassiter, and Maggie Lawson is stunning as Juliet O’hara – the objective of Shawn’s affections. Corbin Bernsen rounds things off as Shawn’s dad – and it’s usually flashbacks of him and a much younger Shawn that kick off themes or plot points in episodes. You get a sense of the kind of dad Henry was, and why Shawn is the way he is – and the relationship between the two of them is just as watchable as the Shawn/Gus rapport.

So what of the actual stories? They’re all self-contained one-offs, with no over-arching stories running. They’re quite entertaining with some funny and weird ideas getting the characters in situations that milk for the comedic effect. From a comic convention in which Shawn manages to convince George Takei that he and Gus are his assistants to alleged alien abductions that end up in a speed dating conspiracy. There’s always a comic slant on everything and it never takes itself too seriously.

For that, Psych needs to be applauded.

And with this, I need to leave you with the following words: READ IT!