Psych, the TV Series: a Prescription for Cynicism

Are you weary of all the social bickering and political unrest? Take a fun break and watch an episode or two of super silly USA series Psych. All eight seasons now available on Amazon Prime. James Roday, Dulé Hill (also co-producers), and a terrific supporting cast entertained fans for eight seasons, until 2014.

What about

The two main characters, childhood besties Shawn and Gus, run a “psychic” detective agency. The psychic gimmick disguises Shawn’s superior memory and observation skills applied to crime-solving. Shawn’s father, played by Corbin Benson in his most significant role, is exceptional at supporting, not doting, on his only child.

“Who’s that you’re running from, son? Sooner or later, you’re going to have to turn and face your fears.”

-Henry Spencer, Shawn’s Dad

Strong and nurturing dad

He’s not protective, reactionary, or aggressive. As a policeman, Shawn’s dad applies level-headed leadership to teach his son about consequences, observation, patience, and responsibility. In reality, that man’s son would not grow up to become anything like the show’s main character, a hopelessly juvenile adult. I haven’t seen a TV father I liked this much since The Andy Griffith Show.

Making you laugh

Everything is unexpected: the characters, the writing, the singing, and most of all, the heart. Without heart, it would have been another forgettable sitcom. The viewer felt lifted with laughter and hugged by a show that added joy rather than just distracted from reality.

Kid-friendly

Psych may be the last TV show you could watch with your kids. No sex, good fun, best friends, a self-respecting father, and a strong woman leader. Enjoy 80s references, cameo appearances from favorite 80s film stars, and campy humor. Take a load off and be entertained instead of preached to or guilted.

Happy August, friends!

Your turn

What show delights you? What show does your entire family enjoy together?


Featured image from IMDB.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s