It's Psych Bitch!
When the third season premiere of Psych [USA, Fridays, 10/9C] airs this evening, pseudo-psychic Shawn Spencer [James Roday] is going to be thrown for a loop in ways he never anticipated. First, off, his best and partner in the Psych detective agency, Gus [Dule´ Hill] is basically given the choice of staying with the agency and losing his highly remunerative day job, or keeping his day job and quitting Psych. Second, his mother, Madeline [Cybill Shepherd] is in town - and his father [Corbin Bernsen] knew she was coming. To further complicate matters, the CEO [Christopher McDonald] of the company where Gus works has a haunting problem - the kind of case that only Shawn and Gus can handle.
As in Psych’s lead-in, Monk, this evening’s case isn’t the primary focus of the ep - The Ghost in You. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice something unusual in the way that Shawn’s investigative scenes are shot that is integral to the case’s solution. But what really matters in the way that Shawn’s relationship with his father is challenged by the arrival of Madeline - but her impact isn’t just on the Spencer men.
It seems that Madeline is a psychologist who used to work with the police department. She has returned to not only visit Henry and Shawn, but to see if Detective Carlton Lassiter [Tim Omundson] is fit for duty. The sparring between them is quite literally priceless.
While Psych initially seemed like a series based on a gimmick, it has become a dependable source of entertainment because its writers know just when to lay off the shtick and spring a dramatic moment on us. The Ghost in You is no exception. Between trying to figure out how to keep involved in the agency, without getting him fired at this day job - and dealing with the emotional rollercoaster ride that his mother’s surprise [to him] visit produces - as well as the agency’s latest case, we get to see sides of Shawn that we don’t usually see [which ties in, thematically with the Monk premiere that precedes it].
The Ghost in You is a solid ep that allows Roday and Hill to do their Gene Wilder/Richard Pryor of detectives thing to full advantage, while giving the show’s guest and supporting cast to add texture and colors to the proceedings. It may because of the unusual shift of focus, but this is one of the best eps of the series, to date.
Final Grade: A
Source=http://eclipsemagazine.com/television/6049/television-psych-returns-with-big-surprises-for-shawn/
MediaBlvd On The Set of 'Psych'
There is an abundance of crime shows currently on the air (CSI, NCIS, Numbers…) but Psych is something completely different. Unlike the other shows, this is a comedy featuring quirky characters, quick dialogue and ridiculous situations. This series created by Steve James airs on the USA network and stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) whose heightened observational skills and impressive detective instincts allow him to convince people that he is psychic. The program also stars Dulé Hill as Shawn's best friend, straight man and hesitant partner Burton "Gus" Guster, as well as Corbin Bernsen as Shawn's judgmental father, Henry.
MediaBlvd was recently on set with the cast and crew of the USA network show “Psych”. The third season is set to premiere July 18th and according to the people we talked to… the new season promises 20% more of everything. The first two seasons were all about introducing the characters, and creating a style for the show. This next season will delve deeper into the relationships between the characters and we will discover why they react towards each other the way they do. The first episode “The Ghost in You” picks up where last season left off, when we met Shawn’s mother played by the talented Cybil Shepherd. She has returned to town to perform psychological evaluations on several of the officers in the department. Detective Lassiter is at the top of her list and she attempts to uncover the reasons he has felt it necessary to draw his gun in several of his last cases. Her return has also caused Henry and Shawn to re-examine their relationship as father/son when Shawn discovers a new truth about his parent’s divorce. Finally, Gus’s job as “sidekick” also comes under fire and he is forced to choose between his best friend and his job at the pharmaceutical company.
At the time of our visit, the crew was busy filming episode 6, “Talk Derby to Me” written by Tim Meltreger. We had a chance to visit with Tim, and two of the guest stars from the episode, over dinner. Tim described this episode as a costume episode as it centered on the world of roller derby. In this episode Juliet goes undercover to expose a theft ring. Apparently the costumes in this episode are quite revealing based on the grins and comments made by some of the men on set. One of the guest stars, Sydney Bennett, is a real roller derby queen and skates with the “Derby Dolls” a team based out of Los Angeles. Over dinner, Sydney explained the rules of roller derby and how the teams are formed. The cast was also supported on this episode by Vancouver’s own roller derby team “The Terminal City Roller Girls”.
When asked how the writers come up with episode ideas for the show, Tim informed us that the writers meet at a pitch meeting to discuss fresh settings and ideas. The writers try to pick settings and situations that are slightly off the radar of the general population. Roller Derby is just one slightly quirky trend, which is currently seeing resurgence in popularity. Another slightly quirky trivia fact is that Tim performs in a band in LA called the Friendly Indians that perform the Psych theme song for the show. Steve Franks (creator of the Psych show) wrote the song, and performs in this band as well. Several crew members on the Vancouver set of Psych also have a band called the “Meltones”, When Tim is in Vancouver he likes to sit in, and Jam with them.
While visiting the set of Psych, I had the opportunity to interview the principal cast of the show. There were several common themes that spread across the interviews. One was a game called “Mafia” that is a favorite off camera past time among the cast and crew of the show. Guest stars on the show are often asked to participate in this role playing game that often stretches all night and into the early morning. Although there is some disagreement as to who the best player is, those we talked to tended to agree that when James and Dule were both selected as the Mafia, they were a tough team to beat.
Of particular interest to readers of MediaBlvd might be the interview with Tim Omundson (playing Carlton Lassiter) as he also plays the role of Phil Constantino from the show Jericho. He had a great deal to say about these two very different roles, and his appreciation to the fans that fought so hard to bring the show back to the air long enough to bring some closure to the show.
After visiting with the cast members, we were taken to visit several of the sets on used on the show. I’m always amazed at the workmanship and detail that go into the sets, including the props that adorn the rooms and offices. For example, on the police chief’s desk is a photo of Kirsten Nelson’s own baby. In Henry’s house there are several photos of Corbin Bernsen with his own children. The art department even creates their own graphics and logos for items that appear on the show. One of the sets that were being used for filming on the day we were there was a small retail clothing store. The price tags and clothing labels we all were custom made to match the name of the fictitious store. Even though all these sets were located in a massive building, there were fake plants placed outside of the various windows in the sets to make it look as if the rooms were located in sunny California rather than cloudy Vancouver BC. We were told that when they need to shot a scene outside, they bring in Palm trees and other tropical vegetation to help with the illusion of the show being set in Santa Barbara.
The illusion is a good one… I live in the Northwest, visiting Vancouver often and didn’t realize that the show was filmed up here until I recognize one of the buildings used in the show as being in Vancouver. Another outdoor location that seems to be used fairly often in the show is the waterfront area near White Rock BC. Simply adding a few non-native plants, and make it seem like Southern California. Vancouver is used to film so many television shows and movies that it has earned the nickname “Hollywood North”.
Source=http://www.mediablvd.com/magazine/the_news/issue21/mediablvd_on_the_set_of_'psych'_200807181221.html
Det. Lassie Up in this Bitch
Click to viewPsych Season 3 Set Visit: Tim Omumdson
by Reg Seeton
During our visit to set of USA Network's Psych in Vancouver, actor Tim Omundson joined us to talk some Season 3 shop about what fans can expect from his by-the-book character, Santa Barbara Police detective Carlton Lassiter. Although James Roday and Dule Hill take center stage as Psych's two comedic co-leads, Tim Omundson is one of the funniest guys you'll ever meet. Every actor we talked to mentioned that Tim is the first to crack up during each shoot and is always keeping everyone in stitches. At the same time, Omundson is a grounded family man who knows his acting stuff and where he is as an actor. While keeping us laughing during the interview, Omundson also filled us in on what it was like to work with Cybill Shepherd, how we'll see more of Lassiter's emotional side this season, what he liked about the show when he signed on, and where he'd like to see his character go in Season 3.
THE DEADBOLT: I read an interview last night that even before they cast Cybill Shepherd you referenced Moonlighting as one of your favorite shows. How was it working with her?
TIM OMUNDSON: You know, I just started playing harmonica because I [worked with] Bruce Willis. I mean, was it The Return of Bruno? Come on, it was a brilliant album. So I watched that all the time, and I loved it. To get to work with her was just a bonus. She could not be nicer and still quite easy on the eyes. She was fun and game and I think perfect casting, and the fact that the storyline of Lassiter getting to reveal his innermost darkest secrets to this woman. And then, Steve [Franks], I believe his words were, "When you read the script, you're just going to say, 'Thank you. You're the most awesome writer in the world.'" I'm paraphrasing, but something like that. And sure enough, it was so much fun, and to finally get to see Lassiter with some other colors and some turns. But the private moments are always what's the fun thing for me to play. That's stuff that I don't think anybody is seeing, but of course the audience gets to see. And to be able to be that intimate with her and reveal those soft underbelly [layers] and then, have it just slammed back in your face...
THE DEADBOLT: Is there an emotional weight that continues for Lassiter this season?
OMUNDSON: As far as his relationship with his wife, absolutely. James is actually writing an episode where we actually meet my wife and it's the, "Are we getting back together? Are we signing divorce papers?" And there's been such a build-up of who this woman is. It's sort of his main back-story that that should be a very special episode, a very special Lassiter episode. So yes, that's definitely going to continue. And there may be some inappropriate crushes along the way this season.
THE DEADBOLT: You've done so many different shows. What was it about this show that appealed to you?
OMUNDSON: They offered to hire me. So that was one thing. And I've told this story before, but I will tell it again. I went in not knowing it was a comedy or drama because I got the "Sean's Interrogation" scene from the pilot, is what I read, and was like, "It's a cop show, all right." So I wore my blue cop suit and I go in, and literally not knowing, and it was August I think, so it wasn't really pilot season, it was just this weird out of the blue call. And they said, "Just so you know, before you start, it's not NYPD blue, you know, think Moonlighting." And I went, "Oh, well I know how to do that." And something just clicked. It's one of those weird little magical moments where you just clicked in the room, and I went home and - you know, the times that you go home as an actor and say, "Oh, yeah, that went well," are almost, for me, never. This was the one, like, "I think that went really well." And they all responded greatly. And they were so positive at the end of my audition, I said, "I need to leave here because if you keep saying nice things it means it's not going to happen."
THE DEADBOLT: After working with David Milch, how did you change as an actor after coming from Deadwood? Were you more confident an actor after that experience?
OMUNDSON: Yeah, certainly getting to work on a show like that and getting such a beautiful role as Brom was, it's going to give you more confidence. But it doesn't really change my acting at all. I'm still the same student actor I was in high school just trying to figure out how the hell you do this. I mean, that I think never goes away. I'm still trying to figure out just, in this case, how do I find the funny in those shows, how do I just not [mix it up] now that I'm playing Lassiter. You know, it's just pretty much the dream to life. But you know, you can have more confidence going into a room, it doesn't help you that much I think because ultimately it's like you're going to get the role or not. And I think as I've gotten older, and worked on more stuff, I have been able to relax a little more because, it's like you're - I'm not used to being on a steady gig.
I mean, most of my life has been guest starring, just always hustling for the next job. And on Judging Amy, I wasn't really under contract until the last year, and I think this - the hiatus between the first and second season of the show was the first time I ever had a job to go back to after hiatus, which was a weird thing. And it's a weird mindset to go, "Okay, I don't have to hustle." And that's why getting Jericho on the hiatus was like, "What do you mean? I’m not looking for a job, and I get another one? That's how it works!" So I'm a little more relaxed in that going into auditioning, having been around for a while, seeing a lot of the same people, which is a nice thing. When you're young, it's like, "Who's that f**ker over there? He's handsome." Okay, so I have good abs. And now you're like, "Hey, it's that guy. What are you doing? Nice to see you. Hey, we've survived. We're here."
And I really think you're right for the job or you're not. It's yours or it's not. So you can't begrudge not getting it. That's why it's like - the Deadwood thing, that one was mine, and those ten jobs I didn't get after that, they weren't mine in a way. Not to totally go, "That's cool. It doesn't matter, man," but you certainly have to prepare and do your work, and there are no guarantees.
THE DEADBOLT: Does that fear ever go away?
OMUNDSON:Never.
THE DEADBOLT: Like this might end?
OMUNDSON:Never. It never goes away. And to drop another name, Roy Scheider - my second job was SeaQuest. And Roy Scheider told Marco Sanchez and Ted Raimi, two of the guys on the film, he's like, "By the way, this never goes away. Like you always think your last job is your last job." And I mean, Dule may have a different experience - I don't think that fear will ever go away. But like I said, it's a little more relaxing.
THE DEADBOLT: Are there other places you'd like to see Carlton go?
OMUNDSON: Any time he's out of the cop shop is nice for me. It's a thin line, because the characters are very established with who they are. But now, at season three, I think we can afford to do scenes like we did with Cybill where we get to see a little bit of the soft underbelly, the squishy goo that is Carlton Lassiter because he's just a big girl, like any man that has a gun that's trying to be tough. I'm really excited to meet who the actress is for this wife. And you know, James and I have talked about what he's looking for in that. I can't wait to do that.
Source= http://www.thedeadbolt.com/news/104792/psychomundson_feature.php
Where the fuck is Buzz? Oh, enjoy Shawn's hiss everytime he pronounces any word with a S. Fucktard.