It’s true with TV as with everything else: All good things must come to an end.
In this case, it’s Psych, the smart, witty detective comedy/drama that has been a staple on USA for eight seasons. The final curtain rises at 8 p.m. Wednesday, followed at 9:07 by the live (on tape) Psych After Pshow, where creator Steve Franks and the cast will answer questions from a studio audience.
Loyal fans owe a debt of gratitude to USA for the satisfying send-off of its longest-running original series since Monk left the air in 2009.
One of the most frustrating aspects of this job is listening to the complaints when networks pull the plug on a series without warning, frequently leaving viewers (no matter how few) dangling with a cliffhanger.
It happens more often than not, and it’s a slap in the face to loyal fans. The networks count on viewers’ notoriously short memory spans rather than forgiveness.
Fortunately, that’s not the case with Psych’s finale, “The Breakup.” There’s a good reason they titled it that. Have some Kleenex handy.
The good news is that in 20 years of covering the TV beat, “The Breakup” is one of the most satisfying closures I’ve seen. You’ll laugh; you’ll cry; you’ll be shocked and surprised.
As with every episode over the years, this one is full of clever pop culture references, rapid-fire banter, and immaculate comic timing between stars James Roday and Dule Hill as crime-solving faux psychic Shawn Spencer and his sidekick, Burton “Gus” Guster.
The episode features guest stars Billy Zane and Mira Sorvino, and contains twists, turns and even a hilarious (but subtle) lagniappe for Monk fans (look for it near the end).
And there’s this burning question: Will Shawn finally confess to Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) that he’s not really a psychic? I’ll not give it away, but it’s a major scene.
Franks has not ruled out a Psych stand-alone movie down the line. That would be entertaining, but some cast members aren’t waiting around.
Maggie Lawson (Juliet O’Hara), for example, has already tried her own sitcom, ABC’s Back in the Game with James Caan. It bombed. I blame a rather stiff Caan, who phoned it in.
Getting right back on the horse, Lawson has been cast in a CBS pilot, Save the Date. The romantic comedy has a decent shot at making the fall lineup, but we won’t know fora couple of months
The 33-year-old Lawson, for those who didn’t know, has “been in a relationship” with Roday since 2006.
Other trivia: The 37-year old Roday’s real name is James. D. Rodriguez. Few recall that the Texas native was a series regular in Darren Star’s Alicia Silverstone comedy Miss Match in 2003. Only 11 episodes aired before NBC pulled the plug.
So, here’s to Roday and Hill, one of the great TV comedy duos in recent memory. “We’ll always have Santa Barbara,” Roday says to Hill in a video teaser. “And syndication.”
As a final public service and tribute, here is the chorus to the catchy Psych theme song, “I Know You Know,” by The Friendly Indians. It’s a guaranteed “ear worm.” Get it in your head, and good luck trying to forget it all day.
(Trivia: Franks is the band’s lead singer, and wrote the song.)
I know, you know, that I’m not telling the truth.
I know, you know, they just don’t have any proof.
Embrace the deception, learn how to bend,
Your worst inhibitions, tend to psych you out in the end.
Thanks, guys. It’s been fun.
Returning shows. As is always the case with TV, one show departs and others return. While Psych bows out Wednesday, TV Land returns two old favorites.
Hot in Cleveland returns at 9 p.m. with its second consecutive live premiere starring the incomparable Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves.
It will be followed at 9:30 by the live Season 3 opener of The Soul Man, starring Cedric The Entertainer (real name Cedric Antonio Kyles)as former R&B star, now minister Rev. Boyce “The Voice” Ballentine.
Added treat: This season, Hot in Cleveland will also have an animated episode.
Program reminder. In case you’ve lost Sunday’s TV Week insert, here’s a reminder that Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge debuts at 9 p.m. today on Syfy.
The series features 10 aspiring creature designers vying for a job with the famous Creature Shop. One by one they’ll be eliminated until there’s a winner.
Summer series. CBS has announced the return and starting dates for several summer shows. Make your plans now.
Big Brother, my favorite summertime guilty pleasure, returns June 25. A new legal drama, Reckless, arrives June 29, followed by the Season 3 premiere of Unforgettable.
On June 30, it’s back to the bubble for Season 2 of Under the Dome (opening episode, “Heads Will Roll,” was written by Stephen King), and finally, Halle Berry will star in Steven Spielberg’s limited series Extant on July 9.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email: mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style, Pages 30 on 03/25/2014