What does the band Tears for Fears have in common with a fake psychic detective? The “Psych” panel at Comic-Con answers just that very question

At Comic-Con, after a funny clip of our intrepid heroes Shawn and Gus meeting Curt Smith, the lead singer of the band Tears for Fears, Curt Smith appeared on stage to sing “Shout” with James Roday and Dule Hill, much to the audience’s delight. It was a rip-roaring event that brought everyone to their feet and got everyone in the mood to find out what other shenanigans the show is up to.

While a bit coy about the relationships of the characters and the upcoming story arcs, creator/writer Steve Franks happily shared that there may or may not be more building on the sexual tension between Chief Karen Vick and Buzz McNab, that there would be more puns and amusing nicknames for Gus, and that James would be directing an upcoming episode.

Franks also shared that directing has taught him so much more as a writer. For example, as a writer he can dream up all kinds of hilarious storylines heedless of what goes into actually executing his vision on the page. It was only after directing an episode that he learned that such grand ideas can cost a lot more than they have budgeted, that it may be too cold in Vancouver to do some of the stunts or stories he had crafted, and that the actors are working much longer house than he ever envisioned.

Thus, he has tried to be a bit more circumspect and realistic of the harsh realities of putting his words on paper into action on film. After all, all those words do add up to money, time and labor by the hard-working cast. Directing has taught him to be much more efficient and conscious of the people working on the show.

Franks also admitted that because he did not know any better, he has an incredible open-door policy in which he invites the entire cast and crew to propose ideas for stories and to have a lot more input than most shows would normally allow. But it has also created an environment where everyone feels like they are part of the team and that their input is valued and appreciated. It has made a uniquely welcoming and fun environment to work.

Perhaps because they are such a fun show to work with, they have also attracted some super cool guest stars, such as William Devane, Chi McBride, Adam Rodriguez and Nestor Carbonell. This sort of dream casting has made the show richer for them all.

As a nice bone to the Comic-Con fans, each of the cast was asked which costume would they choose if they had the chance to wear one to Comic-Con: Corbin Bernsen said a pineapple (which is an inside joke for those watching the show); James said he would come as Alf; Dule would be Papa Smurf; Maggie would choose to be Wonder Woman; and Kirsten would come as Hit-Girl. These were clearly great choices as the room erupted with laughter and cat-calls.

Lastly, not to be left out of the fun, Timothy Omundson was spotlighted in a closing gag-reel in which he did a dead-on impersonation of singing “I’m Too Sexy,” the outrageous song by the band Right Said Fred, while doing the catwalk. “Psych” is a fun show that aims to please its fans at all times, but from the looks of it, they are probably having more fun than we are watching the show!

“Psych” airs Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m. on USA Network.

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http://insideblip.com/node/387/expect-more-sexual-tension-nicknames-in-psych.html

“Psych” returns for more psych-out adventures on July 14th on USA Network

If you have not yet discovered this fun summer show of a fake psychic detective who solves real crimes for the Santa Barbara Police Department, then make the time to take a peek when it returns for its fifth season. Starring James Roday and Dule Hill as the comedic duo of Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster, the show is a hilarious look out how a normal guy pretending to be a psychic can still be the smartest guy around.

While Chief Vick and Detectives Carlton Lassiter and Juliet O’Hara are not quite sure if Shawn is the real deal or not, he and Gus do crack some of the toughest, mind-boggling crimes. So with the aid of Shawn’s dad, Henry, an ex-cop who reluctantly goes along with Shawn’s elaborate ruse, the show comedically portrays how simple observation and a nose for trouble makes Shawn and Gus a brilliant crime-fighting duo.

The end of last season was a tense showdown with Shawn’s nemesis the mysterious Mr. Yin, the partner in crime to Mr. Yang — the same Mr. Yang who Shawn captured at the end of the third season. It was a game designed to end with the death of either Shawn’s girlfriend Abigail or Detective O’Hara, but with everyone working together to solve the deadly riddles, all were saved in the end. But while all ended well, Shawn still lost in the end as Abigail decided she was not fit to be a part of Shawn’s world anymore. It was a bittersweet end and it remains to be seen if Shawn will feel compelled to continue the game of cat-and-mouse with the nefarious Mr. Yin.

Regardless of the pursuit of Mr. Yin, more ludicrous and entertaining adventures surely await as Shawn and Gus continue their dual goal of making a quick buck while still endeavoring to keep the Santa Barbara streets safe from the criminal element. After all, crime should not pay — unless you are a fake psychic detective who cannot resist an Easter egg hunt, treasure hunt or even a duck hunt. For Shawn and Gus, life is but a game and we are all players in it — and any game should be fun along the way.

Join Shawn and Gus as they engage in their next round of “Psych” which returns on Wednesday, July 14th at 10:00 p.m. on USA Network.

Link to PHOTOS: http://www.twitpic.com/e/13xa

Spotlight On: ‘Psych’s’ Maggie Lawson

Working steadily since landing her first television appearance in the mid-1990’s, Maggie Lawson has been slyly scene-stealing for the past 15 years. After a string of guest appearances in shows like “Unhappily Ever After,” “Step by Step,” Cybill,” “Boy Meets World,” and “Home Improvement,” she began testing the feature film waters with appearances in the films “I’ve Been Waiting for You” with Sarah Chalke and Markie Post and “Pleasantville” with Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon.

Working around some top notch comedians and drama film stars only continued to shape Maggie into the engaging actress she is today. With a few more quick stops to appear in the cult favorite “Felicity” and the dramatic juggernaut “ER,” Maggie next landed a seven episode arc on the series “Party of Five” starring Matthew Fox (“Lost”) and Scott Wolf (“V”), as well as a role alongside Justin Timberlake in the film “Model Behavior.” With an eye for cool leading men, Maggie continued her lightening streak working on the television series “Inside Schwartz” with Breckin Meyer and a brief appearance in the series “Smallville” with Tom Welling.

Then, in 2002, after landing the lead role in the film “Nancy Drew,” Maggie went on to star in the films “Winter Break” with Milo Ventimiglia, “Spellbound” with Dave Annable and “Love Rules” with Joey Lawrence. She also managed to score the leading role on the comedy series “It’s All Relative.” Then, once it ended, she appeared briefly on the cult series “Tru Calling” which starred Eliza Dushku (“Dollhouse”) and Matt Bomer (“White Collar”), and the series “Crumbs” which starred Fred Savage and Eddie McClintock (“Warehouse 13”).

After her role on “Crumbs” wrapped, Maggie’s career hit the jackpot when she was cast as Detective Juliet O’Hara in the comedy series “Psych” alongside James Roday and Dule Hill. On “Psych,” Maggie constantly walks a tight-rope of playing both straight-guy to James Roday and Dule Hill’s hysterical antics and funny-guy to Omundson’s by-the-book Detective Carlton Lassiter. But it is a role she clearly relishes and plays with aplomb and humor. With “Psych” entering its 5th season, the show continues to dabble with the back stories of the characters and the slow dance to see if Shawn and Juliet will end up together.

In the meantime, Maggie has taken the opportunity to use her hiatus breaks to pursue a few film projects and starred in the 2-part Lifetime film series “Killer Hair” and “Hostile Makeover” based on the “Crime of Fashion” mystery books by Ellen Byerrum. Playing fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian with a nose for rooting out murder, Maggie stepped outside the shadow of her comedic co-stars on “Psych” and has shown once again that she can light up the screen with both charm and witty repartee. Maggie is a rare gem that makes any television show or film for which she graces with her presence much more fun and fascinating to watch.

To see more of the amazing Maggie Lawson, tune in for “Psych” Wednesday nights on USA Television at 10:00 p.m. (“Psych” also returns for its 5th season next summer.)

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http://nicegirlstv.com/2010/03/10/spotlight-on-psychs-maggie-lawson/