The show is not about the 80s, but the characters grew up in the 80s and they seem to slide several 80s references into each episode. New episodes return again tonight (Friday, January 9th) which I am quite happy about because in my opinion there is so little TV worth watching right now. I came across this interview with the two stars of Psych which was published in The Who's News Blog from USA Weekend. You can click on that link or for your convenience I have included it below.

'Psych' stars dish on new episodes
By Lorrie Lynch
December 16, 2008

One of the USA Network's best comedies, Psych, returns on Jan. 9 at 10 p.m. EST with new episodes. Our TV editor T.J. Walter is a fan of the show and jumped on a conference call today with stars Dule Hill and James Roday, who play the hilarious crime-solving duo of Gus and Shawn, respectively. Calling in from California, both had plenty to say about continuation of season three, which will feature an interesting slate of guest stars, from Ted McGinley and Justine Bateman to Rachael Leigh Cook and Jonathan Silverman (he evidently likes to be called "Johnny Silver" while on set - who knew?) And after you finish taking all that in, check out this cool widget where you can see pics from the show, get a show schedule and play a neat concentration game! *(I have included this in the CHECK THIS OUT section at the end of the issue)

How have the characters and the show evolved over the past three seasons?
Dule: I think as the seasons have gone on, we finally started to find out what works and doesn't work, and we have started to find our groove. I think you learn and see which relationships work, which storylines work and which directors work.You get the sense of what the show is about and the longer you do this you can begin to refine the process. Also, after three years together, the cast really started to gel together and feed off each other.

Why did you choose to incorporate more drama into the show?
James: I think for any show to really have a real life, you have to challenge yourself and that starts from a writing standpoint, because everything starts with writing. We got ourselves a self-mandate: Let's see if we can start to earn our comedy a little bit more. That means giving each episode more of an emotional spine, mixing in some drama and giving our actors a chance to flex some different muscles. We also have to acknowledge that we might miss sometimes, but when we hit, it will be much more rich and fulfilling.

What was it like working with Cybill Shepherd?
James: Once you get past the multiple personality disorder thing and you really get a handle on that, she is an absolute doll and a joy to work with - I am absolutely kidding, she does not have multiple personality disorder. Cybill is a pro. She is an iconic figure and anytime you work with someone of her stature, you have to get over that initial "wow" and then you realize that she is jazzed to be here with us. She really is a joy to work with.

How do all of the pop culture references play into the show?
James: The show is a reflection of what these characters grew up with, we are both kids of the '80s and '90s, the show is basically a free-for-all and we try to find the most obscure reference or something that was cool for two seconds. Half the time, Dule doesn't know what I am talking about, and that's good because it's education for him while it's a trip down memory lane for me.
Dule: I would say 83.2 percent of the time, I have no idea what James is talking about, and after the scene is done, I then go and ask what the heck he is talking about. On screen, I act like I know but I really don't have any idea.

Have you become trivia masters because of all those nuggets in the show?
James: There are definitely some categories, entertainment and sports, in Trivial Pursuit where I am very competitive. If you land on green, yellow or brown, you can pretty much count me out. There might be a special version that is all '80s stuff, which I haven't played yet, but I would venture to say that I bring a pretty big stick to that game.

So who is the jokester on set?
James: Dule likes to hide equipment.
Dule: I like to hide the boom and have fun with the crew. I have been known to hide the gadget that the focus puller uses. I will stick that in a drawer somewhere and not tell anyone. Also, I hide the slate whenever they lay it down and walk away.

What are the chances of Shawn having a relationship on the show?
James: You might see something like that sooner rather than later. I have no idea how it's going to go but we will start looking at that soon. The idea of Shawn trying to negotiate a relationship with a woman is something that I think everyone will get a kick out of. I don't think he will get locked into a long-term relationship, but I think he will give it a try.

Dule, will Gus ever loosen up, and are you actually like your character off-screen?
Dule: I am right in the middle in real life. I do like to plan things out and be responsible, but I do like to have fun once I handle my business. In matters of Gus, he does start to loosen up more and more. Gus continues to challenge Shawn to be more responsible, and Shawn challenges Gus to loosen up. The one thing you will never see is Gus to the point of Shawn when it comes to responsibility.

What do you guys think about the comparisons being made about The Mentalist and Psych:
Dule: I see their show and I don't see anything similar about it. I think it is completely fresh and innovative. I think it is great.
James: I think imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I think the fact that we are a cult cable show and they somehow saw something about our show that they thought was worth reproducing on a much larger scale, I think it is pretty cool and in many ways it is a kudo to us. There is really no point in trying to pretend that we didn't influence the show, but if you look at any show on television, they are usually derivatives of another show on TV that came before it. So all you Mentalist fans, it is OK to like your show. Have fun watching - just don't deny where it came from.
Dule: I think at some point, you might see Shawn and Gus make some references to this on the show.

Friday is typically a tough night for TV, ratings-wise. What makes Psych worth staying home for at the end of the week?
James: The short answer is Dule's head.
Dule: It is a great show that after a hard work week, you can just come home, be with your family and kick back and watch it. Our show allows you to laugh off the stress of the week, and I really think a drama probably wouldn't do that as well. It brings people back to the memories of their childhood. We are truly big kids in a candy store and I think a lot of people can relate to that.

The question about "pop culture references" (4^th question above) was particularly interesting and probably explains why I enjoy this show so much. One of my very favorite episodes was Season 3, Episode 2 titled "Murder?...Anyone?...Anyone?...Bueller?" The episode revolved around a high school reunion and included lots of John Hughes 80s movie references which I thoroughly enjoyed. The entire episode used to be available on line, but does not seem to be anymore. Here is the ending scene from that episode with the obvious nod to The Breakfast Club.

Here are videos for a couple of the other 80s pop culture references that I also particularly enjoyed. The first was a performance by "Shawn" and "Gus" at an American Idol-like show.

The second is a short Psych-Out moment (outtake that is featured at the end of the show) which includes the 80s song, "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell.

The last is a commercial promo which features them singing the Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney duet "Ebony & Ivory"

80s fans, like me, will usually get a little treat like that in most episodes! As I have said before, I highly recommend this show. It can be a little silly, but I have never watched an episode that wasn't at least somewhat entertaining. If you have never seen it before, I actually would recommend that you go back and watch it starting from season 1, so that you can see the characters evolve. You can watch some of the episodes for free on hulu.com or at psych.usanetwork.com or are now available on DVD.

That's all for this short issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: As I promised earlier in the interview, here is the Psych concentration game (you may have to click on the photo gallery button first to get the picture lined up- at least that is what I have to do to get it to work right)...

Quote of the day: "In order that all men may be taught to speak the truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it." -Samuel Johnson