Another midseason, another fun premiere from USA Network and its laid-back crime dramedy Psych. This time around, on “Six Feet Under the Sea,” the episode’s unique slant is Shawn and Gus’ investigation of the murder of a seal. Yep, you read that right — a seal, like the kind you find in the sea.

This is no ordinary seal, however. It’s famous Shabby the Sea Lion, and when Gus takes Shawn along to the mammal’s funeral, the fake psychic senses something is very, well, fishy.

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Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, there’s only one better way than Black Friday to kick off the holiday season properly: with the now traditional year-end return of USA Network’s Monk and Psych for their respective crowd-pleasing midseason holiday specials.

First up is Team Tony Shalhoub at 9pm EST, who bring us “Mr. Monk and the Miracle.” Neither Adrian Monk nor Captain Stottlemeyer believes in miracles, until a little intervention from fate.

In the case of the OCD detective, he decides to take on an inspiring mystery involving the murder of several homeless men’s friend, courtesy of Natalie’s intervention. And Stottlemeyer experiences renewed faith when a fountain at a monastery appears to get rid of his chronic pain.

Following at 10pm EST is Psych and “Christmas Joy.” Shawn and Gus’ title happiness over supposedly saving Christmas is almost ruined when the mall Santa they help a young girl get out of jail turns out to be a common con artist, as is the child.

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Calling all wrassling fans!

Tomorrow night’s installment of Psych is a female-friendly, sports-driven episode called “Talk Derby to Me.” The main plot revolves around a perplexing series of robberies that cause Maggie Lawson’s Detective Juliet O’Hara to go undercover by joining a roller derby team. Check her out looking lean and mean in the top photo.

Although the lovely athletic ladies at the center of the action don roller skates — and lots of knee and elbow pads, I’m sure — to battle each other in the ring, the top-billed guest star actually hails from the world of professional wrestling. She is current Monday Night Raw WWE Diva Mickie James, who plays a character with the scary moniker Lethal Weapon (love the movie, too, by the way).

To help promote her first guest acting role on a scripted television show, Mickie kindly participated in an interview about her appearance earlier this week. After revealing that series star and huge wrestling fan James Roday (Shawn Spencer) requested her when he learned about the episode’s storyline (lucky woman!), the down-to-earth Diva talks about:

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For two seasons now, viewers have been enjoying the best-buds schtick between Psych stars James Roday and Dulé Hill, tempered with insight into why Roday’s Shawn Spencer acts the way he does, courtesy of those very special moments (much sarcasm intended) between the crime-solving fake psychic and his stern ex-cop father Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen). Since most things get old at one point, however, especially on television, it’s time to give the show’s fans more. Thankfully, judging by the entertaining July 18 third-season premiere “The Ghost in You,” Psych intends to do just that.

More what, you ask? Well, for starters, more Burton “Gus” Guster (Hill), as in a better look at what Shawn’s best friend and fellow non-professional detective does when he’s not busy playing second banana. We’ve always known that, unlike his lazy childhood pal, industrious Gus is actually a working man with a successful, full-time corporate job at a pharmaceutical company.

Yet, that employment security is threatened on “The Ghost in You” when Gus’ boss, Mr. Haversham (ubiquitous Christopher MacDonald), gets a whiff of his employee’s extracurricular sleuthing. The boss is more interested in the supernatural-flavored cases that Gus and Shawn have tackled, specifically the museum mummy disappearance from last season’s finale, which has made local headlines. Eager to rid his own home of a spook so terrifying it forced his wife to flee, Mr. Haversham makes a demand Gus had better meet if he doesn’t want serious upheaval in his career soon.

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The third-season premiere of Psych is called “The Ghost in You,” and it’s less than two days away.

One of the biggest, most talked about developments coming up is the addition of TV icon Cybill Shepherd to the cast as a guest star. She’ll first show up on this Friday’s 10pm EST episode to play the previously unseen but oft-discussed mother of fake psychic Shawn. A successful criminal psychologist, she arrives in town to assist the Santa Barbara Police Department with a case.

I’ve seen the premiere already, and let me tell you, it’s so much fun watching Shepherd interact with the rest of the characters, especially Corbin Bernsen’s — another TV icon — grumpy Henry Spencer, who’s my absolute favorite person on the show by far. Every scene with him is a guaranteed hoot.

Take a look at the trailer for the premiere following the jump, and, as I mentioned in a previous post, also stay tuned for information about a great Monk/Psych giveaway launching at Comedy Centric soon.

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The June 19th episode of NBC’s new horror-suspense anthology Fear Itself was the best one thus far, largely thanks to the fantastic work of Eureka star Colin Ferguson. He was spot-on and so chilling when needed.

Next week, two more actors from a well-known dramedy will tackle the series when real-life couple James Roday and Maggie Lawson, Shawn Spencer and Juliet O’Hara on USA Network’s Psych, headline the suggestively titled episode “In Sickness and In Health.”

The installment is directed and written by a pair of the horror genre’s more well-known talents, John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and Victor Salva (Jeepers Creepers), respectively.

Lawson plays an enthusiastic bride who’s wedding plans are ruined when she receives a mysterious note claiming that her soon-to-be-husband, Roday’s groom, is a serial killer. What in the world is a woman supposed to do under those circumstances?

Tune in to NBC next Thursday night at 10pm EST to see. In the meantime, enjoy the brief preview that aired after last night’s episode below. The couple seems perfectly attuned to the plot’s kitschy possibilities.

Yesss!!! Am I a very happy blogger right now!

Not only is one of my favorite TV series from last year, USA Network’s fantabulous action spy dramedy Burn Notice, returning to the tube in July, but TV Guide reports today that it will gain a new cast member for a multi-episode arc, namely Battlestar Galactica’s delicious Tricia Helfer.

Talk about a match made in TV heaven — sizzling Cylon Number Six and cool-as-a-cucumber ace spook Michael Westen, played by Jeffrey Donovan.

According to TV Guide, Helfer will portray Michael’s handler Carla, a woman who doesn’t hesitate to kill and who frequently seems “slightly amused” by Michael.

Burn Notice creator Matt Nix adds that Michael will find himself with no choice but to work for Carla. Moreover, she has close ties to those responsible for burning him in the first place, as well.

Helfer will not be the first Cylon to infiltrate Burn Notice, however That distinction goes to Lucy Lawless — otherwise known as Battlestar Galactica’s currently boxed Cylon Number Three, D’Anna Biers — who appeared on the episode “False Flag” during the show’s rookie season. And, yes, she rocked, too — big time.

If you didn’t know already, kind USA Network is now in the midst of airing encores of Burn Notice’s first season every Thursday night at 11pm EST. Episode 1.2, “Identity,” is up tonight, and you can also bet that there will be a marathon or several of the entire first season shortly before the second one premieres on July 10.

Summer TV is really looking hot, don’t you agree?

ABC Family

Greek

• Second half of first season (12 episodes) premieres on March 24
• Complete first season will have 22 episodes
• RENEWED for a 12-episode second season on February 14

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Tonight’s installment of Psych is the absolute last episode of the second season. That means if you’re a fan of Shawn and Gus et al., this one probably counts as must-see, appointment TV. Maybe that’s why they did up the title all witty like to mimic that of the British cult zombie flick Shaun of the Dead (rent it if you haven’t already seen it — the movie is a blast).

Anyhoo, Shawn and Gus get a taste of culture in the episode when the Natural History Museum seeks their help to explain an extremely weird incident: a mummy seemingly got up and left the building all by itself. Even weirder, now nobody can even find the darn thing, but I bet Shawn and his best bud will eventually.

Psych airs at 10pm EST tonight, and I have a couple of videos after the jump to give readers a preview. The first clip is a standard television promotional spot, while the second one is an actual scene from the episode. Take a look if you dare to be spoiled further.

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Original Air Date: February 8, 2008

1987

Ever sneaky, young Shawn tries to get out of wearing a sweater vest his mom chose for him to take his school picture in by changing into a Knight Rider t-shirt instead. His dad catches him when he comes downstairs, however, and orders him to put the vest back on because pictures last forever and his father wants him to look his best.

Present

As GUS repeatedly states emphatically that he’s not working that night, SHAWN takes Gus out to a surprise location for his birthday. The surprise turns out to be the fall line launch party for Ciao Clothing, the most exclusive event of the year, filled with hot unknown models and fake celebrities. Shawn gets the guys in by having their retired “modeling-team” name of Black and Tan — no first names and guess which one is Black (the other one) — put on the VIP list, and the bouncer deciding who does and doesn’t get in is stunned they’ve been invited.

After Gus spots his favorite model, Berlinda Desidovicz, and goes over to talk to her, Shawn notices Ciao co-owner Ciaobella hurl a green beverage on the floor after berating her assistant. Ciao Clothing chairman and founder Gregor Uwe Steeb takes the stage next. The microphone is set really low on its pole, so after making a crack about looking forward to doing some menial work raising the microphone himself after having designed all the clothes himself, too, Gregor grabs the mike stand to increase the height. Suddenly, electricity crackles, and the designer falls to the floor, dead.

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