TV is the New Reading

Hope springs eternal with

‘Monk,’ ‘Psych’ on USA

The new year holds promise of hope. Hope that producers and writers can come to some sort of agreement. Hope that the new series have enough episodes in the can to weather the remaining strike. Hope that the stop-gap measures the networks have devised to produce content without writers prove to have even less staying power than they seem to have charisma.

And while there is fear and trepidation that the midseason series will meet the same abrupt fate as their fall-premiering cousins, the greatest spark of hope is in the shows themselves.

Honestly, it’s like Christmas all over again, with that “Terminator”-based series “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” starting on FOX soon, fresh episodes of “Nip/Tuck” on FX, and the new seasons of “Medium” on NBC and “LOST” on ABC just waiting in the wings.

Friday night

Perhaps most exciting is the high-energy midseason premieres planned with all new episodes of “Monk” and “Psych” on the USA network.

Both series returned briefly last month with holiday specials. If you missed the Christmas special in which Monk was accused of shooting Santa Claus, not to worry. They aired it several times and they’ll probably air it again, along with the other two holiday episodes. It wasn’t like last year where Monk met his father, the truck driver, and they barely aired it once. This year, USA wisely decided to actively capitalize on having new material. Probably a good move, given how little of it there’s been recently.

Monk seems more or less recovered from his run-in with St. Nick in the new season, premiering Friday at 8 p.m. His latest case involves Monk, the obsessive-compulsive detective played by Tony Shalhoub, joining a cult to investigate a murder. However, in the course of his investigation he falls under the spell of a charismatic cult leader played by game show host Howie Mandel.

'Psych'

The “Monk” companion piece “Psych” seems to be all about Gus lately. The premiere holiday episode introduced fans to Ernie Hudson and Felicia Rashad as the parents of fake-psychic sidekick and pharmaceutical salesman Burton “Gus” Guster, played by Dule Hill. Friday’s season premiere, airing at 9 p.m., introduces us to his wife.

Yes. Gus got married. I was as shocked as you. No one, however, was more shocked than his partner and best friend Shawn Spencer, the fake-psychic detective played by James Roday.

Shawn is in charge of their fake-psychic detective agency called “psych.” Learning that his role of best man was usurped and his friend’s nuptials remained such a secret, Shawn pulls out all of his hyper-observant skills to figure out what’s going on with this suddenly reappearing wife and what her story is in the first place.

Finally, the season premieres follow a daylong marathon of “Psych” and “Monk” episodes starting at 10 a.m., so if you’ve missed any of either show’s madcap tomfoolery, now’s the perfect opportunity to catch up.

With otherwise so little to look forward to on the televisual landscape, one counts one’s blessings where they might be found. And new seasons of “Monk” and “Psych,” however long we have with them, absolutely qualify.

Features Editor Terry J. Aman compiles the Best Bets for The Minot Daily News.

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