Shawn Spencer | |
---|---|
Psych character | |
![]() James Roday Rodriguez as Shawn | |
First appearance | "Pilot" ( Psych ; 2006) |
Created by | Steve Franks |
Portrayed by | James Roday Rodriguez Liam James (Young Shawn: Seasons 1-5) Skyler Gisondo (Young Shawn: Seasons 5-Season 8) |
In-universe information | |
Alias |
|
Gender | Male |
Occupation | "Psychic Detective" |
Family | Henry Spencer (father) Madeleine Spencer (mother) |
Spouse | Juliet O'Hara |
Significant others | Gina Repach (former) Abigail Lytar (1998, 2009–10) |
Relatives | Jack Spencer (uncle) [2] Henry Spencer, Sr. (paternal grandfather) Emma Spencer (paternal grandmother) |
Shawn Spencer is a fictional character and main protagonist on the American television comedy-drama Psych and the sequel film series of the same name played by American actor James Roday Rodriguez. Taking advantage of his eidetic memory and keen observational skills, he poses as a psychic and works as a private detective who often consults with the Santa Barbara Police Department. Shawn and his childhood best friend Gus work together at the eponymous agency Psych.
Shawn Spencer works as a freelance consultant to the Santa Barbara Police Department, along with his business partner and lifelong best friend Burton "Gus" Guster. Like many fictional detectives, he is very observant and skilled in deductive reasoning. However, he pretends that his skills are due to him being a psychic. [3]
Shawn comes from a family of police officers. His father, Henry, is a decorated sergeant who trained Shawn from childhood to be hyper-observant. [4] This is drawn loosely from the childhood of series creator Steve Franks, who was also born into a family of police officers and whose father "was training [Franks] in his own way to follow his footsteps." Franks' father would ask him how many people were wearing hats in a restaurant, a tactic Henry employs in the series pilot. [5]
In the pilot episode, Shawn earned money by using his observational skills to call in tips for the police. However, he started acting as a consultant for the police because they suspected him of being involved in one of the crimes he was reporting a tip for, not believing that he could have known the information from just watching a news broadcast. [3]
Shawn has been compared to Sherlock Holmes. Eden Leone considers Shawn to be a "superman detective", in manner of skill. [3] Robert Arp draws similar comparisons, likening him to Holmes in that both have "seemingly supernatural powers of observation". [6] Cynthia Vinney and Karen E. Dill-Shackleford have called Shawn and his partner, Gus, a "Holmes and Watson story". [7]
Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive eidetic memory allow him to convince people that he solves cases with psychic abilities. The program also stars Dulé Hill as Shawn's intelligent best friend and reluctant partner Burton "Gus" Guster, as well as Corbin Bernsen as Shawn's father Henry, a former detective with the Santa Barbara Police Department.
"Pilot" is the first episode of the TV series, Psych. It originally aired on USA Network on July 7, 2006.
Burton "Gus" Guster is a fictional character on the USA Network television comedy Psych and the sequel film series of the same name played by American actor Dulé Hill. He functions as the "straight man" for Shawn Spencer's antics, and provides sobering advice, helpful knowledge, steady support, and friendship.
"Spellingg Bee", also known as "The Spellingg Bee", is the second episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama detective television series Psych. It was written by series creator and co-executive producer Steve Franks, and was directed by co-executive producer and director Mel Damski during November and December 2005. The episode originally aired on USA Network in the United States on July 14, 2006. The installment features guest appearances by Kirsten Nelson, Alexander Calvert, Kyle Pejpar, and Jeremy Loheir, among others. It also features an appearance by sportscaster Bud Collins.
"Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Piece" is the third episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama television series Psych. It was written by writer and co-executive producer Steve Franks, and was directed by assistant director Michael Zinberg. The episode originally aired on USA Network in the United States on July 21, 2006. The installment features guest appearances by Kirsten Nelson, Sage Brocklebank, Tom Butler, and Gina Holden among others.
Detective Carlton Jebediah "Lassie" Lassiter MCJ is a fictional character in the American sitcom Psych and the sequel film series of the same name, played by Timothy Omundson.
Head Detective Juliet Lynn "Jules" O'Hara is a character on the American comedy Psych and the sequel film series of the same name played by Maggie Lawson. The character is noted in part for strong relationships with other characters, including Carlton Lassiter and Shawn Spencer, and as exemplifying the show's feminism and theme of trust.
"Who Ya Gonna Call?" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama television series Psych. It was written by co-executive producers Jack Sakmar and Kerry Lenhart, and was directed by Michael Lange. The episode originally aired on USA Network in the United States on August 18, 2006. The installment features guest appearances by Kirsten Nelson, Sage Brocklebank, Frank Whaley, and Nico McEown among others. The title refers to the song Ghostbusters, written and performed by Ray Parker Jr.
Steve Franks is an American screenwriter, director and musician based in Orange County, California. He is best known as the creator of the USA Network original series Psych.
"American Duos" is the first episode of the second season of Psych, and is the 16th episode overall.
The first season of Psych originally aired in the United States on the USA Network television network between July 7, 2006 and March 2, 2007. Produced by Universal Cable Productions and Tagline Television, the series was created by Steve Franks, who served as executive producer with Kelly Kulchak and Chris Henze.
The second season of Psych originally aired in the United States on USA Network from July 13, 2007 to February 15, 2008. It consisted of 16 episodes. James Roday, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, and Corbin Bernsen reprised their roles as the main characters, and Kirsten Nelson joined the main cast. James Roday portrayed Shawn Spencer, a fake psychic detective who periodically consults for the Santa Barbara police department. A DVD of the season was released on July 8, 2008.
The third season of Psych originally aired in the United States on USA Network from July 18, 2008 to February 20, 2009. It consisted of 16 episodes. James Roday, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernsen, and Kirsten Nelson reprised their roles as the main characters. James Roday portrayed Shawn Spencer, a fake psychic detective who periodically consults for the Santa Barbara police department. A DVD of the season was released on July 21, 2009.
The fourth season of Psych originally aired in the United States on USA Network from August 7, 2009 to March 10, 2010. It consisted of 16 episodes. James Roday, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernsen and Kirsten Nelson reprised their roles as the main characters. James Roday portrayed Shawn Spencer, a fake psychic detective who periodically consults for the Santa Barbara police department. A DVD of the season was released on July 13, 2010.
The fifth season of Psych, consisting of 16 episodes, premiered on USA Network in the United States on July 14, 2010 and concluded on December 22, 2010. A DVD of the season was released on May 31, 2011. Production officially started in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 28, 2010. James Roday, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernsen and Kirsten Nelson all reprised their roles as the main characters.
"Woman Seeking Dead Husband: Smokers Okay, No Pets" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama television series Psych. It was written by writer and co-executive producer Steve Franks, and was directed by Jeff Melman, his only work on the show. The episode originally aired on USA Network in the United States on July 28, 2006. The installment features guest appearances by series regulars Kirsten Nelson, Sage Brocklebank, Liam James, and Patricia Idlette among other guests.
A Mind Is A Terrible Thing to Read is a mystery novel written by William Rabkin in January, 2009. It is based on the USA Network television series Psych. It has all of the same characters Shawn Spencer, Burton Guster, Henry Spencer, Juliet O'Hara, Carlton Lassiter, and Karen Vick. The book is the first one of the five-part series written by Rabkin. The book also begins with a flashback to Shawn's childhood where his father, Henry, attempts to train his son to follow in his steps.
"Psych: The Musical" is an episode of the seventh season of Psych and the 110th episode in the series overall. Formatted as a musical, it aired as a two-hour event, using up episodes 15 and 16 of the season order. The episode aired on December 15, 2013.
Psych 2: Lassie Come Home is a 2020 American mystery-comedy film. The film is a stand-alone sequel to the first film from 2017 and the second installment of the Psych film series, based on and serving as a continuation of the USA Network dramedy series of the same name. The movie was released on July 15, 2020 on Peacock. James Roday Rodriguez, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Kirsten Nelson, and Corbin Bernsen all reprised their roles from the series and first film, with frequently recurring actors Kurt Fuller and Jimmi Simpson also appearing. The film was directed by series creator Steve Franks, who co-wrote the script with Roday Rodriguez and Berman.