The boys are back, as Psych returns with new season five episodes tonight (10PM ET, USA Network). It’s a change-up for the show, which has aired on Friday nights since its premiere in 2006, but an hour of Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill) shenanigans is certainly something to look forward to mid-week.

Tonight’s episode is a gem — one of the most fun episodes of season four so far — as WWE star John Cena guest stars as Ewen, Juliet’s brother, a military man who’s hiding a big secret from his sis, which leads Shawn to assume Ewen is possibly involved in a murder.

The episode’s also a pivotal one for Shawn and girlfriend Abigail (guest star Rachael Leigh Cook);  let’s just say things might be looking up for “Shawniet” fans …

Meanwhile, the Psych devoted who’d like to see the gang in action live should enter USA’s sweepstakes to win a trip to the Psych set, which includes lunch with the cast and signed scripts. Sweet.

And one more Psych note: Send get well soon thoughts to James Roday, who had a little appendectomy surgery last weekend.

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• Filed in Comedy, Dramedy, Psych
• Tags: John Cena Psych, Psych, Psych season 4

Remember Mark Feuerstein’s “Color Me Mine” video? He’s at it again, this time with Royal Pains co-star Paulo Costanzo, as they perform the Royal Pains Wrap Rap video, to celebrate next week’s first season finale of USA’s summer hit:

The first season of the show wraps on Thursday, August 27 at 10PM ET on USA.

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• Filed in Dramedy, Ya Gotta See This!
• Tags: Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Royal Pains rap, Royal Pains season 1 finale

The Psych season four premiere is less than a month away (August 7, 10PM ET, USA Network), and to help the countdown, um, count down a little faster, USA Network has launched a calendar, or what the show’s official Twitter-er calls the “TV equivalent of holiday Advent calendars.”

Each day features a little treat or sneak peek of the new season for fans, and among the goodies so far: A pic of the Psych episode that features guest star Cary Elwes as an art thief who rankles Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), a page from Shawn’s (James Roday) high school yearbook (where, of course, he’s baking something that includes a pineapple ring), show trivia and a tribute to The Blueberry, i.e. Gus’ (Dule Hill) little blue car.
By the way, you can follow Psych at Twitter via the show Twitter, the Psych Writers Room and the USA Network Twitter.

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• Filed in Dramedy, TV News
• Tags: Dule Hill, James Roday, Psych season 4

This’ll get you even more excited about the June 8 fifth season premiere of Weeds: a commercial for “The University of Andy,” the school of thought by Weeds scene stealer Andy Botwin (Justin Kirk), where you can study such disciplines as Pleasing the Opposite Sex, Holding Your Liquor, Surviving Animal Attacks, Crazy Girls, Archery, Foreign Chicks, Daytime Television, Electrical Engineering, and, of course, TV/VCR Repair.

The Weeds cast is a stellar one, with Mary-Lousie Parker, Elizabeth Perkins and Kevin Nealon all Emmy-worthy, but I think the fact that Kirk hasn’t even received a nomination for his role as Andy is right up there with the inexplicable snubbing by the Emmy folk of Scrubs star John C. McGinley. It’s just kookie!

Check out the University of Andy clip, and I’ll see you in the checkout line when I’m snagging a U of A pennant.

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• Filed in Dramedy, Ya Gotta See This!
• Tags: Andy Botwin, Elizabeth Perkins, Emmy, John C. McGinley, Justin Kirk, Kevin Nealon, Mary-Lousie Parker, Scrubs, University of Andy, Weeds, Weeds season five

Royal Pains
Stars: 3.5 out of 5

Stars: Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Reshma Shetty and Jill Flint

The Big Idea: After the death of a wealthy patron gets Dr. Hank Lawson (Feuerstein) booted from the Manhattan hospital where he works and his insensitive fiancé dumps him, Lawson’s bro Evan (Costanzo, from Joey) convinces him a weekend in the babe-laden Hamptons is just the thing to cure what ails him. While vacaying in the beach playground to the rich and famous, Hank saves a woman’s life at a swanky soiree, prompting the town to claim him as their “concierge doc.”

To Watch or Not to Watch: Absolutely, if for no other reason than because Feuerstein, who’s done more than his fair share of time in lame sitcoms (Good Morning, Miami and Caroline in the City) and good guest-starring gigs (The West Wing and Once and Again), has finally landed in a series worthy of his leading man charms. And he is charming … the 75-minute premiere is a bit bogged down with the obligatory setting up of the series’ premise, but Feuerstein saves it by making you care about Lawson’s chance to redeem his career, maybe spark a new romance with a local hospital administrator who, like him, cares more about patients than money, and, hey, because he is now living in that beach playground to the rich and famous, have some fun in the sun.

The show, a perfect addition to USA’s addictive character-driven dramedy line-up and a fitting companion to Burn Notice‘s third season (which premieres tonight at 9PM ET), also promises to get even better, particularly as Hank interacts with the locals. The best part of the premiere is when he goes all MacGyver to perform impromptu surgery on Tucker, a wealthy haemophiliac teen whose parents are MIA. Hank and the kid bond, and the good doc promises him that he’ll check in on him once he returns from the hospital; Feuerstein has confirmed that’s part of the show’s continuing storyline.

TV Screener Tidbit: Like USA’s other series, Royal Pains will also feature plenty of guest stars, including Campbell Scott and Christine Ebersole in the premiere, and Andrew McCarthy, who’ll play the father of Hank’s teen pal Tucker.

TV Screener Tidbit #2: In addition to his TV and film work, viral video fans may remember Feuerstein from “Lazy Monday,” the “West Coast answer” to Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell‘s classic “Lazy Sunday,” the Chronicles of Narnia rap, clip.

Royal Pains premieres June 4, at 10PM ET on USA Network

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• Filed in Drama, Dramedy, Review - TV
• Tags: Andrew McCarthy, Andy Samberg, Burn Notice, Campbell Scott, Caroline in the City, Chris Parnell, Christine Ebersole, Drama, Dramedy, Good Morning Miami, Hamptons, Hank Lawson, Jill Flint, Joey, Lazy Monday, Lazy Sunday, Mark Feuerstein, medical drama, medical dramedy, medical series, Once and Again, Paulo Costanzo, Reshma Shetty, Royal Pains, The West Wing, USA, USA Network